Road to Recovery

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

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

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!

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

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.