Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Friday, May 17, 2013
the latest and the greatest
I am almost a week in to my brief, three-week break between Spring and Summer semesters. The nursing program I'm in is accelerated, which means we go through two summers AND this summer happens to be 15 units in 10 weeks.
I've been petitioning on Facebook for a full-time nanny and maid, willing to work without pay! HA!! It's going to be an interesting summer. But currently I am 1/3 done with the program and after the summer I will be 1/2 done and it's all downhill from there, right?!
I absolutely love being in nursing school. I love what I'm learning and how I will get to use it. There are days I am sad that I wasn't a lifelong pastor. That position is so rewarding too. Even though when I started that journey, I knew deep inside it would probably be a long season, but just a season, it's still difficult at times. But I am 100% confident that God has me in this new season, on a new journey for reasons that are yet unknown to me. I am excited to see how he will use my new career.
Ministry will always be there. I can't be very involved right now with my schedule, but once I am done with school and in the workforce again, I will be able to do so much more on a volunteer basis and that is excited. However, I was recently added to the worship team rotation at our church. I sang last Saturday night for the first time and it was such a privilege. Growing up, I loved to sing and finally in college I had the opportunity to be on a worship team for the first time. It shaped so much of who I am today and being a part of worship is vital to my soul! It was a new experience, singing background vocals instead of leading, but I really enjoyed being there to worship without the pressure of being in charge. I'm also in a Life Group (small group) for the first time and really benefitting from it. I'm learning to sit back and soak it in and not feel like I need to answer every question or have a response to everything--even though as a former pastor, I do.
The support of my family and friends through this season has been incredible. From my husband altering his schedule time and again, to friends and family helping with watching the kids, and being able to spend the night at a friend's who lives close to my school---every success I have, is credited to them, as much as me. I couldn't be in school or study without them. It takes a village to send mom to nursing school, and I am thankful for the little village that surrounds me.
Last summer was the summer of fun. It was the first time in my career life and in motherhood that I wasn't working at all, for a significant amount of time--not related to having a baby. The kids and I were in the sand at least once a week, went to Sea World numerous times and many pools. This summer will look a little different, since I'll be in school 4 days a week and we will again be depending on the generosity of our village to help care for them. Although the kids may grumble some, I hope and pray that down the road they will look back and see the sacrifices we made as a family, and how it was worth it in the end. That's an important life lesson for them.
We are seeing God provide and answer prayer, which helps us know even though the path is difficult at times, we are on the right one.
I'm off to get ready for a wedding now! Looking forward to a night spent with my sisters and my hot Mexican husband.
Life is good.
I've been petitioning on Facebook for a full-time nanny and maid, willing to work without pay! HA!! It's going to be an interesting summer. But currently I am 1/3 done with the program and after the summer I will be 1/2 done and it's all downhill from there, right?!
I absolutely love being in nursing school. I love what I'm learning and how I will get to use it. There are days I am sad that I wasn't a lifelong pastor. That position is so rewarding too. Even though when I started that journey, I knew deep inside it would probably be a long season, but just a season, it's still difficult at times. But I am 100% confident that God has me in this new season, on a new journey for reasons that are yet unknown to me. I am excited to see how he will use my new career.
Ministry will always be there. I can't be very involved right now with my schedule, but once I am done with school and in the workforce again, I will be able to do so much more on a volunteer basis and that is excited. However, I was recently added to the worship team rotation at our church. I sang last Saturday night for the first time and it was such a privilege. Growing up, I loved to sing and finally in college I had the opportunity to be on a worship team for the first time. It shaped so much of who I am today and being a part of worship is vital to my soul! It was a new experience, singing background vocals instead of leading, but I really enjoyed being there to worship without the pressure of being in charge. I'm also in a Life Group (small group) for the first time and really benefitting from it. I'm learning to sit back and soak it in and not feel like I need to answer every question or have a response to everything--even though as a former pastor, I do.
The support of my family and friends through this season has been incredible. From my husband altering his schedule time and again, to friends and family helping with watching the kids, and being able to spend the night at a friend's who lives close to my school---every success I have, is credited to them, as much as me. I couldn't be in school or study without them. It takes a village to send mom to nursing school, and I am thankful for the little village that surrounds me.
Last summer was the summer of fun. It was the first time in my career life and in motherhood that I wasn't working at all, for a significant amount of time--not related to having a baby. The kids and I were in the sand at least once a week, went to Sea World numerous times and many pools. This summer will look a little different, since I'll be in school 4 days a week and we will again be depending on the generosity of our village to help care for them. Although the kids may grumble some, I hope and pray that down the road they will look back and see the sacrifices we made as a family, and how it was worth it in the end. That's an important life lesson for them.
We are seeing God provide and answer prayer, which helps us know even though the path is difficult at times, we are on the right one.
