Monday, March 31, 2008
You tell me if this makes sense. Current mood: bitchy
The other day, I called to make a payment on one of Macy Jane’s medical bills. When I was finished with the payment, I asked the gentleman on the phone what was my balance. I knew that it should be under a certain amount and soon to be paid off. He proceeds to tell me that my balance is over $4,000!!! Um....how did it go from $160 to over $4,000?? Come to find out, they billed the same amount 4 times to MJs old insurance company for a procedure on MAY 22, 2007, and the insurance company thought it was all duplicate charges. So, they denied it and requested further information.....this was September 18th. Actually, let me back up. They paid 2 claims and thought the others for the same exact amount were the duplicates. The amount was $3,998 and because we used an in-network PPO provider, the insurance only had to pay $234. Massive discount on that one! Well, by the time insurance received the information from UT Medical Group, she had used all of her 2million dollar lifetime money from Baptist. So, we have to pay that. It is absolutely rediculous that almost a year later we are billed for this.
I talked to UT Medical Group and explained what happened and they offered me a 30% discount. NO THANK YOU. I want to pay what the insurance company would have paid you, $234!! If you would accept a check from them for that amount, what is the big deal about accepting that amount from me. I was getting nowhere on the phone, so I drove to Nonconnah Blvd and showed up at their office, which turns out to be a call center. They were caught off guard to see me there. They told me that if I supposedly couldn’t afford to pay it, then I had to show proof, or I could pay them $2,000 in 30 days and be done with it. I am stubborn so I went home and spent like 3 hours providing bills and bank account statements. I get a call this morning from "Beth" who is just a call rep and she informed me that her manager was giving me a take it or leave it final offer today. I either pay the full amount on a payment plan, or I pay $1,000 to them within thirty days. The freaking manager didn’t even have the balls to call me himself, jerk. Also, she asked me at the end of the coversation this questions. "Maam my boss wanted to know if your husband is an RN at the hospital he works for." WTF? Why does he want to know that? I can tell you why. They think that just because we are both nurses that we make tons of money and can afford to pay out thousands of dollars. HELLO dickhead. I haven’t worked in almost a year and it isn’t like we don’t have OTHER bills to pay. I was really pissed off when she asked me that. I wanted to say tell your pansy of a boss to crawl out from under the rock he is hiding under and call me and ask me himself. If we were a family that chose not to work and live off of the government, we could just file bankruptcy and be done with it, or depend on Uncle Sam to take care of us.
However, we are not that type of family and even if it takes until we die to pay off the bills, we will do that instead of taking the easy way out. With UT Medical Group, I have no option but to pay them within 30 days, I would be a fool not to take the $3,000 discount. She was quick to tell me that I still had a balance after I pay the $1,000 and that I need to make my monthly payments to them. Stupid idiot, I have paid my bill every single month, on time. I am not asking for a freaking handout.
Does it make sense to anyone? I wish to God that I could mail Pittman and Associates a check for $234 and tell them to just make a payment to UTMG, but that is fraud. It isn’t fair to people that are in our type of situation that have sick children. The people in doctor’s offices and hospitals need to stay on top of their billing so that families in our situation aren’t left with thousands of dollars in bills, that SHOULD have been covered by insurance and would have if the billing was done in a timely manner. I mean she was 2 days old when this procedure took place. It should have been paid in full by September.
Sorry to rant, I am just extremely pissed off right now. I am very grateful for the discount, but I am sick and tired of money hungry companies that have no compassion. It is a cold hearted business world and people only care about putting millions in their pockets. Well, guess what. I will go back to work at Baptist until a position opens up at St. Jude or St. Francis so that I can have a secondary insurance for Macy Jane and this will not happen again in the future if she maxes out her primary insurance policy. I dont want to leave Baptist, but for our financial stability I will.
And just for the record. For all of you people out there that say "Oh you and your husband are both nurses, ya’ll make lots of money and only have to work 3 days a week" blah blah blah. We have bills just like everyone else and are crucified at tax time because we make enough money to cover our bills and apparently the people on welfare. Yes, we may only work 3 days a week, but in those three days we work the same amount of hours as people that work 5 days a week....so don’t even go there with me.
If the democrats could fix the healthcare industry and help the middle class they would have my vote in an instant. So far, all I have heard is promises and haven’t seen any changes. I just want to know why every government program in Tennesse is for people that are on welfare or people that are considered in poverty because they make $30,000 a year. What about people like us that don’t want a dime of money for us as the parents. All I want is medical coverage for my daughter. As her parents, we make enough money to cover the household expenses and insurance deductibles. Last time I checked though, we do not bring home millions a year and therefore there should be some sort of program for children that looks at the child’s income and not the parents. It is not about me and Steve. We don’t need money to live on and pay our bills. We need coverage for our daughter’s medical needs. Once again, as parents, we have to be disabled or lazy in order to get help from our wonderful government.
Gosh, I am so mad right now I could scream. Instead I will just finish cleaning my house and play with MJ. She is worth every dime that we have to pay to have her in this world.
Sorry for those that had to endure reading this. Thanks for reading though And if you have any comments for me about how wrong I am or that I am judgemental because you get goverment assistance, keep them to yourself. They will only add to my anger and this blog isn’t about you. It is about me and my family and the screwed up medical world.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
The weekend and the busy week ahead! Current mood: breezy
It is amazing to me how fast the days go by now. I remember being pregnant and thinking that 40 weeks seemed like such a long time and that it was going to go soooo slow. My my, how my outlook has changed. There are not enough hours in the day to get the things I need to get done, done. However, I am re-prioritizing what I need and want to get done in a day and cutting back on my internet time. It is so easy for me to sit here for a few hours a night or day and lose total track of time. I can’t do that anymore though, I have things to do!
Macy Jane has had a rough few days. Poor thing has been puking, lots. I just don’t understand it!! I know that she is refluxing, I hear her swallowing 1000 times while she is being fed. However, I often wonder if something else is going on as well like some type of allergy or difficulty digesting the formula. I have been trying to think back. She has always had some type of milk product, except when she was on TPN. She wretched while on the TPN, but she had also had the Nissen done, and that is a side effect of the Nissen. She always does great when she has pedialyte going in, she has never puked that up. Formula however, yes. You would think that at 10 months old I wouldn’t even be thinking about this, or have to rather. Anyways, I know that pedialyte is like water with some electrolytes and very easy to digest. But, if a child refluxes, wouldn’t she reflux that as well? She started out on 100% breastmilk for the first approximate 2 months, then they had to fortify it, then she had stomach surgery and my supply ran out in August and she has been on straight formula since. Started with Enfamil, then switched to GoodStart, then Elecare for a couple of days, then back to GoodStart. She is very restless when she is being fed, tosses and turns until it is over. When she was younger she had blood in her stools for a little bit and noone ever knew why, she had severely dry skin on her face, arms, and legs and she was SO gassy. To the point that she got Mylicon drops around the clock for the first 9 months of her life. Perhaps she has an allergy to milk? I don’t have a clue. I mentioned changing her formula to her pediatrician in December and he said that changing it wouldn’t help reflux because reflux is a mechanical problem...yadda yadda yadda. DUH. However, what I was getting at is that maybe she has an allergy of some type as well. Noone seemed interested in my concerns out of the 5 doctors that she sees. So, after knowing that she went almost 2 weeks without puking when she had her cold and knowing that she CAN go that long without throwing up, I am on a mission to help her, if I can. After much thought, I trotted my happy butt to Wal-Mart today and picked up some GoodStart SOY based formula. I will give this a couple of weeks and see how she does. If that doesn’t seem to help, I may order some Neocate, which is the most hypoallergenic formula...and the most expensive and difficult to find (you have to order it through a pharmacy or the manufacturer) or try Nutramigin. I know that you are supposed to change formula with your doctor’s advice, but what do you do when the doctor’s don’t listen and your gut is telling you to try other things, even if it is to just give me some peace of mind that I have done everything I possibly can. I would never do anything to harm MJ and would just be thrilled if this was the answer to our problems.
