New Teaching Mom

New Meds and New Jobs

2008-06-16T23:47:00.002-05:00

Amber got a job! Yippee! She is now a waitress for Village Inn. She started her training tonight and seemed to enjoy it. Austin was pretty impressed when she came home with her Village Inn "Amber" name tag!

I'm working again too. I'm doing medical transcription at home for the physical therapy group I had last year. So far it seems to be working out fine squeezing it in between summer homeschooling. I really enjoy the work and it will give us a little extra money.

Austin has been chugging along on his IV meds until today. The homehealth nurses come out on Mondays to do labs, and his labs today showed elevated liver enzymes. He was also starting to have some ringing in his ears I think. He acted like his ears were bothering him. So the doctor switched him to a different IV med that needs to be infused every 8 hours. Homehealth had to come out and give the first infusion to make sure he did okay with it. That was at 5:30 this evening. So, yes, I am up waiting to give his 1:30 a.m. dose. But I think I'll gradually cut off a half hour until I get to 6 a.m. - 2 p.m. - 10 p.m. That will be easier to live with! The infusion runs over 30 minutes.

Austin's back has been healing really well, but he has started getting his leg spasms back and even more spasticity and discomfort through his right arm. He has been having trouble sleeping too. So, the doctor prescribed another medicine on top of the oral Baclofen and Valium. Between these meds and some warm packs, I think it is getting better. The neurosurgeon said he could get another baclofen pump possibly after the antibiotics are done, but it wouldn't be easy. The normal route may not be feasible with all the scar tissue in his back and it may have to be put in the neck area. But...I'm not ready to think about that yet!

Biography for Austin

2008-05-30T19:36:00.002-05:00

In our application for a canine companion, it asks for an autobiography or a biography if the applicant cannot write his own. Here is what I came up with. Please comment! Should I include anything else? Omit anything?

Austin was born at 8 pounds 1 ounce after a normal pregnancy but difficult labor and delivery. This resulted in meconium aspiration and lack of oxygen during birth. Austin was intubated and transferred to another hospital with a NICU. He was experiencing seizure activity at that time. He came off the respirator at about four days old, and was well enough to come home after eleven days.

Although Austin responded well to sights and sounds, he was still not grasping, sitting, or crawling at 10 months old. He was then diagnosed with choreoathetoid cerebral palsy. He began to receive physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech services after this time.

Austin participated in a toddler group and then a preschool program before starting kindergarten. He learned to drive his power wheelchair and use a communication device at age five.

Austin went to a small neighborhood elementary school and was always well liked. He had mostly the same peers throughout sixth grade. In junior high, Austin moved into mostly special education classes, and it was quite obvious he had fallen way behind his peers in school work. He also began to have some medical problems in the sixth grade. He was diagnosed with chronic aspiration, and needed to have a feeding tube put in. He also developed severe scoliosis and had to have a complete spinal fusion. Shortly after his spinal fusion, he developed a very severe staph infection that led to spinal meningitis. Even after long-term IV antibiotics, the infection kept coming back. So, just last month all his spinal fusion hardware was taken out, and he is again on long-term IV antibiotics.

Last fall, before starting high school, we made the decision to homeschool part of the day to concentrate on Austin’s reading, math, and computer skills. Austin still has a couple of classes at the high school and gets to spend some time with his friends.

Austin participates in Special Olympics Bowling, Basketball, and Wheelchair racing. He also plays Buddy Baseball in the summer. He enjoys shopping, going to movies, and playing computer and video games. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends.

Austin has always been a happy and cheerful guy despite his medical problems and physical disabilities. He has a great smile and a kind heart and anyone who knows him loves him!

You Must Be So Happy to Be Home?

2008-05-28T21:09:00.003-05:00

This is what everyone says when you come home from the hospital after a couple of weeks. "You must be so happy to be home?!"

Truth is, at home:

I don't have the lady knocking on our door every morning asking if she can clean our room.

I don't have the nurses that come in and ask if they can clean Austin up, give him his meds, help change him, reposition him, or make him more comfortable.

I don't have the volunteers come by to ask if we need a movie or a book or anything to do.

I don't have the guy in the purple vest come by and ask if I'd like anything from the snack cart.

I don't have anyone that comes by to see Austin from the Omaha baseball team, or the hockey team, or the car racing team.

I don't have the elevator that conveniently takes me down to the coffee shop or the gift shop or the cafeteria (where I do not have to cook).

I don't have the bills, or the laundry, or the errands, or anything else that needs my attention ... only Austin.

BUT, at home:

We are back in the privacy of our own quiet home with Kevin, Amber, and the puppies and able to sleep in our own comfy beds. Even though it is a lot more work, it is definitely worth it!!!

Central Line

2008-05-19T09:44:00.002-05:00

Austin gets a little better every day. Today he is smiling and it is so nice to see. They are taking him down to surgery at noon to put in a central line (so he can continue his long-term IV antibiotics at home). They pulled out one drain on Saturday, and the other one came out this morning. They took away his pain pump last night and he is just on oral pain meds now. So...things are moving along! Hopefully we will be able to go home in a day or two!

Room 608

2008-05-16T12:27:00.002-05:00

We got back upstairs last night. Oh we like it so much better up here than ICU. It is so much quieter. Austin's pain has been kept under control, but he is very shaky and sweaty and uncomfortable. I think he is having withdrawl from the baclofen pump. Even though they are giving baclofen to him orally, it is just not the same as the pump. He hasn't been able to sleep well, and the vomiting started up again this morning. This is tough. But I know it will get better.

Surgery Long But Good

2008-05-14T22:33:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note ... I am so tired. But I know there are many friends praying and I wanted to update. Austin made it through surgery fine today. It ended up taking about 7 hours, but ALL the hardware is out. He is taking two different IV antibiotics and will eventually be going home with these. They were having some trouble getting conrol of his pain when he got into the ICU tonight, but now he is resting comfortably. I will write more soon! Thank you so much for praying!!!

Prom/Recital/Austin Update

2008-05-11T20:16:00.003-05:00

Well we all survived the hectic hospital/hair/recitals/prom day! AND we are glad it is over. Our first dilemma occured when Amber was 10 minutes late for her hair appointment. They told her they couldn't fit her in because she was late. Luckily, the hair place was near the hospital and I sprinted down there to chat with them. They did get her in after some rearranging. Thank goodness. Then we realized we never ordered the boutineer for Nick, her date. So I had to call and beg to have someone make one of those at the last minute. The weather was terrible. Very heavy rain and winds. I felt so sorry for those girls in their costumes, prom dresses, and beautiful hairdos! But it all turned out okay in the end. Amber looked absolutely amazing. I'm so proud of her.

Kevin stayed with Austin. I put some fish tank software on the laptop and he was watching the fish swim around when I left. When I came back he "told" on Kevin - that he was channel changing to the Nascar race when Austin was trying to watch Nickelodeon! Ha, ha...busted.

