Mom to the Screaming Masses

The Plagues of 2013

Note: I had to type 2013 FOUR times because I kept typing 2012. I'm a WINNER that way.

One of my kids began to cough on Christmas Eve. Being that said kid is an asthmatic, like most of my kids, I knew the drill. We've been dealing with asthma for a looooong time. Increase the steroid component and it'll be fine.

Except that it wasn't. Cough, cough, cough - all day, all night - all Christmas break.I albuterol'ed the heck out of that kid.

We bumped up the steroid, we used the cough medicine that was advised, we treated as best we could. They were a couple of days where the cough backed off, but then the cough came back. Mostly at night, which for us has always been a straight up sign of asthma. I'm really pretty comfortable handling asthma, and I have a lot of faith in my kids pediatrician, and so she and I went back and forth. Twice I almost brought my kid in, but then the cough disappeared, and so I didn't.

Finally, I'd had enough, the kid had had enough, and we went in.

Where we were promptly sent for a chest x-ray, and given a diagnosis: walking pneumonia.

Feeling like the WORST PARENT EVER.

Two other children experienced asthma flares, but their lungs were clear, and so we were advised just to use the rescue meds. Which needed to be refilled.

My oldest daughter developed a pain in her back. She "Dr. Googled" herself, and was convinced she had a herniated disc - despite the fact that she had none of the symptoms. She went to the doctor, and heard the word fractures, and called me in a panic. She said she'd been told that she fractured a vertebrae.

We went for an x-ray. No fracture in the vertebrate. Instead, she has something known as Retrolisthesis. Muscle spasm, causing lots of tenderness and discomfort. Comes from somewhat weak muscles - said child does not one shred of exercise AND lifted some heavy boxes using her back.

What was actually said in the exam? "No evidence of fractures". Lesson there: listen to ALL THE WORDS - not just the ones you think might be important.

Nine days into the new year. Two sets of x-rays. Four visits to the pharmacy. Three doctor visits.

I'm pretty much over this already.

Moral of The Story: Read The Label

Yes. Yesterday was completely insane. Thankfully today was a bit better - the only thing I had to deal with was a migraine. <sigh>

I gave you several choices of blog topics a week (few weeks?) ago, and one of them was:

      *D) An allergic reaction that no one expected that lead to an anxiety attack*

One of my children has multiple anaphylactic food allergies. He's been able to drop both almond and coconut, but he's highly allergic to peanuts, cashews, macadamias and just about any other nut there is around.

Except donuts. He came up with that line when he was 6 and I laughed until I cried.

I'm careful with labels and I have taught him to check labels. It's HIS allergy, not mine, and I'm not always going to be there. It's his allergy and he has to be comfortable with it and around it - he also has to be able to stand up for himself in dealing with his allergy. Adults don't always take him seriously when he asks to check the labels, but I stand behind him for back up and encourage him to continue to ask.

I check labels on all of the food I buy. I thought that my other grocery purchasing partners in the house did so as well.

I was proven wrong last week.

The Very BEST Part of the Trip

It rained. And it rained and it rained and it rained.

We arrived on Thursday in a haze of warm weather and misty rains. The opening night beach party was hastily rescheduled indoors, and it was phenomenal to see some of the people we've been on the trip with for 7 years. In particular the organizers of the trip, an amazing couple who have followed me through times when I wasn't a very happy mother, traveling with an obviously messed up child, to now - what I feel is a happy person.

I could be wrong about that. Don't tell me. I like living in Pleasantville.

Doesn't this picture look amazing? This was the view from our room part of Thursday and Friday and part of Saturday.

One Week Later

It's been one week from the surgery, and I'm totally fine.

It's weird.

The only trouble that I had with the surgery was being tired from the anesthesia - and I know it's not possible, but I still feel easily wiped and think it might be from that. But physically? I feel exactly the same. I took four days off from exercise, lifted weights on Sunday, walked Monday and Tuesday, and went back to martial arts Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I also started a women's boot camp class Wednesday morning. I don't have the endurance I feel like I had before - but I have absolutely zero pain and no cramping. In fact, I only had cramping one day.

Now, I still need to wait a few months to see how everything falls into place - but I have only good to report thus far. 

If you were wondering...:)

Anyone Up For A Country Tune?

Because, seriously, if it weren't for bad luck the past three days, I'd have had no luck at all.

To whit:

• I had "situations" with three kids and school counselors
• I forgot to buy one kid the medicine he needed before I left
• My husband locked his keys in his car at the same time that
• My garage door opener broke
• which lead to my son trying to fix it and deleting all the codes
• which lead to us all being locked out of the house
• which meant I had to leave work in the middle of the shift
• which lead to my breaking in the house so that my kids could get in later after I'd left on my trip
• in time to answer the ringing phone telling me of fraudulent charges on my Debit card
• which lead to my card being closed
• two hours before I left to go out of town with no time to get to the bank
• which meant that I was traveling with $22, no toothbrush, one pair of underwear and the wrong socks - I left from work with no time to remedy said situation
• during a flight that was delayed for five hours, including more than 2 hours on the tarmac and a cat fight between two flight attendants and a gate supervisor and the captain had to get involved
• and I got a migraine which had me throwing up during the event which must not be named on this site (but I'll blog about it this weekend on Scrutiny) and sleeping in the ladies bathroom - I am SUCH a GREAT GUEST. I had said migraine for almost 36 hours.
• which lead me to eat junk food since it was the only thing that looked good,
• which caused me - due to dehydration from vomiting, excellent pharmaceuticals, lack of sleep and no good foods, including no vitamins - to developing a monster cramp in my calf during a WONDERFUL Muay Thai class and forced me to step out for the entire second half.
• Which means I'm going to soak in a hot tub and go to sleep and hope to attract better juju through good dreams.

A Boy and His Favorite Toys

I step on these things.  I vacuum them up.  I throw them away when I can get away with it.  They clutter his room - the one room they are allowed to remain. 

And yet, I can't help but take a little pride in the effort it takes, as well as the imagination it shows, to build one of these things...