.... Then two colds plus food poisoning in one week is definitely too much!
Enough said.
But don't think I'm complaining too loudly, because I was blessed beyond measure that this food poisoning was so minor - really, really minor - I was able to get up and function for most of the day. Praise God for that, because I have had enough food poisoning/stomach flu lately - this is the third time in about six months!
So I'm not complaining. But I would really like to knock it off with the gastroenteritis! Bad, bad germs!
This has been an odd couple of weeks. Right now I am having to learn to deal with a paradigm shift in our family, one that is common enough to most families, but which being both new to me and out of line with my personality, has been a super hard-sell. I hate to sound to mysterious - I'd love to write it all out, but I make it a point to write nothing on the internet that I wouldn't like the entire world to see. So for now, onward and upward in terms of uncomfortable and stretching personal growth!
DH is currently considering a possible new job opportunity.... It sounds absolutely wonderful, except in one (to me) essential aspect - it means that we would lose something like an hour and a half of his time every day. I realize that I've been blessed to have him home so early in the afternoons (he works an earlier shift and takes short lunches), but I find the prospect of losing that family time to be something along the lines of unthinkable. Partly because I enjoy his company, partly because I believe that "daddy time" is invaluable to the boys, and partly because the hours between "daddy's home!" and dinner have been the best part of our days for the past year. If this job change happens, we will be back to "daddy's home, let's eat dinner so the kids can jump into the bathtub and go straight to bed." For me, the schedule would be a deal-breaker (even though it's not even a bad schedule, as schedules go), but I understand why DH is excited about this possibility - it's with a great company doing something that he likes (he's been doing work not particularly well suited to him at his current post). So it's definitely a matter for prayer!!
And now off to try to clean up the mess that has happened while I've been too yucky-feeling to do anything about it! That, or to collapse on the couch. The latter looks preferable. Night, all!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Morning Sickness Articles
First, from a pregnancy site:
When Pregnancy Vomiting is Not OK
I found a couple of things in this article that seemed a bit odd; for example, I really doubt if a woman who goes to her OB/midwife vomiting blood will be told, "You probably have an oral infection!" Or rather, if a mother is told that, I think it's probably time to change providers - not just toothpaste brands. In other words, most women know the difference between "I need to brush more often" and "I'm throwing up so much that I'm actually vomiting blood." But anyway, I digress. Any publicity is helpful!
And in much more groundbreaking news, the preliminary findings from the USC HG study are in and (drum roll, please!) there does indeed appear to be a genetic causative factor for HG. Read here:
Severe Morning Sickness Runs in Families
From the article:
"Researchers found that women were more likely to experience a serious form of morning sickness if their mothers or sisters did as well.
"Looking specifically at a very severe form of nausea known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), the authors found that women with sisters who had HG were 17 times more likely to also develop HG." (emphasis mine)
So there you have it! Thoughts, anyone?
For myself, I don't know of any other women in my family who had HG. Unfortunately my knowledge of family history is limited, since (due to my parents having had me late in life, and their parents having had them late in life), all of my grandparents were dead before I even hit my teens (most of them before I was born). However, severe morning sickness is something that often lives on in family oral history, and I have heard nothing from either side of my family. My mother had ordinary garden-variety nausea - I'm not sure she even ever threw up. When HG hit me, she was really stumped as to what was going on (we all were, to be frank!). So for me, I don't seem to have a direct and obvious link.
However, I have heard of many other women who said that their HG/NVP ran in their families, and it's nice to know that so that siblings and daughters can be aware and prepared.
When Pregnancy Vomiting is Not OK
I found a couple of things in this article that seemed a bit odd; for example, I really doubt if a woman who goes to her OB/midwife vomiting blood will be told, "You probably have an oral infection!" Or rather, if a mother is told that, I think it's probably time to change providers - not just toothpaste brands. In other words, most women know the difference between "I need to brush more often" and "I'm throwing up so much that I'm actually vomiting blood." But anyway, I digress. Any publicity is helpful!
And in much more groundbreaking news, the preliminary findings from the USC HG study are in and (drum roll, please!) there does indeed appear to be a genetic causative factor for HG. Read here:
Severe Morning Sickness Runs in Families
From the article:
"Researchers found that women were more likely to experience a serious form of morning sickness if their mothers or sisters did as well.
