tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44198848000655620692024-03-12T18:13:00.458-07:00May Family ChroniclesJeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-56080852744112358552013-06-11T16:58:00.000-07:002013-06-11T16:58:25.138-07:00Fixator Removal Over!!Annie did GREAT today!! This is surgery number 7 for her, but the first time she didn't have to stay inpatient. What a difference. And best of all? She does not seem to be in any pain (knock on wood). She was super, super grumpy for a few hours post-op, but has been pretty delightful all afternoon. PRAISE!!!<br />
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Hoping for a restful night for her and more of the same tomorrow.<br />
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For those that have asked....here is a picture blitz......even though I cannot get her to smile for the camera, much less look at it these days! We decided to stay ocean front for her final (for awhile) surgery. Great idea!<br />
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Annie's first trip to the beach....she seemed to love it!<br />
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Mommy and Annie</div>
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All this beach going has tuckered me out!<br />
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6 am this morning waiting for surgery...."I want a snack" she said and furrowed her brow<br />
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WOW.....straight arm (In the process of having her splint made)<br />
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Left arm pin sites....they look pretty good<br />
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First words she managed to say upon waking up? Where's Gee Gee? Ask and she shall receive!<br />
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It's been a long day....let's go back to the hotel and put pj's on!<br />
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Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-28411952635291484122013-06-10T17:12:00.000-07:002013-06-10T17:12:35.602-07:00Buh bye fixators!Annie gets her fixators removed tomorrow! So excited for her! Prayers for a quick, complication free surgery in the morning. Oh, and let's add minimal pain! We are back in West Palm but can hopefully go home Thursday as planned!<br />
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We took Annie to the beach this afternoon and she had a blast! Future beach bum.<br />
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<br />Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-91259130979592141832013-05-28T06:54:00.001-07:002013-05-28T06:54:42.348-07:00X-RaysI am not a radiologist, but her left radius does not look good. Is seems to be very crooked and not completely healed. Her right looks really straight (I'm guessing that is a good thing?). I will FedEx to Dr P today, so hopefully we will know something in a few days.<br />
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<br />Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-48785246060552473832013-05-24T13:13:00.003-07:002013-05-24T13:16:01.462-07:00Healing In Progress!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The good news is that Annie’s bones have <b><i>almost</i></b>
healed. The bad news is that we cannot
schedule a fixator removal date until her bones are <b><i>completely</i></b> healed. That means we have had to wait another month,
repeat the x-rays, then schedule a surgery date (assuming she is completely
healed). It makes sense, it’s just that this whole process is far more drawn out
than we were originally thinking. What
we thought was going to be a 2-month fixator hell is turning into more of a
4-month fixator hell. </span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the grand scheme of life it is no time at all, but in the
here and now, it is dragging by painstakingly slow. I am just so thankful that she is too young
to remember any of it!!</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was preggers we used to refer to her as BGT…as in
baby girl trouble. She definitely
continues to live up to her name. Would
you believe that stinker actually choked, aspirated on her vomit, and ended up
with aspiration pneumonia? I didn’t even
know such a thing existed, but leave it up to BGT to school us about it! The choking incident happened while we were
in the car and she panicked, tilted her head back, and pretty much gargled on
her throw up. Some obviously made its
way to her lungs, thus causing the pneumonia.
Crazy I tell you! She had to be
put on clindamycin (an antibiotic used to treat “serious” infections) and have
breathing treatments 4 times a day for days (have I mentioned how much I hate
Xopenex? MAKES. KIDS. WILD!!!!!!). </span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here’s the silver lining……Annie is the happiest she has been
since before her surgery. I mean downright
happy!! It makes me wonder if her little
body was working overtime trying to fight off infection from her fixators and
previous 2 infections and she just didn’t feel good. 10 days of antibiotic later, blissfully
happy!! It warms my heart to see her little
personality back in full force!</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, we go for x-rays on Monday and PRAY that she is all
healed up and we can schedule an off date.
