Another loss at our house.
Sometime during the stress and panic of my son having his second surgery, we lost our two pet frogs. I am deeply saddened by their passing. I feel horrible and so guilty. I take such good care of all my pets, and I truly love them all. To find them without water, and both dead hit me very hard. I just dropped and cried like I haven't cried for a long time in my husband's embrace. I think the culmination of what we've been through this past week with my son and my frogs death was more than I could handle. I know I will miss them terribly, I really enjoyed caring for them and watching them, as well as their chirping. I found it very relaxing. It's too soon to make any decision as to whether or not we will replace them.
Rest in Peace, Mario and Luigi!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
We had to rush my son to the Emergency Room on Friday night.
He starting spewing blood like one of those horror movies, it's the only way I can describe it. There was so much blood, and we were so scared!
We were getting the kids ready for bed. He was in his PJ's, in his bed, and just laid back on his pillow when he made this choking, gagging noise, and out poured blood from his mouth. I freaked out! We had just given him his medicine, which is red, so when I yelled to my husband that he was spitting up blood, he said it was just the medicine. He wasn't there and I yelled to him that it was blood. He came in our son's room and grabbed him and ran to the bathroom. He was crying and spitting so much blood into the toilet. I yelled to my daughter to get shoes and socks on, and a jacket and get in the car. We then drove to the local ER.
By the time we got there the bleeding had stopped. The ER staff checked him out and wanted us to stay around for an hour or so for observations. About the time that they were considering letting us go home, he starting spewing blood again, but this time worse. They put an IV in him and called for an ambulance. They were sending him to Children's hospital in downtown Minneapolis. My husband went with and I drove myself there, after a quick stop at home to let the dog out of his kennel to poyty and grabbed my phone charger. Five minutes later I was off to the other hospital, where a surgeon was waiting to rush our son back into surgery.
A very good friend of mine was able to come to the hospital and pick up my daughter and keep her over night. Thank goodness for very good friends! She was able to keep her until about noon and then took her over to my in-laws house here in town.
When I got to the hospital there was so much construction I didn't know where to park. Finally, without even knowing where I was going I pulled into the correct parking ramp and parked the car. Luckily, since it was so late at night (it was just after midnight when I got there) there was parking right by the hospital entrance. I was a little scared...that downtown area is pretty bad, with crime and whatnot, so I was very relieved when I made it inside the hospital.
After two security checks I was directed to the ER where I just barely caught my husband and son as they were taking him into surgery. I got to see him off, give him kisses, and talk to the surgeon and anesthesiologist. He was in surgery about half an hour when the surgeon came to talk to us. She said that everything went well. She removed a blood clot from his throat about the size of a golf ball and re-cauterized the seeping veins. He was in recovery and we'd be able to see him in about 45 minutes.
From recovery he was taken to a hospital room on the 6th floor. It was about 2:30 in the morning by this time and he was really tired and groggy, as were we. At about 3:30 my husband and I we able to lay down and get a little sleep on a tiny fold-out couch in his room. Various nurses came in about every half our to check on him and do vitals. He finally fell asleep and it was obvious that he was comfortable, so we laid down too.
When he woke up in the morning it was immediately clear how much better he was! He had his color back (he's been kind of a whitish/blueish/greenish color for days before) and he had the spark in his eyes back. He looked so much better! He was hungry and ate 2 Popsicles, juice and some chicken broth. He wanted to controller for the Xbox360 that was in his room and was sitting up, playing video games with Daddy. It was great! He was also getting up and walking to the bathroom.
He was discharged to go home at about noon. He is on a soft food only order for a few days but he was starving, so we went to KFC on the way home for some mac n cheese and mashed potatoes. He ate all the mac n cheese before we even got home.
That night he slept from 7:00pm to 5:00am. He calmly asked for medicine and a Popsicle, no more screaming and crying in pain, then he went back to sleep until 9:00am. We were shocked! We all slept until 9:00am! I guess we were all pretty tired.
He has been a totally different child ever since. He is sleeping through the night and doesn't even ask for pain medicine every few hours. We give it to him when he needs it, but he isn't in pain, crying for it.
Thank goodness! He still has to be home for a while, not really sure when he can go back to school, but we'll play that by ear...see how he's feeling.
