This is the "You better give me back my stuffed Mammoth" face.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
School and friends!
Back to the grind at school. Day by day, Alex is getting better (and boy is she ever hungry!).
Friday, November 18, 2011
Spidey is at it again
I just got out of the shower and found Spiderman eating her cupcake in the kitchen. It's 7am.
Sent via DroidX2 on Verizon Wireless™
Sent via DroidX2 on Verizon Wireless™
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Day 9, not so bad...
Just a quick update to let you all know that each day, Alex is getting a little bit better. We actually left the house, for the first time yesterday, and it was fantastic. We just hung out at the mall for about an hour, but it helped our spirits to feel like normal human beings. She spent the entire day today either in her Batgirl costume, or her Spiderman costume, so she's getting her mojo back!!!
She doesn't require nearly as much painkillers as she did a couple of days ago, and she's eating like a High School Football player. In the morning, I can't seem to make her breakfast fast enough (this morning it was buttered noodles with a cup of yogurt and some water).
Life should be back to normal in a few more days, and as a reward, Alex wants to go to Chuckee Cheese with her friend Melissa (she also had her tonsils out a few months ago and has been a HUGE support to us over the last 2 weeks).
Thanks for all the love...
Mama and Mommy
She doesn't require nearly as much painkillers as she did a couple of days ago, and she's eating like a High School Football player. In the morning, I can't seem to make her breakfast fast enough (this morning it was buttered noodles with a cup of yogurt and some water).
Life should be back to normal in a few more days, and as a reward, Alex wants to go to Chuckee Cheese with her friend Melissa (she also had her tonsils out a few months ago and has been a HUGE support to us over the last 2 weeks).
Thanks for all the love...
Mama and Mommy
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Day 8 of Tonsil Hell
In case you were wondering, we are still in "Tonsil Hell".
A few hours after my post on Friday, we went back to the Hospital for dehydration, where we were admitted overnight. The details of that Hospital visit I will spare you, because I don't want to relive it.
We are now beginning day 8 of Tonsil Hell. Our biggest struggle right now is getting Alex to take her medications. #1 for PAIN CONTROL, #2 to fight infection. These are to be given EVERY 4 HOURS.
EVERY. FOUR. HOURS.
The first few days we literally wrestled her down, jammed the syringe into her mouth and hoped that SOME of the medicine made it in. Well, since day 4, that technique has not worked AT ALL.
We have since tried mixing it with various liquids to get it in her pie hole.
The confusing part of this whole thing, is that Alex has never said that she is in pain. So there's always this doubt in the back of my head, that all of this torture is for nothing. The only real signs of pain that she exhibits now is that she furrows her brows, and she will refuse to drink water. But like I said, the real trick is getting her to actually ingest the meds.
Today we begin day 8 of Tonsil Hell with a refrigerator full of Hydrocodone Jello Shots, genius I think, but I know that it may exclude me from a "Mother of the Year Award".
We have been playing a lot of Doctor. Yesterday Alex and I were sitting together, and she pointed her finger at me and said, "I'll be right back. I'm going to get something that hurts A LOT!"
She came back, wearing her doctor costume and carrying 2 different kinds of shots and pretend needles from her doctor kit. She would give me the shot and press as hard as she could, so as to inflict the most pain possible. The Child Psychologist at Children's Hospital (whom we had 2 encounters with), said that this is a good way to let Alex process everything. I am thinking of inviting her over to be the patient, because it is no picnic.
Sorry no pics. It breaks my heart when I look at her pale skin and dark circles under her eyes and how thin she is...
Keep checking in, this has got to get better.
A few hours after my post on Friday, we went back to the Hospital for dehydration, where we were admitted overnight. The details of that Hospital visit I will spare you, because I don't want to relive it.
We are now beginning day 8 of Tonsil Hell. Our biggest struggle right now is getting Alex to take her medications. #1 for PAIN CONTROL, #2 to fight infection. These are to be given EVERY 4 HOURS.
EVERY. FOUR. HOURS.
The first few days we literally wrestled her down, jammed the syringe into her mouth and hoped that SOME of the medicine made it in. Well, since day 4, that technique has not worked AT ALL.
We have since tried mixing it with various liquids to get it in her pie hole.
The confusing part of this whole thing, is that Alex has never said that she is in pain. So there's always this doubt in the back of my head, that all of this torture is for nothing. The only real signs of pain that she exhibits now is that she furrows her brows, and she will refuse to drink water. But like I said, the real trick is getting her to actually ingest the meds.
Today we begin day 8 of Tonsil Hell with a refrigerator full of Hydrocodone Jello Shots, genius I think, but I know that it may exclude me from a "Mother of the Year Award".
We have been playing a lot of Doctor. Yesterday Alex and I were sitting together, and she pointed her finger at me and said, "I'll be right back. I'm going to get something that hurts A LOT!"
She came back, wearing her doctor costume and carrying 2 different kinds of shots and pretend needles from her doctor kit. She would give me the shot and press as hard as she could, so as to inflict the most pain possible. The Child Psychologist at Children's Hospital (whom we had 2 encounters with), said that this is a good way to let Alex process everything. I am thinking of inviting her over to be the patient, because it is no picnic.
Sorry no pics. It breaks my heart when I look at her pale skin and dark circles under her eyes and how thin she is...
Keep checking in, this has got to get better.
Friday, November 11, 2011
MY FRIENDS
I didn't take any pictures from her stay at Children's Hospital, mostly because I couldn't bare to see those images again. Let me paint one picture for you, that will forever be en grained in my head.
Alex wanted to get out of the room and "...go find some kids" the first night we were there. We walked up and down the halls, wheeling her IV pole with us. She saw a little girl in a room down the hall, and she said, "Mama, I want to make a friend."