Speaking of MJ, she is quite the little chubby checker these days. I have probably commented like that previously, but I have the memory of a 90 year old with alzheimers. At the pediatric surgeon on Tuesday, she weighed in at 19 pounds, right on target for tripling her birthweight by one year!! Only 2 more pounds and she will be there....haha she should have that on in a month at the rate she gains, but her pediatrician is decreasing her calories each visit that we see him and she will drop down to 22cal/oz at the visit on the 11th....he hopes by her birthday to have her down to standard formula (20cal/oz) WOW that would be nice.....we go through so many cans of formula every week and that gets expensive. She’s worth it though!
Today I took her to wal-mart by myself for the first time. She overflowed her diaper for the 4th day in a row and messed up her clothing AGAIN, so I decided that she simply must go up a size in her diapers. Size 3 here we come! I have been putting it off because I have a whole box of size 2 pampers, but decided that I would give them to my cousin and his wife who are going to have a baby this summer. Hopefully we won’t have any more accidents Anyways, I put her shopping cart cover in the seat and sat her up just like a big girl. She acted like one too....trying to grab my pen and shopping list, trying to grab the crinkly bags as I put them in the cart. It was fun. Lots of people stopped to comment on the one red streak that is still left in her hair on top. The rest is a pretty blonde. Others said she was a biiiiiiigggggg content baby. She eventually got tired of the cart and laid her head down on the pillow that is attached to the cover. She was very cute
Thursday is the BIG day. We have to be at LeBonheur at 6am. Sheesh the buttcrack of dawn. Her heart cath is scheduled for 8am, unless there is an emergency with another baby. We have been told it could take up to 2 hours depending on what they see etc. I am SO nervous about this one. This one will kind of give us a big picture as to how to map out the future for MJ and her future heart caths and surgeries. PLEASE pray that we get an excellent report or even a half way decent one. I just don’t know if I could handle bad news. However, she has done so remarkably well since her 2nd surgery that I can’t imagine that there could be too much going wrong inside of that little body. She pretty much breathes normally and has great coloring and no shortness of breath. Before when there were problems, she let us know! Also, please pray for mine and everyone else’s nerves in my family!!!! God is in control and I just have to keep telling myself that every day multiple times a day.
My brother is coming in to town on Tuesday and my sister is flying in on Wednesday to be with us for the procedure. I have such an amazing set of siblings (and parents), they have always been there for me and I can only hope to return the favor if the time ever comes. MJ just has a way of pricking everyone’s heart and wrapping them around her finger. She must get that from her mommy, just kidding. I do hope and pray that MJ is released to go home late Thursday afternoon. I dread the thought of staying another night at LeBonheur, but will do it if I have to. Hopefully it will only be for one night also.....grrrrrr. I get a sick feeling every time I think about that place. They saved MJs life and I am forever grateful, ya just gotta understand that I HATE hospital’s right now.
Hmmm.....what else what else. I had the striking thought today that eventually I wouldn’t mind going back to school to get my Nurse Practitioner degree (masters...whatever you want to call it) I already have my BSN so it wouldn’t take THAT long to do it. Hmmm...will have to think about that one though. It’s not like I don’t have enough on my plate. How wierd would it be if I ended up working with heart babies later on in the future? I could definately sympathize with the parents and give them some advice. Ah....who knows.
Ah yes, weight watchers. That is going really really well. I have lost almost 33 pounds in 11 weeks and I feel so much better. I was looking at a picture from Christmas and compared it with one taken at Easter and I could actually tell a difference. I am my toughest critic, so for me to notice I must be different. HAHA I still have right at 100 pounds to lose, but I will get there....one day at a time....and one 100calorie snack at a time My jeans are too big, way to big, but the next size down is still too snug for my comfort. I need to go shopping and try on other brands in that size because the jeans I have are starting to look pretty darn bad. My dad always jokes me that it looks like a tribe of gypsies moved out of the seat of my pants I can’t help it that I was cursed with a flat butt. Thanks dad, since I get it from him anyways.
Well, I think that is all of my ramblings for now. I need to get in bed so I can beat MJ waking up in the morning. I love it when that happens so that I have time to shower and eat breakfast before she gets up. Most of the time I wake up to her throwing toys at me, "talking", or screaming. AHHHH motherhood. I wouldn’t trade it for the most high paying job in the world.
Much Love,
Bethany
p.s. Please pray for a girl I work with.....or used to. One of my friends called and told me that this girl’s water broke at 27 weeks and they are going to have to take the baby on Tuesday, I believe. They were able to wait one week, but still the odds are agaist the little girl. God can work miracles so please just pray for them. Her name is Karen, btw. Thanks!
The weekend and the busy week ahead! Current mood: breezy
It is amazing to me how fast the days go by now. I remember being pregnant and thinking that 40 weeks seemed like such a long time and that it was going to go soooo slow. My my, how my outlook has changed. There are not enough hours in the day to get the things I need to get done, done. However, I am re-prioritizing what I need and want to get done in a day and cutting back on my internet time. It is so easy for me to sit here for a few hours a night or day and lose total track of time. I can’t do that anymore though, I have things to do!
Macy Jane has had a rough few days. Poor thing has been puking, lots. I just don’t understand it!! I know that she is refluxing, I hear her swallowing 1000 times while she is being fed. However, I often wonder if something else is going on as well like some type of allergy or difficulty digesting the formula. I have been trying to think back. She has always had some type of milk product, except when she was on TPN. She wretched while on the TPN, but she had also had the Nissen done, and that is a side effect of the Nissen. She always does great when she has pedialyte going in, she has never puked that up. Formula however, yes. You would think that at 10 months old I wouldn’t even be thinking about this, or have to rather. Anyways, I know that pedialyte is like water with some electrolytes and very easy to digest. But, if a child refluxes, wouldn’t she reflux that as well? She started out on 100% breastmilk for the first approximate 2 months, then they had to fortify it, then she had stomach surgery and my supply ran out in August and she has been on straight formula since. Started with Enfamil, then switched to GoodStart, then Elecare for a couple of days, then back to GoodStart. She is very restless when she is being fed, tosses and turns until it is over. When she was younger she had blood in her stools for a little bit and noone ever knew why, she had severely dry skin on her face, arms, and legs and she was SO gassy. To the point that she got Mylicon drops around the clock for the first 9 months of her life. Perhaps she has an allergy to milk? I don’t have a clue. I mentioned changing her formula to her pediatrician in December and he said that changing it wouldn’t help reflux because reflux is a mechanical problem...yadda yadda yadda. DUH. However, what I was getting at is that maybe she has an allergy of some type as well. Noone seemed interested in my concerns out of the 5 doctors that she sees. So, after knowing that she went almost 2 weeks without puking when she had her cold and knowing that she CAN go that long without throwing up, I am on a mission to help her, if I can. After much thought, I trotted my happy butt to Wal-Mart today and picked up some GoodStart SOY based formula. I will give this a couple of weeks and see how she does. If that doesn’t seem to help, I may order some Neocate, which is the most hypoallergenic formula...and the most expensive and difficult to find (you have to order it through a pharmacy or the manufacturer) or try Nutramigin. I know that you are supposed to change formula with your doctor’s advice, but what do you do when the doctor’s don’t listen and your gut is telling you to try other things, even if it is to just give me some peace of mind that I have done everything I possibly can. I would never do anything to harm MJ and would just be thrilled if this was the answer to our problems.