He starting spewing blood like one of those horror movies, it's the only way I can describe it. There was so much blood, and we were so scared!
We were getting the kids ready for bed. He was in his PJ's, in his bed, and just laid back on his pillow when he made this choking, gagging noise, and out poured blood from his mouth. I freaked out! We had just given him his medicine, which is red, so when I yelled to my husband that he was spitting up blood, he said it was just the medicine. He wasn't there and I yelled to him that it was blood. He came in our son's room and grabbed him and ran to the bathroom. He was crying and spitting so much blood into the toilet. I yelled to my daughter to get shoes and socks on, and a jacket and get in the car. We then drove to the local ER.
By the time we got there the bleeding had stopped. The ER staff checked him out and wanted us to stay around for an hour or so for observations. About the time that they were considering letting us go home, he starting spewing blood again, but this time worse. They put an IV in him and called for an ambulance. They were sending him to Children's hospital in downtown Minneapolis. My husband went with and I drove myself there, after a quick stop at home to let the dog out of his kennel to poyty and grabbed my phone charger. Five minutes later I was off to the other hospital, where a surgeon was waiting to rush our son back into surgery.
A very good friend of mine was able to come to the hospital and pick up my daughter and keep her over night. Thank goodness for very good friends! She was able to keep her until about noon and then took her over to my in-laws house here in town.
When I got to the hospital there was so much construction I didn't know where to park. Finally, without even knowing where I was going I pulled into the correct parking ramp and parked the car. Luckily, since it was so late at night (it was just after midnight when I got there) there was parking right by the hospital entrance. I was a little scared...that downtown area is pretty bad, with crime and whatnot, so I was very relieved when I made it inside the hospital.
After two security checks I was directed to the ER where I just barely caught my husband and son as they were taking him into surgery. I got to see him off, give him kisses, and talk to the surgeon and anesthesiologist. He was in surgery about half an hour when the surgeon came to talk to us. She said that everything went well. She removed a blood clot from his throat about the size of a golf ball and re-cauterized the seeping veins. He was in recovery and we'd be able to see him in about 45 minutes.
From recovery he was taken to a hospital room on the 6th floor. It was about 2:30 in the morning by this time and he was really tired and groggy, as were we. At about 3:30 my husband and I we able to lay down and get a little sleep on a tiny fold-out couch in his room. Various nurses came in about every half our to check on him and do vitals. He finally fell asleep and it was obvious that he was comfortable, so we laid down too.
When he woke up in the morning it was immediately clear how much better he was! He had his color back (he's been kind of a whitish/blueish/greenish color for days before) and he had the spark in his eyes back. He looked so much better! He was hungry and ate 2 Popsicles, juice and some chicken broth. He wanted to controller for the Xbox360 that was in his room and was sitting up, playing video games with Daddy. It was great! He was also getting up and walking to the bathroom.
He was discharged to go home at about noon. He is on a soft food only order for a few days but he was starving, so we went to KFC on the way home for some mac n cheese and mashed potatoes. He ate all the mac n cheese before we even got home.
That night he slept from 7:00pm to 5:00am. He calmly asked for medicine and a Popsicle, no more screaming and crying in pain, then he went back to sleep until 9:00am. We were shocked! We all slept until 9:00am! I guess we were all pretty tired.
He has been a totally different child ever since. He is sleeping through the night and doesn't even ask for pain medicine every few hours. We give it to him when he needs it, but he isn't in pain, crying for it.
Thank goodness! He still has to be home for a while, not really sure when he can go back to school, but we'll play that by ear...see how he's feeling.
Monday, October 31, 2011
I've never liked Halloween. I still don't.
I think the many years of infertility and wanting children so badly is the cause. Going to the door and seeing all the little tiny pumpkins, lions and bumble bees was tough. I wanted so much to be out with our children, not doing this for others. I know, selfish, but infertility sucks, and it changes people, women especially I think. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy taking our kids out, experiencing it through their eyes, but I still don't like it.
Another reason now that I do not like Halloween is because it will always be the anniversary of the stroke that started my Moyamoya journey. Two years ago tonight our world changed. I still remember it like yesterday, but I will not bore anyone with the details yet again. I am however, very thankful every Nov. 1st, to wake up feeling great!