Infectious Disease came by to let me know that Austin's cultures have grown staph and some other bug. They switched his antibiotics last night. They switched again today, so I don't know if they found more information or not? But the doctor said he will be on antibiotics for a long, long time. Longer than he was last time. Sigh.

I missed our ortho doctor yesterday because I was running Amber home, so I haven't got my long list of questions for surgery answered yet. Hopefully we can have a chat tomorrow. They are also going to come by and change that wound vacuum tomorrow. Eeeek. That will not be fun.

Again, thanks for the continued prayers! We are going to post more Amber pictures on Austin's blog. http://www.photoblog.com/writtenbyausty

A Poem I Found

2008-05-10T11:02:00.000-05:00

I AM THE CHILD
I am the child who cannot talk. You often pity me, I see it in your eyes. You wonder how much I am aware of -- I see that as well. I am aware of much -- whether you are happy or sad or fearful, patient or impatient, full of love and desire, or if you are just doing your duty by me. I marvel at your frustration, knowing mine to be far greater, for I cannot express myself or my needs as you do.

You cannot conceive my isolation, so complete it is at times. I do not gift you with clever conversation, cute remarks to be laughed over and repeated. I do not give you answers to your everyday questions, responses over my well-being, sharing my needs, or comments about the world about me. I do not give you rewards as defined by the world's standards -- great strides in development that you can credit yourself; I do not give you understanding as you know it.

What I give you is so much more valuable -- I give you instead opportunities. Opportunities to discover the depth of your character, not mine; the depth of your love, your commitment, your patience, your abilities; the opportunity to explore your spirit more deeply than you imagined possible. I drive you further than you would ever go on your own, working harder, seeking answers to your many questions with no answers. I am the child who cannot talk.

I am the child who cannot walk. The world seems to pass me by. You see the longing in my eyes to get out of this chair, to run and play like other children. There is much you take for granted. I want the toys on the shelf, I need to go to the bathroom, oh I've dropped my fork again. I am dependant on you in these ways. My gift to you is to make you more aware of your great fortune, your healthy back and legs, your ability to do for yourself. Sometimes people appear not to notice me; I always notice them. I feel not so much envy as desire, desire to stand upright, to put one foot in front of the other, to be independent. I give you awareness. I am the child who cannot walk.

I am the child who is mentally impaired. I don't learn easily, if you judge me by the world's measuring stick, what I do know is infinite joy in simple things. I am not burdened as you are with the strifes and conflicts of a more complicated life. My gift to you is to grant you the freedom to enjoy things as a child, to teach you how much your arms around me mean, to give you love. I give you the gift of simplicity. I am the child who is mentally impaired.

I am the disabled child. I am your teacher. If you allow me, I will teach you what is really important in life. I will give you and teach you unconditional love. I gift you with my innocent trust, my dependency upon you. I teach you about how precious this life is and about not taking things for granted. I teach you about forgetting your own needs and desires and dreams. I teach you giving. Most of all I teach you hope and faith. I am the disabled child.

Author Unknown

Room 610

2008-05-09T21:47:00.002-05:00

Austin swerved off his road to recovery and went straight to the ditch.

He just got out of surgery to irrigate and debride his infected back wound. The doctor took out a "free floating" screw and said his instrumentation has shifted out of place. He says this is another indication that the infection has just never cleared up. He is pretty sure the infection is down in the hardware, which would mean it is also in the baclofen pump. Tissue samples were sent to the lab. Austin is scheduled to go back to surgery on Wednesday to have all of the hardware and the baclofen pump taken out. Like I mentioned in his blog, we are devastated. I'm really having a hard time believing this is happening.

Austin did well with surgery tonight. He was a little nauseous after waking up, but he is sleeping peacefully now. He has a hemovac running, which doesn't look very comfortable coming straight out of his back, but it doesn't seem to be bothering him right now.

Amber's dance recitals AND prom are both tomorrow! What timing huh? I'm thankful that she has a friend who got her to her rehearsal tonight and is taking her to her hair appointment tomorrow. Kevin will have to hang out here tomorrow night so I can go to her recital and see her off to prom.

Thanks to everyone praying for us!

Road to Recovery

2008-04-28T12:35:00.003-05:00

Austin is once again on the road to recovery. He is doing well. I am having trouble keeping up with two blogs. For more updates see Austin's blog at:

http://www.photoblog.com/writtenbyausty

ANOTHER Surgery

2008-04-03T22:03:00.004-05:00

Can you believe it? It is truly one thing after another after another after another with this poor child.

Austin has to have another surgery. We just found out today. I took him to the pediatrician Monday because of this red spot on his scar at the lower part of his back. It is more than a red spot actually, it is bubbled up. The pediatrician thought it was infected and he called neurosurgery. They saw him today but didn't think it was an infection. Thank God. But they took a bunch of x-rays and think he has a spinal fluid leak in his catheter that goes to his baclofen pump. The skin over this bubble is getting thin and if we don't do surgery to repair the leak and the "bubble" than he will spring a leak on his own. And, THIS would lead to an infection and having to take the whole pump out etc.

As for his GI tests, they came back showing inflammation in his esophagus and in the lower part of his colon. The GI nurse said the pathology report from his biopsies was so vaque, and they need more information. They are meeting with pathology to go over the results to determine what this is and why it is happening.

Other than this, things are going great! Kevin had been slow at work, but things are really picking up. Amber finally got her driver's license back and is happy she did not have to take a test. She is getting ready for prom and for her dance recital next month. And now that the official school year is coming to an end I've been going over what we have accomplished this year in homeschool. Homeschooling truly has just been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Austin has learned so much, and he is so much fun. I feel very blessed that I'm in a positon where I can stay home and teach. Dual enrolling was a good choice too, because he still gets to ride the bus and be with his friends for a little while in the morning. Austin decided he would like to go to summer school, which will be four mornings a week for I think four weeks. Hopefully some of his friends will be going. And this will be a nice break for us from each other too.

Prayers, prayers, prayers

2008-03-15T23:25:00.003-05:00

Please pray for our friends, the Grimm family, as they lost their 14-year-old son Ethan today to cancer. http://www.caringbridge.org/ia/ethangrimm

Also, please pray for a special friend of ours, Patti, as she struggles with her fight against pancreatic cancer.

And since your already praying...maybe just tack on another small one. Our problem seems very meek compared to those above, but Austin's fevers/pains/abnormal blood tests continue. We met with the rheumatologist on Monday. Besides the abnormal sed rate and CRP, the only test that came back abnormal again was the test for inflammatory bowel disease. The doctor referred us to the GI specialist. He also prescribed Austin some Naprosyn for pain/fever. We got into the GI doc right away. He is definitely not convinced Austin has an inflammatory bowel disease. He doesn't have the family history or even the typical symptoms. But since just about everything else has been ruled out, we are going to proceed with a colonoscopy and an endoscopy on the 26th.

The good news is that the Naprosyn really seems to be helping with Austin's pains. And his temperature has been down to 99.5.

Thanks so much for praying!

Getting Back to Normal...I Hope!