Speaking of MJ, she is quite the little chubby checker these days. I have probably commented like that previously, but I have the memory of a 90 year old with alzheimers. At the pediatric surgeon on Tuesday, she weighed in at 19 pounds, right on target for tripling her birthweight by one year!! Only 2 more pounds and she will be there....haha she should have that on in a month at the rate she gains, but her pediatrician is decreasing her calories each visit that we see him and she will drop down to 22cal/oz at the visit on the 11th....he hopes by her birthday to have her down to standard formula (20cal/oz) WOW that would be nice.....we go through so many cans of formula every week and that gets expensive. She’s worth it though!
Today I took her to wal-mart by myself for the first time. She overflowed her diaper for the 4th day in a row and messed up her clothing AGAIN, so I decided that she simply must go up a size in her diapers. Size 3 here we come! I have been putting it off because I have a whole box of size 2 pampers, but decided that I would give them to my cousin and his wife who are going to have a baby this summer. Hopefully we won’t have any more accidents Anyways, I put her shopping cart cover in the seat and sat her up just like a big girl. She acted like one too....trying to grab my pen and shopping list, trying to grab the crinkly bags as I put them in the cart. It was fun. Lots of people stopped to comment on the one red streak that is still left in her hair on top. The rest is a pretty blonde. Others said she was a biiiiiiigggggg content baby. She eventually got tired of the cart and laid her head down on the pillow that is attached to the cover. She was very cute
Thursday is the BIG day. We have to be at LeBonheur at 6am. Sheesh the buttcrack of dawn. Her heart cath is scheduled for 8am, unless there is an emergency with another baby. We have been told it could take up to 2 hours depending on what they see etc. I am SO nervous about this one. This one will kind of give us a big picture as to how to map out the future for MJ and her future heart caths and surgeries. PLEASE pray that we get an excellent report or even a half way decent one. I just don’t know if I could handle bad news. However, she has done so remarkably well since her 2nd surgery that I can’t imagine that there could be too much going wrong inside of that little body. She pretty much breathes normally and has great coloring and no shortness of breath. Before when there were problems, she let us know! Also, please pray for mine and everyone else’s nerves in my family!!!! God is in control and I just have to keep telling myself that every day multiple times a day.
My brother is coming in to town on Tuesday and my sister is flying in on Wednesday to be with us for the procedure. I have such an amazing set of siblings (and parents), they have always been there for me and I can only hope to return the favor if the time ever comes. MJ just has a way of pricking everyone’s heart and wrapping them around her finger. She must get that from her mommy, just kidding. I do hope and pray that MJ is released to go home late Thursday afternoon. I dread the thought of staying another night at LeBonheur, but will do it if I have to. Hopefully it will only be for one night also.....grrrrrr. I get a sick feeling every time I think about that place. They saved MJs life and I am forever grateful, ya just gotta understand that I HATE hospital’s right now.
Hmmm.....what else what else. I had the striking thought today that eventually I wouldn’t mind going back to school to get my Nurse Practitioner degree (masters...whatever you want to call it) I already have my BSN so it wouldn’t take THAT long to do it. Hmmm...will have to think about that one though. It’s not like I don’t have enough on my plate. How wierd would it be if I ended up working with heart babies later on in the future? I could definately sympathize with the parents and give them some advice. Ah....who knows.
Ah yes, weight watchers. That is going really really well. I have lost almost 33 pounds in 11 weeks and I feel so much better. I was looking at a picture from Christmas and compared it with one taken at Easter and I could actually tell a difference. I am my toughest critic, so for me to notice I must be different. HAHA I still have right at 100 pounds to lose, but I will get there....one day at a time....and one 100calorie snack at a time My jeans are too big, way to big, but the next size down is still too snug for my comfort. I need to go shopping and try on other brands in that size because the jeans I have are starting to look pretty darn bad. My dad always jokes me that it looks like a tribe of gypsies moved out of the seat of my pants I can’t help it that I was cursed with a flat butt. Thanks dad, since I get it from him anyways.
Well, I think that is all of my ramblings for now. I need to get in bed so I can beat MJ waking up in the morning. I love it when that happens so that I have time to shower and eat breakfast before she gets up. Most of the time I wake up to her throwing toys at me, "talking", or screaming. AHHHH motherhood. I wouldn’t trade it for the most high paying job in the world.
Much Love,
Bethany
p.s. Please pray for a girl I work with.....or used to. One of my friends called and told me that this girl’s water broke at 27 weeks and they are going to have to take the baby on Tuesday, I believe. They were able to wait one week, but still the odds are agaist the little girl. God can work miracles so please just pray for them. Her name is Karen, btw. Thanks!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
I am going to bed! Current mood: cranky
This day started out bad bad bad and just got worse from there. MJ woke me up every 3 hours puking last night, poor baby Damn the reflux! I could hear her swallowing all night trying to keep the stuff down, but she just couldn’t hold some of it down & I don’t blame her. What a restless sleep she had. I changed her feeding times today to experiment and increased the amount that she gets at each feeding. Instead of every 3 hours, I went to every 4. If she does ok with that, and with the ok of her pediatrician we may try every 6 hours. It just seems like her feeds should be more spaced out because she is not a newborn anymore and shouldn’t be eating every 3 hours in my opinion. Her stomach needs a break longer than two hours at a time! Sheesh.
Anyways, I have had drama all day with the insurance company and doctors from MAY 2007 trying to charge us for stuff. THOUSANDS of dollars worth of stuff and the insurance that she had then is maxed out, so guess who is stuck with the bill? I am going to the office tomorrow to hash it out with them in person. Like my dad said, it is a lot harder for them to say no in person than it is over the phone. The large sum that we supposedly owe, I feel is a duplicate charge and I think I have the paperwork to prove that. Pray that it works out...if not our debt just increased.....ALOT.
However, I had had all I could take, cried for a while, then decided I needed to get out of the house. It was a pretty day, minus the wind so I put MJ in the stroller and we went for a long walk around the neighborhood. It was exactly what I needed and when I got back in she played in the kitchen while I cooked dinner. She is such a good baby......she will play anywhere with anything and be content. Thank the Lord she was on auto pilot tonight so that I could do some research online.
Having said all of that, I am really tired. I went to bed early last night thinking I would get a nice long stretch of sleep....only to wake up to cough cough bleehhhhhhhhhh at 1 and 3 and 5 and 7. Hopefully tonight will be better. If not, that is ok because tomorrow I will have a few hours by myself while I run errands and attend my weekly weight watchers meeting. I am off to bed. If you think of it please say a prayer for me. I am tired of dealing with all of this financial stuff. If people would JUST do their job right the first time, we wouldn’t be where we are right now. Also, as it gets closer to the heart cath day...my nerves get more and more frazzled. I know that God is in control and has MJs future mapped out, I just can’t help but get nervous. Ok, I am off to bed.
