My kids are not the bravest kids in the world. I realize this. So I was surprised when Lys said she wanted to get her cavity filled without being sedated when both Emma and Molly quite strongly said that they wanted to be asleep for their work back two dentist visits ago. She tried to be brave that first time. For all of about 30 seconds. They were able to fill her cavity, but she did not make it easy for them. So I'm sure you can imagine her distress a short while later when that filling came out and I told her I would have to take her back to the dentist. She again tried to be brave as they put in a new filling on that tooth. The dentist said that it really should be capped but she was having such a hard time that he did a quick filling repair and recommended that I eventually bring her back in to get a cap on the tooth and make sure it was a sedated appointment because he worried that her memories of the dentist would not be good ones with the experience with getting the filling filled twice. He said he didn't know how long that filling would last.
Time passed and I would occasionally think of calling the dentist but her tooth seemed to be okay. I finally did call the dentist and schedule the appointment though. I could see signs that the filling was not going to last much longer. And I was right. During preschool as she was eating candy, the filling came out along with a piece of her tooth.
With it being a sedated appointment and it being in the morning, Russ stayed home and was nice enough to take her while I stayed home and got the others off to school and took care of Dylan. I told Russ before he left that I was pretty sure that they wouldn't be able to cap the tooth and would end up just having to pull it. Part of me thought it was silly to have her sedated just for a quick tooth pull, but I knew how nervous she was and how nervous Emma was when they pulled her tooth.
I think I got the better end of the deal. My biggest worry was getting the garbage can out to the street when Dylan wanted me to sit and watch Blue's Clues with him. While Russ got the joys of helping a very groggy girl and cleaning up after her when she threw up three times before leaving the dentist. Luckily she didn't throw up at home.
I did laugh that as he carried her in and as she was obviously a bit on the loopy side, she had to make sure to show me the prize she got from the toy machine at the dentist. And chuckled as she asked me as she had me watch Go Diego! Go! with her which octopus was the real one and which one wasn't since she was seeing double still. Brought back memories of Molly being sedated and saying to me that when she first saw me I had two noses, "but I didn't laugh."
I will say that I am looking forward to this short break of going to the dentist before we take the kids back for their next cleaning. And next time we take Dylan for his first trip to the dentist. That should be interesting. Wonder if they'll even let them touch him.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Just A Reminder
Just thought I'd throw in a quick reminder that tomorrow is National Pancake Day. Which means that once again IHOP is giving away a free short stack of pancakes all day (well, from I believe 6 am until 10 pm) to every customer. Any donations they get that day will go to the Children's Miracle Network to support local children's hospitals. Which is always a good thing. If they do the same as last year, you can donate on their website if you don't want to fight the crowds that are sure to be there.
Last year I decided not to fight crowds and just made pancakes at home. May do the same thing again. Especially since Dylan has developed quite the runny nose.
Last year I decided not to fight crowds and just made pancakes at home. May do the same thing again. Especially since Dylan has developed quite the runny nose.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Best-Laid Schemes
As is written and often quoted (albeit often misquoted I discovered recently) poem by Robert Burns, things in life don't always go the way we plan for them. Like having a child with a CHD. But we make the best of what ever comes are way and are hopefully the better for it.
Once again Russ and I find ourselves heading down a path we didn't plan. And that path starts with a 9 month journey. Yep, that's right. Russ and I are expecting our 6th child. Before you start asking if we know there are things that can prevent that, yes we do and yes we used it. It just didn't work as it sometimes doesn't. And for the most part I'm fine with it. I do worry about little things like where on earth will we fit another body in our car that is full and what are we going to do with a baby when it's time for Dylan's next surgery. But I know that things will all work out, as I know that this child was meant to be a part of our family. Just not quite what we expected at this point. (Granted, I'm sure my older sister who is also expecting but who will be 41 close to when she delivers feels much the same way.)
I will be 10 weeks tomorrow, which puts the due date as September 15. We told the kids last night and they are thrilled. Russ and I aren't quite as excited as they are, but we're getting there.
