Thankfulness 2011

I am thankful for the following things for 2011:
1. Abe has been hospital free, no inpatient stay, since September 2010
2. Our new house complete with wheelchair ramp, hardwood floor and huge yard for Abraham to play in
3. Glenn being on shore duty
4. Abraham's progress which has been significant since we moved in September
5. Friends that stick by your side through thick and thin
6. 40 hours of respite care per month so we get a break
7. That Abe can communicate with oral language and sign language including putting 3 signs together, eat, more please. He also can identify and say ball when he sees it in a book.

That is it for now. I am sure I am thankful for more things but I am recovering from a cold and surgery.

Preconception Counseling Appointment #2

My urinary tract problems should be under control since the diverticum was removed. I had a second preconception counseling appointment however this time it was with the doctor that actually did the c-section and was there for the whole experience. The Madigan doctor was very knowledgeable however she felt the uterus is not heart shaped but rather it was a contraction. The doctor that did the c-section saw the uterus himself and said it is not heart shaped but that I do have an arcuate uterus. Here is a resource, it is a UK website but has useful information that is easy to read http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/complications/uterusabnormal/. That being said there is risk of miscarriage or premature labor and delivery however the fact I had a 26 week premature delivery is a bigger risk that the actual shape of the uterus in his opinion. He did not say that we should not have another baby but it won't be without risks. Some of those risk include premature labor and delivery and Down Syndrome due to my age. The medications and the surgeries I have had are not an issue with the timing of when to try to conceive. The things I was advised to do before conception include taking prenatal vitamins daily, which I used to be very good at doing but have significantly slacked over the last few years, check rubella immunity since this can be cause severe problems for a developing baby, tetanus shot since my is outdated, well women exam and 10 pound weight loss. If we do conceive Keflex daily to prevent bladder infections, weekly progesterone (17-OHP) injections at 16-36 weeks and vaginal ultrasounds to check cervical length 14-26 weeks. No genetic testing is recommended prenatally since all of Abe's medical problems are related to premature birth and not genetics. The goal of a second pregnancy would be to carry until at least 35 weeks gestation. Since I have PCOS and endometriosis I have absolutely no idea if I can get pregnant again. I got pregnant very quickly with Abraham but every pregnancy is different. Only God knows if we will have another baby at all and if we do if she or he will be healthy or have special needs. Prior to all of this we had planned not to use any sort of birth control but due to all the trauma of a 2 lbs baby hanging on for life and death we decided that it was the best option. Also that we would make an informed decision prior to thinking about having another baby. I came from a big family however I think one more kid would be a great fit for our family. We will be waiting some time so that I can lose some of the weight and pray some more about it.

33 months

Last week Abe turned 33 months which means in 3 month our baby will be 3 years old. I can't believe how far he has come. He is signing and saying more words every day. Currently he has an ear infection which has caused fevers, vomiting, decreased appetite. However NO inpatient stay however today is only day 2. He did eat a little and play plus army crawl around the house. I was so frustrated yesterday. I had no idea peds at Naval Hospital shut down the phones from 11-1pm. I can understand lunch time, ect. Maybe they had a meeting, not sure however the after hours advice line would not page the on call doctor. I was very concerned about Abe. He was mad the day before when I left to my post op appointment so he banged his head on our hard wood floor. Glenn did put him in his bed, which is padded to protect him because he kept banging even against Glenn. Poor guy probably had an ear ache and we had no idea. He played and ate well that day but not yesterday. He did not want to eat anything, took a few drinks of juice, kept falling asleep which is usual for him unless he has the flu or pneumonia and really was not himself at all. I immediately thought VP shunt problem. I made prefect sense to me as a nurse and mother of a kid with a VP shunt. After all he had banged his head on the hardwood floor when he was mad the day before. After numerous calls to peds at Naval I finally got in touch with someone. Neurosurgery from Children's called too. They thought maybe mild concussion and a respiratory virus. He does not have a runny or stuffing nose and only an occasional cough plus his oxygen level was 100% on room air. I just knew something was not right with him. Although I have not been cleared to lift him, not for a few more days, I loaded him up and headed to the freeway. I debated Children's or Naval ER then the RN at peds called me and booked an appointment for the next hour. Glenn met us there to lift Abe and the wheelchair. There was no way I was going to lift the wheelchair if technically I am not supposed to lift Abe yet. He perked up when we got there and it is an ear infection. That diagnoses never even crossed my mind since I knew he had hit his head plus was exposed to croup. Between 11 and 1 felt like forever for a return call or getting a hold of a live person. I exactly am going to inquire what the policy is for peds clinic. My post op appointment went well and everything is healing just fine. I still have stitches that will dissolve with time. On a side note a few weeks ago I was extremely sleep deprived, on medications, a week out of surgery so I probably was not thinking too clearly. Abe was not receiving a teacher for the vision impaired so I inquired and would not take NO for an answer. He several months without it despite it being in his IFSP. The school said they usually don't accept IFSP from parents (I hand delivered it in September). I don't know what the hold up, possibly contracts between Holly Ridge and the SKSD however my kid is going to get every service he requires bottom line. His doctor also put in for vision therapy with a local OD, which is different from what a teacher for the vision impaired would do. We have to make a decision between Madrona or EPO for continued developmental preschool. They seemed to think Madrona would be where he goes. I am not sure I want him there. Most of the kids are higher functioning and walking, 10 kids to 2 adults. Can they really make sure no one steps on or trips over Abe. Also will they have enough staff to help him into a chair, feed him or will he be ignored. I want to home school him but I think he needs the preschool for the interaction. He will receive ST, PT, OT and a teacher for the vision impaired. Aqua PT will require a referral from general peds. I want him to continue aqua therapy because he loves it and it helps with his constipation. He relaxes his muscles too. Well I plan to go to Mug N Muffin in the morning as long as Abe is healthy enough for dad to care for him.

Surgical update

The urinary catheter came out today which I am so grateful for. It was rather annoying. They fixed it so that I could actually hook it onto my leg right before I got it out. I am still recovering so I can't lift Abe yet. Thank you all for your prayers and support. The doctor said it is not cancer. My next post op appointment is next week. I will find out what the plan is then. I am hoping that this solved the bladder infection situation. I am still on antibiotics so the real test will be when they are gone. I am on them for 21 days total so I still have some days left. We had one of our previous neighbors interested in our Bremerton house however he found other place to move to. The cats are gone so now it is just a matter of getting the final stuff done then place on the market to sale. Our stress has decreased however we have been through a lot of changes since the end of June. Glenn came home after being gone 12 months, we moved, my surgery and getting rid of the cats. We have not been to church in a while so we are planning to return this week. Respite was able to care for Abe this week while Glenn was at work. She is not available on Friday so I will have to manage it myself. I am not supposed to lift Abe yet since there is potential for damage to internal structures. Abe has started signing "milk", "milk". Oh he is 3 months away from being 3 years old. I can't believe my baby is almost 3.