My Week

This is not my first year of parenthood. I have a 6 and a half year old child. However Allison is giving us a run for our money and having us experience firsts we seemed to skip with Elijah. 

Up until Tuesday, I would have said both of our children were blessed with a strong immune system. In Elijah's first year of life he experienced one illness that required antibiotics and after he turned two had an episode of croup. But other than that, not a big deal. Allison was just about 9 months old and outside a cold or two, she hadn't been sick.  

Last Monday Elijah woke up with a runny nose and some minor congestion. I didn't think anything of it and we went on with our lives.  On Wednesday BJ said he was feeling like he was coming down with something as well.  By Thursday or Friday Allison was starting to show signs of a runny nose too.  We took it easy over the weekend and I continued to go about our life.  By Sunday night, the mild cold started to show its ugly side.  I made a parent/teacher call to keep Allison home becauseshe just looked horrible. Even though her temp was not over 100, I knew that wouldn't last long.  

I spent the day Monday giving her fever reducing meds and after the 4 hours went by would see if her temperature would start to rise.  It would, and would be up around 99.8 so I would give more medicine. By 2:00 in the afternoon I made the decision that she wasn't going to be fever free long enough to go to school the next day either. I called BJ and told him that he should plan to take at least a half day for Tuesday so I could make it to several meetings.  Ironically enough, Allison also had her 9 month well visit Tuesday in the late afternoon so I figured anything wrong with her could wait to see the doctor until then, but just on the safe side I would call and see if we could move it to earlier in the day. That way we would have something to do. They were able to get us in by 9:15 and that would put me at ease to have her ears looked at and an overall exam. I didn't think they would push back her shots, but if they did, it would be fine I would just go back next week.  Monday we went to bed with our baby medicated and ready to get up every few hours to remediate. 

By 2 or 3 in the morning Alli was up with a cry of pure misery. That sick baby cry that was only would calm when being held. We took turns having her sleep on our chest each getting an hour or so before we would switch. Around 3:30 I remember making a comment to BJ that she is breathing so fast, she can't take a deep breath. Tuesday I got ready for work and took the boy with me.  I told BJ I would have my phone on me and to let me know if the doc put her on antibiotics. I went into my 8:00 meeting and at around 10:00 I texted BJ because I still hadn't heard from him. By 10:15 I still hadn't heard from him but just thought he was busy with the talking, and shots and all that stuff. I wasn't worried, and I was in my second meeting. At 10:40 BJ let me know Allison he RSV and they were through a breathing treatment. At this point I figured she was home, on our couch. I didn't hear otherwise so I just figured they sent them home with a stop at the pharmacy to pick up some meds. I also started losing focus in my meeting and looking up RSV. Nothing to scary, especially since I thought they were at home. Minutes later, I am told she is on her second treatment and get a picture of her with her mask on. At 11:00 I am done with my meeting and go check on all my kids. I stop and talk with my supervisor and teachers. I head upstairs to pack up, give Elijah's car seat to the person bringing him home and tie up some loose ends. 

At about 11:30 I look down at my phone and see the text "I need you. She is being admitted to the hospital." At this point my heart stops. My baby is at home, why is she going to the hospital? What hospital? What is going on? 

I try to call BJ but he doesn't answer. I grab my bag and my keys and head to Elijah's class. I tell him to go home with the neighbor and I am going to the hospital to be with Alli. I try BJ again and still can't get a hold of him. I am digging through my car looking for my hands free still trying to get a hold of BJ. I finally do and a huge weight comes off my shoulders for about a second. I start throwing questions at BJ. Where is she going, why is she going, what's going on? And that huge weight that was on my shoulders comes back 10 times bigger when he can't form a sentence, and when he does is, "I'll send you a text." 

As I'm driving I get the info I was looking for, they are worried about her oxygen levels and want to monitor her overnight. Then I get a confusing text that makes me believe she was transferred by ambulance. It wasn't until this point that I realize they never left the doctor office. I call him back and need to know who has my baby. Once BJ reassures me he has her I am able to breathe easier. I run home grab some things and head to the hospital. On the way there I call Bj's mom and tell her what's going on, and that BJ might need to talk to her. 

The whole way to the hospital I'm fine, I fly into the parking garage and into the valet parking. I still didn't know where in the massive building my baby was. I walk in and the first thing I see was the information desk. I walk up to it and low and behold the first person I see behind the desk is a member of our church and all I have to say is "BJ and the baby are here, somewhere but I don't know where" she looks through her system and can't find them but sends me to the ER. I finally find them at registration and we get sent to a room. 