Once again Russ and I find ourselves heading down a path we didn't plan. And that path starts with a 9 month journey. Yep, that's right. Russ and I are expecting our 6th child. Before you start asking if we know there are things that can prevent that, yes we do and yes we used it. It just didn't work as it sometimes doesn't. And for the most part I'm fine with it. I do worry about little things like where on earth will we fit another body in our car that is full and what are we going to do with a baby when it's time for Dylan's next surgery. But I know that things will all work out, as I know that this child was meant to be a part of our family. Just not quite what we expected at this point. (Granted, I'm sure my older sister who is also expecting but who will be 41 close to when she delivers feels much the same way.)
I will be 10 weeks tomorrow, which puts the due date as September 15. We told the kids last night and they are thrilled. Russ and I aren't quite as excited as they are, but we're getting there.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Dylan's 18 Month Checkup
Dylan had his 18 month checkup today. I laughed because the nurse at first asked if he were in for his year checkup. Apparently time has gone by just as fast for her. She commented about remembering when he first went there.
Dylan was surprisingly good this time. At his 15 month appointment he cried nearly the whole time he was being examined. This time he was nervous but just watched the doctor very carefully. Even smiled at him. Briefly.
Dylan is just below, but very close to the average for height at 32 inches. He now weighs 24 pounds, 1 ounce, which is only a very slight gain from last time. But after a week of not eating much because of a sore throat and then a recent bout of diarrhea, it's not surprising. His doctor wasn't concerned at all as it is still a gain and he's above the 25th percentile. Added that with the statistics of so many teenagers being overweight, it's not a bad thing to keep him on the lean side.
I did chuckle when after listening to his heart the doctor said, "Yep, sounds like a Maytag." I've read where other people with truncus kids have had doctors tell them their hearts sound like a washing machine. Of course, Dylan's doctor doesn't know I've read that, but I still thought it was funny.
Dylan had his last shot until his kindergarten checkup today. I was smart. I let him pick out a sucker from the sucker drawer and so when the nurse came back in to give him his shot, he had that happily in hand (with the wrapper still on). He started to cry when she gave him the shot but I quickly pulled off the wrapper and he happily stuck it in his mouth, stopping any thoughts of the shot. He was just happy to be going, as anyone who was near could tell by his happily heading out the door saying, "Go! Go!"
The next checkup he should have will be his next echo sometime in May. Which reminds me. I suppose I could call and schedule that appointment soon. They did say they would send me a reminder card to schedule the appointment, but I may not wait for the card to do that. Hopefully he won't need to go to the doctor for any reason before then. That would be nice.
Dylan was surprisingly good this time. At his 15 month appointment he cried nearly the whole time he was being examined. This time he was nervous but just watched the doctor very carefully. Even smiled at him. Briefly.
Dylan is just below, but very close to the average for height at 32 inches. He now weighs 24 pounds, 1 ounce, which is only a very slight gain from last time. But after a week of not eating much because of a sore throat and then a recent bout of diarrhea, it's not surprising. His doctor wasn't concerned at all as it is still a gain and he's above the 25th percentile. Added that with the statistics of so many teenagers being overweight, it's not a bad thing to keep him on the lean side.
I did chuckle when after listening to his heart the doctor said, "Yep, sounds like a Maytag." I've read where other people with truncus kids have had doctors tell them their hearts sound like a washing machine. Of course, Dylan's doctor doesn't know I've read that, but I still thought it was funny.
Dylan had his last shot until his kindergarten checkup today. I was smart. I let him pick out a sucker from the sucker drawer and so when the nurse came back in to give him his shot, he had that happily in hand (with the wrapper still on). He started to cry when she gave him the shot but I quickly pulled off the wrapper and he happily stuck it in his mouth, stopping any thoughts of the shot. He was just happy to be going, as anyone who was near could tell by his happily heading out the door saying, "Go! Go!"