2008-03-03T20:44:00.003-06:00

Okay, after the hospital visits, the ER, the flu, and my mother-in-law passing away, I'm hoping we can get things running back to normal this week! Austin is still having nighttime fevers (usually around 100 to 100.5), but he is feeling pretty good during the day, other than some hip pain. He had blood tests last week, which still showed extremely elevated inflammation. He went to Children's today for another blood test that the rhematologist ordered, so maybe we will find out something there?

Austin did so good with homeschooling today. He always does, but he blew me away today. He seems to be picking up on some phonics. I'm so excited! After being shown a picture, he was able to find the matching word by sounding it out. He also did very well on some fractions...showing that he knew 1/4 and 1/2. He has learned over 100 sight words now. He is spelling some words with the online keyboard and typing into his own blog each day. He is doing a unit study on U.S. Symbols for Social Studies and studying the earth in Science. We are now using Grapevine Studies for bible, and are doing an overview of the old testament. We signed up for an adapted version of "Extra" by Weekly Reader and he loves these. We usually do these on Fridays.

Amber has been very stressed out about school, particulary regarding her math classes. I try to remind her she only has one more year of school left. To me that will go by so fast, but to her...it sounds like eternity!

Kevin has been sick. He has another ear infection, but on top of that he has a lot of coughing and headaches. I felt so bad for him being sick at his mom's funeral. What terrible timing. But he is starting to feel better now thank goodness.

Another Mom in Heaven

2008-02-27T08:10:00.002-06:00

Kevin's mom (my mil), Loraine (but we called her Leak), passed away on Monday. She was the sweetest most outgoing woman I had ever met. She told me once that she was shy when she was younger, but I didn't believe her. She could strike up a conversation with anybody. She was very sweet and loving. She used to swaddle up my kids when they were babies and rock and rock them. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's about...8 years ago...maybe a little longer. She did very well up until about the last year or so. Then she slowly forgot who we were and became a little more fragile. We've missed her for awhile now, and now even more. But she no longer has to be confused or afraid, she is at peace in her new loving home.

Freezing Cold, Lingering Flu, and Hair Cut Too!

2008-02-20T20:49:00.002-06:00

The temperature at daybreak today was -8 I think. I don't know what the windshield was for sure, but they were predicting -24. Schools were closed. Amber was so broken hearted.

Austin's been coughing up a storm. The thick gunky stuff. I feel so bad for him because he can't just hack it up and spit it out like we can (gross, sorry). Yesterday he did pretty good, but last night his temp went way up again and he began to vomit. Then he coughed all night and didn't get much sleep. He stayed in bed most of the day today watching movies and dozing on and off.

I got a new "do" today. Amber watched Austin while I went for a haircut. It was nice to get out for awhile, even if it was zero degrees!

Its the Flu

2008-02-18T08:56:00.002-06:00

We took Austin to the ER last night because his temperature had been running up to 104, and he had started vomiting. He tested positive for influenza! We are thankful that it wasn't a blazing infection. We are also thankful we didn't have to check in to another room upstairs!

Thermometer Madness

2008-02-15T20:27:00.003-06:00

I decided after we got home from the hospital that I would only take Austin's temperature before bed or if he looks not so good. Otherwise I was driving myself crazy getting different temperature readings on different thermometers, or in different ears, or from different arm pits! AND because at the hospital they told me they thought my thermometer was wrong. Before he went in his temps were 101+. In the hospital they were only 100+. But after we got home they were 100+ here too.

Well tonight, Austin is looking flushed and acting a bit crabby. I decide I better take his temperature. The ear thermometer says 102.1. The digital under the arm says 101.6 (which means 102.6). The forehead thermometer says 101.9. Ahhhhhhh! Which one is right? Actually these are closer to each other than they sometimes are. I can use them all again and I'll get a different reading for each one again. It drives me crazy. IT IS MADDENING!!!

Thank you my Electrician Man...

2008-02-15T12:31:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-02-13T20:33:00.003-06:00

Austin and I joined in on a Valentine Swap with an online homeschool group I belong to. Austin made some Disney/Pixar valentines up and also sent out candy. I decided to make my own, and took a couple pictures above. I think I did pretty good considering I've never made my own cards before. I had a few extra, so I sent one to my new friend, my Aunt in California, and to my Grandma.

Austin is doing good. He is back to his adaptive P.E./Life Skills classes, and he is also back to full-time homeschooling. He still tends to get warm before bed time. His temperature averages about 100.5 before bed. I haven't heard anything back yet on his IBD panel.

Amber informs me she has two dates tomorrow night. Hmmmnnn. I wonder how she is going to pull this off?

Happy Valentines Day!

Austin's Photoblog

2008-02-11T19:36:00.000-06:00

Thanks to another wonderful idea from my friend Laurie, we have started a photoblog for Austin. We will be posting pictures, and Austin will be writing about them. Our first one went very well. Austin typed using the onscreen keyboard. He typed the words he knew all by himself, and he got help from me on the spelling of words he didn't know. Pleave leave him a comment if you get a chance. I know he will LOVE getting comments! http://www.photoblog.com/writtenbyausty.

Happy and Sad

2008-02-08T10:44:00.000-06:00

We got to come home from the hospital last night. Austin's bone scan and CT scans were considered normal. This is good right? And I am happy. But then why am I sad?

Because I know something is wrong and I don't know what it is. His temperature spikes are down to 100 degrees. According to the hospital this is not considered a fever. That is good right? But it is still not normal is it? His sed rate and CRP are down, and that is good right? But they still are not normal.

One of the rheumatology tests were elevated; a test for inflammatory bowel disease. They came and took more blood before we left. This was for an IBD panel which will be sent away to another lab. But, the rheumatologist said the normal symptoms for IBD are stomach pain and diarrhea. Austin has neither. And this is good right? And I am happy.

But I am sad.

Mia

2008-02-07T09:37:00.000-06:00

I wanted to share the voice mail I got from my niece, Mia. I wish I could put the actual recording on here because she has the sweetest little voice. Mia is 5 years old, and she is a triplet to her sister Makayla and her brother Garrett. Anyway...here was her message to me:

DEAR Teresa...Um

This is Mia. And...

I love you.

And...

What is your cat name?

Send back a message.

LOVE..........................

Mia

What a sweet pea. She sounded as if she was writing me a letter!

Sign on the Door

2008-02-07T08:49:00.000-06:00

I've decided I'm going to put a sign on the outside of Austin's door:

THE FIRST PERSON WHO CAN TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS CHILD
WINS A TRIP TO HAWAII!

Austin went under anesthesia yesteday while they did a full-body bone scan and CT scans of the hips and spine. He was downstairs quite a long time. So....we are hoping, and I mean really HOPING, they have some answers for us today!!!

Yep, we're back

2008-02-05T12:09:00.001-06:00

Yep, we're back at Children's. Austin's fevers continue. Actually, he is fine during the day (around 99 degrees). At night they get up to 101-102. Very strange isn't it? The rheumatologist came in last night. He ordered some blood work to test for lupus, vasculitis, rheumatoid arthritis. But upon physical exam, he didn't think these looked likely. Austin has been having more pain in his hips and/or lower back, so we went down for x-rays this morning. So....we wait some more...until we get test results...and hopefully answers???