I'm off to get ready for a wedding now! Looking forward to a night spent with my sisters and my hot Mexican husband.
Life is good.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
alas, a cast
If only someone would invent a mental blogging machine, I'd have some stellar posts almost daily.
But alas, I don't even know if that is in the works.
{sidenote, I like the word "alas." It seems very sophisticated.}
So tomorrow afternoon, we hope to say goodbye to this.
Although this bright white is LONG GONE. It's signed and dirty and a lot of the cotton along the edges is tearing and ratty.
My kindergardener has had a cast for over 4 weeks now, and this is the first time I've sat down to blog about it. Not that I need to do it for the few readers I have, but I enjoy this space as a journal of our family life and stories.
So, four weeks ago this past Sunday I was home studying for an exam and Bean took the kids to the park. We've been going to this park since Miss Rose was 1 and now Bean's brother and his family happen to live across the street from it! So all the cousins were playing there too. The kids love this zip line apparatus.
Gracie got a push from her cousin on it. She says she was going too fast and we aren't sure how, but she fell forward and caught herself with her arms (what we think). There were a lot of tears and she wasn't really calming down, so Bean brought her home to me.
As soon as I got a look at her wrist, I had a pretty strong suspicion that it was broken. We aren't alarmists with our children and try to not take them in for everything, but judging by the fact that 20-30 minutes later she hadn't calmed down (unusual) and what her wrist looked like, I decided to take her to the Emergency Room. I knew Urgent Care would send us there if it was broken, so might as well go there first.
In Triage, the nurse said "well, I don't have x-ray vision, but judging by what I see, I'd say it's broken."
I took these pictures right before they put the cast on. Her wrist was broken just down from her thumb (her radius) and you can somewhat see the extra bump on her wrist.
Gracie was so incredibly brave. The orthopedist told me they would give her arm "a little push" during casting to make sure the bone was in place. No pain medication was offered, so I assumed it wouldn't be too bad. However, when the tech was casting her the "little push" was more like 30 seconds of pushing a few different times. My sweet girl was crying so hard and even screamed out a few times in pain. She hated that she screamed, but it hurt her badly. It was very, very hard for mama to watch. We were both very happy when that was over.
I was worried that Gracie wouldn't sleep well that night. She was anxious going to bed and not knowing what to do with her cast. But since she sleeps with 7,458 stuffed animals and pillow pets, we found the right one to support her arm and make her comfortable--and she slept the entire night!
Through this process, I found so many things to be grateful for. I was grateful I was home when this happened, and able to take her to the ER--I wasn't at school. I was grateful she didn't have to be sedated. And SO grateful that I didn't have to be at school until 10am (instead of 8am) the next day, so I was able to take Gracie to school.
She was extremely anxious about going to school, because of course she is right-handed and broke her right wrist. Since the neighbors drive our kids to school on Tuesday and Wednesdays, I felt like it was really important that one of us take Gracie her first day with the class. All morning Gracie resisted and kept asking to stay home. I told her we were at least going to try and talk to her teacher and if she truly didn't want to stay, I would bring her home.
About 10 minutes before it was time to leave, Gracie turned a corner and said "let's make sure and bring my backpack just in case I want to stay." When we got to school, I started talking to Gracie's teacher at the door. She walked in the classroom, started putting her stuff away and sat on her square. I was SO proud of her. A few weeks ago one of the moms who volunteers in the classroom told me that she asked her son if he was helping Gracie and he said "no, she doesn't need help. She just figures out how to do things on her own."
And that sums it up! She adjusted incredibly well. Gracie has learned to write with her cast--even though it's not as neat as it would normally be. We were told to try to keep her from running, riding stuff, climbing etc and that's been almost impossible!
Just a few days later she was dancing in a leotard, cast and all.
Gracie celebrated her 6th birthday with a cast.
But alas, I don't even know if that is in the works.
{sidenote, I like the word "alas." It seems very sophisticated.}
So tomorrow afternoon, we hope to say goodbye to this.
Although this bright white is LONG GONE. It's signed and dirty and a lot of the cotton along the edges is tearing and ratty.
My kindergardener has had a cast for over 4 weeks now, and this is the first time I've sat down to blog about it. Not that I need to do it for the few readers I have, but I enjoy this space as a journal of our family life and stories.
So, four weeks ago this past Sunday I was home studying for an exam and Bean took the kids to the park. We've been going to this park since Miss Rose was 1 and now Bean's brother and his family happen to live across the street from it! So all the cousins were playing there too. The kids love this zip line apparatus.
Gracie got a push from her cousin on it. She says she was going too fast and we aren't sure how, but she fell forward and caught herself with her arms (what we think). There were a lot of tears and she wasn't really calming down, so Bean brought her home to me.