This is what we got.

We went into "contamination" mode. We had to wear a smock any time we are in the room, the baby couldn't leave, and some of the staff would wear face masks. Every two hours they would come in and give her a breathtaking treatment which required her to be fully restrained by me while the therapist held the mask on her face while she screamed. At 3 we decided I would stay the night with her and BJ left to get Elijah and stuff for me for the night. The baby torture continued every two hours until she slept. Then they kept doing the treatments through the night. I bairly left the room because it felt weird to leave your 9 month old baby unattended in a weird place. As she slept her oxygen levels would drop low, setting off the alarm, but never needing oxygen. By 1:00 I was able to sleep through the alarm, but not well.

Wednesday the doctor came back and indicated we would probably be staying another night. I knew I would stay with her all that day, but wanted to sleep. At 7:00 we hear she is going home and we have the crash course in how to give the treatments at home. At 8:00 BJ leaves to grab the meds before the pharmacy closes and at 8:30 I get sent home with baby. From that moment on we had to give her treatments every 4 hours, most were fine, except the 3 am one. 

Thursday was more treatments and I went back to work. Friday I stayed home and took Allison to her follow up. 

She was then dropped to every 5-6 hour treatments and to come back Monday to see how she is doing and possibly give her those nine month shots we didn't get one Tuesday. We are starting to sleep better, but still up multiple times through the night. Tonight will be our first night at 6 hours so wish us luck. 

When a doc talks...

LISTEN! 

I went in for some dental work today.  I don't do well with the drilling part of dental work so I requested that they didn't skimp on the novican, and she didn't.  She even gave me a booster 2 hrs in.  I was a crabby girl when I woke up this morning, mostly due to the fact that the main event dental procedure wasn't even my fault.  When I was 16 I had a cavity filled and since then it was decaying underneath so the dentist needed to take out the old filling, get out all the new decay, and put on a crown.  As she was fitting me for the crown they realized they needed to grind down a bit more tooth but the first bit of novican was wearing off so I got a bit more.  After it was all said and done the dentist and the tech both reminded me I needed to be very careful because I was still numb.  Actually I should even wait to eat or drink until I could feel things.  We'll an hour after getting home I was hungry and thought I had feeling enough to eat.  I made toast and away I went. Three quarters of the way done I realize the bread has blood on it...that's odd...oh wait... I run to the mirror and sure enough I had taken a bit out of my lip. I was done eating then. Now I have a swollen lip a sore jaw and achy teeth.  Awesome! Next time I will wait to eat. 

Shout out!

Dear Meijer,
You went over the top for me today.  I am going through a crazy insurance switch right now but unfortunately, it is a company I had a couple of years ago.  When the pharmacist typed in my insurance information, it came up that it wasn't an active account.  Without being asked your pharmacist called the insurance company and began straightening it up.  After hanging up on the first incompetent insurance man she called another number that she had found.  After about an hour she finally figured it out and we were able to purchase my drugs and go home and take them.  Thank goodness!!!

So thank you for your hard work.
Kelly

Semi-sick day

Yesterday I started to not feel awesome so I took some natural remedies to hopefully kick what I had.  Didn't sleep well last night and woke up this morning with the same symptoms.  Knowing my past I could probably make it through work today, but it would be cutting it close and I wouldn't be a happy camper most of the day.  So I made a grown-up decision and decided to go to the doctor then maybe head into work later today.  But seeing as the doctor can't get me in until noon, I'm not holding my breath to go in.  Oh well, day of sitting on the couch for me.

Insurance company, Smile

I have a mission in life that when I know I'm going to meet someone who has a tough job I'm going to try to be nice to them.  Today I spent about an hour calling accountant departments to most medical facilities in the area due to my latest cleaning spree.  I came across some medical bills that I wasn't sure if they were paid or not.  Thank goodness to me though, all but 1 or 2 of them were paid and the ones that were not one had a messed up billing system, one was waiting for insurance and one I had forgotten about.  Then I needed to call the insurance company.  Always a fun day when you have to do that.  Let me just tell you, 99.9% of them woke up with a Parana biting their toes and sleeping on glass.  That's why they are all so pleasant.  So when I call I try to kill them with kindness.  The nice thing about my company being based out of Georgia is I get to speak with the friendly people of the south.  I ended up spending over 30 minutes on the phone with them and making the representative laugh no less than 3 times. 