"Looking specifically at a very severe form of nausea known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), the authors found that women with sisters who had HG were 17 times more likely to also develop HG." (emphasis mine)
So there you have it! Thoughts, anyone?
For myself, I don't know of any other women in my family who had HG. Unfortunately my knowledge of family history is limited, since (due to my parents having had me late in life, and their parents having had them late in life), all of my grandparents were dead before I even hit my teens (most of them before I was born). However, severe morning sickness is something that often lives on in family oral history, and I have heard nothing from either side of my family. My mother had ordinary garden-variety nausea - I'm not sure she even ever threw up. When HG hit me, she was really stumped as to what was going on (we all were, to be frank!). So for me, I don't seem to have a direct and obvious link.
However, I have heard of many other women who said that their HG/NVP ran in their families, and it's nice to know that so that siblings and daughters can be aware and prepared.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Two Colds in One Week....
.... is really too much!
Yes, two colds in one week is really pushing it. I've had enough!
Last Friday, we went to a lovely wedding. Saturday morning, we (DH, DS and myself) woke up with the beginnings of a cold - DS more advanced than DH and I, so we're assuming that he brought it home. Thankfully, it was a super-super minor cold - the kind where you just feel a wee bit under the weather and are back to normal within a few days. The kind of cold where your body laughs scornfully at said virus - "Bring it on, you weakling!"
Apparently it took us at our word.
On Wednesday, DH woke up and said, "Oh gosh, I feel horrible." Enter cold #2. DH stayed at home for two days, and then I woke up with it on Friday (it hit properly today). We're waiting to see if baby or our eldest will be hit with #2. In the meantime, DS missed an entire week of preschool and AWANA (with cold #1 - he was never really "sick" sick, but I feel bad sending a sniffling kid in), we had to cancel baby's therapy and a multitude of other events, and we're just waiting for #2 to run its course.
I wish that life could just stop when one is sick! It would be lovely to be able to retire properly to bed and just rest when sick... instead of having to draggingly continue through life and child/baby-care. But enough complaining.
I'd update properly, but I'm dead tired - and sick! So until later... enjoy your Sabbath!!
Yes, two colds in one week is really pushing it. I've had enough!
Last Friday, we went to a lovely wedding. Saturday morning, we (DH, DS and myself) woke up with the beginnings of a cold - DS more advanced than DH and I, so we're assuming that he brought it home. Thankfully, it was a super-super minor cold - the kind where you just feel a wee bit under the weather and are back to normal within a few days. The kind of cold where your body laughs scornfully at said virus - "Bring it on, you weakling!"
Apparently it took us at our word.
On Wednesday, DH woke up and said, "Oh gosh, I feel horrible." Enter cold #2. DH stayed at home for two days, and then I woke up with it on Friday (it hit properly today). We're waiting to see if baby or our eldest will be hit with #2. In the meantime, DS missed an entire week of preschool and AWANA (with cold #1 - he was never really "sick" sick, but I feel bad sending a sniffling kid in), we had to cancel baby's therapy and a multitude of other events, and we're just waiting for #2 to run its course.
I wish that life could just stop when one is sick! It would be lovely to be able to retire properly to bed and just rest when sick... instead of having to draggingly continue through life and child/baby-care. But enough complaining.
I'd update properly, but I'm dead tired - and sick! So until later... enjoy your Sabbath!!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Doctor #Something-or-Other: Chiropractor
Today I took baby to see our wonderful-and-amazing chiropractor, Dr. Jenny (who specializes in pregnancy care but also does regular chiropractic care), and while we were there also got her take on infant reflux. She has recommended weekly adjustments (hurray!) plus probiotics, so we're starting that immediately. We have time for 3 adjustments total before our GI consult, so we're going to see if we can make a dent in this thing significant enough to avoid the reflux test (of course, if baby's back-arching problems are non-reflux-caused, it won't make a difference). Here goes! Anything to avoid the reflux test.
Having a busy weekend! A lovely wedding last night, and Halloween tomorrow before a busy week starts. I'd write more, but I should be doing dishes! Cheers, all!