In Triage, the nurse said "well, I don't have x-ray vision, but judging by what I see, I'd say it's broken."
I took these pictures right before they put the cast on. Her wrist was broken just down from her thumb (her radius) and you can somewhat see the extra bump on her wrist.
We had to wait almost three hours to make sure her stomach was empty in case she needed to be sedated to set the bone. At that point, we'd taken x-rays, but it wasn't confirmed it was broken yet. I wish they would have looked at the x-ray faster because she DIDN'T need sedation, so we could have been out of there faster. I was so relieved and grateful sedation wasn't necessary since she had JUST been under anesthesia 10 days prior for her eye surgery.
Gracie was so incredibly brave. The orthopedist told me they would give her arm "a little push" during casting to make sure the bone was in place. No pain medication was offered, so I assumed it wouldn't be too bad. However, when the tech was casting her the "little push" was more like 30 seconds of pushing a few different times. My sweet girl was crying so hard and even screamed out a few times in pain. She hated that she screamed, but it hurt her badly. It was very, very hard for mama to watch. We were both very happy when that was over.
I was worried that Gracie wouldn't sleep well that night. She was anxious going to bed and not knowing what to do with her cast. But since she sleeps with 7,458 stuffed animals and pillow pets, we found the right one to support her arm and make her comfortable--and she slept the entire night!
Through this process, I found so many things to be grateful for. I was grateful I was home when this happened, and able to take her to the ER--I wasn't at school. I was grateful she didn't have to be sedated. And SO grateful that I didn't have to be at school until 10am (instead of 8am) the next day, so I was able to take Gracie to school.
She was extremely anxious about going to school, because of course she is right-handed and broke her right wrist. Since the neighbors drive our kids to school on Tuesday and Wednesdays, I felt like it was really important that one of us take Gracie her first day with the class. All morning Gracie resisted and kept asking to stay home. I told her we were at least going to try and talk to her teacher and if she truly didn't want to stay, I would bring her home.
About 10 minutes before it was time to leave, Gracie turned a corner and said "let's make sure and bring my backpack just in case I want to stay." When we got to school, I started talking to Gracie's teacher at the door. She walked in the classroom, started putting her stuff away and sat on her square. I was SO proud of her. A few weeks ago one of the moms who volunteers in the classroom told me that she asked her son if he was helping Gracie and he said "no, she doesn't need help. She just figures out how to do things on her own."
And that sums it up! She adjusted incredibly well. Gracie has learned to write with her cast--even though it's not as neat as it would normally be. We were told to try to keep her from running, riding stuff, climbing etc and that's been almost impossible!
Just a few days later she was dancing in a leotard, cast and all.
Gracie celebrated her 6th birthday with a cast.
She had a Build-A-Bear birthday party.
And has been an all-around incredible trooper!
But...we are REALLY excited to get her arm checked tomorrow and hopefully get the cast off. Only on a few occasions has she complained of pain when her arm is pushed or turned a certain way. Not being able to fully wash her right hand and arm just grosses me out! I'm sure it smells lovely in there too.
Gracie was my first child with a cast, and hopefully we won't be repeating the experience anytime soon.
Then next month, we go back in to the optometrist to check up on her eye. It seems to be healing very well and I think the small wound that's left currently, is less noticeable then the "bump" (chalazion) was. And that will keep healing as well.
We could use the rest of the year medical-drama free.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
grace: unmerited favor (for her sixth birthday)
Every April 4th, as evening approaches, the memories consume me. They wash over my heart and flood my soul.
Six years ago, we were both statistics. But she was a miracle.
She is my mini-me. My curly-headed, fair-skinned sweet girl. I watch her run and play, and I remember my young body feeling the way hers looks. When she draws pictures of houses, grass, sun and sky, they look exactly like mine did at her age. From the flowers sprouting from the grass to the smoke curling out of the chimney.
I know I've written this post before, but I just can't help it. I'm not one to focus much on what might have been, but this is one time I do.
I look at her freckled pixie face this night every year, and I am overwhelmed.
It was April 4, 2007. My due date. Contractions started. But I wasn't sure they were the real thing. Laying down sounded more appetizing than eating dinner. And with a painful contraction and a pinch, there was a pop and my water had broken, confirming this WAS indeed the real thing.
We didn't know if this precious babe growing in my belly would give Miss Rose a sister or a brother. It was all a big surprise. Night turned into day, and with the morning came complications and urgency. A distressed babe born in minutes, through a ruptured uterus that was no longer protecting her from the surrounding environment and fluids as it should have been. (details: part 1, part 2, part 3)
Many long seconds later, a lusty cry told me she lived. A surprise daughter, a surprise miracle.
