On a more serious note...
I know it's a little out of character for me to be serious, but I'm being serious now. Take a minute to say a short prayer for healing for Matthew's toe. I was changing the dressing tonight and he was being a tough little guy, but it's hard to be tough for him when he points to the toe nail on the big toe on his other foot and says when it gets better it will have one (nail) just like that one. That's a rough time for a Daddy.
We're doing all we can, from the time he got hurt until now to do the best we can. He doesn't understand that the reason why we can't play on the playground, go to "school" with his friends or go swimming (we had to quit swimming lessons after just one week). We're just trying to keep him from injuring anything more than it already is. We clean and re-dress the toe every night, and it's tough because it just seems to look worse each time. The doctor yesterday said it looked hopeful, so I'm hopeful also (but worried if it's not obvious).
Of course, on top of all that, we're looking at surgery for Shelly early next week to remove her gall bladder. Thank goodness both our families are here in town and able to help with the kids, but it's still going to be a rough week next week.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
That's my boy...
I came home this evening and was happy that everyone was in a decent mood and no trips were needed to the ER. Bonus that our friends that were going to bring dinner last night brought it tonight instead. Another bonus that more friends are signed up for tomorrow night.
Anyway, we took a walk after dinner tonight just to get everyone out of the house for a little while. I pushed Matthew in a stroller and Shelly carried Jonathan. An older couple (upper 80's) lives down the street and they were out in their yard, so we walked by to chat with them and let them meet Jonathan. Well, obviously Matthew has been paying attention to what and how baby brother eats... He lifted his shirt and pointed to his ninny and said "Baby brother only eats this". I think Mrs Cooke was speechless...
Breaking even - sort of...
Last night, while we were at the emergency room, My Mom was at the house with the boys. Jonathan was fine, but Matthew was a little out of sorts. He wanted his Daddy and was having nothing to do with anyone else. Shelly's parents came up and picked up our Expedition and Matthew and brought them to the hospital. Matthew was happy to be there with us. Of course, the truck was pretty much on empty, so Doc stopped and gassed it up for us (at least until the $75 pump shut-off). I guess you can say I broke even for the night. He refused my money when I tried to pay him, but the ER hit us up for the $75 co-pay. Oh well, a free tank of gas is not a bad thing.
While I'm thinking money, I wonder what 2 ambulance rides will cost? After the last week, we're thankful we have decent health insurance...
I came home this evening and was happy that everyone was in a decent mood and no trips were needed to the ER. Bonus that our friends that were going to bring dinner last night brought it tonight instead. Another bonus that more friends are signed up for tomorrow night.
Anyway, we took a walk after dinner tonight just to get everyone out of the house for a little while. I pushed Matthew in a stroller and Shelly carried Jonathan. An older couple (upper 80's) lives down the street and they were out in their yard, so we walked by to chat with them and let them meet Jonathan. Well, obviously Matthew has been paying attention to what and how baby brother eats... He lifted his shirt and pointed to his ninny and said "Baby brother only eats this". I think Mrs Cooke was speechless...
Breaking even - sort of...
Last night, while we were at the emergency room, My Mom was at the house with the boys. Jonathan was fine, but Matthew was a little out of sorts. He wanted his Daddy and was having nothing to do with anyone else. Shelly's parents came up and picked up our Expedition and Matthew and brought them to the hospital. Matthew was happy to be there with us. Of course, the truck was pretty much on empty, so Doc stopped and gassed it up for us (at least until the $75 pump shut-off). I guess you can say I broke even for the night. He refused my money when I tried to pay him, but the ER hit us up for the $75 co-pay. Oh well, a free tank of gas is not a bad thing.
While I'm thinking money, I wonder what 2 ambulance rides will cost? After the last week, we're thankful we have decent health insurance...
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Frequent flier miles...
Man, we're having all of the health luck this week.