Much Love
Bethany
I am going to bed! Current mood: cranky
This day started out bad bad bad and just got worse from there. MJ woke me up every 3 hours puking last night, poor baby Damn the reflux! I could hear her swallowing all night trying to keep the stuff down, but she just couldn’t hold some of it down & I don’t blame her. What a restless sleep she had. I changed her feeding times today to experiment and increased the amount that she gets at each feeding. Instead of every 3 hours, I went to every 4. If she does ok with that, and with the ok of her pediatrician we may try every 6 hours. It just seems like her feeds should be more spaced out because she is not a newborn anymore and shouldn’t be eating every 3 hours in my opinion. Her stomach needs a break longer than two hours at a time! Sheesh.
Anyways, I have had drama all day with the insurance company and doctors from MAY 2007 trying to charge us for stuff. THOUSANDS of dollars worth of stuff and the insurance that she had then is maxed out, so guess who is stuck with the bill? I am going to the office tomorrow to hash it out with them in person. Like my dad said, it is a lot harder for them to say no in person than it is over the phone. The large sum that we supposedly owe, I feel is a duplicate charge and I think I have the paperwork to prove that. Pray that it works out...if not our debt just increased.....ALOT.
However, I had had all I could take, cried for a while, then decided I needed to get out of the house. It was a pretty day, minus the wind so I put MJ in the stroller and we went for a long walk around the neighborhood. It was exactly what I needed and when I got back in she played in the kitchen while I cooked dinner. She is such a good baby......she will play anywhere with anything and be content. Thank the Lord she was on auto pilot tonight so that I could do some research online.
Having said all of that, I am really tired. I went to bed early last night thinking I would get a nice long stretch of sleep....only to wake up to cough cough bleehhhhhhhhhh at 1 and 3 and 5 and 7. Hopefully tonight will be better. If not, that is ok because tomorrow I will have a few hours by myself while I run errands and attend my weekly weight watchers meeting. I am off to bed. If you think of it please say a prayer for me. I am tired of dealing with all of this financial stuff. If people would JUST do their job right the first time, we wouldn’t be where we are right now. Also, as it gets closer to the heart cath day...my nerves get more and more frazzled. I know that God is in control and has MJs future mapped out, I just can’t help but get nervous. Ok, I am off to bed.
Much Love
Bethany
Friday, March 21, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Thursday Current mood: bouncy
It has been one week since I had to take Macy Jane to the doctor. WoW! What a week it has been. I don’t know if it is the same with all heart babies or not, but when she gets sick with a cold, she gets SICK! Thank the Lord that her immune system is normal and she can fight this crap off. Today she has been her old self again, except for her breathing. She still has a cough that sounds pretty wet, but she has a snotty nose and is coughing stuff up. Pretty light green stuff She is so funny trying to "help" me use the bulb syringe to suction her boogies. She sticks it in the right place, just doesn’t know how to make it suck out the boogies. Anyways, me and mom took her to Wal-Mart today just to get both of them out of the house and she seemed to really enjoy it.
I found some really cute stuff to put in her first Easter basket and a cute basket....the last one in the store that wasn’t the boring old straw basket. I hope she is still feeling good so that we can celebrate Easter as a family. I was trying to get ideas for her first birthday, talking about presents here. What in the world do you get a one year old?! I saw a turtle sand box that would be really cute, but with a G-tube I am not sure that that is the best idea. I am going to ask the Pediatric surgeon that did her g-tube surgery when we see him next week. I saw a "girly" sand box somewhere a while back and I am trying to remember where. Oh-well. Any ideas what to get? Obviously she will get a lot of developmental toys, but she also needs fun stuff. I am getting really excited about this birthday. It is going to be so special
Did I mention that she gained a pound in the past week? She has not thrown up one time in 7 days and with her being on 24 calorie/ounce formula....she is getting chunky. She is up to 19 pounds now!!! It was so funny in the store today, everyone that stopped to talk to her (which was pretty much everyone that saw her) said "Oh my she is a BIIIIG baby, so fat!" I just thought to myself....if you only knew what this little girl has been through to get here!! I am thinking however, that if she keeps with the not throwing up and gains another pound that quick, I may have to call Dr. Frizzell and see if we can cut back on the calories. That would save me from going through so much Goodstart each week as well
Tomorrow I am getting the oil changed in the car. I took it to Toyota today and the wait was 2 and 1/2 hours. No thank you! Buh-bye! Hopefully it won’t be backed up, but if it is that is ok because I am taking the laptop and my bills and sitting in their super nice waiting area and being productive. After that, Steve and I are going shopping for a new camera. Our nice camera somehow got broken. Casper.......he must be back at my house! I took some pics of MJ tonight with an old camera we had and boy do I miss mine. Hopefully we can get a good deal since our money tree doesn’t realize that it is spring yet and time to grow grow grow! Hopefully we can squeeze in a trip to the sushi bar....I am craving some Miso soup and some spicy tuna roll After that, hopefully we will have time to run by the mall with MJ for a special surprise.
I found an incredibly cute idea for her birthday cake tonight in a magazine at wal-mart. It was exactly what I had in mind. I have been interested is learning to decorate cakes for quite a while now and just never have gotten around to doing it. Actually, I am more in to decorating cupcakes than cakes. There are so many cute things to do to cupcakes and every kid loves them. I do not think I will attempt to make it for her birthday, but if I take the picture to Miss Muff’n in Germantown, she will make it for me and it will be perfect!! I am going to make a cupcake for MJ to to play with and hopefully eat I am crossing my fingers that she will be more willing to try tastes since she isn’t barfing all of the time. If not, she will no doubt have cake all over her and I will be able to get a picture of that.
Weight watchers went really well today. I am starting to get nervous because I have been losing on an average of 3+ pounds a week and I know that I am not going to be able to pull those numbers for much longer. My body will learn my tricks and refuse to shed weight. However, I hope I am being smart by not strenuously exercising right now. I figure that when I do hit a plateau, if I send my metabolism in to orbit by exercising, that plateau will not last too long. Hopefully I will keep losing like that.....if I do I will have all of my weight off by Christmas! That would be SOOO nice. I haven’t weighed what I weigh now since a couple of years ago. I still have a long way to go, but I am determined to get the weight off and keep it off. I already feel more healthy and can only imagine what I will feel like after I lose 102 more pounds. Hopefullly next Thursday I will have less than 100 pounds to lose. We shall see.
Well, I am going to try to upload a few pictures that I took tonight of MJ. We got her some new "spring" pajamas tonight that have a cupcake on them. (I think I am getting obsessed with the cupcake thing) I cannot believe this but they are size 12 months and they FIT! She isn’t even a year old yet and it seems like just yesterday she was 6 months old wearing 3 month clothing!!!! I told you she was getting chunky. I bought her an Easter balloon at kroger today and I had forgotten how much she loves balloons. At LeBonheur she had a big smilie face one that stayed at the end of her bed and she would just stare at it, then in California we had halloween balloons FOREVER and she liked those. She fell asleep tonight playing with the string...it was so cute to watch her. She was playing with it one minute, the next I looked over and she had put her own pacifier in her mouth and went to sleep with the string in her hand. Hopefully tomorrow night we can move from sleeping in the living room to the bedroom since she is breathing better.
I hope that everyone has a great Good Friday. Enjoy the beautiful weather!! I can’t believe how pretty it is. I feel so alive when the weather is nice like this and I can take MJ for our daily walks in the stroller. Ah.....the normal.....the simple life, for now.