Later, they told me what had occurred. A uterine rupture is potentially fatal to mother and child, but I firmly believe God's hand was on us, his plans for both of us were for life.
Gratitude overwhelms me. I could have lost my baby.
Her middle name is GRACE: elegance, beauty of form. In Scripture, grace is the unmerited favor of God shown towards man.
She is God's unmerited favor shown to me.
And so tomorrow, I will rejoice that I celebrate six years of mothering Maleah Grace. I will rejoice in God's plans for her life. I will rejoice in the miracle of her birth.
I will hug her and hold her, just a little extra.
Happy Birthday to my Gracie-girl. I thank God that he chose me to be your mother and I cannot wait to see all that he has in store for you in this life.
(first birthday, second birthday, third birthday)
Six years ago, we were both statistics. But she was a miracle.
(first birthday)
She is my mini-me. My curly-headed, fair-skinned sweet girl. I watch her run and play, and I remember my young body feeling the way hers looks. When she draws pictures of houses, grass, sun and sky, they look exactly like mine did at her age. From the flowers sprouting from the grass to the smoke curling out of the chimney.
I know I've written this post before, but I just can't help it. I'm not one to focus much on what might have been, but this is one time I do.
I look at her freckled pixie face this night every year, and I am overwhelmed.
It was April 4, 2007. My due date. Contractions started. But I wasn't sure they were the real thing. Laying down sounded more appetizing than eating dinner. And with a painful contraction and a pinch, there was a pop and my water had broken, confirming this WAS indeed the real thing.
We didn't know if this precious babe growing in my belly would give Miss Rose a sister or a brother. It was all a big surprise. Night turned into day, and with the morning came complications and urgency. A distressed babe born in minutes, through a ruptured uterus that was no longer protecting her from the surrounding environment and fluids as it should have been. (details: part 1, part 2, part 3)
Many long seconds later, a lusty cry told me she lived. A surprise daughter, a surprise miracle.
Later, they told me what had occurred. A uterine rupture is potentially fatal to mother and child, but I firmly believe God's hand was on us, his plans for both of us were for life.
Gratitude overwhelms me. I could have lost my baby.
Her middle name is GRACE: elegance, beauty of form. In Scripture, grace is the unmerited favor of God shown towards man.
She is God's unmerited favor shown to me.
And so tomorrow, I will rejoice that I celebrate six years of mothering Maleah Grace. I will rejoice in God's plans for her life. I will rejoice in the miracle of her birth.
(Ireland, July 2007)
I will hug her and hold her, just a little extra.
Happy Birthday to my Gracie-girl. I thank God that he chose me to be your mother and I cannot wait to see all that he has in store for you in this life.
(first birthday, second birthday, third birthday)
Friday, March 22, 2013
chalazion surgery update
So last Thursday, Gracie-girl had surgery to remove her "bump" aka chalazion.
I'm blogging about this mostly for other moms who might search these words, looking for information or experience to help them in a similar situation.
When Gracie woke up last Thursday morning, I let her play the iPad in my room while her sisters ate breakfast, since she couldn't eat anything. That was a pretty good distraction! She was able to drink clear liquids until 8:30, so I gave her some juice right at that point. She complained about being hungry a few times, but she didn't have any meltdowns.
We took Lily to grandma's house and then headed to the hospital. Her surgery was at the same place Lily's was, so it was familiar to us. Gracie wasn't there for Lily's surgery, but since she stayed the night--Gracie did come visit and helped pick us up after discharge, so it was familiar to her also.
They have a pretty great system that flows well. Every family gets a pager, and they buzz you each time they are ready for you--to register and check in, to get prepped and then when they are ready for you in surgery. Bean went to work for a few hours in the morning, but arrived when we were getting checked in--perfect timing.
Of course I took some "pre" photos. Her chalazion wasn't too swollen at the time, but it's definitely visible.
Sidenote: Don't you just love her freckles!!?? And her green eyes too. So unique, especially in our family of mostly blue and brown. My dad has hazel eyes, but his tend to be more blue than green--so not sure where she gets the color from.
Even though she was hungry and a bit anxious, she was in a pretty good mood. After all, she had her parents all to herself!
After a little more waiting, she got to change into the fun hospital jammies. She kept asking why she had to wear them, but there wasn't too much protesting.
In the pre-op area, the TV remote is also the TV speaker. I have a similar picture of Lily in pre-op for her surgery.
Not long after we were prepped, Bean left to pick up the other girls. He wanted to stay, but duty called. It was half day for Miss Rose and Lily needed to be picked up from Grammie's house.
I don't know if all Children's Hospitals are like this, but I LOVE that ours allows a parent to go back to the surgical suite with the child and stay with them while they are "gassed." This way, they are "asleep" before you are gone. Lily still was crying, even though I was with her--she didn't want to wear the mask and it was just scary for her. But I was happy she was crying with me holding her instead of with strangers.
