It's a boy

Sam had her ultrasound today. They are having a boy. Elliott is on cloud nine! For right now, he is Bryce Thomas. Elliott wants the middle name to be Thomas because that name has been used every generation for eons. Not an unreasonable request.
I have decided to give Sam a little more support. Elliott has told me some about her family and her upbringing. Her life has not been an easy (or stable) one. Because of this, it is difficult for her to trust people. This is true of anyone who has lived the way she has. Maybe God sent her to us so that she could learn how normal (dysfunctional) families act. We can have fights, conflicts, disagreements, whatever and then forgive each other. It doesn't have to come to physical violence or abuse and it doesn't have to involve someone going to jail. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to go to timeout. I don't mind going to timeout. It gives me a chance to sort things out before I say something I might regret later.
I do feel a pang of sadness for Catie and Ben. Little Buddha would be here now. They are still working through their IF issues. I pray that God will bless them and I know that it will be in His time. But it would be nice if He could send happy news to them soon. Every month that goes by is more frustrating and disappointing for them. Catie has asked me not to write about her, but I feel the need to. I will try not to disclose too much info. I don't want her to be upset with me.
I feel like I'm straddling a fence. Elliott and Sam are so excited about their baby and I want to be excited with them. At this point, while I would prefer that they were married, I can understand why they're not. I pray that they will be a happy, healthy, loving family regardless of their marital status.
On the other hand, I hate to act excited around Catie. She's a tough girl and has fared much better than others in her situation. The fact remains, though, that having a baby will be more difficult for her. I will be overjoyed when her time comes.

MRI

The MRI is done! I didn't qualify for the contrast part of the test, so it was just a non-contrast study. Before the test, I had to answer all of the questions that I usually ask. When The "Metal plates or screws in you head" question is asked, I always think about Cousin Eddie in Christmas Vacation-"When the microwave's on, I piss my pants and forget who I am for about 30 minutes"! Gotta find a laugh where you can!
The table is narrow, wide enough for Mary-Kate Olsen on a thin day! I had to put my head in a foam brace. A lead plate was put over my chest (to protect my heart from radiation) and a mask was screwed onto that. I felt like a hockey goalie! I was instructed not to move my tongue or lips as that would cause distortion in the images. When you're told not to do something, what do you immediately have the urge to do?!? I was given ear plugs because the tube is noisy. Then I was slid into the tube. I had my eyes closed! I opened my eyes to see where I was. The mask I was wearing was about an inch away from the tip of my nose. The top of the tube was maybe 6 inches away from the mask. Cramped quarters. I closed my eyes again. A series of noises, some like the whistle on a diesel train, some buzzing, some like an electrical popping, started. Buzz, pop, powpowpow, buzzzzzzzzz, click, clikc. It was noisy with the ear plugs in! My left elbow was wedged up against the side of the tube. It started to feel hot, then numb, then hotter! I didn't know that the tube could burn you! After about 20 minutes, the test was over. The mask and breastplate were removed. When I tried to get up and walk, I was dizzy. What a surprise! Didn't know I'd be dizzy afterward. Good info to share next time I send a patient for an MRI of their head or neck.
Now comes the hard part: waiting for the results. I'm hoping that a pinched nerve will explain my unusual (abnormal) reflexes. I'm afraid of the other possibilities.

Some nerve!

On Monday, I went to the DO to have my shoulder examined. He and his student did a really thorough exam and found some weird stuff. First of all, my right second rib was out of place. The student was able to push my rib back into place. It didn't hurt and I was able to breathe better. I wasn't even aware that I was having a problem until it was fixed! I was told that I have a twisted thoracic disc and a positive Hoffman's sign. When the doctor thumps the tip of my middle finger, nothing should happen. My other fingers all jerk. On both hands. Apparently, it's extremely rare for someone to have a positive Hoffman's sign bilaterally. On Monday, I'm going for a cervical MRI. I'm playing down any potential problems right now. I just don't want to worry about anything until I'm given something to worry about. Cervical nerve compression, a demyelinating process, a bad disc are all possibilities, but I'll deal with them later.
The student got to practice manipulating my shoulder to give me a little more mobility. It hurt like a son of a gun! I did have a little better mobility afterward, and the doctor offered to put me on limited duty for work (lifting and pulling on patients is not good for my shoulder!), but I told him that I'll be OK working for now. I don't want to be limited just yet. I'd hate to think that I might lose my job because I'm limited in what I can do. I'll keep taking the anti-inflammatory and limiting what I do on my days off. I'll go back after my MRI and have my shoulder adjusted again.
If it sounds like I'm in denial, I kind of am. I just don't want to have to deal with any other disasters right now. If I act like nothing's wrong, then I don't have to think about it. I agree with Scarlett O'Hara, "After all, tomorrow's another day!".