The next checkup he should have will be his next echo sometime in May. Which reminds me. I suppose I could call and schedule that appointment soon. They did say they would send me a reminder card to schedule the appointment, but I may not wait for the card to do that. Hopefully he won't need to go to the doctor for any reason before then. That would be nice.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
National CHD Awareness Week
Today marks the start of National Congenital Heart Disease/defect Awareness week. There are a few things associated with this and with the local support group that I belong to (Intermountain Healing Hearts) that I am aware of.
Up at Primary Children's they have a banner on the parking structure stating that it is National CHD Awareness Week and have a table with cookies. Also this week on the 15th, Paul Cardall is having a concert with a silent auction to benefit some who have been affected by chd's. I believe tickets are still available. Later this month, on the 20th at the Kearns Olympic Oval from 1-4 is an event sponsored by IHH to raise funds for research and awareness for chd's including prize drawings and a silent auction (not to mention ice skating, music and food). Admission for that is $10 per person or $50 for a family of 5 or more, including an entry in the drawing for each family member.
Me? I'm not sure yet on if we will be going to the ice skating thing (although I'm sure my kids would love it, especially since every time we drive past the frozen ponds where we saw a family playing hockey one day they ask when we will take them ice skating). But I have put the Valentine's hearts on my car again this year and plan on leaving them up for as long as I can stand this month. And seeing as my polka dots have all faded, I may just keep them up all month. Much to Jimmy's chagrin.
I saw this poem on the blog of one of my second cousins who lost a daughter to a chd. Thought I would repost it here and add, as she did, that I hope the author doesn't mind. I believe it was written for CHD Awareness Week.
Up at Primary Children's they have a banner on the parking structure stating that it is National CHD Awareness Week and have a table with cookies. Also this week on the 15th, Paul Cardall is having a concert with a silent auction to benefit some who have been affected by chd's. I believe tickets are still available. Later this month, on the 20th at the Kearns Olympic Oval from 1-4 is an event sponsored by IHH to raise funds for research and awareness for chd's including prize drawings and a silent auction (not to mention ice skating, music and food). Admission for that is $10 per person or $50 for a family of 5 or more, including an entry in the drawing for each family member.
Me? I'm not sure yet on if we will be going to the ice skating thing (although I'm sure my kids would love it, especially since every time we drive past the frozen ponds where we saw a family playing hockey one day they ask when we will take them ice skating). But I have put the Valentine's hearts on my car again this year and plan on leaving them up for as long as I can stand this month. And seeing as my polka dots have all faded, I may just keep them up all month. Much to Jimmy's chagrin.
I saw this poem on the blog of one of my second cousins who lost a daughter to a chd. Thought I would repost it here and add, as she did, that I hope the author doesn't mind. I believe it was written for CHD Awareness Week.
Somewhere...someplace... today...
A family is waiting to hear...
Is something wrong with their baby?
The answers aren't quite clear...
This family has entered an unwanted world...
And they just don't know what to expect...
Somewhere...someplace... today
They first heard the words: heart defect.
And how they hoped this was not true...
And thought... this cannot be...
I too... know just how this feels...
For one day...this was me.
Somewhere...someplace...today...
A man and a woman embrace...
Their baby is in surgery...
They long to see her face...
They haven't got to hold her yet...
Without...a cord or line...
They pace the room awaiting news...
And hope she'll be just fine.
Prayers fill this busy waiting room...
And mom and dad are scared...
Somewhere...someplace..today...
The tiniest hearts are repaired.
Somewhere...someplace...today...
A child's growing fast...
Smiling,laughing,thriving...
His mom thinks...can this last?
It's almost easy...to forget...
That anything is wrong...
Somewhere...someplace..today...
Her child seems so strong.
Somewhere...someplace... today...
A little boy fights...just to live
A father holds his tiny hand...
His love...all he can give...
The doctor's are all baffled...
They fear that he might die...
Somewhere...someplace...today...
A family says goodbye...
Somewhere...someplace...each year..
More than 40,000 families will see...
What it means...when something's wrong...
They'll face a CHD.
Today...for just a moment...
Stop...remember...reflect...
Make time to tell someone you know...
"I've been changed by a heart defect"
Author - Stephanie Husted
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