I donned the lovely marshmallow suit, and Gracie liked we had matching hats. (The doctor marked the surgery area with a Sharpie, which is the extra mark on her face.)
Our anesthesiologist was fantastic. He started telling Gracie a story about his daughter and how she loves animals and wanted a goat for Christmas, so their family in Texas now has a goat on their property that is hers. Within just a few minutes Gracie was drowsy and then almost completely out and away I went, leaving her in their capable hands.
The doctor had told me the procedure usually took only 15 minutes. I was taken to his "consultation room" to wait and it was no more than 20 minutes and he was there to give me a report. He said they had to clean out "a lot of stuff" in the chalazion pocket and surrounding area. He gave me cream for her eye and said to follow up in 6 weeks.
His report helped give me confirmation that we made the right decision. If he had said it wasn't too bad, I would have second-guessed myself. But it seemed to me like it was well worth what we went through to have it taken care of.
It look about an hour (which I expected) before I was paged again to come to recovery. They have cute names for the various rooms to help the kids feel at ease. The recovery room is called "The Popsicle Room" because almost all kids get a popsicle after they wake. Gracie apparently had no problem remembering she was promised a popsicle after waking up because she was already halfway through it by the time I made it back to her.
She told me a few times that she felt sleepy and woozy (big word for an almost 6-yr old!) but she recovered really well. Within another 30 minutes she drank some Gatorade, got dressed and was ready to go. The only thing she was bummed about was that she had to wear this eye dressing until the next morning.
On our way out, of course she needed to pose for a picture with Ronald McDonald. He sits in front of a Ronald McDonald house for parents that is across the street from the hospital. If you have a hospital band, indicating you have a child there, they have free meals, drinks and even rooms you can sleep in if needed. I never actually made it there because I never wanted to leave Lily the two times she stayed overnight. But my cousin spent several weeks at the hospital with her son and I know it was a true Godsend.
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that Gracie asked for nuggets and fries for lunch on the way home! Girl was hungry :)
All in all, it was a great experience and not traumatic at all. The eye dressing annoyed Gracie quite a bit. I didn't realize until the next morning when I removed it (getting that tape off was NOT fun) that the dressed had folded itself in half later in the day and so it truly was aggravating her. I was SO happy to put her to bed knowing we could take it off in the morning.
I chose to keep Gracie home from the school the next day because it was Friday and a half-day also. She never once complained of her eye hurting her, but it looked vulnerable to me and kindergartners can be crazy, so better safe than sorry.
The most challenging part of this whole process has been the post-surgery treatment. We are supposed to be doing multiple warm compresses on her eye and there is ointment to put INSIDE her eye twice each day. She hates it. Understandably so. But it seems pretty important.
I neglected to take some current pics to share what it looks like as it heals--I'll do another post for that. The doctor said there would be a black dot on the outside of her eye that would go away in 10-14 days. He cleaned out the gland and then cauterized it from the inside, creating a scab that shows through the skin. The area is still swollen and looks a bit pussy as it heals. But it's not bothering her, which is a huge bonus.
I'm just praying that this is successful and there are no complications with recovery! I suppose we will know in another week or two as it continues to heal.
I'm blogging about this mostly for other moms who might search these words, looking for information or experience to help them in a similar situation.
When Gracie woke up last Thursday morning, I let her play the iPad in my room while her sisters ate breakfast, since she couldn't eat anything. That was a pretty good distraction! She was able to drink clear liquids until 8:30, so I gave her some juice right at that point. She complained about being hungry a few times, but she didn't have any meltdowns.
We took Lily to grandma's house and then headed to the hospital. Her surgery was at the same place Lily's was, so it was familiar to us. Gracie wasn't there for Lily's surgery, but since she stayed the night--Gracie did come visit and helped pick us up after discharge, so it was familiar to her also.
They have a pretty great system that flows well. Every family gets a pager, and they buzz you each time they are ready for you--to register and check in, to get prepped and then when they are ready for you in surgery. Bean went to work for a few hours in the morning, but arrived when we were getting checked in--perfect timing.
Of course I took some "pre" photos. Her chalazion wasn't too swollen at the time, but it's definitely visible.
Sidenote: Don't you just love her freckles!!?? And her green eyes too. So unique, especially in our family of mostly blue and brown. My dad has hazel eyes, but his tend to be more blue than green--so not sure where she gets the color from.
Even though she was hungry and a bit anxious, she was in a pretty good mood. After all, she had her parents all to herself!
After a little more waiting, she got to change into the fun hospital jammies. She kept asking why she had to wear them, but there wasn't too much protesting.
In the pre-op area, the TV remote is also the TV speaker. I have a similar picture of Lily in pre-op for her surgery.