Afternoon addendum: More tests are ordered for tomorrow; a CT scan and a bone scan.

Remembering Mom

2008-02-04T13:18:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow marks the 4th anniversary since my mom passed away from lung cancer. She was only 59 years old. She was the best mom in the whole world.

My mom married my Dad when she was only 18 years old. She stayed home with us kids as we were growing up. She kept an immaculate house, sewed us clothes, cut our hair, was a fantastic cook, planted flowers, got us where we needed to go. HOW she managed to get all this done is beyond me. I couldn't do it in a million years. Of course, I didn't realize how amazing this was until I got married and became a mother of two myself. I've failed miserably at trying to accomplish all she did. She went back to work when we were older, and worked her way up from secretary to site planning for the Corps of Engineers. Soon, on top of being amazing mother, she was also an amazing grandmother. She was there for all of us as our babies were being born. She was always with us as we trekked through the pumpkin patch, hunted for Easter eggs, or just went shopping. She sewed clothes for the grandkids, and she had big family meals. She was the most honest and trusting person I have ever known. I loved her so much and I miss her terribly.

p.s. I think I've aged a little since my wedding picture!

A little out of control with the clippers...

2008-02-01T18:52:00.000-06:00

Okay so I got a little out of control with the clippers today. But you should have seen Austin's hair when he got out of the hospital. Ewwwww. Of course, he didn't get a good shampoo for a whole week, plus we missed our 6-week hair trim. Since he will be going back to the hospital on Monday, I decided I better cut it myself. I did this this morning before his temp got too high.

I also had to break the news to Austin last night about going back. He insisted I turn the calendar over to February. I had his P.E./Life Skills days marked on the calendar, and I had to cross them off. He looked at me like..??? So I had to explain. I asked him if it made him sad, and he said yes. But, overall, he took it well. I told him we have to figure out why he keeps having fevers so that he can feel better. He understands. But I wonder if he wonders why nobody else has to stay in the hospital six times a year!

Home....but not for long

2008-01-30T19:58:00.000-06:00

Because Austin did not have a high temp for the previous 48 hours and his CRP and sed rate had come down some, we got to come home yesterday.

The doctor sent me home with a chart to keep track of his temperature. At 5:00 it was 99 degrees. He acted fine. I put him in bed about 8:30 because he was yawning and yawning. I went back in a couple hours later to check on him, and his temp was up to 102.2! I couldn't believe it! He had a normal temp for the last two days, and then we come home and he spikes a temp.

I talked to the doctor today, and he thinks he needs to see a rheumatologist. Unfortunately, the pediatric rheumaatologist for the hospital is backed up until mid March. He is also out of town until Monday. The doctor wants to admit Austin back into the hospital on Monday so he can be seen by the rheumatologist quickly, as an inpatient.

I have not told this to Austin. He is so happy to be home. I just keep taking his temp and smiling. Last reading was 101.5.

I've Been Tagged

2008-01-29T12:03:00.000-06:00

I've been tagged by Marilyn at Mixedbouquet.blogspot.com. Marilyn is a super person, a good Christian, and a wonderful mother of five. She lives on a farm in Texas. She blogs about her family, about devotions, special needs and well, just a mixed bouquet of things! Now it is my turn to tag.

Here are the rules:
1. You must post the rules before you give your answers.
2. List one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name).
3. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and that they need to read your blog for details).

M - Mom to two great kids.
A - Always trying to do better.
R - Really enjoy homeschooling Austin.
I - I have 3 dogs.
E - Every day I spend with my family is a blessing.

I'm tagging:
Laura at lifedreamed.blogspot.com - a homeschooling friend from blogger land, who has a great kid and one on the way.

Missy at homeschoolblogger.com/barrynmissy1972 - a Weaver mom who has four kids and the neatest blog and lapbooks I've ever seen.

Darcy at 3boybarians.blogspot.com - a homeschooling mom to three boys, who I don't know well, but she always has something fun to read about.

weavermomof2.blogspot.com - another Weaver mom who has two of the cutest kids I've ever seen.

Nevin at photoblog.com/IamNevin - a very special new friend of Austin's.

Home today Maybe?

2008-01-29T10:15:00.000-06:00

Well, Austin's fever has been down for the last couple days and no more vomiting. His CRP and sed rate were still high yesterday, but not as bad as before. They are going to do more labs to see if those have come down more. If they have, we get to go home. Not that we know what the heck was wrong with him or is wrong with him???? Hopefully whatever it was/is, it does not return!

As I look out at this beautiful view on the sixth floor of Children's Hospital, I see fiercly blowing snow and cars crawling down the street. I walk into the bathroom of our corner suite, and it sounds like I'm in an airplane. Sigh. This will definitely be the day we get to go home.

Waiting and Confused

2008-01-26T20:05:00.000-06:00

We finally made it up to a real room on the fifth floor last night! Yoo hoo! I took a nice long shower this morning while Austin slept. It was so nice and quiet and dark last night...we both slept good.

Infectious Disease came in last night and said his other culture has not grown any staph yet, and he doesn't think Austin has a staph infection. His IV was going bad, and the doctor said to just discontinue the antibiotics because he doesn't feel this is staph. He said there are a couple of different viruses that could effect his blood levels like this. They want to just wait and observe and take more blood. Austin had a pretty good day yesterday. His temp was average around 101.

This morning the Orthopedic doctor came in and said he is having a "discussion" with Infectious Disease because he DOES believe this is a spine infection problem. The blood test that tells them if he has inflammation is worse now than when he came in. He thinks he SHOULD be on antibiotics. But, he says, we need to let them rule out their different things. They both decided they would like another test that actually looks for infection IN the bones. They called down to schedule this; however, it cannot be done yet, so close to the other test that was done with the dye.

So...here we are...waiting and confused.

Austin had a good day. He started out at 98.4 temp this morning. He had a shower and got up into his chair and played some games. Temp then went to 99, then 100, then 100.5. This is still not bad. Hopefully it won't keep climbing. Unfortunately it is evening now, and that is when it usually starts climbing.

I picked Amber and her friend up after school yesterday and brought them over to see Austin. Then Kevin and I took them out to "Buffalo Wild Wings." Not really my thing, but Kevin and Amber love that stuff.

Amber, who is very thin, was complaining about the fat on her hips. She said she needed to go in for circumcision. What?!??! I said. Turns out she meant liposuction. Um, thats my Amber.

Karen, our supervising teacher, came up here for a visit the other night. That was such a nice surprise. His assistive tech gal, Diane, also was up here and sent up a little beanie bear. That was so thoughtful! Grandpa came up today and took me to lunch. Grandpa is so good. He knows this place almost as well as we do.

Well, gonna sign off now. Austin wants me to watch "Fat Albert" with him.

Second Home Update

2008-01-24T21:04:00.000-06:00

Lets see....yesterday evening Austin's temp went up to 104.5. The nurse and I were putting cool wash clothes all over his body. It was crazy. The lab came up and took some more blood while he was having the high fever. His urine tested fine.

