Good Speech, Inc. is the name of my private speech therapy practice in Las Vegas, NV.

My daughter, coined the phrase, “Speech Pathologists Make Good Things Happen.”

• Speech Pathologists Make Good Things Happen for Children
  By working with them, by caring about them, by constantly learning from them.
• Speech Pathologists Make Good Things Happen for Adults
  By making their lives worth living, by empathizing, by giving your time.
• Speech Pathologists Make Good Things Happen for Families
  By sharing, by listening, by praising, by encouraging, by empowering.
• Speech Pathologists Make Good Things Happen for Other Professionals
  By learning from them, by sharing with them, by teaming with them.
• Speech Pathologists Make Good Things Happen for Their Communities
  By sharing knowledge through speaking, writing, and charity events.
• Speech Pathologists Make Good Things Happen for Themselves
  By sharing knowledge and talents with children, adults, families, professionals and communities.

SLPs receive gifts every day of their lives as they look beyond the bucket that sits at the end of the rainbow. These gifts are heard in a child’s laughter as he/she shares a moment of joy in therapy. These gifts are seen in the tears of gratitude as they slide down a wrinkled face withered by time. These gifts are touched as a parent’s hand reaches out in gratefulness for your time and for going one step beyond the edge of the sidewalk. These gifts are felt in your heart as you walk for autism, light up blue for autism, or support any disability/charity in your community.

We, as speech pathologists, have chosen such an honorable, yet responsible profession.

I just returned last night from ASHA (American Speech Hearing Association) National Convention. There, I caught up with and met so many wonderful SLPs. We connect to make life better for individual people and families. SLPs love what we do and honor those with whom we work.

Yes, I took my Humpty Dumpty and will be doing a blog titled, “Humpty Dumpty Takes ASHA,” on his website at On the Road with Humpty Dumpty.

I attended many sessions on autism across the spectrum and will be blogging at ADVANCE for the Speech-Language Pathologist. Lots of great information and tips will be posted for toddlers to adults.

At the Las Vegas Santa Run

Don’t miss a series of blogs at On the Road with Humpty Dumpty as HE reviews his 2010 adventures. I started this family friendly blog in May, 2010. The whole idea is to “get off your wall and live.”

Everyone of us, even Tiny Tim, has something that can hold us back in life ~ that is ~ if you let it.

Enjoy life ~ smile with it ~ cry when you must ~ but then, pick yourself up and live!

(This is my Humpty Dumpty – the one in the little plaid suit. He’s a joy in my life. Follow his adventures on HIS blog.)

Dr. Adam Mamelak and his friends

Dr. Mamelak is my friend too. After all, he’s been inside my head and looked around. He even plucked my pituitary gland out and I’m here to tell about it. I don’t think he’s one of the best neurosurgeons in the United States, I know he is THE BEST neurosurgeon in the U.S.

In a recent article in Discoveries, Cedars-Sinai, Fall 2010, “Who’s Who” it is Dr. Mamelak and his beautiful friends in the picture who are highlighted.  As a person, I was 1 in 1 million who had Cushing’s disease, but Cushing’s is a common disorder in dogs. In, steps the talented Dr. Mamelak as he collaborates with the world of veterinary medicine. I don’t think Dr. Mamelak’s practice is going to the dogs at all. I’d refer to them as lucky dogs.

The picture in the article says Dr. Mamelak is holding Toby in his arms. In 2007, he held me. I thank him for that ~ his talent, his skill, and his warmth ~ he has enough to share.

Need I say more ~ sign up today!

Michelle with her precious, Kaiden ~ don’t you just love the picture! So sweet, so calm, but Michelle has gone through the dark passages of Cushings disease.  Cushings is a rare disease, that if left unchecked, can be fatal.

It is not difficult to diagnose  ~ by the right doctor.

I receive many E-mails of stories from people who have difficulties with the diagnosis part of Cushings. They go through months or even years before a proper Cushings determination is made. It shouldn’t be that way! I advise these people to get their facts on paper, know what they want as far as medical testing goes, do their research, and go to a doctor who specializes in Cushings and similar diseases ~ an endocrinologist is who I would recommend.

Back to Michelle and Kaiden: here is what she wrote to me, “I  appreciate you spreading the awareness of this uncommon disease. I am 22 now,but I was diagnosed when I was 16. After 1 surgery and radio active therapy I finally got back to my pre-cushing weight,and now that I have had my first son a year ago this month I am starting to see some symptoms again. While going through all this I was in high school. I was 16 years old and working one day and woman asked how far along I was,the excess belly fat made me look pregnant! I was so ashamed, and I was even home bound from school, so I didn’t attend classes. It was truely hard to deal with!”