Not long after we were prepped, Bean left to pick up the other girls. He wanted to stay, but duty called. It was half day for Miss Rose and Lily needed to be picked up from Grammie's house.
I don't know if all Children's Hospitals are like this, but I LOVE that ours allows a parent to go back to the surgical suite with the child and stay with them while they are "gassed." This way, they are "asleep" before you are gone. Lily still was crying, even though I was with her--she didn't want to wear the mask and it was just scary for her. But I was happy she was crying with me holding her instead of with strangers.
I donned the lovely marshmallow suit, and Gracie liked we had matching hats. (The doctor marked the surgery area with a Sharpie, which is the extra mark on her face.)
Our anesthesiologist was fantastic. He started telling Gracie a story about his daughter and how she loves animals and wanted a goat for Christmas, so their family in Texas now has a goat on their property that is hers. Within just a few minutes Gracie was drowsy and then almost completely out and away I went, leaving her in their capable hands.
The doctor had told me the procedure usually took only 15 minutes. I was taken to his "consultation room" to wait and it was no more than 20 minutes and he was there to give me a report. He said they had to clean out "a lot of stuff" in the chalazion pocket and surrounding area. He gave me cream for her eye and said to follow up in 6 weeks.
His report helped give me confirmation that we made the right decision. If he had said it wasn't too bad, I would have second-guessed myself. But it seemed to me like it was well worth what we went through to have it taken care of.
It look about an hour (which I expected) before I was paged again to come to recovery. They have cute names for the various rooms to help the kids feel at ease. The recovery room is called "The Popsicle Room" because almost all kids get a popsicle after they wake. Gracie apparently had no problem remembering she was promised a popsicle after waking up because she was already halfway through it by the time I made it back to her.
She told me a few times that she felt sleepy and woozy (big word for an almost 6-yr old!) but she recovered really well. Within another 30 minutes she drank some Gatorade, got dressed and was ready to go. The only thing she was bummed about was that she had to wear this eye dressing until the next morning.
On our way out, of course she needed to pose for a picture with Ronald McDonald. He sits in front of a Ronald McDonald house for parents that is across the street from the hospital. If you have a hospital band, indicating you have a child there, they have free meals, drinks and even rooms you can sleep in if needed. I never actually made it there because I never wanted to leave Lily the two times she stayed overnight. But my cousin spent several weeks at the hospital with her son and I know it was a true Godsend.
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that Gracie asked for nuggets and fries for lunch on the way home! Girl was hungry :)
All in all, it was a great experience and not traumatic at all. The eye dressing annoyed Gracie quite a bit. I didn't realize until the next morning when I removed it (getting that tape off was NOT fun) that the dressed had folded itself in half later in the day and so it truly was aggravating her. I was SO happy to put her to bed knowing we could take it off in the morning.
I chose to keep Gracie home from the school the next day because it was Friday and a half-day also. She never once complained of her eye hurting her, but it looked vulnerable to me and kindergartners can be crazy, so better safe than sorry.
The most challenging part of this whole process has been the post-surgery treatment. We are supposed to be doing multiple warm compresses on her eye and there is ointment to put INSIDE her eye twice each day. She hates it. Understandably so. But it seems pretty important.
I neglected to take some current pics to share what it looks like as it heals--I'll do another post for that. The doctor said there would be a black dot on the outside of her eye that would go away in 10-14 days. He cleaned out the gland and then cauterized it from the inside, creating a scab that shows through the skin. The area is still swollen and looks a bit pussy as it heals. But it's not bothering her, which is a huge bonus.
I'm just praying that this is successful and there are no complications with recovery! I suppose we will know in another week or two as it continues to heal.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
some words I'm living by (to get through nursing school)
I probably think on the theme of this blog at least once a day. Perhaps not the phrase "embrace this day" but the idea of taking it one day at a time, living in the moment, not worrying about tomorrow. I chose this blog title because I believe it and I find that my outlook on the life is better with this approach.
During the summer Bean and I went to my first orientation for nursing school. It was a little overwhelming to hear about various aspects of the program, extra expenses (which I totaled today for tax purposes to the tune of $1,000), and how intense it was going to be. I think they try to scare us on purpose. And for good reason.
Nursing school, an accelerated BSN program is no joke.
As we reflected on some of the ins and outs of the program on our drive home, Bean and I decided we would just have to take it one day at a time.
One of the most difficult aspects of the program is the lack of foreknowledge for each semester. Everything is always changing. And then it can change again mid-semester. For example, I will be taking a full load this summer. We received an email last week stating that our summer schedule wouldn't be available until May 20, which is less than two weeks before the summer semester starts. Which is especially challenging when you have childcare to arrange.
We have no choice but to take it one day at a time.