Dr P is out of the country the last 2 weeks in June, and his schedule is
of course full the first 2 weeks, so I am not sure what the plan will be. All I know is that if they are ready to come
out, come hell or high water, those things are coming out!</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alexander has somewhat turned a corner with his behavior lately,
thank goodness. I was starting to think
we were going to have to ship him off to Military preschool or something (just
kidding of course….I can’t stand being away from him for more than one
night). He is still jealous as all get
out, but he is keeping it better under control (knock on wood).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lights of my life......</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Future helicopter pilot perhaps?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Annie and her wagon date Grady :-)</span></div>
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Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-41108737883831829522013-04-30T10:31:00.001-07:002013-04-30T10:31:36.051-07:00X-RaysFor you, Mom:<br />
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I'm no radiologist, but bone looks to be growing where it should....can't wait to get the official word from Dr. P and hopefully schedule a surgery date to get those damn fixators removed!!!Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-2690053417553744792013-04-05T13:45:00.002-07:002013-04-05T13:47:52.896-07:00Update<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall Annie’s appointment with Dr. P this week went very
well (even though we had to wait close to 4 hours for a less than 5 min
appointment). We are so excited that she
has completed the distraction (lengthening) phase and has moved on to the consolidation
(hardening) phase!! I am hopeful that
her pain will lessen drastically now that her bones are no longer being pulled
apart. I was thinking that she would be
able to have the fixators removed a month after the lengthening was complete,
but it turns out it will be 2 months. Damn! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her latest infection has cleared and she is no longer
required to wear the thumb immobilization splints, or splints of any kind right
now. She is actually quite fond of her
splints (I think it is a sense of comfort for her) and she cries when we take
them off (we put them on for sleeping as a sense of security for her). She has literally worn some form of splint
since she was 2 days old, so I could see why she might feel a bit naked without
them!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was very disheartening to hear that she would have the
fixators at least 8 more weeks. That
means 8 more weeks of pin site cleaning (aka daily torture). Boo, hiss, I don’t wanna……<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She has gained about 15 mm in length on each radius. Pretty amazing if you ask me! Her arms and hands are very stiff but that is
expected from being immobilized for 6 weeks.
As she gets more and more
comfortable with being splint free she is using her hands more. Unfortunately she has lost all of her thumb
function, but now that her hands are free I am hopeful that she will regain all
that she had a more (the muscle transfer is supposed to increase
opposition). I still have that twinge of,
oh hell, why did I let him mess with her thumbs again. She was doing so great….why rock the boat for
more when you could end up drowning, you know?
Of course, on the other hand (pardon the pun), let’s rock that boat and
see how far she swims. I think she will
amaze us all! Yep, that’s what I’m going
with for now!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until today, Alexander had a terrific week, despite Annie,
Mommy, and Gee being in FL for part of it.