This morning he went down for his bone scan. The reason they do the bone scan is because it is the only test they can do to really see anything in his back with all the hardware in it. The radioactive dye circulates through the body, and if the dye accumulates in a certain area, this is most likely where the problem is. Well, I guess the scan showed some accumulation in his lower back, but no more than the last scan did in October. They are just not sure if this is a positive result.

There was a little accumulation on the right side...so they wondered appendicitis? They took him down for a CAT scan of his abdomen. But no, no appendicitis.

The blood cultures did grow out some bacteria, but it took over 48 hours. I guess this could be a false result if it takes longer than 12 hours? But someone told me it takes 72 hours for a result... so, hmmnnn, I dunno ... sometimes these people just don't make sense to me! So lab came again tonight for yes, you got it, more blood.

HOWEVER, they did decide all in all, my poor suffering son does deserve some antibiotics. YEAHHHHHHHHH! So, hopefully he can start feeling better.

We are STILL in ICU in a room with no bathroom/shower. I hate it. I've begged for a room upstairs, but it isn't working. Someone told me there is a lot of kids with RSV.

And, well, that Body for Life I was working on is on hold. There is nowhere to exercise here and the only thing to do is eat.

Kevin is slow at work, so I think he might come hang out for awhile in the morning so I can go home and get a good shower.

Visiting our Second Home (Hospital) Again!

2008-01-23T10:43:00.000-06:00

Okay, so he was getting sick. At least he got a nice shopping/arcade trip in before he ended up in here again.

Sunday Austin woke up with a 101 degree temp. He stayed on the couch most of the day watching movies. Monday he slept until 11:00. Still running a fever. But he insisted on doing some school work (sometimes I think he is the teacher and I am the student). I didn't want to work, but he made me.

Around 3:00 his temperature went way up...103. I decided to take him to Children's ER. The ER was extremely busy. We finally saw the doctor at 7:00. I let them know he had no other symptoms but did have the history of staph infections. They took blood work. At 9:00 they let me know his blood work did not look good. But rather than start antibiotics, assuming it is the staph infection back, they have to follow their routine of ruling everything else out and waiting for culture results to come back in 72 HOURS! All the beds were full, so we were sent home and told to return the next morning.

Yesterday morning we got here and they STILL had no beds available so we were put in ICU. Nuclear medicine came in and gave Austin a radioactive injection. Tomorrow and Friday he will be put under anesthesia and taken down for bone scans to see where the radioactive dye is accumulating. He did pretty good yesterday. He stayed in his wheelchair and played some games on the computer. But, around 5 p.m., he started getting really warm again and got into bed. In the middle of the night he was up to 103 degrees and vomiting. It is late morning now, and he is still vomiting.

I still don't think they want to start antibiotics yet. Not until they see bone scan results or culture results. They are going to try Pedialyte now. If that doesn't stay down, than it will be IV fluids for my little man.

We are still in ICU today. I am praying for a room upstairs...with a shower...with a bathroom...with more privacy...with less beeps....with movies and with familiar faces.

On the brighter side of things, Austin has a new pen pal named Nevin. He is so excited about it. I set him up with his own email. His new pen pal likes video games and Austin thinks he is just the coolest friend ever!

Shopping

2008-01-19T23:26:00.000-06:00

Today the kids and I went shopping for new shoes for Amber. She has P.E. this semester and realized she must have left her tennis shoes at camp. In July. Wow. Obviously she never wears her tennis shoes. She usually wears the slip-on Vans shoes or clogs. As a matter of fact, when she was trying her new shoes on, it took awhile. I thought there for a minute she forgot how to tie her shoes!

While we were at the mall, we went downstairs and played in the arcade with Austin. Something to do. Doesn't seem like we've been getting out very much since it has been SO cold. I think it was a high of around 9 degrees today!

Austin didn't seem quite himself yesterday. A little red in the face, eyes bloodshot. Emotional. I thought for sure he was getting sick, but today he was fine. Thank goodness.

I'm still chugging along with Body for Life. Day 12 and I've lost four pounds. Not a lot, but I'll take it. Not bad at all for all I get to eat. I can honestly say I'm not hungry. I did dream about cinnamon rolls the other night though! Kinda funny. So today, which was my free day, I had a cinnamon roll from CinnaBon.

Kevin got me a new camera for Christmas. I took a couple pictures and put it aside. The next time I went to use it, the batteries were dead. I tried putting in several different types of new batteries, but it wouldn't turn back on. Kevin took it back to the store and I got a new one. I decided to try out the movie feature on Sammy's funny little hop, hop, hop when he goes to fetch a toy. It is posted up above. That is really nifty. I'll have to make a little movie of Austin using his eye gaze.

Tootleloo!

Happy New Year

2008-01-10T19:01:00.000-06:00

So....what are your New Year's resolutions??? I've decided to start the "Body for Life" program. I started Monday. I am alternating the treadmill with upper body weight lifting and lower body exercises. I am eating six small meals a day. I have not been hungry, but I am so sore I can hardly move! Austin is laughing at me today because every time I get out of the chair or go to sit on the chair I'm "owe, owe owe!" Going down steps is MURDER.

Austin got his stitches out last week from where his cyst was. There was a small area that was still not healed, so we've been irrigating it and packing it with gauze a couple of times a day. I think it is starting to look better now.

Amber started doing some research on the internet and found some very sad pictures and information on animal testing. She just made up some fliers and went out delivering them. Some of the big companies involved in animal cruelty that she found are: IAMs, KFC, Mars Candy Company, PetsMart, Loreal, and also Columbia University.

We had a good Christmas and made our trip up to the Mall of America. The mall was so, so busy. I guess we weren't the only ones with the idea. The hotel was so, so busy too. It took forever to get an elevator. But we did find some good deals. We had no problem spending our Christmas money!!!

Austin and I got back to homeschooling on Monday. He really enjoys the Time4Learning program we've been working on. He is doing so well with his Reading program and spelling/writing too.

BYE for now!

Pilonidal Cyst

2007-12-21T21:56:00.000-06:00

Austin had his pilonidal cyst removed last week. He did end up having to stay one night in the hospital. He is suppose to stay off his rear for 10 days, so he has been alternating from bed to loveseat to couch.

I hurt my back lifting him after we first got home. So for the first couple days I was lying around with him! Thankfully, we got a manual lift to use to get him up and around.

Grandma had to go to the hospital this week too. She just suddently lost all her strength and could not get off the couch. We were afraid it might be a stroke, but it wasn't. They are still investigating, trying to figure out what happened. She does seem to be getting better though....so hopefully she can get back to her normal self.

I let Amber, her friend Megan, and Austin open one of their presents tonight. I got Amber and Megan flannel jammies and slippers from Victoria's Secret. Megan's were donuts...because they are obsessed with donuts! Austin opened a new Playstation 2 game: "The Family Fued." We haven't played it yet. He is too hooked on Mario Galaxy.