People ask me how it's going and I usually say a few things...
-it's good.
-it's not hard, but we have to learn a lot at once.
-we have some sort of theory exam or skills test almost every week
-but I love it.
There are days I worry about the tension and stress this program puts on my family. Currently, I leave Monday morning at 6:45am and am not home again until Tuesday at 4:00pm. I am gone again for 12 hours on Wednesdays. Of course Miss Rose has baseball practice on Mondays and Wednesdays, and the past few weeks she's had baseball games on Tuesday. So Bean is handing most of this on his own. He does a wonderful job, but solo parenting is hard and tiring.
There are days I question if I'm doing the right thing and if the cost is too high. There are days I think may need to drop out and figure something else out for a career.
But this is something I've been working towards for over 5 years (the Lily surprise added a little time to my plans!). We have prayed and sought counsel. And this is where God has led us.
This isn't just about me, but it's about us as a married couple and as a family. I'm the one in class and clinicals and the medical facilities. But my husband and my children are in this nursing program too. Without them, their support and their belief in me, this wouldn't be happening.
In reality, 18 months is a short period of time. August 2014 will be here before I know it.
I saw this on Facebook today, and I may need to plaster it in my car, my bathroom, my backpack and everywhere else in my life.
The last line speaks to me the most.
"The time will pass anyway."
I have dreamed of being a nurse for many, many years. When I was young, being a doctor was the only career I ever spoke about. I loved playing with baby dolls, but instead of playing house, I'd play hospital and make my dolls their own medical charts.
God led me to full-time ministry for over 10 years, which I loved and found so fulfilling. But now he's opened this door.
August 2014 is coming one way or another. I will either be a nurse or I will not.
I'd rather be a nurse than anything else.
So one day at a time. Embrace the day and what it holds. Work hard. Study hard. Love my family hard.
The time will pass anyway. So what are you waiting for?
During the summer Bean and I went to my first orientation for nursing school. It was a little overwhelming to hear about various aspects of the program, extra expenses (which I totaled today for tax purposes to the tune of $1,000), and how intense it was going to be. I think they try to scare us on purpose. And for good reason.
Nursing school, an accelerated BSN program is no joke.
As we reflected on some of the ins and outs of the program on our drive home, Bean and I decided we would just have to take it one day at a time.
One of the most difficult aspects of the program is the lack of foreknowledge for each semester. Everything is always changing. And then it can change again mid-semester. For example, I will be taking a full load this summer. We received an email last week stating that our summer schedule wouldn't be available until May 20, which is less than two weeks before the summer semester starts. Which is especially challenging when you have childcare to arrange.
We have no choice but to take it one day at a time.
People ask me how it's going and I usually say a few things...
-it's good.
-it's not hard, but we have to learn a lot at once.
-we have some sort of theory exam or skills test almost every week
-but I love it.
There are days I worry about the tension and stress this program puts on my family. Currently, I leave Monday morning at 6:45am and am not home again until Tuesday at 4:00pm. I am gone again for 12 hours on Wednesdays. Of course Miss Rose has baseball practice on Mondays and Wednesdays, and the past few weeks she's had baseball games on Tuesday. So Bean is handing most of this on his own. He does a wonderful job, but solo parenting is hard and tiring.
There are days I question if I'm doing the right thing and if the cost is too high. There are days I think may need to drop out and figure something else out for a career.
But this is something I've been working towards for over 5 years (the Lily surprise added a little time to my plans!). We have prayed and sought counsel. And this is where God has led us.
This isn't just about me, but it's about us as a married couple and as a family. I'm the one in class and clinicals and the medical facilities. But my husband and my children are in this nursing program too. Without them, their support and their belief in me, this wouldn't be happening.
In reality, 18 months is a short period of time. August 2014 will be here before I know it.
I saw this on Facebook today, and I may need to plaster it in my car, my bathroom, my backpack and everywhere else in my life.
The last line speaks to me the most.
"The time will pass anyway."
I have dreamed of being a nurse for many, many years. When I was young, being a doctor was the only career I ever spoke about. I loved playing with baby dolls, but instead of playing house, I'd play hospital and make my dolls their own medical charts.
God led me to full-time ministry for over 10 years, which I loved and found so fulfilling. But now he's opened this door.
August 2014 is coming one way or another. I will either be a nurse or I will not.
I'd rather be a nurse than anything else.
So one day at a time. Embrace the day and what it holds. Work hard. Study hard. Love my family hard.
The time will pass anyway. So what are you waiting for?
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
bye bye bump {another kid...another surgery}
My brother, sisters and I rarely visited the doctor as kids. My mom says we got our regular vaccinations and had some of our annual check-ups. I don't remember getting colds or infections requiring antibiotics. None of us had any odd medical issues. A few broken bones and stitches required but that's just kid stuff.