Much Love
Bethany
Thursday Current mood: bouncy
It has been one week since I had to take Macy Jane to the doctor. WoW! What a week it has been. I don’t know if it is the same with all heart babies or not, but when she gets sick with a cold, she gets SICK! Thank the Lord that her immune system is normal and she can fight this crap off. Today she has been her old self again, except for her breathing. She still has a cough that sounds pretty wet, but she has a snotty nose and is coughing stuff up. Pretty light green stuff She is so funny trying to "help" me use the bulb syringe to suction her boogies. She sticks it in the right place, just doesn’t know how to make it suck out the boogies. Anyways, me and mom took her to Wal-Mart today just to get both of them out of the house and she seemed to really enjoy it.
I found some really cute stuff to put in her first Easter basket and a cute basket....the last one in the store that wasn’t the boring old straw basket. I hope she is still feeling good so that we can celebrate Easter as a family. I was trying to get ideas for her first birthday, talking about presents here. What in the world do you get a one year old?! I saw a turtle sand box that would be really cute, but with a G-tube I am not sure that that is the best idea. I am going to ask the Pediatric surgeon that did her g-tube surgery when we see him next week. I saw a "girly" sand box somewhere a while back and I am trying to remember where. Oh-well. Any ideas what to get? Obviously she will get a lot of developmental toys, but she also needs fun stuff. I am getting really excited about this birthday. It is going to be so special
Did I mention that she gained a pound in the past week? She has not thrown up one time in 7 days and with her being on 24 calorie/ounce formula....she is getting chunky. She is up to 19 pounds now!!! It was so funny in the store today, everyone that stopped to talk to her (which was pretty much everyone that saw her) said "Oh my she is a BIIIIG baby, so fat!" I just thought to myself....if you only knew what this little girl has been through to get here!! I am thinking however, that if she keeps with the not throwing up and gains another pound that quick, I may have to call Dr. Frizzell and see if we can cut back on the calories. That would save me from going through so much Goodstart each week as well
Tomorrow I am getting the oil changed in the car. I took it to Toyota today and the wait was 2 and 1/2 hours. No thank you! Buh-bye! Hopefully it won’t be backed up, but if it is that is ok because I am taking the laptop and my bills and sitting in their super nice waiting area and being productive. After that, Steve and I are going shopping for a new camera. Our nice camera somehow got broken. Casper.......he must be back at my house! I took some pics of MJ tonight with an old camera we had and boy do I miss mine. Hopefully we can get a good deal since our money tree doesn’t realize that it is spring yet and time to grow grow grow! Hopefully we can squeeze in a trip to the sushi bar....I am craving some Miso soup and some spicy tuna roll After that, hopefully we will have time to run by the mall with MJ for a special surprise.
I found an incredibly cute idea for her birthday cake tonight in a magazine at wal-mart. It was exactly what I had in mind. I have been interested is learning to decorate cakes for quite a while now and just never have gotten around to doing it. Actually, I am more in to decorating cupcakes than cakes. There are so many cute things to do to cupcakes and every kid loves them. I do not think I will attempt to make it for her birthday, but if I take the picture to Miss Muff’n in Germantown, she will make it for me and it will be perfect!! I am going to make a cupcake for MJ to to play with and hopefully eat I am crossing my fingers that she will be more willing to try tastes since she isn’t barfing all of the time. If not, she will no doubt have cake all over her and I will be able to get a picture of that.
Weight watchers went really well today. I am starting to get nervous because I have been losing on an average of 3+ pounds a week and I know that I am not going to be able to pull those numbers for much longer. My body will learn my tricks and refuse to shed weight. However, I hope I am being smart by not strenuously exercising right now. I figure that when I do hit a plateau, if I send my metabolism in to orbit by exercising, that plateau will not last too long. Hopefully I will keep losing like that.....if I do I will have all of my weight off by Christmas! That would be SOOO nice. I haven’t weighed what I weigh now since a couple of years ago. I still have a long way to go, but I am determined to get the weight off and keep it off. I already feel more healthy and can only imagine what I will feel like after I lose 102 more pounds. Hopefullly next Thursday I will have less than 100 pounds to lose. We shall see.
Well, I am going to try to upload a few pictures that I took tonight of MJ. We got her some new "spring" pajamas tonight that have a cupcake on them. (I think I am getting obsessed with the cupcake thing) I cannot believe this but they are size 12 months and they FIT! She isn’t even a year old yet and it seems like just yesterday she was 6 months old wearing 3 month clothing!!!! I told you she was getting chunky. I bought her an Easter balloon at kroger today and I had forgotten how much she loves balloons. At LeBonheur she had a big smilie face one that stayed at the end of her bed and she would just stare at it, then in California we had halloween balloons FOREVER and she liked those. She fell asleep tonight playing with the string...it was so cute to watch her. She was playing with it one minute, the next I looked over and she had put her own pacifier in her mouth and went to sleep with the string in her hand. Hopefully tomorrow night we can move from sleeping in the living room to the bedroom since she is breathing better.
I hope that everyone has a great Good Friday. Enjoy the beautiful weather!! I can’t believe how pretty it is. I feel so alive when the weather is nice like this and I can take MJ for our daily walks in the stroller. Ah.....the normal.....the simple life, for now.
Much Love
Bethany
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
I am getting sleepy! Current mood: awake
I am getting really sleepy, but need to stay up for just a little while longer. Since Macy Jane has been sick (almost a week now ), I have been sleeping on our couch beside her so that I can listen to her breathing. Some may think that I am paranoid, but after seeing her turn purple/blue/dusky whatever color you want to call it, I will proudly admit that I am paranoid. I don’t actually end up sleeping that long because once I get good and asleep she decides to cough up half a lung, then start breathing too fast.
This is where my mom comes in. She has been staying with me since last Thursday to help me while Steve is at work. I do not know what I would do without her. She watches MJ in the mornings for me so that I can take a nap. Unfortunately, whatever MJ has she decided to spread it to my mom and possibly me. I have a sore throat, but can live with that. Mom on the other hand sounds like a barking dog when she coughs and now sounds like a man when she talks. Say a little prayer for her if you think of it
I was thinking tonight about MJ’s immune system and the whole DiGeorge diagnosis. I have blogged before about how MJ was diagnosed with DiGeorge and how there are 183 things that children with the syndrome could have. Since day one of finding out, we have all prayed that MJ would not have any symptoms from DG, other than her heart defect. I believe that God has been listening and answering our prayers in our favor. She has a beautiful face, one that looks like any other "normal" child, normal ears, normal mouth, and normal body--minus the heart defect. She is behind developmentally just from being in the hospital for the first 6 months of her life laying on her back, but she has come so far in the 3 and 1/2 months that she has been home. She coos and babbles now, rolls over both ways without any trouble and will be across the room within seconds she is so fast, and she is going through the motions of learning to crawl. She does not sit up unassisted 100% yet, but we are getting there. She still does not eat anything by mouth, but we are trying to get her reflux under control before we attempt that again. She knows how to eat and has not problem with the action of eating, she just does not like the taste of food. She hasn’t had anything since June ’07 on a regular basis and does not realize that eating by mouth is the normal way to do it. She will eventually learn to eat and her not eating by mouth is not a big deal to me.