Went to the store today and bought stuff for baking day...which will be Sunday. I don't usually bake for Christmas, and my oven runs too hot, so I'm a little nervous. Hopefully it will all turn out okay.

Austin's bus driver stopped by the house this afternoon and dropped off a gift for Austin. It is a yellow t-shirt with a bus on it, which has a #1 (like his) and it has his name on it. That was so-oo-oo sweet. He loves it!

We are going to my brother's house for Christmas Eve and Kevin's sister's house for Christmas. Then it is off to the Mall of America! Hopefully Austin's rump will be okay by then!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!
To everyone in blogger land MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Its Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas!

2007-12-11T22:32:00.000-06:00

Wow we got a lovely ice storm last night with snow on top. It is really starting to look and feel like Christmas now. Not that I am ready. I'm not done shopping, and I have done no wrapping!

Austin has a pilonidal cyst that has to be removed in outpatient surgery on Friday. Unfortunately, I don't think he will be up to sitting in his wheelchair for several days. The cyst is just right below the tailbone. His new computer/communication device is on a mount with wheels though, so I think we can manage to homeschool from the couch. He is really enjoying the Time4Learning we have been working on. He also is enjoying the Birth of Jesus study.

Amber was thankful for the snow day today. I think she finally got out of bed at 2 p.m.!?>! I used to sleep late as a teenager too...but I don't think ever THAT late.

We have decided to go up to the Mall of America the day after Christmas (and stay a few days). We are cutting back on presents and saving some money for the after holiday sales! HOPEFULLY the weather will cooperate for the trip!

BAD Blogger

2007-12-02T20:47:00.000-06:00

Boy, I have been a BAD blogger lately! Too much going on I guess!

Austin is doing better. He had his followup visit with Infectious Disease and with Ortho. His sed rate is almost back to normal. He is going for an ultrasound tomorrow. He is getting along fine with his IV antibiotics.

I've decided to try some different things for homeschooling through December. We just began a Grapevine study on "The Birth of Jesus." We also just started an online program called Time4Learning for Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science. We are taking a break from Weaver, but still working lightly on Edmark Reading and time and money skills. Austin met his goals I had set for him due mid November! He is reading around 80 words, can tell time to the half hour, knows the names and values of all the coins, is typing/copying reading words with 100% accuracy and typing 5 simple spelling words with NO assistance. He is also now completing quizes on Boardmaker with 80-100% accuracy. I AM SO PROUD OF US!

Amber is doing well. The hair color of the month is white with very dark brown stripes. Oh my. I'm hoping the dark brown fades out some. She still is not driving. Actually, she lost her license for 30 days because of the accident and speeding ticket. I guess I'd really rather she not be driving through winter anyway. Josie, the hamster is still alive and still seems to hear okay.

The pups are back in their sweaters. They went to the groomer and came home shakin and shivering! It has been so-oo-oo cold the last couple days!

Ahhh...home!

2007-11-09T20:21:00.000-06:00

We got to come home last weekend. It is so nice to sleep in your own bed and shower in your own shower after being in a hospital room for a couple of weeks! The problem is trying to catch up on all the neglected housework, grocery shopping, laundry, bills, and on and on. Then we have the added responsibility of running IV meds every 6 hours. I'm finding it really hard to get things back to normal. We homeschooled this week, but it seemed sort of unorganized. I usually have my plan set up for at least 2 weeks in advance, but this week I took it day by day. Definitely not as good.

Amber went up to watch the girls state volleyball tournament in Cedar Rapids today. She rode along with a friend. She has never been that far away without an adult before. I'm very nervous about it. I'm calling her every couple of hours to make sure she is okay. She probably wants to kill me.

Kevin went to the ER last night because his ear hurt so bad. He has an ear infection. Isn't that stange for a 40-year-old man to have an ear infection? He has a terrible, terrible cold. His voice makes me laugh. If you've seen the movie "Sling Blade," he sounds exactly like Billy Bob Thorton's character. Mmmm..hmmmm.

Another Hospital Update

2007-11-01T10:18:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all of you for the Halloween ideas and thoughts and prayers! I was relieved when the hospital announced they would be having a Halloween party and contest in the lobby and that Austin had permission to go. I was also relieved to hear nurses would be reverse trick-or-treating as well. The party started at 11:00.

Well guess what? They came up to get Austin for his bone scan at 10:30! They have been doing a scan every day since Monday. They put dye in for his scan on Monday and then they have been taking a new scan every day to watch the dye. I guess this may tell them where the infection is (which is most likely in the spine)? They have been putting him under anesthesia so he is still. So....anyway he missed the party. He was still in recovery when the nurses came by. He was still in recovery when a face painter came by. Poor kid. If he was disappointed, he really didn't let it show. I was probably more disappointed.

He had to have all the monitors on after recovery, so I couldn't really get his costume on very well. He wore his hat and his cuffs and whistle. His sister and her friend came to see him...bless their hearts. There was also, I think, just an ordinary outside family that had come in to give kids goody bags with snakes, spider rings, bubbles, and erasers. THAT was very sweet. I think I just may do that for the kids here next year because they have no idea how much they really made our day. I did get pictures of Austin and Amber and her friend Megan. I will post them when I get home.

Today when Austin goes under for his scan they are going to go ahead and put in a central line for long-term IV antibiotics at home. So....I'm hoping maybe this weekend we will get to go home?

Hospital Update

2007-10-28T10:43:00.000-05:00

Well here it is Sunday the 28th, and we still do not know much of anything. We do know that his blood cultured out to show staph or a couple other different bugs. They took him off his first antibiotic and started a new IV antibiotic. But he has still been running fevers so they added another IV antibiotic on top of that. Austin says he has no pain anywhere. Neurosurgery came in to see if it might have anything to do with his baclofen pump...but they didn't think so. Surgery came in to look at a small cyst he has on his rear end...but they didn't think that was the source of his problem. All abdomen and chest x-rays looked fine. They ordered spine x-rays yesterday, but it is so hard to see anything with all his spinal fusion hardware in there. Orthopedics just came in and they are ordering a bone scan and a MRI of his pelvis tomorrow.

Austin was going to be a policeman for Halloween. He was so excited. But I'm afraid he will still be here. Does anyone have any good ideas to make Halloween fun in the hospital? I was thinking maybe he could take candy to other patients dressed up, but I don't think they would let him because he still has fevers.

Hospital Again

2007-10-24T19:08:00.000-05:00

Well, Austin and I are in the hospital AGAIN. He has been running a high fever since Sunday night and started vomiting Monday. When I took him to the doctor yesterday, he didn't have any other symptoms besides pain when he pressed on his belly. So the doctor sent us to the hospital to rule out appendicitis. Thankfully, he does not have appendicitis. They did find an ear infection today. I'm not sure why the three different docs who looked in his ears yesterday didn't notice? But anyway, he is now getting IV fluids and antibiotics. He is still vomiting and pretty miserable. Seems to me to be more than an ear infection? Maybe he has a flu bug or something too.

So here he lies in bed and here I sit. Oh it is so-oo-oo boring! This day has been so-oo-oo long!

