In need of a vacation

I have been sick for weeks with allergies/sinus issues so didn't really think much of my headache that started on Monday when we were on our way home from Savannah.  Nor did I find it odd that I kept blacking out every time I bent over to pick something up.  I didn't realize I was really sick until I was screaming out in pain in the middle of night because my ears, eyes, and head hurt so bad I couldn't stand it and I got to spend the better part of last night in the ER.  After a cocktail of meds I'm feeling much better and have learned a valuable lesson...apparently if you have acute sinusitis and haven't slept in about 2 years your head may virtually explode so you probably want to seek medical attention before you end up in the ER.  I know we just got home but I'm in desperate need of a vacation!

No hop in your step

The first thing I think of on Easter Sunday is not Easter baskets or egg hunts, but going to have Easter dinner at Camp Gooey's!  Despite the horrible weather and Maison not feeling well we wouldn't miss it.  Maison was greeted by oodles of presents and another Easter basket so I thought she would start to feel better but she just really isn't herself today...definitely missing the usual hop in her step.

"Look at that!  Mickey Bowling."  

Checking out my Easter basket from Nooey & G'Daddy

"Can I open this?"

HAPPY EASTER!

Not Dashing

I should be logged in to give you my race report for the Dash Down Greenville but I'm not because I didn't run. No, not because I hurt myself again. Poor Maison has bronchitis and has literally not slept through the night the entire week. She coughs herself awake and has coughed to the point of vomiting. Besides breathing treatments there is not much they can do for her since she still can't take antibiotics.

So driving to Greenville in the St. Patrick's day crowd was not high on the to do list at 6:15 this morning. Considering it's a 30 min drive normally and running a 5k would take less time than the drive down, I decided to sit this one out. More time to nurse my sweet baby back to health!

Worth the Surgery

When we got home from the hospital I realized we hadn't gotten Maison a post-surgery gift. With all the chaos of Christmas and Hanukkah shopping I didn't even think about it. I asked Adam to go to Tom Thumb to get her a Snoopy dressed up like Santa we had seen the last time we were there. It was about 3 feet tall and we had only seen it at a distance so I wasn't sure if it was a stuffed animal or a decoration. I did say if it wasn't soft like a stuffed animal to get her something else.

Some how Adam's trip to Tom Thumb turned into a trip to Costco for a 46" flat screen TV and to Apple for an Apple TV so Maison could lay in Mommy and Daddy's bed and watch her movies. And I'm the reason Maison is spoiled?

Maybe I need to send Adam to the store more often...Or better yet maybe I need to have a surgery of sorts to see what he comes home with for me. Do cosmetic surgeries count???

It's over...

Maison's surgery is over! All went well...ear tubes in, adenoids out, no antibiotics during surgery or expected post-surgery. Complete success...now just praying this wards off future need for antibiotics and future c-diff infections!

Surgery is a go...

We just left Dr. Huang's office, or Japanese "Wong" as we call her so she won't be confused with Maison's ped, Dr. Wong, and Maison's surgery on Wednesday is a go. We had high hopes that her ears got better while we were in Atlanta and the surgery wouldn't be required, but they are still infected. Since she still has c-diff, there are no other treatments at this point so we will be proceed with the ear tube placement/adenoid removal surgery.

Say what?

We have decided to go to Atlanta for my Annie Boo's 90th birthday party despite the fact Maison still has c-diff. I took her to Dr. Wong to see if her ear had gotten any worse and to see what I would be up against during our travels. Dr. Wong confirmed Maison has another ear infection. Given her c-diff infection, she cannot take antibiotics to treat the ear infection so Dr. Wong concurred with Dr. Russo and recommended that we proceed with the ear tubes...today. Say what? Today? As in right now? Before we leave at 5:00am for a 14 hour road trip???

Yes, that is exactly what she meant. She referred us to an ENT, Dr. Huang (also pronounced Wong), for a consult. Dr. Huang agreed that doing the ear tubes was a good preventative treatment for the c-diff infections but she also recommended taking out her adenoids which is too invasive of a surgery to do on the spur of the moment. Besides they can't even book an OR that fast so surgery is on hold until we get back from Atlanta. Looks like tomorrow we will head out with a 2 year old with an untreated ear infection and a c-diff infection...sounds awesome!