Having a busy weekend! A lovely wedding last night, and Halloween tomorrow before a busy week starts. I'd write more, but I should be doing dishes! Cheers, all!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Brief Doctor Updates
The briefest of updates, as I'm dead tired and ought to be in bed!
Today we started DSI therapy (play therapy) with baby - today was just the interview/evaluation, so the real thing will start in two weeks. We have a very sweet therapist.
Today we also saw baby's ped for his 1-year check-up (we're super-late). My most important/urgent question for him was - Do we, or do we not, need to do the GI test and the brain MRI? His answer was a reluctant, "Yes, do them and do them now" - reluctant because he dislikes the tests as much as I do, but he does believe that they are necessary. His word is good enough for me, so we are now in scheduling phase.
Then lastly, an interesting/amusing exchange between me, our geneticist's office, and our insurance.
Phone call #1 - from the geneticist:
Them: Just spoke to your insurance, and they won't cover the diagnostic blood test X because they don't cover any genetic testing.
Me: *Gulp*
Phone call #2 - to our insurance:
Me: Do you cover diagnostic blood test X?
Them: Yup, it's covered!
Me: Hmm.
Phone call #3 - to geneticist
Me: They say it's covered!
Them: Really? Did you check the specific codes?
Me: No... oops. Will do.
Phone call #4 - to our insurance
Me: Are these codes covered?
Them: Yup! All covered 100%!
Me: Yay!
Phone call #5 - to the geneticist
Me: They say it's all covered!
Them: Did you specifically say "genetic testing"?
Me: Nope... oops. Will do.
Phone call #6 - to our insurance
Me: Do you cover genetic testing?
Them (now a different person): Nope, all genetic testing is excluded from your policy - none of it is covered. The first person you spoke to didn't know what she was talking about.
Me: Ah.
So after all that, the end result is that the test (which costs thousands of dollars) is not covered. The insurance gave me the appeal process, which we are now beginning. If it doesn't go through, then we will have to give up the hope of diagnosis and just treat symptoms and then hope for a clinical (i.e. symptom-based) diagnosis from our geneticist at a later date as more of his symptoms emerge with age. Not satisfactory to me - like most Americans, I like pinned-down labels! But we'll see where this whole thing goes... there are a lot of different possibilities out there, and we're just beginning.
My goodness, the medical system is exasperating!
Night, all!
Today we started DSI therapy (play therapy) with baby - today was just the interview/evaluation, so the real thing will start in two weeks. We have a very sweet therapist.
Today we also saw baby's ped for his 1-year check-up (we're super-late). My most important/urgent question for him was - Do we, or do we not, need to do the GI test and the brain MRI? His answer was a reluctant, "Yes, do them and do them now" - reluctant because he dislikes the tests as much as I do, but he does believe that they are necessary. His word is good enough for me, so we are now in scheduling phase.
Then lastly, an interesting/amusing exchange between me, our geneticist's office, and our insurance.
Phone call #1 - from the geneticist:
Them: Just spoke to your insurance, and they won't cover the diagnostic blood test X because they don't cover any genetic testing.
Me: *Gulp*
Phone call #2 - to our insurance:
Me: Do you cover diagnostic blood test X?
Them: Yup, it's covered!
Me: Hmm.
Phone call #3 - to geneticist
Me: They say it's covered!
Them: Really? Did you check the specific codes?
Me: No... oops. Will do.
Phone call #4 - to our insurance
Me: Are these codes covered?
Them: Yup! All covered 100%!
Me: Yay!
Phone call #5 - to the geneticist
Me: They say it's all covered!
Them: Did you specifically say "genetic testing"?
Me: Nope... oops. Will do.
Phone call #6 - to our insurance
Me: Do you cover genetic testing?
Them (now a different person): Nope, all genetic testing is excluded from your policy - none of it is covered. The first person you spoke to didn't know what she was talking about.
Me: Ah.
So after all that, the end result is that the test (which costs thousands of dollars) is not covered. The insurance gave me the appeal process, which we are now beginning. If it doesn't go through, then we will have to give up the hope of diagnosis and just treat symptoms and then hope for a clinical (i.e. symptom-based) diagnosis from our geneticist at a later date as more of his symptoms emerge with age. Not satisfactory to me - like most Americans, I like pinned-down labels! But we'll see where this whole thing goes... there are a lot of different possibilities out there, and we're just beginning.