The good, the bad, and the ugly

It's been a busy week since last Monday.
The Good: Elliott went to court Tuesday. His lawyer tried to get the cop to drop the charges, but the cop refused. Officer Friendly said "Karma's a bitch". Hope his karma doesn't come back and bite him on the butt! Anyway, the charges were lessened to reckless driving. He (we) paid a fine and court costs and he got 5 points on his license. After 2 months, he can go back to court and have the DUI expunged. After a year, the reckless driving can be expunged. He still has to finish the DUI classes (something I think he should do). He can apply to get his license back after he finishes the class. I can cross this disaster off of my list.
The Bad: On the same day that Elliott went to court, Catie went for an ultrasound. She has a large cyst on her right ovary. She is not to even think about getting pregnant this cycle. She's devastated, frustrated, angry, etc.She's on mega doses of hormones to kill the cyst (and anything else her ovaries might be holding. I would do anything to help her get through this. It just hurts my heart to see her unhappy.
The Ugly: OK, here goes my health care rant again! Three weeks ago, I called my primary care physician (PCP) to get prior authorization called to my insurance company to approve the refill of a prescription. Last year, it took 6 months, yes, 6 MONTHS, to get this done! Today, I called the insurance company to find out if they had received the prior auth. Nope! I called my PCP's office. This is the third time I have called about this prescription. I went on a rant! I explained to whoever it was that I talked to (she did not indicate that she was a nurse, receptionist, lab person......whatever) that authorizations are not that hard to do. They aren't rocket science. They can be completed in about a minute. I know because I used to do them! All an authorization takes is a phone call or a fax. I completed my rant by saying that most patients are not non compliant, they just get tired of the hassle and give up! She said that she'd do what she could. I asked if that meant that the auth would take six months like last year. She said she hoped not. I further asked if it would take six weeks like the hassle I had with the Celebrex prescription (I had to find out which tier drugs my insurance would cover, give the info to the PCP office, and wait for the prescription to be called in. This was after four weeks of hassling over the celebrex!). She said she didn't think so. Lo and behold, the authorizations were in place when I went to pick up my prescriptions 4 1/2 hours later! Why are patients expected to put up with this kind of hassle? What happens to patients who do not understand what is expected of them? How do the elderly manage to slog through this quagmire that we call health care? I hate to resort to ugly temper fits to get something done that should have been taken care of weeks ago, but it seems that it's the only way to get things done anymore. Sad.......

Happy Birthday, little Cupcake

Today, my baby girl turns 25. She's a pill baby! BCPs caused me to have severe migraines, so I quit taking them. My doctor told me that I "could handle a lower dose pill". I took it faithfully for three months. Never missed a dose. I got pregnant anyway! I was afraid that Catie would have two heads and webbed feet! When she was born, she was beautiful! She had a square little pink head, pink fuzz for hair, pink arms and legs, she was a little pink girl!
She had colic for three months! We drove every back road in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, and Union county! Dave would sit on the floor by her crib and pat her on the back so she would sleep. When he dozed off, she would start to fuss and he would start patting again! I finally discovered that a Zip-Loc bag filled with warm water and wrapped in a flat cloth diaper was magic! I would put that on my lap and lay Catie over it. As long at it stayed warm and I rubbed her back, she stayed quiet. Dave and I learned that it is possible to sleep sitting up!
As she grew, Catie became a prissy girl. She didn't like to wear pants. It was too hard to crawl in a dress. She started walking at nine months! She was a good mommy to her dolls, she did everything that I did with baby brother Elliott. If I sat in my rocking chair with my feet on a stool to feed Elliott, she sat in her little rocker with her feet on her little stool to feed her baby. If I changed Elliott's diaper, she changed her baby's diaper. She even explained to Dave: "I always put gasoline on my baby's butt when it's red!".
When she was four, she wrote Elliott's name on the kitchen wall in purple crayon. when she tried to tattle on Elliott ("Mama look, Elliott wrote his name on the wall!"), I explained to her that the writing was too high on the wall for Elliott to reach, Elliott can't write, and she was still holding the crayon! She put the crayon behind her back and said "Well, I sure didn't do it!".
Catie loved school. She decided in kindergarten that she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up. She worked hard for every grade that she got. She played clarinet, flute, and baritone in the band. In high school, she was the only girl in the low brass section. While she was a good student, she was not always a conformist. In fifth grade, she refused to sit with her feet on the floor. She sat on her feet. Her teacher cut her footprints out of construction paper and taped them to the floor to remind her where her feet belonged. She quit the band when her high school band teacher threw a metronome at her. She managed to graduate with honors anyway!
She excelled in college, too. This week, she will graduate from Marshall University. She will be working with WV birth-three evaluating at risk children for any interventions they might need.
She was a beautiful bride. She and Ben were married on a beautiful October afternoon. When they recited the vows that they had written, there wasn't a dry eye in the place. The reception was the best party we've ever had. Ben fits right in with our unusual family! He can hold his own with Catie, too.
I am thankful that Catie was my baby. She has brought more joy than sadness to my life. She has grown from a prissy little girl into a confident young woman. She makes her Mama proud!
Happy birthday, little Cupcake!