After Matthew's appointment today, I scrammed back to the office to try to play keep-up. I'm a little behind and was planning to work a little late this evening to get things squared away. Mom was at the house helping Shelly with things and some friends were planning to bring dinner to us (our Sunday School class brings meals 3 times a week for a few weeks when you have a baby).
About 4:45 I called the house to see how things were going, and Mom told me Shelly wasn't feeling well and I needed to come home NOW. I boogied on home and when I got here, Shelly was sort of laying back in a chair in the living room moaning in pain. She was having back and chest pains, her heart was racing, ans she was a little short of breath. I'm not into being a hero, so I called 911 and ordered up an ambulance. I'm getting good at this...
About 5 minutes later, the biggest honking fire truck in the fleet comes screaming down our street. The ladder truck. No, I didn't report a house on fire, I reported someone in need of medical assistance. Must have been a slow day at the station, so they all took a little ride. The ambulance pulled up less than a minute later, and we were on the way. I grabbed Shelly's purse, her shoes, and a pair of socks for her, and we were off.
Well, thankfully, it wasn't a heart issue. An EKG, X-ray, blood test, urine test, and an ultrasound revealed the presence of several gallstones.
So, that's 2 ambulance rides and ER visits in 3 days, with a couple of follow-up visits and at least one surgery coming up soon. Man, what a week this has been, and it's only Tuesday.
I wonder if the ambulance groups give frequent flier miles?
Another funny thing along the lines of the cop's questioning the other night... The first question they asked Shelly in the ER is if there were ever any incidences or threats of abuse or domestic violence in the home. I started to say "Yeah, she threatens to beat me all the time!", but they were not asking me. I'm starting to wonder if I look like a shady character...
Man, we're having all of the health luck this week.
After Matthew's appointment today, I scrammed back to the office to try to play keep-up. I'm a little behind and was planning to work a little late this evening to get things squared away. Mom was at the house helping Shelly with things and some friends were planning to bring dinner to us (our Sunday School class brings meals 3 times a week for a few weeks when you have a baby).
About 4:45 I called the house to see how things were going, and Mom told me Shelly wasn't feeling well and I needed to come home NOW. I boogied on home and when I got here, Shelly was sort of laying back in a chair in the living room moaning in pain. She was having back and chest pains, her heart was racing, ans she was a little short of breath. I'm not into being a hero, so I called 911 and ordered up an ambulance. I'm getting good at this...
About 5 minutes later, the biggest honking fire truck in the fleet comes screaming down our street. The ladder truck. No, I didn't report a house on fire, I reported someone in need of medical assistance. Must have been a slow day at the station, so they all took a little ride. The ambulance pulled up less than a minute later, and we were on the way. I grabbed Shelly's purse, her shoes, and a pair of socks for her, and we were off.
Well, thankfully, it wasn't a heart issue. An EKG, X-ray, blood test, urine test, and an ultrasound revealed the presence of several gallstones.
So, that's 2 ambulance rides and ER visits in 3 days, with a couple of follow-up visits and at least one surgery coming up soon. Man, what a week this has been, and it's only Tuesday.
I wonder if the ambulance groups give frequent flier miles?
Another funny thing along the lines of the cop's questioning the other night... The first question they asked Shelly in the ER is if there were ever any incidences or threats of abuse or domestic violence in the home. I started to say "Yeah, she threatens to beat me all the time!", but they were not asking me. I'm starting to wonder if I look like a shady character...
Still 10 toes...
Just a short update... We went to see the pediatrician today and the prognosis is a little better than what we were expecting. Last night when I changed the bandage, the end of the toe looked pretty white / gray and not pink like the rest of the toe. I didn't touch it more than necessary to change put more medicine and wrap it again.
When the Dr. looked at it this morning, he pushed on the end and said it was "blanching" a little (think the difference in color when you push on your skin with your finger), so it's possible that blood is flowing into the tip and it will heal.
We have a follow-up appointment next Tuesday to check again. We're praying that all will heal. (the nail growing back eventually would be a good bonus as well.
More later.