My goodness, the medical system is exasperating!
Night, all!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Updates on Baby
I forgot to mention that we had baby's evaluation with occupational therapy (i.e. fine motor skill therapy) on Friday. It was done by an excellent therapist at our house. Baby (who is now almost 14 mos.) measured, by ability/mobility/etc. to be in the 4-5 mos. category, which is where he has been rated by his other therapy and medical evaluations.
The recommendation was made that we begin OT with baby, but after discussing the issue with our DDD coordinator, we have decided to hold off on that, simply because we just can't take too much more! We're already slated for physical therapy and DSI therapy (I can never remember what that stands for), not to mention oodles of more specialist appointments - so we've agreed that we'll reevaluate at the beginning of the year. I'm so thankful - I'm pretty much at my limit for appointments and such.
On Monday we see our pediatrician for baby's check-up - thank goodness! I have half a million questions to ask him, the most important of which are his opinion on the advisability of the GI test and/or the brain MRI. We have a really good working relationship with our pediatrician - he is super-non-interventionist, and prefers to let nature take its course, so if he thinks that these tests are necessary, I will feel completely reassured that they are necessary and that we should go ahead with them. It's great to have a trust relationship with care providers! It's kind of like the relationship we have with our midwife. If she said "You need a c-section!", I would say "Hand me a knife!" - because we have such a strong bond of trust and friendship, and I have seen her be so honest and respectful of my decisions, that when she gives advice in an emergency, I don't need to question it. It's pretty much the same with our pediatrician! So I'm hoping he'll be brimming over with advice on Monday, because we can sure use it!
Right now, besides therapy, baby is scheduled in November for an ophthalmological (eye) evaluation, a physical therapy evaluation, and a GI consult (preparatory to the reflux test, if we go ahead with that), and we'll also be doing the micro-array blood test as soon as paperwork for that arrives. It's going to be a busy month - hopefully a productive one!
I have to admit to feeling somewhat frustrated over this whole thing.... Over the past two months, we have met with something like six or seven (or eight or nine) caregivers, had countless evaluations/exams, done two blood draws, an EKG and an ultrasound, spent several hundred dollars in co-pays, and run all over the Phoenix valley.... and it seems that no one really knows what is going on, nor are we much closer to a diagnosis. Or rather, it's not quite that bad. We have gained a lot of fragmented information, seen a lot of people and forged a lot of good working relationships, checked a lot of specialists off of our to-do list, and ruled out a lot of possibilities - it's just that we are lacking any sort of final diagnosis or coherent direction with regards to treatment.
One thing that bothers me about the medical scene is that it is so fragmented. Each doctor gives you his/her opinion, but each doctor is working in a vacuum, so it's impossible to draw all the cords together. What we really need is all of those doctors together with us in one room for a few hours so that they could bounce ideas off of each other and argue up a storm while they discussed ideas. I think that would be much more helpful than trying to network all of these individual doctors and practices together long-distance via faxed reports. I also see why working the medical system takes so long - with delays and long time spans between contact and actual appointments, it could easily be another 4-6 months before we have anything concrete. Yikes!
Okay, off to do something more concrete! I'll update after Monday's appointment.
The recommendation was made that we begin OT with baby, but after discussing the issue with our DDD coordinator, we have decided to hold off on that, simply because we just can't take too much more! We're already slated for physical therapy and DSI therapy (I can never remember what that stands for), not to mention oodles of more specialist appointments - so we've agreed that we'll reevaluate at the beginning of the year. I'm so thankful - I'm pretty much at my limit for appointments and such.
On Monday we see our pediatrician for baby's check-up - thank goodness! I have half a million questions to ask him, the most important of which are his opinion on the advisability of the GI test and/or the brain MRI. We have a really good working relationship with our pediatrician - he is super-non-interventionist, and prefers to let nature take its course, so if he thinks that these tests are necessary, I will feel completely reassured that they are necessary and that we should go ahead with them. It's great to have a trust relationship with care providers! It's kind of like the relationship we have with our midwife. If she said "You need a c-section!", I would say "Hand me a knife!" - because we have such a strong bond of trust and friendship, and I have seen her be so honest and respectful of my decisions, that when she gives advice in an emergency, I don't need to question it. It's pretty much the same with our pediatrician! So I'm hoping he'll be brimming over with advice on Monday, because we can sure use it!