Anyways, back to DiGeorge. The majority of DG kids have low calcium and very low or non-existent immune systems. Macy Jane’s immune system has always been normal, with one part of her t-cells being slightly low, but not enough to be abnormal and cause harm. She hasn’t had issues with her calcium either. Thank the Lord that she has a good immune system because after seeing how this virus/bronchiolitis has affected her, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if she had a poor functioning immune system.
She has not thrown up from her reflux in about 5-6 days! We had her meds adjusted last Tuesday to the proper dosage and since then she has done so well! I hope that this trend continues even after she is over her illness. She does however have diarrhea and a raging diaper rash from the antibiotics that she is on. We bought some Resinol cream tonight and her butt looks so much better. I can’t stand changing her diaper because she starts crying when she sees me get a new one out to change her. I highly recommend that cream to anyone!! It is VERY hard to find, in fact noone in Memphis had it....but little bitty Covington did! You have to ask for it at the pharmacy.
Anyways, all of this to say that I am so thankful that the Lord has been beside us every step of the way. I know that there are going to be more bumps in the road and things may not always go as I would want them, but ultimately God knows what He is doing and I have to have faith. I do not always understand and I am not always 100% in my faith, but something always happens to bring me back to where I should be.
In other news! I have settled on a theme for MJs birthday party. She is going to have a pink and purple cupcake themed party!!! There is one website online that has an "exclusive" cupcake theme and it is really cute. When we were in Florida I bought her an outfit that says something about it being her birthday and it has a cupcake on it with a matching bib. However, I found some dresses online and I am going to buy one for her to have her picture made in and to wear at her party. I cannot wait for that day to be here! I am still a kid at heart, so having a daughter is perfect for me because I have as much fun as the kids, if not more because I get to plan all of it. However, I do dread having a house full of company. Since MJ has so many "fans" for lack of a better word and because so many people have gotten attached to her, she will probably have an unbelievably large crowd. She will love it though, she doesn’t meet a stranger!
That is the dress that I am going to buy her and the cupcake is the actual cupcake that will be on the dress with her name on it. I fell in love with it when I saw it!! I may decide to go with a pink dress, but right now I love the purple. While I am posting pictures, I might as well show what her party stuff looks like
Like I said, I have more fun with this than I probably should but who cares right?!
Well, I guess I will try to get off of here and try to get a couple of hours of sleep before the princess awakens. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog
Much love,
Bethany
I am getting sleepy! Current mood: awake
I am getting really sleepy, but need to stay up for just a little while longer. Since Macy Jane has been sick (almost a week now ), I have been sleeping on our couch beside her so that I can listen to her breathing. Some may think that I am paranoid, but after seeing her turn purple/blue/dusky whatever color you want to call it, I will proudly admit that I am paranoid. I don’t actually end up sleeping that long because once I get good and asleep she decides to cough up half a lung, then start breathing too fast.
This is where my mom comes in. She has been staying with me since last Thursday to help me while Steve is at work. I do not know what I would do without her. She watches MJ in the mornings for me so that I can take a nap. Unfortunately, whatever MJ has she decided to spread it to my mom and possibly me. I have a sore throat, but can live with that. Mom on the other hand sounds like a barking dog when she coughs and now sounds like a man when she talks. Say a little prayer for her if you think of it
I was thinking tonight about MJ’s immune system and the whole DiGeorge diagnosis. I have blogged before about how MJ was diagnosed with DiGeorge and how there are 183 things that children with the syndrome could have. Since day one of finding out, we have all prayed that MJ would not have any symptoms from DG, other than her heart defect. I believe that God has been listening and answering our prayers in our favor. She has a beautiful face, one that looks like any other "normal" child, normal ears, normal mouth, and normal body--minus the heart defect. She is behind developmentally just from being in the hospital for the first 6 months of her life laying on her back, but she has come so far in the 3 and 1/2 months that she has been home. She coos and babbles now, rolls over both ways without any trouble and will be across the room within seconds she is so fast, and she is going through the motions of learning to crawl. She does not sit up unassisted 100% yet, but we are getting there. She still does not eat anything by mouth, but we are trying to get her reflux under control before we attempt that again. She knows how to eat and has not problem with the action of eating, she just does not like the taste of food. She hasn’t had anything since June ’07 on a regular basis and does not realize that eating by mouth is the normal way to do it. She will eventually learn to eat and her not eating by mouth is not a big deal to me.
Anyways, back to DiGeorge. The majority of DG kids have low calcium and very low or non-existent immune systems. Macy Jane’s immune system has always been normal, with one part of her t-cells being slightly low, but not enough to be abnormal and cause harm. She hasn’t had issues with her calcium either. Thank the Lord that she has a good immune system because after seeing how this virus/bronchiolitis has affected her, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if she had a poor functioning immune system.
She has not thrown up from her reflux in about 5-6 days! We had her meds adjusted last Tuesday to the proper dosage and since then she has done so well! I hope that this trend continues even after she is over her illness. She does however have diarrhea and a raging diaper rash from the antibiotics that she is on. We bought some Resinol cream tonight and her butt looks so much better. I can’t stand changing her diaper because she starts crying when she sees me get a new one out to change her. I highly recommend that cream to anyone!! It is VERY hard to find, in fact noone in Memphis had it....but little bitty Covington did! You have to ask for it at the pharmacy.
Anyways, all of this to say that I am so thankful that the Lord has been beside us every step of the way. I know that there are going to be more bumps in the road and things may not always go as I would want them, but ultimately God knows what He is doing and I have to have faith. I do not always understand and I am not always 100% in my faith, but something always happens to bring me back to where I should be.
In other news! I have settled on a theme for MJs birthday party. She is going to have a pink and purple cupcake themed party!!! There is one website online that has an "exclusive" cupcake theme and it is really cute. When we were in Florida I bought her an outfit that says something about it being her birthday and it has a cupcake on it with a matching bib. However, I found some dresses online and I am going to buy one for her to have her picture made in and to wear at her party. I cannot wait for that day to be here! I am still a kid at heart, so having a daughter is perfect for me because I have as much fun as the kids, if not more because I get to plan all of it. However, I do dread having a house full of company. Since MJ has so many "fans" for lack of a better word and because so many people have gotten attached to her, she will probably have an unbelievably large crowd. She will love it though, she doesn’t meet a stranger!
That is the dress that I am going to buy her and the cupcake is the actual cupcake that will be on the dress with her name on it. I fell in love with it when I saw it!! I may decide to go with a pink dress, but right now I love the purple. While I am posting pictures, I might as well show what her party stuff looks like
Like I said, I have more fun with this than I probably should but who cares right?!
Well, I guess I will try to get off of here and try to get a couple of hours of sleep before the princess awakens. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog
Much love,
Bethany
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Ho ho hum Current mood: contemplative
Here I sit....at 1:45 in the morning. I wish that I could go to sleep, but my body loves to stay awake until the sun comes up. I need to get some sleep because I have to weigh in at Weight Watchers in the morning, and everyone knows that if you don’t go to bed, you will weigh more in the morning. Can’t have that happening!!!
I spent the last hour reading the blog of a lady that has a baby with exactly what MJ was diagnosed with. After reading it, I am so thankful to have been blessed with Macy Jane and it is so obvious to me the thousands of ways that the Lord has protected her. There are so many things that could have gone wrong and so many what if’s and when’s for the future, but God knows the plan and I just have to trust Him. I am starting to get nervous about the heart cath on the 3rd.