One of which was when I was explaining to her why I was asking her for all the information toward our account.  I was explaining to her that my husband had had surgery recently and I was cleaning while he was sleeping and all that other fun things.  While cleaning I came across a pile of bills that had been forgotten about.  That is absolutely the worst thing to find while cleaning.  And since I didn't know how long they had been there I didn't know what had been paid and what had not been I was calling to make sure everyone got their money.  Apparently she thought that was funny.  I did too actually. 

Ah well, that is my life.  LOL.  At least I made one more person smile today even if most of her phone calls were probably not nearly as nice as I was.

Surgery

Friday morning BJ had his surgery on his arm.  We rolled out of bed at 5:00 am and made it to the surgery center by 6:30.  They rolled him way around 7:30.  Then I got to wait all by my self.  It was freezing in the waiting room.  Thank goodness I had on my winter coat.  I might have lost fingers or toes without it.  at 8:30 the let me know that BJ was done in surgery and that he did well.  Once he came out of the anesthesia enough I would be able to see him.  I thought this would be very quick.  It wasn't.  It was almost a whole hour more before I was able to see him.  When I was finally brought back the nurse let me know that BJ was slightly flushed and he had been complaining that he was cold.  As I went into his recovery area he was whiter than snow and wrapped from head to to in about 8 blankets.  He even had one wrapped around his head.  I told him he looked like Mother Teresa, it made him smile.  He was also very proud that the nurse was able to see his underwear.  Ahhh, the things that are important to us when we are highly sedated.  Once we got home he slept most of the day but then couldn't sleep at night.  Today we were able to get some clothes oh him so we are real sure he can leave the house without freezing or getting arrested. 

Tomorrow we will take off the bandages.  I'll post pictures if I remember. 

The Doctors

Not the show, the Okel family.  So remember Thursday when I said I had a doctor appointment on Friday?  Yeah apparently it was the week before.  Missed that one.  However, I was able to get in today and I have a whole lot of blood work in my future.  That's the problem with getting a new doctor.  You have to get a bunch of blood work to see if you are "normal" and have a base line in case you do change somewhere down the line.  We also think my eyes are weird and I have to go to an eye doctor and see why I keep getting headaches if I drink over 4 glasses of water in a day.

As for BJ, on October 21st he will be having surgery done on his shoulder.  With that being said he will be out of commission for several weeks with me helping him do...EVERYTHING.  Just think how awesome our marriage will be.  Let's view it as bonding

My turn...

Tomorrow I get to go to the doctor.  I recently have had to switch doctors because mine moved to Ohio.  I have been lazy and refused to get a new doctor.  I mean when I got sick last year that was not really the time I wanted to try and find a new doctor.  I finally need a new doctor so I have to go meet and interview a new Doctor.  BLAH. But now that I have Elijah and if I get sick from something he decides to share with me, I need someone to make me healthy quickly.  So wish me luck.

I'll fill you in more on BJ's visit to his doctor after we come to a final decision.

411: How to Adjust Quickly to Daylight Savings

I dread this time of year.  Both going forward and going back.  It takes my body 2 or 3 days but all the children take 1-2 weeks to get in a new sleep system.  Now that I have my own child I dread this time even more because I am the one trying to get the child to sleep when it is 6:30 to them instead of the 7:30, which the clock says.  Then again wake them up when they are soooo not ready, eat when they are not hungry, and so on and so forth. 

This year, however, I seem to have found a solution to my problem.  Get sick.  A cold, the flu something that you feel the need to sleep 10-12 additional hours during the day.  That way your sleep cycle is already thrown off and in a day or two when you are ready to sleep, eat and do all  your other daily things you can jump right into it.  I slept an additional 2 hours yesterday from 3-4:30 and today Elijah took a 3 hour nap from 2-5 then went to bed at 8 which is typical for him during the week.  Go me.  My child is adjusted, now I have 20 other children this week that I have to deal with that are not.  However, it's only 45 minutes each and for the most part they don't mind coming in early so much as the waking up early or in the fall coming in when it is past their bedtime. 

All Natural

I'm not big on antibiotics.  I take them when I have to but I don't like it.  They really mess up my system and the last time I took them I ended up getting sick with other things for the next 3 months.  I was really sick of being sick.  I have several co-workers who are into natural remedies so I started talking to them.  Most of them are very cautious about what they eat and what they use on there skin.  I started talking to them about this and after careful consideration thought there is no way I can afford all organic shopping, but I might look into natural pain and other type of medical remedies.  The only problem is that there is no real direction to go with them. For example, you feel sick take this one thing until you feel better.  Really I like exact science, you would think I would like cooking because of that, however, natural medicine is not an exact science. So I'm trying this natural route before going back to a doctor.  I think BJ is doing enough doctor visits for the whole family so I am going to try and stay healthy. 