Chugging Along

2007-10-15T22:45:00.000-05:00

Austin and I just finished Unit 2 of our Weaver Curriculum on Sound/Communication/Language(Lapbook posted above). The lapbooks are a lot of work but Austin sure loves looking at them and seeing all that he has learned.

We are taking a break from our Edmark Reading. Austin seems to have reached a point where there is no more room for memorizing new words! They just aren't sticking as well lately and he seems less interested in the program. So we are taking a break and practicing what we've learned so far with Bingo, Roxie's Reading Fish, A Dice Game, Word Bowling. We are having lots of fun. It is a nice change.

We bought a toy cash register at the new Kohl's store. Oh boy is he loving that. It came with sticker "codes" you can put on toys and ring them up with the scanner. It came with play bills and coins and even a credit card. His favorite of all, it came with a microphone. He has to announce the daily specials over the intercom and he has to call the manager when we are having trouble with our scanner! It has been great help in learning coin values.

Amber got her first speeding ticket a few weeks ago. Then she got in her first little accident about a week later. She now says she is never driving again. Hmmnnn. So far she hasn't either. Her friend has picked her up for school every day since.

Special Olympics - Bowling

2007-10-15T22:11:00.001-05:00

Last Wednesday was Southwest Iowa's Bowling Special Olympics. Austin did great! He bowls with a ramp. We line up the ramp and set the ball on for him, then he pushes it off the ramp. Dad helped him with his first game, he got a 111. Then Dad had to go back to work. Mom helped on his second game and it went a little downhill...75..."Dad, come back!"

Weaver Volume 1 - Unit 1 Lapbook

2007-10-02T22:04:00.000-05:00

We just finished Unit 1 of Weaver! I'm posting pictures of our lapbook!

New York City

2007-09-28T22:41:00.000-05:00

We were in New York City for 5 days this past week (pictures above). We went with my sister and brother-in-law, who won their trip from a Pepsi bottle cap! The trip was quite an experience! It is a whole different world there! Crazy people and crazy traffic everywhere. It was fun to visit, but I definitely wouldn't want to live there. The buildings are amazing. There is so much to see there. We went to the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, The Today Show, Central Park, South Seaport, and China Town. We also drove by Ground Zero. It was nice to get away, but I missed my kids like crazy!!

Austin and I got back to our school work as soon as I got back home, but um....he seems to have forgotten several of his reading words. So, this week was pretty much reviewing things we've already gone through.

Tak, the tadpole, didn't make it past a week. We now have two more, Austin named them Donkey and Diddy (after Donkey Kong). If these two don't make it...I think I'll just buy a little aqua frog.

Amber put Josie (the hamster) into her ball to run around in last week. After awhile she decided to put her back in the cage, but when she went to take her out of the ball she jumped. She landed on the dresser and scurried into the back of Amber's stereo speaker. Amber said she tried to shake her out, but she wouldn't come out. Pretty soon she heard chewing sounds. She was afraid Josie was either going to get hurt or the stereo speaker was going to get hurt! She pushed the stereo "on" button and twirled the volume on full blast. "Thump kaboom kaboom thump." Josie came out. Amber was telling me about all this, and I said, "Um...Amber...does Josie seem okay? Can she HEAR you when you come in the room now?!" She said, "MOM! Don't say that! You don't think she is deaf do you?"

Bubble Ho-ho-ho!

2007-09-15T23:05:00.001-05:00

The kids have gotten a little too big to put the bath bubble Santa beards on in the tub and go "ho-ho-ho." So our dog Sammy gets to be the pretend Santa. :) ! Actually, there are rubber duckies in the tub with Austin, and Sammy is trying to get them out.

Our City

2007-09-09T23:27:00.000-05:00

Austin and I have been studying about our city this past week. We went to the library and picked up some great books on Council Bluffs. Some of those old pictures are just amazing. It really caught Austin's attention when he saw an old picture of a church that was around in the 1880's that still stands close by our house today, and all the old cars and stores that were near it.

Since the railroad helped to establish our city, we took a field trip to the Railroad Museum. It was a lot of fun. I think Austin really enjoyed it. They had one section that was like a train simulator. You sat in the engineer's seat, and looked out the train windows and it looked like you were really driving the train through a city! After we left there, we went to Bayliss Park and sat by the new fountain.

The first picture is Austin working on the keyboard with his eye gaze system. I think he is getting a little better with the smaller targets. He has just started typing out some of his reading words.

This kid likes games, games, games. Board games, computer games, online games, video games. He even likes to watch GSN - The gameshow network! We've been playing bingo with reading words and Roxie's Reading Fish, Willie Watchdog, and some Math computer games. He LOVES these all!

Couple New Additions to the Family

2007-09-09T23:16:00.000-05:00

Within the last week we've had two new additions to our family. Austin got a grow-a-frog tadpole by mailorder, and Amber got a hamster for her birthday.

Austin named his tadpole Tak after a video game that we have been playing.

Amber named her hamster Josie, after a song she likes. I don't have a picture of Josie yet, but she is cute. Much cuter than Tak I must say.

School Is On!

2007-08-28T19:46:00.000-05:00

We finished our first lapbook! This is on the Creation study we did over the summer.

Amber started back to A.L. last week, Austin started his P.E. class at A.L. last week, and Austin and I are now homeschooling full time!

Both kids had a hard time opening their eyes at 6:00 a.m. Actually, I did too! But that is getting better.

Amber is now driving to school, of course. Well, I think it was the third day of school, she could NOT find her keys. We tore the house apart looking for them. Just as I was getting ready to take her myself, she found her keys. In her bed, under her pillow. Errrrr. ?!?!

Austin gets on his bus for P.E./Life Skills at 7:15 a.m. and is home by 9:15 a.m. Anyone who really knows Austin knows this bus ride is his favorite part of the day. Most kids hate the bus. Austin LOVES the bus! He is ready to get to work when he gets home though, thank goodness. He has been working hard on his reading program and time, money, and calculator. We started our study on the Tower of Babel, map making, and rocks. So far so good!

Eye Gaze System

2007-08-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

Today Austin got his eye gaze system! It is so-00-00 cool! It looks like a minature laptop mounted upright. Underneath the screen is a small camera. The camera reads his eye movements, so he can then use his eye to move the cursor and then dwell for 1 second on the spot he wants to click on. He played tic-tac-toe against the computer and did great!

We have been working on Bible studies and Reading, and this week we added on Math. We worked on some money, time, and calculator. He is doing great. I am so lucky to have such an enthusiastic little learner.

Of course, after "school" he gets to pick a playstation game, and that is a big motivator for him to get his work done!

Tuesday he will get to ride the bus to his adaptive P.E. class. He is very excited about getting on the bus and seeing some of his friends at their new school.

Amber decided to go to her friend's house and dye her hair more blonde. Well, it turned out white with orange stripes (where her low lights were). I about died when she walked in the door! She just couldn't understand why I didn't like it! Ummmm...we all do this at 16 right? I should stay calm as I drag her in to the salon to get it fixed. Gggrrrr.