I have to take the car to get the oil changed after my WW meeting tomorrow. Bleh! I would rather be poked in the eyes with a bunch of needles than to have to go through that. I am doing it though so that Steve won’t have to drive to Memphis on Friday just to do it and waste the gas! Even though we get good gas mileage, nothing is good when gas is this expensive.
Macy Jane seems to be getting better every day. Tonight she is breathing almost back to her normal baseline. The rate is back to normal, but she is still using her stomach muscles a little bit on expiration. She sound sso much better when she coughs and today she has coughed up a lot of junk. She hasn’t thrown up in almost a week now, how amazing is that? Speaking of...I weighed her today on the scales that I rent from the hospital and she has gained a pound in a week! She is up to 19 pounds now and is looking like quite the chubby checker. She is still short....27 inches, but there isn’t much hope for her considering that both Steve and I are short. She has the tiniest feet as well.....she still wears size 1 shoes/maybe size 2 in some styles. However, she is outgrowing her 9 month sleepers. I can’t wait for it to be warm, she has a closet and dresser full of cute little spring and summer outfits.
A few days ago me and my mom took her for a walk in the stroller during the days that it was warm so that she could get out of the house and hopefully the jostling in the stroller would loosen up some mucous. She seemed to really like it so I am looking forward to taking her outside a lot more and going to the park :) I just thought about a swing set. We will have to get her one eventually!! Ahh....so many things to look forward to.
Well, I guess I should try to get some sleep. Continue with the prayers. My mom is really sick with what MJ had and sounds awful. I have a sore throat big time and my ears are stopping up, but I do not have time to get sick. My princess needs me There just isn’t anything quite like a mom. They are pretty much the only person a sick child wants, sorry dad! (lucky maybe?)
Much Love,
Bethany
Ho ho hum Current mood: contemplative
Here I sit....at 1:45 in the morning. I wish that I could go to sleep, but my body loves to stay awake until the sun comes up. I need to get some sleep because I have to weigh in at Weight Watchers in the morning, and everyone knows that if you don’t go to bed, you will weigh more in the morning. Can’t have that happening!!!
I spent the last hour reading the blog of a lady that has a baby with exactly what MJ was diagnosed with. After reading it, I am so thankful to have been blessed with Macy Jane and it is so obvious to me the thousands of ways that the Lord has protected her. There are so many things that could have gone wrong and so many what if’s and when’s for the future, but God knows the plan and I just have to trust Him. I am starting to get nervous about the heart cath on the 3rd.
I have to take the car to get the oil changed after my WW meeting tomorrow. Bleh! I would rather be poked in the eyes with a bunch of needles than to have to go through that. I am doing it though so that Steve won’t have to drive to Memphis on Friday just to do it and waste the gas! Even though we get good gas mileage, nothing is good when gas is this expensive.
Macy Jane seems to be getting better every day. Tonight she is breathing almost back to her normal baseline. The rate is back to normal, but she is still using her stomach muscles a little bit on expiration. She sound sso much better when she coughs and today she has coughed up a lot of junk. She hasn’t thrown up in almost a week now, how amazing is that? Speaking of...I weighed her today on the scales that I rent from the hospital and she has gained a pound in a week! She is up to 19 pounds now and is looking like quite the chubby checker. She is still short....27 inches, but there isn’t much hope for her considering that both Steve and I are short. She has the tiniest feet as well.....she still wears size 1 shoes/maybe size 2 in some styles. However, she is outgrowing her 9 month sleepers. I can’t wait for it to be warm, she has a closet and dresser full of cute little spring and summer outfits.
A few days ago me and my mom took her for a walk in the stroller during the days that it was warm so that she could get out of the house and hopefully the jostling in the stroller would loosen up some mucous. She seemed to really like it so I am looking forward to taking her outside a lot more and going to the park :) I just thought about a swing set. We will have to get her one eventually!! Ahh....so many things to look forward to.
Well, I guess I should try to get some sleep. Continue with the prayers. My mom is really sick with what MJ had and sounds awful. I have a sore throat big time and my ears are stopping up, but I do not have time to get sick. My princess needs me There just isn’t anything quite like a mom. They are pretty much the only person a sick child wants, sorry dad! (lucky maybe?)
Much Love,
Bethany
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Tada! The long awaited blog is here. Current mood: anxious
It has been such a long time since I have blogged, I just haven’t had the time. We have all been busy taking MJ to her various doctor’s appointments the past month and going out of town. Hopefully I can start blogging more because it is therapeutic for me.
The most recent news, which most of you know if you ever see my mood updates or got a text from me, is that Macy Jane is a very sick little girl right now. PLEASE remember her in your prayers and that we can keep her out of the hospital. Tuesday we had to take her to her follow up appointment with her GI doctor about her reflux. We were in the office for almost 3 hours. In the waiting room there were tons of kids, it was hot, and very cramped in there. I just got the feeling that the office was not very clean. Tuesday night when I put her to bed, she coughed once and it sounded wet. I told Steve that I hoped that she wasn’t getting a cold. Wednesday she was very sleepy all day and started breathing a little faster than normal. Thursday morning I woke up and she was burning up! Temp was 101.5 and she was breathing 60+ times a minute. I called Dr. Frizzell and he wanted to see her right away. They did a CBC and a chest x-ray and they both came back normal. He gave her a shot of Rocephin and started Amoxicillin and wanted me to call him Friday morning with an update. Friday morning she was acting like she was feeling better so when the doctor called me I was happy to report that she was feeling better.
Well, Friday night she started breathing really fast and hard again and something just told me to watch her closely. We went to bed, she started screaming. That lasted for 5-10 minutes and she finally passed gas and stopped. However, her lips were blue and she was very dusky in her coloring. So, at 3am we packed her up and drove like a bat out of hell to LeBonheur. They immediately took us back and started their eval. To make this long story a shorter one, they were talking about having to put her on a ventilator if she tired out from breathing fast, that’s how bad she looked. She got stuck a total of 10 times, they never could get an IV in her and barely were able to get enough blood for her labs. The RSV & Flu tests came back negative and all of her blood work looked normal. They diagnosed her with having a really bad virus. By 8am she was playing and cooing/babbling just like her old self. We were released because she looked so much better, but last night she started getting worse again. She is breathing hard and fast again, although she isn’t turning blue, (if she were we would be at LeBonheur ) and sounds awful. I went to wal-mart and got a vick’s cool mist humidifier and some baby vapo-rub and started those. She woke up a little bit ago for the first time today (she has woken up today, just didn’t stay awake) and played with a toy and coughed up some mucous. However, she is still breathing really hard.......I hope that it is related to her cold and not her arteries stenosing. I have been thinking about that, but I do not think that it would come on all of a sudden like that.
Anyways, she just needs lots of prayer to get her over this virus. She is going on day 4 of it. Maybe tomorrow will be the breaking point. Her entire head was drenched in sweat a few hours ago, so we are hoping that her fever broke. Her last temp was 98.9 rectally....yay! That is the lowest it has been since Thursday.
In other news about MJ. She has her heart cath on April 3rd to evaluate how things are doing. (that is if she isn’t sick then!) It is the standard 6 month post-op check. If things look okay she shouldn’t have to have another one until she is double the size that she is now. Speaking of, she was up to 18 pounds 2 ounces, but since she has been sick she has lost down to 17 pounds 14 ounces. Not too bad!!!