Practice, Practice, Practice (by BJ)

So many of you may know, and many may not, but I have now been prescribed with an Epi pen.  Well, each prescription consisted of two Epi pens and a practice casing.  When I got home with them, I figured that I better know how to use them so that in the event I was dying, I could save myself.  I practiced about ten times on my leg and put it away for training others later.


Two days later...

Kelly tells me in the morning that she has a story for me that will make me laugh.  However she decided that she was going to leave me in suspense until later that night.  So later that night as we are getting ready to go to bed, she shows me three small bruises on her leg.  When I asked her what in the heck she hit, she tells me her story.

Kelly- So you know how you were practicing with the Epi pen?
Me- Yeah
K- Well I decided that it would be a good idea that I know as well.
Me- Yeah, and?
K- Well I was watching you so I thought it was easy and started using it.  However it would never pop out like it did for you. So...
Me- What did you do?
K- I didn't read the directions and...
Me- You forgot to take off the safety cap didn't you?
K- Maybe!?!?!?

Yeah she totally forgot to take the safety cap off and proceded to hit herself in the leg three times before reading the directions!  Like the title says, Practice, Practice, Practice!

If you ever need to use one here are some key parts to an Epi Pen

Mr. Itchy

Welcome to my home Mr. Itchy.  What might I be able to get for you tonight?  Some Steroids to decrease your inflammation?  Some Benidrile to decrease your itching?  You're crabby you say?  I'm so sorry to hear that.  Please sit down and try not to scratch so much you start to bleed on my couch. 

Poor B.J. he just can't figure out what is making him itch so bad.  he wakes up every day at 2:00am and his feet, hands, knees, elbows, and ankles are burning from whatever is making him itch so much.  After a couple of benidrile he is able to sleep.  Once he gets to work, the itching seems to stop, then he walks in the door and BAM, itching starts again.  The rest of us, no itching. 

2011: Nothing new yet

The end of 2010 was full of colds, fevers, and other odd, but small ailments in the Okel home.  It is 2011 and we have already made two calls to on call doctors, visited the convenient care, been to the pharmacy 2x and called the mail order pharmacy 1x.  I have probably taken Elijah's temperature close to 100x and Elijah has taken my about 50. 

Common family, lets get our immune systems up and running for the new year. 

Pleasures of being a parent

Part of the reason I have not been bloging as much this past month is due to the fact that Elijah has really been trying my patients.  I love my baby boy, I love him so much, but when he was sick, and I was sick, he really tried me.  I have to admit, there were many moments these past few weeks that he would wake up in the middle of the night, or super early and just scream.  Since I too was sick I didn't tend to him as I should have, but took him to my bed and hope that I too could get just a smidge of extra sleep.  Then came the antibiotics.  I loved them, for both Elijah and myself, but then came the yeast rash.  Now all of a sudden he didn't want his bottem touched because it was redder than an apple.  Have you ever tried to hold/carry a baby when you couldn't touch it's butt?  Yeah it was not awesome. 

By the end of the day, I was so exhausted and I felt like crap that I didn't want to do anything but sleep.  Saturday, Elijah goes back to the doctor to check to make sure his ears are clear (which I don't think they are) and hopefully we will be back on track for a healthy household.  Cross your fingers.

I Owe You an Appology

I have to admit, since Thanksgiving I have been very bad at blogging.  I sometimes think this is for the better, for I have been ill since about that time and if I would have continued to blog it would all been about how crappy I have felt.  However, I think I might be getting better and back in the blogging mood.  For example, today I though of a wonderful question to post for you.  Due to the ridiculous crazy reflexes of hockey goalies, do you think they are better drivers than the average population?  Just wondering.

I also thought you would all get a kick of of the fact that the doctor put me on a 10 day antibiotic and the pills are so large that I can't swallow them whole.  I first was able to swallow the pill, however, then I started gagging on it.  Then I broke the pill in two which worked for a day or two then I couldn't swallow it.  Now and for the next 6 days I have to crush the pill and hide it in a cup of applesauce so I don't die.  Poor Elijah, he loves applesauce and doesn't get the reason why I am not sharing with him.  Or why I am making a gross face when I eat it. 