He got sent to the “principals” office today for hitting…….really?.......I
think I need a drink!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Annie and Gee on the veranda waiting to see Dr P:</span></div>
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Left arm x-ray 4/1:<br />
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Right arm x-ray 4/1:<br />
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So tired she can't even sit up straight (I know the feeling)....</div>
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Alexander........</div>
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Silly boy:</div>
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Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-17945636309763562102013-03-27T14:14:00.002-07:002013-03-27T14:14:55.101-07:00Growing!In a 3 week period Annie's arms grew 10 mm (also known as 1 cm)!!! Truly amazing! We made a quick trip to FL on 3/18 to see Dr. P. He was very pleased with her progress and told us to come back in 2 weeks. I am really hopeful that when we see him this coming Monday he tells us that she is done lengthening, can start OT to regain her thumb movement, and schedules a surgery date to remove the fixators. Think that is asking too much? Nah! Oh wait, I forgot one, hopefully she will also be infection free by then!<div>
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We are starting to see more and more glimpses of our happy little girl again, but we still have a lot of rough moments each day. The worst of which comes when we have to clean her pin sites and change the bandages. She literally screams blood curdling screams throughout the whole process. Even though I know a lot of it comes from sheer anxiety over the process (can you blame her?) a lot of it also comes from pain. A big thank you to my wonderful friends that came over and relieved me of the duty one night! It is a necessary evil, but I hate, hate, HATE doing it. Not for me, but for her. Makes me question our decision on a daily basis. </div>
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She is fighting infection #2, which I am sure adds to her discomfort. The main source of the infection this time is due to her skin tearing against one of the pin sites (OUCH), as well as a stitch not dissolving as it should have. Yes folks, I learned how to remove sutures this past week. Good thing I swiped that suture removal kit from the exam room....somehow I knew we would be needing it!</div>
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Alex struggles with jealousy, which equates to really poor behavior at times, but he is still a really happy little guy! He keeps us laughing!</div>
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Picture Time:</div>
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Here is the x-ray of her right arm where you can see the fixator screwed into the radius and can see the rod that was put through the ulna. No wonder she has been in pain:</div>
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X-ray of both arms:<br />
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Look how straight her right arm is looking:<br />
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Underside of her right arm....looks amazing!<br />
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You can see where her poor skin is tearing:<br />
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Caught her smiling in the bath:<br />
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Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-64402633633693950872013-03-07T12:35:00.000-08:002013-03-07T12:35:16.283-08:00Home Bound!We survived our trip to Dallas and are on the way home. Unfortunately Annie has had a rough couple of days and has not been a very happy camper. I am pretty sure she is working on an infection, as she ran a fever yesterday, her pin sites are looking redder, and one is oozing a bit (gross, right?). Anyway, with the help of our favorite Dr. we decided to start her on antibiotics last night, so hopefully we caught it early. <div>
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I am not sure why she is so very fussy again, but I suspect she is tired and just doesn't feel good. Hopefully getting home and back in a routine will help her.</div>
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Alexander has had big fun in big D! He is going to have a hard time getting back into his routine when we get home. Both kids are a little on the spoiled side at the moment, but hey, you do what you have to do to get by sometimes!</div>
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Silly girl:</div>
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Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-59304669922310812352013-02-28T19:09:00.000-08:002013-02-28T19:09:29.372-08:00What a Difference a Day Makes....Not in a Good WayAnnie had a pretty rough day today in terms of pain. We are trying to figure out the right balance of giving her pain medicine vs. regular Tylenol, but don't have that nailed down yet. Hopefully tomorrow will bring better pain management!<br />
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She screamed bloody murder tonight when I had to change her bandages and clean her pin sites. It was really hard not to break down and cry right along with her. It seems to be really painful for her, but it has to be done to try to reduce the chance of infection, which is apparently very high. Sucks. BIG time!<br />
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The good news for the day is that we get to leave FL as planned on Saturday. We are flying to Dallas as are Stephen and Alexander. I can't wait to see my little guy (the big guy too) in person!!! My heart really aches being away from him for so long. I am sure it is much harder on me than it has been on him, but I can't wait to wrap my arms around him, kiss on him, hug him, and tickle him!<br />
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Um, could you stop taking pictures and get this over with:<br />
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Left arm up close and personal:<br />
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Right arm up close and personal:<br />