"Mom, I'm bored!"

One of the stories on "Today" this morning was about what to do with kids this summer if you can't afford to send them to camp. Chris was the only one of mine to ever go to camp. He went to Boy Scout camp when he was 11. We were creative with our summer/rainy day activities.
The park was always a favorite destination. We would walk the trails, swing, ride the merry-go-round, and slide. Some days, we'd take a picnic lunch. If the kids were really good, we'd get Happy Meals to eat at the park. Basketball and catch were also fun. Catie was every bit as good as the boys, and just as competitive!
Sports were always a part of our summers. We joined the YMCA, and the kids all played ball: softball, T-ball, little league and soccer. Practices and games occupied many evenings and Saturdays. During the week, we would go to the pool several times. Chris was never a strong swimmer, but he enjoyed the water. Elliott was the only one who never had "formal" swimming lessons. His way of learning was to jump in. "I did what you said, Mom, I kept my eyes open and my mouth shut!" was his explanation when I asked where he learned to swim! If only he would follow that advice at other times! Like me, the kids did not like the diving board. Jumping or diving from the side of the pool was OK, but not jumping from anything elevated!
We lived at the end of a dead end street. It was the perfect place for kids to play safely. A lot of the neighborhood kids were the same age as ours. We had a "Little Tykes" stoplight that we put at the corner. It was battery operated and flashed red, green, yellow. All of the kids knew not to go past the stoplight. Bikes, trikes, Big Wheels, skates, doll strollers, anything wheeled was used in that dead end! The moms would stand at the corner and talk while the kids played for hours! Unfortunately, the man who lived directly across the street from us HATED kids! He would stand on his porch, or at the end of his driveway, and simmer! If no parents were around, he would shoot the kids with his garden hose. One afternoon, Catie came in the house crying and sopping wet. Dave told her that our neighbor was not mean, he was keeping the kids from getting too hot and they should thank him every time they got squirted. Of course, he knew that would infuriate our neighbor! Sure enough, after a few sincere "thank you, sir"s, he went inside.
We took lots of day trips. Strawberry picking, Reed's gold mine, Kings Mountain, Chimney Rock, even the animal shelter (just to window shop!) were all summer adventures. One weekend when I was working, Dave loaded the kids into his Honda Civic hatchback and drove to Pittsburgh! They saw lots of trains, rode the trolley from one end of the line to the other, visited museums and just had a good time with Dad. At the time, not many men would dare to take kids aged 3, 6, and 8 on a weekend trip without mom, but Dave has always been a good dad, ready for an adventure! We always went to Ohio to see Dave's parents and West Virginia to see his grandparents. The kids loved to visit. In Ohio, we would go to the Columbus Zoo and spend hours watching the animals. West Virginia was fun, too. Great-Grandma was an excellent cook and never served anything "weird". Great-Grandpa, probably the best fisherman I've ever met, would take the kids fishing. Whatever they caught, they turned loose. There's nothing happier than a kid who is grubby from a day spent enjoying being a kid!
On rainy days, we would bake cookies or cake, make pictures (coloring was a favorite
of Caite's), build models, or "camp in". To camp in, I would take blankets and drape them over the dining room table and chairs. A few pillows and blankets would furnish the inside. This blanket fort could be a castle, a mansion, or a log cabin. Disney videos were a staple on days when outside play wasn't possible. I think Chris could recite Mary Poppins from start to finish by the time he was seven!
We tried to be creative with our summer activities, but that doesn't mean that the kids were always perfectly behaved or that Dave and I never got totally aggravated by them. Any time there is an odd number of kids, there will be that "odd one out". That's when the bickering would start. "He's on my blanket" from the blanket fort. "She won't let me color" from the den. I even heard "He's breathing my air" and "She's looking at me" every now and then! How many days did I put myself in time out?! I really do know why some species eat their young! Even with the bickering, summers were a fun time. We've proved that it is possible to keep the kids busy, active, entertained, and learning without spending a lot of money.

Spring cleaning

I love my family. Really! But today, I had the house to myself. I got some sewing done. I cleaned litter boxes. I did some laundry. I ate when I wanted and what I wanted. I watched whatever I wanted to on TV. No, I didn't take a nap! Tomorrow, I'll do more sewing, more laundry, and maybe clean a bathroom or two. I get way more cleaning done when there's no one under my feet!
A little alone time is not a selfish thing. We all need time to collect our thoughts or reflect on recent events. Alone time can be spent reading, knitting, sewing, or, even cleaning! Without distractions, I can get a lot more done in a shorter period of time. I might even have time for a nap!