Sammy is feeling a little better, but he has a ways to go. He will play a little bit now, but he is still sneezing and has goopy eyes.

Ahhhh.....Home!

2007-08-11T08:55:00.000-05:00

We made it home yesterday afternoon. That has to have been our shortest stay ever!

Surgery went well. The doctor found some "grungy" tissue that he sent to the lab. This did not show infection, thank God. He did have it sent in for cultures, however. The doctor thinks because this incision has been open so many times, it just was not healing. When he opened it up, it was just a cavity. Very little blood supply was getting to the area. So he filled the cavity with collagen, and stitched him up heavy duty.

It felt so-oo-oo good to sleep in my own bed last night. Austin is STILL sleeping. I'm sure he is thankful to be sleeping in a quiet room with no one poking at him every half hour.

Immediately after I got home, I took Sammy to the vet. He has been sneezing and wheezing ever since we got home from vacation. Poor baby. He had a 103 degree temperature. Vet says he caught an influenza from the kennel. He got a shot of antibiotics and some pills to take home.

In the Hospital Again

2007-08-08T18:02:00.000-05:00

Well, Austin laid around most of the weekend. All Friday, Saturday, and half of Sunday. We watched movies and played Game Cube.

Unfortunately, after being up all day yesterday, he sprung another leak this morning! They decided to admit him, and will probably be doing surgery tomorrow to stitch the catheter again and revise his incision.

Austin doesn't seem to mind too much. We were betting which floor he would go to this time. I bet 5th floor and he bet 6th. We are on 5th! Mom won! Let's see... we have been on 6th floor five times and this will only be our second time on 5th.

I was suppose to get the bills mailed today, get to the bank, get the dog to the vet, and get the kids to registration. I didn't get any of it done! Kevin took Amber to registration, and he was thankful that nobody else was there and it only took about 15 minutes.

Spinal Fluid Leak

2007-08-03T16:25:00.000-05:00

I took Austin to the doctor this morning. It has been six weeks since his baclofen pump surgery, but he had a small amount of orange-colored fluid leaking from his incision. It was like the size of a pin hole. I only noticed it because there was orange "stuff" on the back of his pants.

Well he was leaking spinal fluid. Evidentally the tissue wasn't quite healed by the time his Steri-Strips came off, and he eventually sprung a leak! They stitched him up and gave us antibiotics "just in case." We don't want an infection again!

This was so bizarre. The physician's assistant asked a gal in the office to come help hold Austin on his side while she stitched his back. I was holding his shoulder area. The PA and I were just chatting away when...bam! The gal holding Austin's legs passed out and fell straight backward! I've never seen anything like it! She hit her head hard on the wall too. The doctor came in and took her in another room to check her out. It was crazy. I guess watching the procedure made her woozy. Supposedly she is starting school next week to be a physician's assistant. I don't know if she is gonna make it?

Austin is suppose to lie on his back as much as possible over the weekend. He is not real happy about it. It will be a movie weekend.

I'm starting to fill out my homeschool paperwork for the school district. I'm also trying to get a schedule and lesson plans organized. Boy, I am gonna be learning right along with Austin when it comes to the bible/social studies/science! It will be fun though. I'm still very excited about it. I had my first phone consultation with our special needs homeschool consultant, Sharon Hensley. She had some nice ideas for me, especially pertaining to comprehension.

We already started our reading program, and Austin is doing SO good with it! I'm very proud of him. And he really LOVES to learn. That helps!

We went shopping for school clothes this week. Austin got a Mario shirt and a Snape shirt (from Harry Potter). Amber got some things from her favorite stores: Hollister, American Eagle, and Pac Sun. Thank goodness there were some sales. That girl needs a job!

Home From Vacation

2007-07-29T19:35:00.000-05:00

Ahhhh, look at me! I'm getting fancy with the font and color. But more impressive, I've added an awesome picture trail of our vacation at the bottom of my page!

Our vacation was nice. The motel was called Bridges Bay Resort on Lake Okiboji. We had a nice kitchen, living room, and two bedrooms, and baths. It was so nice! We had a patio outside. Probably could have brought another family along with us! The motel had an indoor water park. We also went boating, fishing, shopping, putt-putt golfing, and to Arnold's Park. The park was a little stressful because there really wasn't anything Austin could ride. He rode the farris wheel and that was it. My backup plan was to take him to the Arcade while Amber and Kevin rode rides, but the Arcade was up a flight of stairs and across a bridge. Not accessible whatsoever. Austin is such a trooper though. If it bothered him he couldn't ride the rides, he didn't show it. I think it bothered me more.

Amber is such a water girl. If she had her way, we would have been in a boat the entire time. I think Austin liked it too. The kids also enjoyed fishing. They both caught a bullhead.

It was a nice time. Nothing terribly exciting, but it was so nice to get away for a few days!

First Blog

2007-07-24T21:05:00.000-05:00

Well, here I am attempting my first blog. I've always wanted to be a blogger, just wasn't sure how or what I would write. I'm still not sure ... HA!

I've been busy trying to organize for homeschooling. I've decided to homeschool Austin this year. Austin is 14 and he has cerebral palsy. He is wheelchair bound and very physically involved. He is nonverbal. I think he is pretty smart; however, it is really difficult to know what he really knows. My big goal for Austin is to get him reading and writing on the computer. This would open up a whole new world of opportunities for him.

Amber is 16. She just got her driver's license earlier this month. I think she has been gone every day since! It is nerve racking sometimes. I make her check in with me constantly! She did come home with a scratch on her car last night. She said she scratched it trying to turn around in the car wash parking lot. Hhmmnn. Well, she didn't want her dad to get mad, so she went to WalMart and bought some touch-up paint. Her car is green. The touch up paint was aqua blue. HA! It looks lovely (not).

Kevin just got back from a 4-wheeling trip. He tried climbing a steep hill and rolled his ATV backward. He is lucky he didn't get hurt. A year and a half ago he got in a snowmobile accident and broke his femur. It was a lovely time taking care of him (not). My Dad says I should consider upping my life insurance.

We have our own electrical contracting business. We have four employees. I handle the bookkeeping for the company. I was also doing some medical transcription from home, but I decided to give it up and concentrate on our new homeschooling venture.

We have three cocker spaniels. Skyler is black and white, 9 years old. We call him Scum. He likes prowling the neighborhood on garbage day. Jenna is all black, 8 years old. We call her Gurrl. She is cuddly but pesty. She wants petted all the time. Then there is Sammy. He is white and buff, 2 years old. He is still very much puppy. He LOVES rocks. He carries a rock around in his mouth at all times. He really loves it when you hide the rock and he can try and find it.

My best friend is my sister, Darcy. She is such a great person. She is married with 4 kids, three of which are triplets. I don't know how she manages to do all she does. I just love her.

My mom passed away three years ago from cancer. I miss her so much. She was the greatest woman who ever lived. She was beautiful and smart and funny. The only good thing that happened from her passing is that my Dad and I have become much closer. A very handsome and caring man he is.

Well, I guess that is it for now!