I missed out on that luck with my kids. In typical mom fashion, I want to discover some way I've failed that has caused the numerous infections and medical anomalies we've dealt with. Poor Miss Rose has terrible hay fever and seasonal allergies, just like her dad. When they linger, they turn into sinus infections which often need antibiotics to be treated. I wait as long as possible, but I hate when my girl is miserable. I'm cautiously hopeful that Miss Rose is growing out of the sinus infections because she had fewer last year than the year before.
Then there is Lilybug and her fever monster. I am SO thankful that we finally got a diagnosis for her month fevers and that the removal of her tonsils eliminated the fevers. Last month Lily had the flu, and her first fever in a year. It was fascinating to me that Lily began telling me she was sick and "I think I have a fever" several hours before her fever actually developed. Her little body has experienced so many fevers already in her life, she knows what one coming on feels like.
I would like to blame both these issues on my husband because he has bad allergies and even required allergy shots as a kid, and he had his tonsils removed at 7 for recurring tonsilitis and my nephew (his brother's son) was also diagnosed with Fever Syndrome and had his tonsils out at at 3. But it's not the hubs fault that he seems to carry these things in his genes.
{warning...kinda graphic medical photo ahead}
What I don't know is where THIS came from.
I missed out on that luck with my kids. In typical mom fashion, I want to discover some way I've failed that has caused the numerous infections and medical anomalies we've dealt with. Poor Miss Rose has terrible hay fever and seasonal allergies, just like her dad. When they linger, they turn into sinus infections which often need antibiotics to be treated. I wait as long as possible, but I hate when my girl is miserable. I'm cautiously hopeful that Miss Rose is growing out of the sinus infections because she had fewer last year than the year before.
Then there is Lilybug and her fever monster. I am SO thankful that we finally got a diagnosis for her month fevers and that the removal of her tonsils eliminated the fevers. Last month Lily had the flu, and her first fever in a year. It was fascinating to me that Lily began telling me she was sick and "I think I have a fever" several hours before her fever actually developed. Her little body has experienced so many fevers already in her life, she knows what one coming on feels like.
I would like to blame both these issues on my husband because he has bad allergies and even required allergy shots as a kid, and he had his tonsils removed at 7 for recurring tonsilitis and my nephew (his brother's son) was also diagnosed with Fever Syndrome and had his tonsils out at at 3. But it's not the hubs fault that he seems to carry these things in his genes.
{warning...kinda graphic medical photo ahead}
What I don't know is where THIS came from.
{summer 2011}
Which a few days later became this...
(Friends, I looked and I hadn't shared this photo before on my blog. The skin became so taught that it opened up and began to drain. Gross and yet medically awesome.)
And then it scabbed over, but continued to decrease in swelling.
It got SO much better. But it never went away completely. She still gets clogged oil glands, but I catch them quickly now and they go away in several days with diligent warm compresses. Flaxseed oil and washing her eyes with baby wash help with prevention. This one that got so infected and swollen is a constant bump under her eye. It ebbs and flows in size.
Finally, at her last eye exam the doctor confirmed it will NOT go away on it's own. It is too large, still. He said it isn't causing any damage and doesn't affect her vision, but if we wanted him to remove it, we could make that request and it really was up to us.
Bean and I contemplated this quite a bit. The main reason being, this procedure is considered out-patient surgery. Due to her age and the nature of the procedure, she requires general anesthesia. They will go in from the inside of her bottom eyelid, make an incision and clean out the gland. It is only supposed to take 15 minutes. But you can imagine how traumatizing it would be for a child to experience while awake
It some ways it's elective and part of the motivation is cosmetic. I don't want her to look back her her childhood pictures wondering why she always had a bump under her eye.
You can't see perfectly in this photo, but if you look closely the right eye is red along the bottom and slightly swollen.
Gracie has been expressing a desire for her "bump" to be gone and sometimes she includes it in her bedtime prayers.
So we decided to do it. I finally called the doctor last Monday and then got a call on Friday that there was a cancellation and she could be scheduled quickly.
Tomorrow in the late morning, the bump will be gone! Hopefully to never return.
Of course the idea of my child going under general anesthesia is a little daunting. When Lily had her tonsils out, she wasn't even 3 yet and everything was adventure for the most part. Gracie will be 6 in a few weeks and will be much more aware of every little thing. I'm hoping her recovery is quick and easy and that she's back at school on Friday.
Could we please stop with the surgeries though? Can my kids get healthy and not have these freak medical issues? I AM thankful this is very minor and somewhat elective. Lily's fevers were scary and had much more effect on our lives.
I am thankful for good health insurance and a husband who works hard in a job that provides it.
Everyone wave with me now...
Bye bye bump!
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