Right Now

Happy Birthday, Pop!

We're glad we get to spend it with you!

Summer Fun: Bonuses

Summer ends this Labor Day weekend, I suppose, even with two days of school this week.  We plowed through our "Phineas and Ferb"-inspired list, doing more than I expected (but not the ones I thought we'd do):

1. Fly a kite.
2. Campout overnight downstairs.
3. Have a pj read-a-thon.
4. Draw and play hopscotch in the driveway.
5. Long midday bubble bath.
6. Make ice cream in a roly ball.
7. Draw with chalk inside and/or outside.
8. Paint.
9. Fondue party.
10. Learn a new song on the keyboard.
11. Build Legos--Friends or Ninjago world.
12. A night 'round the firepit singing and making s'mores.
13. Play with one of our science kits.
14. Make friendship bracelets.
15. Work on woven placemats on loom.
16. Make paper beads.
17. Make paper airplanes.
18. Game-playing marathon.
19. Play putt-putt golf.
20. Go to a zoo.
21. Sleepover with Ma and Gong, and Gommie and Pop.
22. Go to the arcade.
23. Go horseback riding.
24. Go to an art museum.
25. Go to a science or natural history museum.
26. Try a new ice cream parlor.
27. Go strawberry picking.
28. Go blueberry picking.
29. Make jam.
30. Go to the beach.
31. Build sandcastles.
32. Go swimming.
33. Make our own bubble solution.
34. Make a bundt cake.
35. Write to a pen pal.
36. Playdates with friends.
37. Tie dye.
38. Have a movie marathon (Star Wars?  Miyazaki? Harry Potter?  Disney?)
39. Go to local festivals.
40. Go see a movie in a theater.
41. Make popsicles.
42. Have an astronomy night.
43. Go birdwatching.
44. Have a lemonade stand.
45. Sort through books to give some away.
46. Do community service projects.
47. Go letterboxing.
48. Go to the library.
49. Build fairy houses.
50. Scrapbook.  
51. Go on a sketching outing.
52. Do a Star Wars craft.
53. Make something with Sculpey.
54. Celebrate July 4th.
55. Celebrate Solstice.
56. Celebrate Mama's birthday.
57. Make our own crayons.
58. Make ice cube candles.
59. Watch the Olympics
60. Host a culture night for England, Japan, India, Egypt, Thailand, Navajo, Ethiopia, Carpatho-Russians.
61. Make fudge.
62. Make sun prints.
63. Go to concert in the park.
64. Have a picnic at a new park.
65. Visit an historic house or living history museum.
66. Make a dance CD for a family dance party!
67. Try new grilling recipe.
68. Practice meditation together.
69. Watch a new musical.
70. Hang pictures.

But we also did several that weren't even on our list:

71.  Chew gum for the first time.
72.  Play in sprinkler.
73.  Build a pillow fort.
74.  Make bead bracelets.
75.  Wash the car.
76.  Played Olympic gymnastics.
77.  Scooter races.
78.  Home hair and nail salon.
79.  Looking for rainbows and butterflies.
80.  Fingerweaving.
81.  Playing in the kiddie pool.
82.  Canoeing.
83.  Fishing.

First Day of Second Grade!

The kiddos are off to second grade . . . all by themselves!  They got on the bus this morning (with Sis's very good bunny-loving friend S), not wanting me to drive them or meet them.  So grown up--in their Perry the Platypus backpacks with Pokemon zipper pulls!  :)

They have the same wonderful teacher and same classmates (plus a few additions) because they are looping, which means summer has been more of a break from a routine that starts all over again today.  So, they're neither anxious about a new teacher and routine nor overly excited about starting.  It's like spring break was 70 days long.

Wishing you all a good beginning of the school year, whether it started today on Monday or next Tuesday (or weeks earlier in Texas), or starts at home, whether you are a teacher, reading consultant, or substitute!

SHE'S HOME!!!!!

Mama Hungry is home from the hospital!!!!!

After 8 days of fever and infection following surgery, Mama just came home.  Thanks to the doctors, nurses, and staff of the hospital!! We're so glad she's home.

Thank you for all of your support these last two weeks.

A New Day

Yesterday, well, frankly sucked.  Bureaucratic delays, miscommunication between departments, action the speed of molasses, unresponsiveness to requests by helpless patients and their nurses--you know, all the inefficient, incompetent, frustrating things that lead to high medical costs and, in awful cases, I'm sure, injury and death.  In our case, it just caused a 24-hour delay in Mama  getting her painful port out, which should be happening now first thing this morning.  Knock on wood.

When there is something to know--and I'm hoping there is but don't want to jinx it after yesterday--I'll post.

Right Now

Mama had a good night:  no fever and no drainage.  She even ate real food for breakfast.   She might come home Tuesday, but we're trying not to get attached. 

Saturday Morning

Today I am truly a stay-at-home mom.  Mama's parents are coming up from the city for a visit, my folks are taking most of the day "off," and I'm hanging with my kids, who went straight down to play, letting me sleep in a bit!  We're going to play games, watch movies, eat lunch, whatever they want.  And then around 4, I'll head to the hospital for the evening.  After almost two weeks of medical-stuff and the kids being mainly cared for by my parents, it'll be a great change.  I won't call it R&R--when is parenting ever that?--but it'll be restorative.

Type A Personality

So, they told Mama her fever needed to go down.

After a whole day of being afebrile, tonight her temperature was down to 97.6.

I think she's an overachiever!