I think the many years of infertility and wanting children so badly is the cause. Going to the door and seeing all the little tiny pumpkins, lions and bumble bees was tough. I wanted so much to be out with our children, not doing this for others. I know, selfish, but infertility sucks, and it changes people, women especially I think. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy taking our kids out, experiencing it through their eyes, but I still don't like it.
Another reason now that I do not like Halloween is because it will always be the anniversary of the stroke that started my Moyamoya journey. Two years ago tonight our world changed. I still remember it like yesterday, but I will not bore anyone with the details yet again. I am however, very thankful every Nov. 1st, to wake up feeling great!
The nights are horrible for my poor little guy! He wakes up screaming and crying, inconsolable, it's heart breaking. I keep thinking that it has to get better for him soon. The days aren't as good as they were now either, but not as bad as night time. The Tylenol isn't doing it any more, and at 4:00am this morning we had to force the prescription stuff down him. It tastes horrible, but it works! I then covered my bed with towels...just in case.
This HAS to improve soon! He is in so much pain and we are exhausted!
This HAS to improve soon! He is in so much pain and we are exhausted!
Friday, October 28, 2011
(I am documenting this experience so I remember correctly later. My memory isn't what it used to be)
My baby boy (OK, he's 4 1/2, almost 5, but still my baby!) had his tonsils and adenoids out, and tubes put in his ears yesterday, 10/27/11. Everything went well and we left the hospital at noon for home.
We were very nervous. The word "surgery" doesn't sit well in our house anymore. We didn't tell him about it, other than he had a doctors appointment and they were going to make his throat and nose better. I was afraid that he would think he was going through what I went through with my Moyamoya surgeries, so we just called it a "procedure".
Once we got home yesterday he seemed fine. He had 2 Popsicles, a juice box and 8 unbreaded chicken nuggets. At dinner he had some milk, mashed potatoes and a little bit of mushed up meatloaf. He did really well. We started the humidifier in his room a couple hours before bedtime and he went to bed as well as he usually does. It all seemed too good to be true. I felt like it was the calm before the storm...and I was right!
He woke up at 1:15am just screaming, crying, coughing...walking around his room. It took forever to get him calmed down. It took just over an hour to get him calmed down, medicated again, and moved to our bed. My 6 1/2 year old daughter woke up and was very worried about her brother. She wouldn't go back to sleep unless she was by him, so the three of us slept in my bed, and hubby moved to our son's bed. My husband refilled and moved the humidifier to our room and the 3 of us tried to fall asleep. It was about 2:40 when they were both asleep.
I was sleeping at the foot of the bed, the wrong direction when I heard a rough voice say "I'm going to throw up!". It was 4:14am. I jumped up to run him to the bathroom but it was too late...red vomit all over my bed. I was going to run him to the bathroom, but let him finish on my bed. I can clean or buy new bedding a lot easier than I can get new carpet! My husband cleared the bedding while I was in the bathroom with our son. He finished spitting in the toilet while I ran him a warm bath. The nurse did tell us that the pain medication can make him nauseous and he may throw up. Nice, so let's make the medicine blood red so that parents panic for a split second when they see it!
I got him out of the tub, dressed and back to bed at 5-something am. I gave him plain Tylenol (right when I put him in the tub) and we fell asleep after just a few minutes. I made my daughter go back to her bed as she was not getting any sleep with us. She was up the entire time the rest of us were, worried about her brother. So, she got no rest and is home from school today to get caught up.
I was up at 6:30 to see my husband off to work and get my nephew up and ready for school. He got on the bus at 7:25 and I went back upstairs to check on both sleeping kids. Both were sound asleep so I crawled back into my bed with my son. He was up about 10 minutes later...so much for getting any sleep. I gave him more Tylenol and carried him downstairs to the couch. We made a comfy bed, turned on some cartoons, had some juice and then within a few minutes my daughter was up. I'd hoped she would have slept longer. Oh well.
Now again, my son seems fine, which is wonderful! He is sucking on a sucker (they said it helps him produce saliva, which is good), watching cartoons and coloring. I am washing bedding. I hope all that red coloring comes out. Luckily, it's white t-shirt material sheets. I can bleach it if need be.
My baby boy (OK, he's 4 1/2, almost 5, but still my baby!) had his tonsils and adenoids out, and tubes put in his ears yesterday, 10/27/11. Everything went well and we left the hospital at noon for home.