Right now, besides therapy, baby is scheduled in November for an ophthalmological (eye) evaluation, a physical therapy evaluation, and a GI consult (preparatory to the reflux test, if we go ahead with that), and we'll also be doing the micro-array blood test as soon as paperwork for that arrives. It's going to be a busy month - hopefully a productive one!
I have to admit to feeling somewhat frustrated over this whole thing.... Over the past two months, we have met with something like six or seven (or eight or nine) caregivers, had countless evaluations/exams, done two blood draws, an EKG and an ultrasound, spent several hundred dollars in co-pays, and run all over the Phoenix valley.... and it seems that no one really knows what is going on, nor are we much closer to a diagnosis. Or rather, it's not quite that bad. We have gained a lot of fragmented information, seen a lot of people and forged a lot of good working relationships, checked a lot of specialists off of our to-do list, and ruled out a lot of possibilities - it's just that we are lacking any sort of final diagnosis or coherent direction with regards to treatment.
One thing that bothers me about the medical scene is that it is so fragmented. Each doctor gives you his/her opinion, but each doctor is working in a vacuum, so it's impossible to draw all the cords together. What we really need is all of those doctors together with us in one room for a few hours so that they could bounce ideas off of each other and argue up a storm while they discussed ideas. I think that would be much more helpful than trying to network all of these individual doctors and practices together long-distance via faxed reports. I also see why working the medical system takes so long - with delays and long time spans between contact and actual appointments, it could easily be another 4-6 months before we have anything concrete. Yikes!
Okay, off to do something more concrete! I'll update after Monday's appointment.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Camping Trip #2 for the Year
This past weekend we had our second two-child camping trip - this time to Lost Dutchman State Park, located outside of Apache Junction, AZ, at the foot of the Superstition Mountains.
All in all, a good trip!
By which I mean that we're all alive, relatively unscathed, and still on moderately good speaking terms with each other.
Anyhow...
After we got our camp site and ate lunch, we realized that it was too hot and shadeless to stick around, so we drove back to Goldfield Ghost Town, an attraction we'd noticed on the way in - only 1/4 mile away from the campground.
It was fun! We didn't stay long, but we did take the train - how could we not? - which our eldest greatly enjoyed. Here's the view from the train:
There are two places to ride - an open-air car or the caboose. We were put in the caboose. A word to the wise - do NOT go in the caboose. Hot, airless, enclosed, hard to see anything, and impossible to hear the driver (he gives a brief history of the Superstition Mountains). But still fun!
Pictures of the ghost town - I have no idea what is real and what is "yea olde ghost town" invented for tourists:
Our eldest's favorite - an antique steam tractor that is the exact likeness of "Trevor" on Thomas the Tank Engine:
The church - "Church on the Mount" - still a functioning church, and my ideal church building - loved it!!!
The church's minuscule Sunday School/fellowship hall - adorable!
Our camp!
Our car with the Superstitions in the background:
We actually ended up taking two cars with us because we had SO MUCH STUFF. And believe it or not, I did my absolute best to pack lightly. Crazy.
Baby waking up from his nap! He didn't get very good naps during our trip, and the next day (when we came home) he took five naps - basically slept the entire day away! Poor baby, he was so tired!
The two most exciting parts of the trip for our son - the TENT and the AIR MATTRESS. Life doesn't get any better.
Our camp kitchen - hot dogs, SPAM, baked beans, marshmallows.
Baby sacked out in his stroller.
Our eldest's attempt at photography.
So... we had fun! Outdoor cooking, a visit to a local attraction, two trips back into town for forgotten supplies (tarp and lantern batteries... and ice cream while we were at it), half an hour driving around Apache Junction while we waited for the sun to go down, a walk around the campground, and all the fun of sleeping four people in a tiny tent. Wildlife: Lots of desert birds, flocks of quail, tons of coyotes at night (I love their sounds!!), a spider tunnel so big that it must have belonged to a tarantula, ground squirrels, and others.