Just a short update... We went to see the pediatrician today and the prognosis is a little better than what we were expecting. Last night when I changed the bandage, the end of the toe looked pretty white / gray and not pink like the rest of the toe. I didn't touch it more than necessary to change put more medicine and wrap it again.
When the Dr. looked at it this morning, he pushed on the end and said it was "blanching" a little (think the difference in color when you push on your skin with your finger), so it's possible that blood is flowing into the tip and it will heal.
We have a follow-up appointment next Tuesday to check again. We're praying that all will heal. (the nail growing back eventually would be a good bonus as well.
More later.
Monday, May 26, 2008
ATV, Tractors, and Ambulances...
For the Memorial Day weekend, we decided to head out to the ranch. I know, we're crazy to hit the road with an almost 4 year old and an almost 3 week old, but hey, we live life on the ragged edge.
Shelly has been taking Matthew to swimming lessons each afternoon, and she generally gets home a little after 6:00 PM. Needless to say, by the time they got home, we loaded up, and Shelly got the baby fed and squared away, we finally pulled out of the driveway around 9:00 PM. After running through Chick-fil-a, and making a stop to feed Jonathan along the way, we pulled up at the ranch around 1:30am. Not too bad (I make it in just over 3 hours travelling alone). By the time we unloaded and got the kids in bed, it was about 2:30 by the time my head hit the pillow.
The day was a pretty full day. Matthew had not been to the ranch since late December, so we had to ride around the ranch in the Pathfinder, then the ATV, then ride the tractor for good measure. We went to town and picked up chicken strips for lunch, then hit the rack for a nap. After our nap, Doc (my father-in-law) took him out to feed the fish while I grilled steaks for dinner.
After dinner was when the excitement started...
We were just about finished with dinner when Matthew had to go to the restroom. I went and helped him. When he went back to the kitchen, he climbed onto the bench that my mother-in-law was sitting on - just as she was getting up from the bench. (the table has a picnic table type bench on one side). Well, the bench tipped over and the sharp edge hit Matthew on the big toe of his right foot, which put the whole house into high gear...
I came out of the bathroom in time to hear the crash and Matthew scream. Doc jumped up and said we needed to get to the hospital, and that's when I saw the aftermath. The end of Matthew's big toe was almost completely cut off. Doc and Shelly wrapped it up while I grabbed my wallet, shoes and Doc drove Matthew and I to town like our butts were on fire. (Shelly had to stay back with Jonathan)
It a moment of sheer brilliance, Ron (our quasi care taker for the ranch) met us in town and suggested that to avoid the long wait in the local ER, that we should stop at the EMS / fire station just as we entered town and let the paramedics check it out. It's good that we stopped because the hospital we were heading to in Killeen wasn't equipped to handle the repair, so the ambulance hauled us to Scott & White in Temple. This place is a level 1 trauma unit, so they are supposed to be the cat's meow for medical care.
Well, long story short, they stitched the end of his toe back on, it's obvious now that the repair didn't work and the end of the toe will need to come back off (they told me that they held little hope that the repair would be successful.) The good news is that they said it shouldn't effect his balance or mobility, so we're thankful in that respect
Matthew has been a little trooper throughout the whole ordeal, and I hope he will continue to do well. We'll call his pediatrician tomorrow morning and get an appointment with him, which will likely just be the beginning of the process. I'm sure we'll get referred to someone else (plastic surgeon?) to repair what can be repaired.
Now for a little bit of a rant...
I'm a good parent. I love my family and am attentive to my kids. I try my best to keep them safe. Shelly does too. We spend more money in health insurance premiums annually than we would on actual medical costs if we had to pay 100% for each visit because we want to have the best available in the case of an emergency. We buy good carseats and they are installed properly. Matthew even wears a helmet and is securely strapped to me when we ride the ATV. Why do I say all this? It's because when we were loaded up in the ambulance about to make the trip to the hospital, a cop opened the back door and refused to let them transport us until he had questioned me about how the injury had happened. I found out later that he had already questioned Doc.