Today, So Far

Mama was fever free overnight.  I know I've told you before, but it really bears repeating.

One of her doctors came in for a long visit this morning, talking to us about bacteria and drains, CT Scans and antibiotics.  I think they feel more confident that they've really narrowed down the sensitivities and have the right meds.  We really like this doc, and not just because we found out yesterday she was "family" and today that she was from TX!  I even offered to make her a Tex-Mex chocolate sheet cake.  For tomorrow.  I think Gommie wishes I hadn't, but I'm looking forward to doing something normal like baking a cake so I'm excited.

The radiologist says they'll do another CT scan, probably on Monday, because the abscess is not gone and until they think they're closer to being done draining it, there's no sense checking.  Which of course puts her departure into the middle of next week.  She also has to be fever-free for 36 hours (it's usually 24, but she had a rough time of it--the bacteria even infected her blood, we learned today!).  She also needs to be off IV antibiotics and have it under control with orals.  Plus just feel better, which means, in this case, actually eating.

So, sure, she'd love to come home sooner, but she feels so much better with no fever--and no roommate and the hairwashing I gave her today and some of a baked potato for lunch--that she's doing ok.

Overnight

No fever in 12 hours!!!!!

I'm headed to the hospital for the day now.

I Solemnly Swear That I am Up to No Good

I promised all my loved ones that I would go to bed and get some sleep.

Well, in just a minute, because I wanted to tell you that Mama was fever-free tonight for the first real chunk of time since last weekend!!!!  Yay!  You can imagine that she was over the moon.

Add to that, her roommate was released this afternoon and so Mama has privacy, peace, and quiet, if only for the few hours before someone else comes in.  But at least Mama has the window side.

We still think there will be more tests and probably a few more days, but we're in no real rush (in fact, to be totally honest, I'm actually a bit scared to think of bringing her home, especially after last week!).  Just really savoring this major moment, which we especially needed today.

Happy anniversary, hon!

Hospital Fatigue

Mama and I are exhausted and today has been a down day, starting with an early-morning and then late-morning visit with two different doctors who aren't so pleased that her fever is not totally gone.  So they've added more antibiotics and are considering more diagnostics in case there is something (i.e. another abscess) they missed or that has developed since the last CT scan.  They are also consulting with other doctors about more complex/powerful antibiotic cocktails.

We're just tired and tired of her being in the hospital.  While recognizing our good fortune on many fronts, we are ready for things to be better.  So, I've come home for a midday nap and a school function while Mama gets an extra nap this afternoon.  I'll return this evening.  And tomorrow  . . . . and . . . . for the foreseeable future.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Mama Hungry and I celebrate 15 years together today, after a three-year courtship.  A hospital is a helluva place to celebrate, but the love, honor, cherish stuff for better or for worse feels more alive this year than ever before.

Good News

I tried to write this post 5 times from the hospital, but Blogger kept crashing and taking my draft.  I finally gave up.

GOOD NEWS!  The blood culture came back today indicating that the abscess WAS the source of the bacterial infection!  I've never been so happy about bacteria.  So now we wait to see if the antibiotic cocktail is enough to clear the infection and reduce the fever.  Mama was feeling somewhat better midday but had fever by evening and also still relies on morphine because of the pain of the deeply-embedded port, which is still draining.  She also had an abdominal x-ray to rule out any other complications, just in case (and it wore her out . . . )

All in all, though, a very positive day.

Good Night

I slept and the kids slept, except for when the house alarm sensors lost battery, again, and I had to fiddle with that; luckily (?) the kids never notice the alarm.  Even Mama apparently slept, according to her nurse, except for all the times the IV pump went off.  Don't know how her fever was and do know she needed morphine at 9 pm, but otherwise . . . will head over in about 2 1/2 hours.

Nights are lonely and, unwittingly, thoughts get dark . . .looking forward to the brightness of sunrise.

Afternoon

Warning:  TMI medical stuff below.

Mama's procedure went well.  They drained more than a cup of fluid from abdomen and she felt relief right away.

But.  But the fluid was not infected and probably not the source of the fever.  And her fever is still rising.  The doctors are perplexed but not so much worried.

She's here for awhile....keep sending comments and emails please.  They cheer her up and help us feel connected to thw world outside.

Update

After Mama Hungry spent the whole night in the ER (no available beds upstairs!) because of fever, the news is good:  the cat scan shows that she had developed an abscess which the doctors will hopefully be able to take care of today without full surgery.  She is on numerous medications and will probably be in the hospital for a few more days at least.  The doctors are optimistic for a full recovery.  Thank you for all of your support and well-wishes.

Right Now

In hospital where Mama has been admitted after coming to ER with fever.

Saturday Smiles

Gommie and Pop are enjoying the beauties of the Hudson Valley today while Ma and Gong came up for a visit.  The kids enjoyed playing computer games with them (Blink?  Diamond?  Who knows!) while I ran some errands and Mama rested.  She'd had a fever for about 17 hours and was tired from a restless night.  But the fever is gone today (the doctor said it was probably something to do with her lungs contracting after surgery??  She is now definitely remembering to do her breath exercises!  But I wouldn't be surprised if it came back at night) and she seems happier and more at ease.  So right now, we're all upstairs, very still, watching Pokemon: The Movie, which couldn't make the kids and Mama happier!

A completely unexpected bonus:  it was so cool outside today--high around 78F--that we didn't even turn on the AC but enjoyed the nice breeze.  And it's supposed to be 59F tonight!