We poked our heads in, and this little girl was soooo happy to see us! She was 4 years old, and she has Spinabifida. She told Alex all about her walker, and the tubes in her tummy, and why she has braces on her legs. And she wanted to be Alex's friend too. Then she asked about Alex's IV.
It was super cute to see these two interact.
Then we met 4 year old Erik. Alex said, "That boy has an IV in his hand too!" He was sitting in a wagon while his dad was pulling him around the halls. Erik was in the Hospital to try and control his diabetic seizures. Erik started singing "Happy Birthday", cuz he loves that song, then Alex sang "Puff the Magic Dragon". Then they hugged.
She still talks about her friends from the "HOP-SITAL".
Alex wanted to get out of the room and "...go find some kids" the first night we were there. We walked up and down the halls, wheeling her IV pole with us. She saw a little girl in a room down the hall, and she said, "Mama, I want to make a friend."
We poked our heads in, and this little girl was soooo happy to see us! She was 4 years old, and she has Spinabifida. She told Alex all about her walker, and the tubes in her tummy, and why she has braces on her legs. And she wanted to be Alex's friend too. Then she asked about Alex's IV.
It was super cute to see these two interact.
Then we met 4 year old Erik. Alex said, "That boy has an IV in his hand too!" He was sitting in a wagon while his dad was pulling him around the halls. Erik was in the Hospital to try and control his diabetic seizures. Erik started singing "Happy Birthday", cuz he loves that song, then Alex sang "Puff the Magic Dragon". Then they hugged.
She still talks about her friends from the "HOP-SITAL".
Watch out for those pesky apples!
OK, so we are now on day 4 of what I refer to as, "Tonsil Hell". Every day brings a new kind of hell.
Overall, Alex's surgery went as expected. She had a Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy that was with out complication. We spent 1 night in the Hospital, (with a student nurse, see below). We were discharged the next day after Alex drank the absolute MINIMUM amount of water necessary to sustain life. So far, she has earned a stuffed kitten and a $30 "Mama Lion" for her fluid intake. (I think the score is tied, Alex 2, Mama and Mommy 2).
There are a few childhood urban legends out there. One of them is of course the "razor blade in the apple story" that always comes up on Halloween to scare the bajeezus out of little trick or treaters. The other urban legend is, "You can have as much ice cream as you want after you get your tonsils out!!!!!"
The truth is, kids don't want ANYTHING in their mouth after such an invasive surgery. Some kids even refuse to swallow for weeks.
Alex is swallowing, and mostly sleeping OK. Her pain meds are to be given every 4 hours, and that is a full-on toddler brawl. We wake her up for this...so you can imagine her delight at 11 pm, then again at 3 am, and so on.
Today began a new chapter. She has been vomiting non-stop since she woke up. That means, NO PAIN MEDS ARE IN HER SYSTEM, which means she doesn't want to drink... She also hasn't pooped in 5 days. We are taking measures to improve her quality of life, and also figuring out how to manage her pain. She is sleeping comfortably now.
I think one of the hardest parts of this whole thing for Alex is her inability to talk as much as she'd like.
As you all know, talking is her gift to the universe, and without it, she could self destruct.
Anyway, this can't go on forever, RIGHT??????
Mostly I wanted to make sure that you all double-checked your kids' trick or treat bags for any apples that may have been distributed on Halloween.
Overall, Alex's surgery went as expected. She had a Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy that was with out complication. We spent 1 night in the Hospital, (with a student nurse, see below). We were discharged the next day after Alex drank the absolute MINIMUM amount of water necessary to sustain life. So far, she has earned a stuffed kitten and a $30 "Mama Lion" for her fluid intake. (I think the score is tied, Alex 2, Mama and Mommy 2).
There are a few childhood urban legends out there. One of them is of course the "razor blade in the apple story" that always comes up on Halloween to scare the bajeezus out of little trick or treaters. The other urban legend is, "You can have as much ice cream as you want after you get your tonsils out!!!!!"
The truth is, kids don't want ANYTHING in their mouth after such an invasive surgery. Some kids even refuse to swallow for weeks.
Alex is swallowing, and mostly sleeping OK. Her pain meds are to be given every 4 hours, and that is a full-on toddler brawl. We wake her up for this...so you can imagine her delight at 11 pm, then again at 3 am, and so on.
Today began a new chapter. She has been vomiting non-stop since she woke up. That means, NO PAIN MEDS ARE IN HER SYSTEM, which means she doesn't want to drink... She also hasn't pooped in 5 days. We are taking measures to improve her quality of life, and also figuring out how to manage her pain. She is sleeping comfortably now.
I think one of the hardest parts of this whole thing for Alex is her inability to talk as much as she'd like.
As you all know, talking is her gift to the universe, and without it, she could self destruct.
Anyway, this can't go on forever, RIGHT??????
Mostly I wanted to make sure that you all double-checked your kids' trick or treat bags for any apples that may have been distributed on Halloween.
This was our Nurse at the Hospital
Leigh, Alex and I endured 2 days of "Nurse Pittman" at Children's Hospital. We laugh so hard about it now, we especially laugh about her "doll-sized hands".
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Hospital tour
We had a pre-surgery tour at childrens hospital today. This is Alex in a real operating room, putting a mask on the doll named "Claudia".
When we were done with the tour, Alex said, "Did I just get my tonsils out mama?"
Sent via DroidX2 on Verizon Wireless™
When we were done with the tour, Alex said, "Did I just get my tonsils out mama?"
Sent via DroidX2 on Verizon Wireless™
candy candy candy candy candy
November 1st 8:00 am: Alex wakes up
November 1st 8:01 am: Alex says, "I want to eat my candy."
November 1st 8:01 am: Alex says, "I want to eat my candy."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