OK, maybe there are some crappy parents out there, but here I am in the ambulance with my son, trying to get the best medical care money can buy, and this asshat is questioning me like one of us caused the injury - he literally asked me if any of us had pushed him or otherwise contributed to the injury.
I've calmed down a little about it and I was nice to the cop and answered his questions, but it still burns me a little...
For the Memorial Day weekend, we decided to head out to the ranch. I know, we're crazy to hit the road with an almost 4 year old and an almost 3 week old, but hey, we live life on the ragged edge.
Shelly has been taking Matthew to swimming lessons each afternoon, and she generally gets home a little after 6:00 PM. Needless to say, by the time they got home, we loaded up, and Shelly got the baby fed and squared away, we finally pulled out of the driveway around 9:00 PM. After running through Chick-fil-a, and making a stop to feed Jonathan along the way, we pulled up at the ranch around 1:30am. Not too bad (I make it in just over 3 hours travelling alone). By the time we unloaded and got the kids in bed, it was about 2:30 by the time my head hit the pillow.
The day was a pretty full day. Matthew had not been to the ranch since late December, so we had to ride around the ranch in the Pathfinder, then the ATV, then ride the tractor for good measure. We went to town and picked up chicken strips for lunch, then hit the rack for a nap. After our nap, Doc (my father-in-law) took him out to feed the fish while I grilled steaks for dinner.
After dinner was when the excitement started...
We were just about finished with dinner when Matthew had to go to the restroom. I went and helped him. When he went back to the kitchen, he climbed onto the bench that my mother-in-law was sitting on - just as she was getting up from the bench. (the table has a picnic table type bench on one side). Well, the bench tipped over and the sharp edge hit Matthew on the big toe of his right foot, which put the whole house into high gear...
I came out of the bathroom in time to hear the crash and Matthew scream. Doc jumped up and said we needed to get to the hospital, and that's when I saw the aftermath. The end of Matthew's big toe was almost completely cut off. Doc and Shelly wrapped it up while I grabbed my wallet, shoes and Doc drove Matthew and I to town like our butts were on fire. (Shelly had to stay back with Jonathan)
It a moment of sheer brilliance, Ron (our quasi care taker for the ranch) met us in town and suggested that to avoid the long wait in the local ER, that we should stop at the EMS / fire station just as we entered town and let the paramedics check it out. It's good that we stopped because the hospital we were heading to in Killeen wasn't equipped to handle the repair, so the ambulance hauled us to Scott & White in Temple. This place is a level 1 trauma unit, so they are supposed to be the cat's meow for medical care.
Well, long story short, they stitched the end of his toe back on, it's obvious now that the repair didn't work and the end of the toe will need to come back off (they told me that they held little hope that the repair would be successful.) The good news is that they said it shouldn't effect his balance or mobility, so we're thankful in that respect
Matthew has been a little trooper throughout the whole ordeal, and I hope he will continue to do well. We'll call his pediatrician tomorrow morning and get an appointment with him, which will likely just be the beginning of the process. I'm sure we'll get referred to someone else (plastic surgeon?) to repair what can be repaired.
Now for a little bit of a rant...
I'm a good parent. I love my family and am attentive to my kids. I try my best to keep them safe. Shelly does too. We spend more money in health insurance premiums annually than we would on actual medical costs if we had to pay 100% for each visit because we want to have the best available in the case of an emergency. We buy good carseats and they are installed properly. Matthew even wears a helmet and is securely strapped to me when we ride the ATV. Why do I say all this? It's because when we were loaded up in the ambulance about to make the trip to the hospital, a cop opened the back door and refused to let them transport us until he had questioned me about how the injury had happened. I found out later that he had already questioned Doc.
OK, maybe there are some crappy parents out there, but here I am in the ambulance with my son, trying to get the best medical care money can buy, and this asshat is questioning me like one of us caused the injury - he literally asked me if any of us had pushed him or otherwise contributed to the injury.