The Ear is Connected to the Stomach

I had a consult with Dr. Russo this morning regarding Maison's c-diff relapse. His recommended course of treatment is ear surgery. Yes, you heard me right. Ear surgery to solve a G.I. issue.

Nasal drainage leads to ear infections.

Ear infections lead to antibiotics.

Antibiotics lead to c-diff.

So to ward off possible c-diff infections he is recommending ear tubes. Apparently, every part of the body IS connected!

Speechless...

I just got off the phone with Maison's doctor...the c-diff is back!

Maison had double ear infections at the beginning of November that were treated with a short course of antibiotics. As we walked out of Dr. Russo's office on Nov. 3 with a clean bill of health, he warned us not to give Maison antibiotics for any reason unless there were no other options. Unfortunately, he was right...

Just 2 days after finishing up the antibiotics, the 'c-diff' symptoms came back. Saturday we took Maison to the doctor because she was already pulling on her ear again and complaining that it hurt. Her ear had fluid but was not an infection, yet. We had the on-call doctor call in the stool studies and he just called to confirm the c-diff was positive.

I knew Thanksgiving night that it was back but didn't want to believe it. I told my mom my suspicions and she told me not to borrow trouble. Unfortunately, I was right. Our family's nightmare it back...I'm speechless...

Released!

Maison was diagnosed with c-diff more than a year ago. It proved to be one of the most challenging years of our lives that not only took us through endless rounds of c-diff treatments, but also sugar intolerance, dairy intolerance, and soy intolerance. And today it is over. Maybe you didn't hear me...it's O-VA! Yes, Dr. Russo released Maison. Our child who thus far was deprived of cupcakes and ice cream can now eat anything she wants. Hearing Dr. Russo say, "Well, I'm going to go ahead and say my good byes." was one of the best sentences I have ever heard in my life.

It's true what THEY say...

I have heard a million times, "as soon as your child starts school they will be sick all the time." I always thought that was just something what they say until last Friday. After only 5 days of school Maison came home with a 102 degree fever and a runny nose. I immediately took her to Dr. Wong as I didn't want to go through the whole weekend not knowing what she had. I was assured it was just a cold and some fever related to two year molars coming through.

Saturday we went to my parents to watch the horror of a TX/OU game and I game home feeling quite ill. I thought my illness was due to the ass kicking we received from our biggest rival or from the amount of Chardonnay I had consumed to wash a way my sorrows but realized I was wrong when Adam became sick on Sunday.

So today we found out that Miss Maison didn't bring home a common cold, she brought home the flu. I was quite floored when my doctor told me I did not have strep but I had type A flu....AWE-SOME. What's more awesome than type A flu? That would be your husband having type B flu. Yes, that's what you call a good ole fashion blasty-blast. 2 sick parents with the flu and a sick child with unconfirmed 2 types of flu.

I really wish they weren't right...

F.M.L

F.M.L. [F M L] - acronym meaning "f**k my life" or spraining my ankle for the ump-teenth time playing soccer before two major athletic events that I actually care about.

Normally this would just be a minor inconvenience to my athletic endeavors but when said sprain occurs less than two weeks before the Blackland Tri in Plano and exactly 3 weeks before the Plano Balloon Festival half marathon it is definitely a F.M.L!

Hospital Times Two

It's only Tuesday and this has already been one of the worst weeks ever. Yesterday around lunch my mother was taken to the ER with chest pains, trouble breathing, vomiting, and extreme back and leg pain. She was given oxygen and a morphine drip and the ER doctors thought she was on the verge of having a heart attack. After consultations with her cardiologist and hematologist, she released herself and went to suffer in the privacy of her own home. This morning her cardiologist told her it wasn't her heart and to go see her GP and/or hematologist. They both agreed she was fighting off a major infection as her white blood count was only .9 (yes, less than 1) and she was extremely dehydrated. Aside from giving her painkillers and antibiotics, no one is doing anything for her despite the fact she can barely breathe and has trouble moving at all.

As if that wasn't enough to worry about, Maison had an appointment with the GI specialist at Children's hospital today. Normally I would have cancelled, given my mother's condition, but it took us 3 months to get in and see this doctor so I didn't want to chance rescheduling. Good news is he agreed Maison's current stomach issues may be due to a soy intolerance as our pediatrician thought. Bad news is he thinks she's extremely underweight for her age and height and wants her on a weight gain diet. He has referred us to a dietitian at Children's who will be assisting us in working more calories into Maison's diet. So far it seems we need to give Maison pretty much anything someone on a diet would not eat. Cream sauces, extra dressing, mayo on sandwiches, mass amounts of peanut butter. Hope this lady has tips on how to get her to eat it!