I replied back and told Michelle not to be ashamed but to get out in the world with her beautiful son and live. To know that everyone has bridges to cross in life and that she’s so lucky to be where she is with Cushings.

Cushings disease is most common in people when they are in their 20′s and 30′s. I was in my late 50′s before I was diagnosed but I feel that I was lucky too. I’m three years across that bridge now, with no pituitary gland, and I’m doing just fine. Yes, I’ve worked hard at it and yes, I’ve had a very supportive family. I also see my wonderful endo. every three months but it’s all worth it. Life is good.

Take another look at Michelle and Kaiden’s picture. They’ll be fine. Yes, she had Cushings and it wasn’t any fun. It might come back. She will need to see her doctor to insure that she continues to progress because it is HER body and Kaiden depends on her being there.

Our lives are like a quilt ~ they are made up of patterns that fit together into a lovely design. If we let it, that quilt can cover us with memories of both good and bad, but it will be beautiful.

My best to Michelle and Kaiden and to all of my “Cushie” friends. We belong to a small, tight circle and we must always drink from a glass that is half-full rather than …

Front page of Iowa Falls Times Citizen by Eric Mandel, September 11, 2010

(double click on the papers to magnify)

Front page of the Iowa Falls Times Citizen, by Eric Mandel, September 8, 2010

Be sure to visit On the Road with Humpty Dumpty

Ben, Humpty, Kathie

Iowa Falls Times Citizen readers, Welcome to Kathie’s World. Thank you, Eric Mandel for searching Kathie’s World out of the multitude of websites and selecting my site. This interview for the TC means a great deal to me.

Kathie’s World appears on the front page of the Times Citizen today, September 8, 2010 and part two is scheduled for Saturday, September 11. (9-11 is a special day, as that was my sister, Julie’s birthday)

Iowa Falls was, is, and will always be a special town to me. It is the shelter of my youth. It is where I learned my values from my family, my friends, my teachers, and all of those who surrounded me with love and grace. I have written about you Iowa Falls ~ the land, the people, the places, the emotions, and the fortitude you instilled in me. I have resilience because of you, Iowa Falls.

The roots of Iowa Falls collect the good and rich soil that it is built on, and those roots spread deep and wide. We don’t always know where our roots of life will reach, but they are there ~ waiting, yearning, to grow.

Is this a love letter to Iowa Falls? I guess so.

Love, Kathie

The second surgery, June 4, 2007, removed my entire pituitary gland, along with the tumor. I’m living proof that one can live without a pituitary. But am I back to normal – I like to think so but I know there are deficit areas that remain a bit foggy. Most Cushing’s patients are in their 20′s and 30′s, I was much older than that at the time of my initial diagnosis and subsequent surgeries. Thus, one would expect my recovery to take longer.

Because of this website/blog and written articles, I have received phone calls and E mail from other Cushing’s patients or people who suspect Cushing’s in themselves or a family member. The stories are sad ones and often fill with professionals who will not listen to them or who refuse to do the right testing in order to diagnosis properly. I offer advise but I know how lucky I was to have a doctor who recognized the characteristics of Cushing’s in me right away.

So on the eve of my third anniversary, am I 100% back? No. Physically, I tire easily and take power naps about three times a week. I don’t like loud, crowed places because it makes my head “full.” I can’t listen to more than one person talking at a time and really pay attention, and conversation often tires me out. I lost weight at first but have gained some back. I continue to have a word finding problem at times, especially if I’m tired. Because I’m a speech pathologist, I know how to substitute many words and try to “hide” this language disorder. I don’t plan to overdo too much in any given day ~ if I do, I pay for it the following three or four days. I continue to get those deep, deep chills that only four or five blankets and a nap can cure – but not nearly as often.

BUT, when I compare where I was three years ago, I can only put the palms of my hands together, close my eyes, and thank God for my family, my faith, and my courage to pursue so desparately those things I knew I had to in order to get to where I am today. I’d put me at about 90%.

I’ll leave you with this thought because I like it and it says a great deal about anyone who has dealt with any disease:

“What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Endonasal Approach to Pituitary Surgery

My surgeon, Dr. Adam Mamelak, from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center wrote a great article for their recent newsletter about pituitary surgery. He discusses transphenoidal pituitary surgery and the two most commonly used approaches: sublabial and endonasal. I underwent the endonasal approach for my two surgeries nearly three years ago. I did not experience any pain with this approach. (I understand that the sublabial approach can be very painful and it is often necessary to pack the nose for up to three days.) Lesson here is to be sure that your pituitary surgeon is very skillful and familiar with both approaches before you decide what is best for YOU.
Cushing’s disease occurs in about 1-2 people per million! However, it is extremely common in dogs.