I've calmed down a little about it and I was nice to the cop and answered his questions, but it still burns me a little...
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mother's Day...
Man, where would we be without mothers? Shelly and I are getting quite a bit of help from our moms this week. Both of them helped out with Matthew last week while we were in the hospital, and they have both spent the night with us helping with stuff around the house since we got home. My mom is back today and plans to stay until Friday. Jackpot for us. She's a whiz at laundry and is a pretty good cook also. We will eat like kings this week.
Speaking of eating like kings... I cooked a special Mother's Day dinner tonight. Grilled jumbo shrimp, squash & zucchini oven roasted with a little olive oil, and skillet potatoes. We'll have some pie in a little while.
I was left in charge of the kids earlier today. I left Jonathan alone for just a few minutes, and look what he got up to... Gonna have to keep an eye on this kid.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Katie, this one without the cap is for you... I took another one this afternoon and will upload it when I have a chance. We've been going since 7 AM Monday with virtually no sleep, so that's a priority now.
Here is another picture I'm happy to post.
This is my Grandfather, known to all as Grandaddy. He's my only grandparent left, and he makes it a point to do whatever it takes to be there for the birth of each great-grandchild. He does it because he wants to, but you can only imagine what it means to us that he was up there with us at 4 AM this morning welcoming the newest member of the family.
I'll write more on him later.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Almost Time...
Ok, is everyone still here?
I know it's been a long time. Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging (ironic since my blog is basically just me writing about my life...)
I'm expecting to blog more frequently for at least the next couple of weeks because there is going to be a WHOLE lot happening.
Tomorrow morning at 5:30 we're heading to the hospital. It is time for Jonathan Kyle to meet the family. The due date is 5/8, but as he's estimated to be close to 9 lbs as of last Wednesday's visit, the Dr said it would be good to go ahead and see if we can make him come earlier. Matthew was 9 lbs 4 oz and Shelly isn't looking forward to squeezing out another little pumpkin headed baby.
I guess we're as ready as we'll ever be to have another baby. The room is ready, the clothes are washed and put away (mostly), the car seat is installed, and big brother Matthew is ready to meet baby Jonathan. We've even got one of those storks lined up to put in the front yard.
Funny story... Matthew knows baby brother is in Mommy's tummy and will come out soon. I was a little worried about what to tell him when he asked how baby brother got out. Well, the little genius figured it out all by himself. Apparently Jonathan has a pocket. In his pocket he has a key. When he gets ready to come out, he'll use his key to unlock Mommy's belly button and come out of the belly button. Whew... That's much better than anything I could have come up with...
Keep checking back. I'll post pictures from the hospital (they have Wi-Fi available now.)
Ok, is everyone still here?
I know it's been a long time. Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging (ironic since my blog is basically just me writing about my life...)
I'm expecting to blog more frequently for at least the next couple of weeks because there is going to be a WHOLE lot happening.
Tomorrow morning at 5:30 we're heading to the hospital. It is time for Jonathan Kyle to meet the family. The due date is 5/8, but as he's estimated to be close to 9 lbs as of last Wednesday's visit, the Dr said it would be good to go ahead and see if we can make him come earlier. Matthew was 9 lbs 4 oz and Shelly isn't looking forward to squeezing out another little pumpkin headed baby.
I guess we're as ready as we'll ever be to have another baby. The room is ready, the clothes are washed and put away (mostly), the car seat is installed, and big brother Matthew is ready to meet baby Jonathan. We've even got one of those storks lined up to put in the front yard.
Funny story... Matthew knows baby brother is in Mommy's tummy and will come out soon. I was a little worried about what to tell him when he asked how baby brother got out. Well, the little genius figured it out all by himself. Apparently Jonathan has a pocket. In his pocket he has a key. When he gets ready to come out, he'll use his key to unlock Mommy's belly button and come out of the belly button. Whew... That's much better than anything I could have come up with...
Keep checking back. I'll post pictures from the hospital (they have Wi-Fi available now.)
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