Raised Right

Maison has not been feeling well the last couple of weeks so I took her to the doctor this morning. She has the same symptoms as before so we are back to poop test galore (such fun for Mommy!), doctor visits, phone calls with the GI specialist, etc. While we were in Dr. Wong's, or the Wongster as Adam calls her, waiting room a little girl was climbing on the chairs and standing up in them. Maison pointed at her and said, "Sit down!" I have had to tell Maison at least 100 times a day since she could walk to sit down on furniture, in the tub, in her crib, you name it. I was so proud when she told Isabella to sit down. As Clairee says in Steel Magnolias, "That's because you were raised right."

Croupie 19 months

Maison turned 19 months old today and we celebrated with our third trip to the doctor this week. We've been through several days of 102 degree fevers, stomach virus, and now croup. I think we picked up croup at the doctor's office when we were there Wednesday for stomach virus and fever. It's been one hell of a week....

But today is Maison's 19 month b-day so she celebrated just the same.

"I don't feel good, I guess I'll watch some TV."

"I'm bored..."

"What, it's my birthday?"

"Maybe, I'll play in my house."

"What's that? Do I hear Itsy Bitsy Spider?"

"I LOVE Itsy Bitsy Spider!"

"I'm so excited I'll turn my ball house into a slide."

"Happy Birthday, to me!"

Sober Sick House

Saturday I went swimming at LA Fitness and shortly thereafter developed a sore throat. I almost always have a sore throat after swimming, most likely because of the large amounts of chlorine that are in public pools, so I didn't think much of it. Sunday morning I went and played soccer, despite not feeling quite right. By the time I got home I really didn't feel good at all and discovered that I had a 101 degree fever. On Monday, it had turned into a full blown cold and I was miserable enough to take myself to the doctor only to find out that due to my breastfeeding and my drug allergies (no penicillin!) there wasn't a whole lot they could do for me other than give me a z-pack and send me on my way. Today is THURSDAY, I have missed 3 days of work, have not been able to tend to Maison since Monday, and I STILL have a fever, and still feel like stir fried ass despite 4 days of a 5 day z-pack....AWE-SOME!

To make matters worse, Maison started running a fever on Tuesday. We thought it could be due to her teething but since she had been exposed to my illness we thought we should play it safe and take her in to see the Dr. Not only does lil M have my illness, she also has a bad ear infection. All of this on top of teething...poor little noodle bug!!!

TOTAL ASIDE STORY:
When we were at the ped's office, this lady that checked in before me was told she had a $73 balance. This is the conversation that followed:
Receptionist: You have a $73 balance on your account that needs to be taken care of before you see the doctor.
The lady: Do I have to?
Receptionist: If you can only make partial payment that is ok.
The lady: Why, is there a balance? ...We were never billed...It's new insurance.
Receptionist: This is the balance remaining after the NEW insurance was filed
The lady: I'm trying to think...

Yes, trying to think...trying to think of another excuse to not pay up! I see why doctors are such sticklers on payment at time of service...

So...back to the story:
I really couldn't decide who had it worse...Adam or me? Adam had to take care of Maison completely by himself since I was not supposed to be around her until my fever broke. So not only am I sick, I cannot take care of my sweet little Maison during her first illness and it's KILLING ME!!!

I have decided I have it worse than Adam because I have been 'sober' through this entire ordeal. Yes, I quit coke on Tues April 5. Like a meth addict that is given painkillers to help with withdrawal, I have started drinking iced tea to help ease my way off caffeine. It pains me every time I drive to Sonic and have to order tea instead of coke and I haven't been to a Race Trac in 10 days, yes, TEN DAYS!!! Nope, can't even bring myself to get gas there because I won't be able to stay away from the crushed ice, fizzy, yummy goodness, of a 44 oz diet coke. Oh, my mouth is watering right now just thinking about it....

On second thought, maybe Adam does have it worse than me...he's dealing with a sick child and a sick wife who's going through withdrawal. Yes, Adam DEFINITELY has it worse....time to call Dr. Drew. I need to check into the Sober Sick House!