The downside to the trip was the fact that one of our party simply has a hard time with camping. So beside all the fun, it was rather stressful. So when we got back, we had a long discussion about how we can make our camping trips less stressful, and we've come up with ideas that we're going to try - possibly renting a tent trailer, or trying to find a cabin, etc. etc. However, this trip was much less stressful than our last, so we're at least making progress!
Another factor to consider was that this trip, like all others, turned out to be much more expensive than we anticipated. We have allotted $15 per month for "camping money," and I had $25 for this trip - $15 for our camp site and $10 for unforeseen expenses. The actuality? The cost was more like $75 when we added up camp site, train ride, trip #1 for supplies (and a toy), trip #2 for supplies, ice cream, and lunch when we got back because we were too tired to cook. So my $25 was completely insufficient! However, as we only go twice a year, saving $15 per month should work out pretty well for future trips - I'll just have to be sure to have enough saved up. The trials of learning a budget!
But all in all, a success!
All in all, a good trip!
By which I mean that we're all alive, relatively unscathed, and still on moderately good speaking terms with each other.
Anyhow...
After we got our camp site and ate lunch, we realized that it was too hot and shadeless to stick around, so we drove back to Goldfield Ghost Town, an attraction we'd noticed on the way in - only 1/4 mile away from the campground.
It was fun! We didn't stay long, but we did take the train - how could we not? - which our eldest greatly enjoyed. Here's the view from the train:
There are two places to ride - an open-air car or the caboose. We were put in the caboose. A word to the wise - do NOT go in the caboose. Hot, airless, enclosed, hard to see anything, and impossible to hear the driver (he gives a brief history of the Superstition Mountains). But still fun!
Pictures of the ghost town - I have no idea what is real and what is "yea olde ghost town" invented for tourists:
Our eldest's favorite - an antique steam tractor that is the exact likeness of "Trevor" on Thomas the Tank Engine:
The church - "Church on the Mount" - still a functioning church, and my ideal church building - loved it!!!
The church's minuscule Sunday School/fellowship hall - adorable!
Our camp!
Our car with the Superstitions in the background:
We actually ended up taking two cars with us because we had SO MUCH STUFF. And believe it or not, I did my absolute best to pack lightly. Crazy.
Baby waking up from his nap! He didn't get very good naps during our trip, and the next day (when we came home) he took five naps - basically slept the entire day away! Poor baby, he was so tired!
The two most exciting parts of the trip for our son - the TENT and the AIR MATTRESS. Life doesn't get any better.
Our camp kitchen - hot dogs, SPAM, baked beans, marshmallows.
Baby sacked out in his stroller.
Our eldest's attempt at photography.
So... we had fun! Outdoor cooking, a visit to a local attraction, two trips back into town for forgotten supplies (tarp and lantern batteries... and ice cream while we were at it), half an hour driving around Apache Junction while we waited for the sun to go down, a walk around the campground, and all the fun of sleeping four people in a tiny tent. Wildlife: Lots of desert birds, flocks of quail, tons of coyotes at night (I love their sounds!!), a spider tunnel so big that it must have belonged to a tarantula, ground squirrels, and others.
The downside to the trip was the fact that one of our party simply has a hard time with camping. So beside all the fun, it was rather stressful. So when we got back, we had a long discussion about how we can make our camping trips less stressful, and we've come up with ideas that we're going to try - possibly renting a tent trailer, or trying to find a cabin, etc. etc. However, this trip was much less stressful than our last, so we're at least making progress!
Another factor to consider was that this trip, like all others, turned out to be much more expensive than we anticipated. We have allotted $15 per month for "camping money," and I had $25 for this trip - $15 for our camp site and $10 for unforeseen expenses. The actuality? The cost was more like $75 when we added up camp site, train ride, trip #1 for supplies (and a toy), trip #2 for supplies, ice cream, and lunch when we got back because we were too tired to cook. So my $25 was completely insufficient! However, as we only go twice a year, saving $15 per month should work out pretty well for future trips - I'll just have to be sure to have enough saved up. The trials of learning a budget!
But all in all, a success!
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