Still sick

I am still sick.  All I do now is take care of Elijah and myself.  Spending way too much time with tissues and antibiotics.  I do not have any whity things to blog about but I want to go to bed.  All the time.  So that's where I'm going as soon as I fix some things online.

I'm still here

Its been over a week since I was here last.  Sorry but the last 7 days + days were crazy. 

Wednesday: I worked until 7 but my last kid left at 1, so I was a bit crabby.  We went out for dinner with the neighbors.
Thursday: We woke up at 7:30 Awesome! and watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with my little guy.  I don't know what my deal was, but I cried about 10 times.  The worst one was when Santa came.  I was a blubbering mess.  Then we left for the Okel home, where we ate and ate and ate. Then we came home.

Friday: We slept int until 7:30 again it was awesome!  we did some cleaning and then we headed out to the mall to see Santa and Auntie Megan.  We then at dinner at Ed Debbviks where I proceeded to lose the Santa picture.  We bought Elijah a suit and maybe one Christmas present.  Then we drove to see Uncle Brett, Aunt Suzanne, Aunt Kelsey, Uncle Jason and Peter.  That's when I started realizing Elijah was a bit warm.  By 8:00 when we got home, Elijah had a 101+ fever.  I gave him drugs and put him to sleep. 

Saturday: We woke up at 8:00am, and got ready to go.  We headed out to the Children's Museum to hang with Grandpa Brian.  On our way to Grandpa's, Daddy got a flat tire and had to spend the next 2 hours fixing it.  By 6:00 Elijah had a fever again and it stayed with him ALL NIGHT LONG.

Sunday: We woke up at 8:00am and was real happy we had mastered sleeping in.  We skipped church to get healthy and get found Christmas in the attic.  And we started getting it all out.  We then headed out to Target, and to dinner for Great Grandpa Chapman's birthday.  When we got back we started putting up Christmas. (pictures to come when we are finished).

See busy not time to post.

What did you do today

The weak link is ME!  Me and two of my family members were horribly ill yesterday.  Funny part though the two family members never saw each other they just saw me at different times of the day on Sunday.  And like a bomb we all got sick around 10pm on Monday night.  It was bad.  But I felt so bad about being sick that I was determined to go back to work today.  I just couldn't have all my kids miss therapy.  I felt bad for them. 

So today when the alarm went off I was feeling much better.  I got ready and was having no difficulties, just a bit hungry.  I made toast and took Gatorade with me to work and was doing good.  My first kid was exceptionally well behaved for me and we were doing great.  My second kid, however, I was not doing so great.  There were moments in there where I was contemplating what I would do if I actually got sick with him in there.  After he left I brought the giant pillow into my room grabbed my sweater and went to sleep.  I woke up an hour later and ate some soup as well as got a report done.  I then was starting to feel nauseous again so I grabbed my sweater and headed back to the room for another quick nap. 

Yah that's right I took two naps at work today.  I also made an obstacle course for a kid.  It was a nice day.  Now I will be heading off to bed to get some sleep so I don't have to do that at work tomorrow.

Sick

I hate being sick.  It is such a waste of time.  I spent the day on the couch sleeping or watching TV.  I couldn't clean, I couldn't work, I couldn't even do fun things.  I ate for the first time at 7:00 pm.  If I'm not better by tomorrow I don't know what I will do.  I am so done with this stomach thing, or intestine thing or what ever it is.  As long as the only thing in my system is Gatorade and saltine crackers I am fine.  But I really wish I could eat something with more flavor or nutrients.  I have a continuing ed class tomorrow and if I don't get there I am going to be super frustrated.  SUPER frustrated.  Cross your fingers.

We don't feel well

Last night after we got home BJ and I started to realize Elijah felt a bit warm.  We took his temp. 102.7 Yeah that's right, over 102.  We quickly gave him some medicine his fever came down to under 100.  BJ then headed to bed around 8:30 and I was close behind him around 9:30.  I then woke up around 11 and was not feeling so well.  I then went to check on Elijah and he was still doing alright but I could tell the drugs were starting to wear off.  When BJ woke up at 1:30 i got up too and gave the baby some more drugs.  We then both slept until about 6:30.  Elijah then took a 2 hour morning nap and after a couple hours at the petting zoo slept for another 4 hours.  He woke up long enough to down half a bottle of Gatorade and eat some soup then he was down for the count.  Let's see how long the baby sleeps.  I hope it's awhile because then I can sleep and get better too.  At least all I have is stomach issues and I'm not sore or groggy like normal. These pictures were taken of Elijah in the process of getting off the couch.  Out.