We were very nervous. The word "surgery" doesn't sit well in our house anymore. We didn't tell him about it, other than he had a doctors appointment and they were going to make his throat and nose better. I was afraid that he would think he was going through what I went through with my Moyamoya surgeries, so we just called it a "procedure".
Once we got home yesterday he seemed fine. He had 2 Popsicles, a juice box and 8 unbreaded chicken nuggets. At dinner he had some milk, mashed potatoes and a little bit of mushed up meatloaf. He did really well. We started the humidifier in his room a couple hours before bedtime and he went to bed as well as he usually does. It all seemed too good to be true. I felt like it was the calm before the storm...and I was right!
He woke up at 1:15am just screaming, crying, coughing...walking around his room. It took forever to get him calmed down. It took just over an hour to get him calmed down, medicated again, and moved to our bed. My 6 1/2 year old daughter woke up and was very worried about her brother. She wouldn't go back to sleep unless she was by him, so the three of us slept in my bed, and hubby moved to our son's bed. My husband refilled and moved the humidifier to our room and the 3 of us tried to fall asleep. It was about 2:40 when they were both asleep.
I was sleeping at the foot of the bed, the wrong direction when I heard a rough voice say "I'm going to throw up!". It was 4:14am. I jumped up to run him to the bathroom but it was too late...red vomit all over my bed. I was going to run him to the bathroom, but let him finish on my bed. I can clean or buy new bedding a lot easier than I can get new carpet! My husband cleared the bedding while I was in the bathroom with our son. He finished spitting in the toilet while I ran him a warm bath. The nurse did tell us that the pain medication can make him nauseous and he may throw up. Nice, so let's make the medicine blood red so that parents panic for a split second when they see it!
I got him out of the tub, dressed and back to bed at 5-something am. I gave him plain Tylenol (right when I put him in the tub) and we fell asleep after just a few minutes. I made my daughter go back to her bed as she was not getting any sleep with us. She was up the entire time the rest of us were, worried about her brother. So, she got no rest and is home from school today to get caught up.
I was up at 6:30 to see my husband off to work and get my nephew up and ready for school. He got on the bus at 7:25 and I went back upstairs to check on both sleeping kids. Both were sound asleep so I crawled back into my bed with my son. He was up about 10 minutes later...so much for getting any sleep. I gave him more Tylenol and carried him downstairs to the couch. We made a comfy bed, turned on some cartoons, had some juice and then within a few minutes my daughter was up. I'd hoped she would have slept longer. Oh well.
Now again, my son seems fine, which is wonderful! He is sucking on a sucker (they said it helps him produce saliva, which is good), watching cartoons and coloring. I am washing bedding. I hope all that red coloring comes out. Luckily, it's white t-shirt material sheets. I can bleach it if need be.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
My youngest child, my son, who will be 5 in December, has to have his tonsils and adenoids out, and tubes put in his ears.
I know it's a very common procedure, but I am very nervous and scared. I hate that he has to go through this, but we know it will make him so much better, and give him so much relief.
We are avoiding the word "surgery"...he is having this procedure done to make him better. Even though it has been almost 2 years now since my 2 brain surgeries for Moyamoya, he still knows and remembers what I went through, and what we all went through during that time. Even though we called it "head ouchies" he now knows that I had two surgeries and associates the word "surgery" with what I went through. We do not want him to ever think that he has to go through that. So, in 2 days, he will have a procedure done to make him breathe and feel better.
Please say a prayer for him if you can.
Dear God,
Please protect my son during this time. Please hold him tightly in your loving hands and return him safely to us. Please shine your love and peace on him the way you did for me during my Moyamoya surgeries and help him to heal quickly with minimal pain. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Prayers have been answered!!!!
My friend here in town, who also has Moyamoya, has been struggling with the financing she needs to make her trip to Stanford for her surgery. I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out how we can do this, short of going door-to-door asking for donations. I told my husband "I wish we could just write out a check to her to help out" and even talked about having one of the mommy groups I belong to try to help out if we could. I have been praying to God to please help out this family and...
I talked to her this morning and she is getting financial help, from a non profit Moyamoya foundation located in this region. HOW AMAZING IS THAT!!!!! It is the answer to many prayers, I am sure. YAY! I am so happy and excited for their family!!!!! :D
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