I have been doing weight watchers for 9 weeks now. I am down 28+ pounds and 2 clothing sizes.....yay!!! It is honestly the easiest weight loss attempt that I have ever done. I still get to eat my favorite food (mexicano)!!! I have not been able to exercise at the gym in a couple of weeks, but the pounds are coming off still. Hopefully once MJ gets over whatever she has, I will be able to get back in to my routine. I lost a lot of inches by walking and would like to get back to doing my hour walk 6 days a week.
Last weekend we went to my brother and sister-in-laws house in Springfield, MO. We left on Thursday night, which is the night that the snow was supposed to hit Memphis. We were about 15 minutes from Hardy, Arkansas in the mountains when it started snowing.....heavy. A few minutes later we were climbing the mountain and saw traffic was stopped. Apparently a semi slid off the road and the mountain was shut down until the snow plough could clear the roads. Almost 3 hours of just sitting on the mountain. Finally we were moving at a turtle speed trying to make it out of the mountains without sliding off of it. Our 5 hour trip turned in to an 8 and 1/2 trip!!! We had fun once we got there though.
I still haven’t returned to work. Hopefully I will be able to in April or the beginning of May. I am not rushing it, obviously. I miss my job as a nurse, but know that I will be able to return when it is the right time. I have been doing a lot of thinking about returning to Baptist. I would love to be able to work at the same place as Steve, but at the same time....I like the ICU at Baptist. I don’t know......I am still praying about what to do.
Only a few more months and we will be vacationing in Florida! Our little family, along with my sister and Heath, brother and Mandy, Dad & Mom, and Aunt & cousin are renting out a house on Pesacola Beach for a little over a week!!! I am SO excited and ready for some sun. I missed last summer completely (minus leaving the hospital for a few hours at a time a few days a week) and am ready for the heat. I am also excited about staying in the house. Every time we go down there as a family we always rent a condo, but this time we have our very own massive house. Hope the weather is pretty!
I am attempting to put a picture of the house....if it doesn’t work, so sorry
Well, I should get going. It is almost bedtime and I have a 2 hour long Dentist appointment in the morning. Bleh! Hopefully it won’t be as long next time I update!
Much Love,
Bethany
Tada! The long awaited blog is here. Current mood: anxious
It has been such a long time since I have blogged, I just haven’t had the time. We have all been busy taking MJ to her various doctor’s appointments the past month and going out of town. Hopefully I can start blogging more because it is therapeutic for me.
The most recent news, which most of you know if you ever see my mood updates or got a text from me, is that Macy Jane is a very sick little girl right now. PLEASE remember her in your prayers and that we can keep her out of the hospital. Tuesday we had to take her to her follow up appointment with her GI doctor about her reflux. We were in the office for almost 3 hours. In the waiting room there were tons of kids, it was hot, and very cramped in there. I just got the feeling that the office was not very clean. Tuesday night when I put her to bed, she coughed once and it sounded wet. I told Steve that I hoped that she wasn’t getting a cold. Wednesday she was very sleepy all day and started breathing a little faster than normal. Thursday morning I woke up and she was burning up! Temp was 101.5 and she was breathing 60+ times a minute. I called Dr. Frizzell and he wanted to see her right away. They did a CBC and a chest x-ray and they both came back normal. He gave her a shot of Rocephin and started Amoxicillin and wanted me to call him Friday morning with an update. Friday morning she was acting like she was feeling better so when the doctor called me I was happy to report that she was feeling better.
Well, Friday night she started breathing really fast and hard again and something just told me to watch her closely. We went to bed, she started screaming. That lasted for 5-10 minutes and she finally passed gas and stopped. However, her lips were blue and she was very dusky in her coloring. So, at 3am we packed her up and drove like a bat out of hell to LeBonheur. They immediately took us back and started their eval. To make this long story a shorter one, they were talking about having to put her on a ventilator if she tired out from breathing fast, that’s how bad she looked. She got stuck a total of 10 times, they never could get an IV in her and barely were able to get enough blood for her labs. The RSV & Flu tests came back negative and all of her blood work looked normal. They diagnosed her with having a really bad virus. By 8am she was playing and cooing/babbling just like her old self. We were released because she looked so much better, but last night she started getting worse again. She is breathing hard and fast again, although she isn’t turning blue, (if she were we would be at LeBonheur ) and sounds awful. I went to wal-mart and got a vick’s cool mist humidifier and some baby vapo-rub and started those. She woke up a little bit ago for the first time today (she has woken up today, just didn’t stay awake) and played with a toy and coughed up some mucous. However, she is still breathing really hard.......I hope that it is related to her cold and not her arteries stenosing. I have been thinking about that, but I do not think that it would come on all of a sudden like that.
Anyways, she just needs lots of prayer to get her over this virus. She is going on day 4 of it. Maybe tomorrow will be the breaking point. Her entire head was drenched in sweat a few hours ago, so we are hoping that her fever broke. Her last temp was 98.9 rectally....yay! That is the lowest it has been since Thursday.
In other news about MJ. She has her heart cath on April 3rd to evaluate how things are doing. (that is if she isn’t sick then!) It is the standard 6 month post-op check. If things look okay she shouldn’t have to have another one until she is double the size that she is now. Speaking of, she was up to 18 pounds 2 ounces, but since she has been sick she has lost down to 17 pounds 14 ounces. Not too bad!!!
I have been doing weight watchers for 9 weeks now. I am down 28+ pounds and 2 clothing sizes.....yay!!! It is honestly the easiest weight loss attempt that I have ever done. I still get to eat my favorite food (mexicano)!!! I have not been able to exercise at the gym in a couple of weeks, but the pounds are coming off still. Hopefully once MJ gets over whatever she has, I will be able to get back in to my routine. I lost a lot of inches by walking and would like to get back to doing my hour walk 6 days a week.
Last weekend we went to my brother and sister-in-laws house in Springfield, MO. We left on Thursday night, which is the night that the snow was supposed to hit Memphis. We were about 15 minutes from Hardy, Arkansas in the mountains when it started snowing.....heavy. A few minutes later we were climbing the mountain and saw traffic was stopped. Apparently a semi slid off the road and the mountain was shut down until the snow plough could clear the roads. Almost 3 hours of just sitting on the mountain. Finally we were moving at a turtle speed trying to make it out of the mountains without sliding off of it. Our 5 hour trip turned in to an 8 and 1/2 trip!!! We had fun once we got there though.
I still haven’t returned to work. Hopefully I will be able to in April or the beginning of May. I am not rushing it, obviously. I miss my job as a nurse, but know that I will be able to return when it is the right time. I have been doing a lot of thinking about returning to Baptist. I would love to be able to work at the same place as Steve, but at the same time....I like the ICU at Baptist. I don’t know......I am still praying about what to do.
Only a few more months and we will be vacationing in Florida! Our little family, along with my sister and Heath, brother and Mandy, Dad & Mom, and Aunt & cousin are renting out a house on Pesacola Beach for a little over a week!!! I am SO excited and ready for some sun. I missed last summer completely (minus leaving the hospital for a few hours at a time a few days a week) and am ready for the heat. I am also excited about staying in the house. Every time we go down there as a family we always rent a condo, but this time we have our very own massive house. Hope the weather is pretty!
I am attempting to put a picture of the house....if it doesn’t work, so sorry
Well, I should get going. It is almost bedtime and I have a 2 hour long Dentist appointment in the morning. Bleh! Hopefully it won’t be as long next time I update!
Much Love,
Bethany
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