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<br />Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-16085048349385020832013-02-27T19:15:00.001-08:002013-02-27T19:15:59.639-08:00Major Improvement!Today is the day I have been waiting for.....my happy little Annie is back! She has finally caught up on her sleep, is in far less pain, and is making great improvements!!! She went the better part of the day on Tylenol only, which is awesome at this point. She is still on Valium (for muscle spasms-since she had muscle work done) but that is only 2 times a day. I love seeing her funny little personality reemerging....totally warms my heart.<br />
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I started turning her fixators on Monday, which was very scary at first, but is not necessarily a big deal now. They have to be turned 2 times a day and the dressing around them changed once a day (you can imagine how much she loves that). <br />
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I can't believe it actually happened, but I "lost" the wrench to turn the fixators on the first day. I searched endlessly and cried buckets of tears until Annie looked at me at one point and said, "Don't cry mommy." Ummmm, okay, you are right. While I was so upset with myself I realized that there was nothing I could do about it except beg for a new one the next day, so that is what I did. Of course, I brought the man that could get me a new one a generous Starbucks gift card, but I am not beneath bribing who I need to bribe to get what I need for the Princess :-) Stress that I did not need.<br />
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Anyway, she had her splints adjusted once again yesterday, but I think we are finally good to go. Lots of other details to tell, but too tired to tell them so they will have to wait.<br />
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Thank you for all of the prayers...they definitely have been answered!<br />
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Ahhhh....bandages and splints off for a few mins...<br />
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Incision on the side of her hand (for muscle transfer):</div>
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Underside of hand:<br />
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Getting splints adjusted again...she is so over it!</div>
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<br />Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-81438954291177234532013-02-23T07:58:00.000-08:002013-02-23T07:58:26.935-08:00Rough SeasI can sum things up in two words. This sucks! Actually, let's expand that to three, this REALLY sucks! Poor Annie has been in a lot of pain and extremely agitated. <div>
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I wasn't expecting a cake walk for her, but I wasn't anticipating it to be this bad either. I thought for sure that this (a supposedly mere 3 hour procedure.....HA!) would not be nearly as rough as any of the others, but this is turning out to be the worst (outside of her OHS, of course). <div>
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We spent the better part of the day yesterday chasing her pain and trying to make her comfortable, both of which seemed to be loosing battles. Even when I was the one holding her she would just cry, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy." Heart breaking! Unfortunately they had to come re-do her dressings and adjust her splints, which was very, very traumatic for her (and the rest of us too). At that point the nurse relented and drugged her up.</div>
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By 4 pm they had given her so many drugs she was high as a kite and her pain was under control. That's not necessarily a good thing either though (the high as a kite part), although it did provide us with some much needed comic relief. Anyway, we finally got to move out of the PICU to a regular room last night around 5.</div>
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This morning she got her dressings changed again, drain tubes removed (OUCH), and orders written for discharge....YaHoo!!!! She is still very irritable (who wouldn't be) but I do think her pain is under control. Hopefully we will see big improvements as soon as we vacate this joint! The staff here is amazing, but there is not a comfortable thing about this hospital. Guess we are spoiled with Vandy Children's!</div>
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Back on the home front Alexander is have an absolute BALL with his aunties! It is so very hard to be away from him but I am comforted knowing that he is having so much fun.</div>
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She was in the process of the dressing change and splint adjustment:</div>
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Right arm without dressing....<br />
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Watching Caillou with Gee early this morning:<br />
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Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-66781648467153251072013-02-21T19:02:00.002-08:002013-02-21T19:02:40.166-08:00Very long day, but doing well!Surgery took a lot longer than we expected (6+ hours) and right out of surgery she really struggled, but she is doing remarkably well at the moment (knock on wood). I got a quick peek at her arms before they had to wrap them up (to keep her from poking her eyes out with her fixators). A little intimidating I must admit. Here is the laundry list of what she ended up having done:<br />
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Right arm:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Ulna broken and a rod placed in it to straighten it out (it was very bowed)</li>
<li>Radius broken and external fixator attached</li>
<li>Huber Procedure- muscle transfer to aid in thumb opposition</li>
<li>Tendon repair- apparently an important tendon was not connected</li>
</ul>
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Left arm:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Radius broken and external fixator attached</li>
<li>Huber Procedure</li>
</ul>
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Her pain is being well managed now as is her breathing. Hopefully that will be the theme of the night! I talked the nurse into letting my mom stay with us tonight so we will take turns holding her. It is definitely a two man job to move her with all of her cords....2 drains, 2 IVs, heart monitor, pulse ox, blood pressure cuff, and catheter.</div>
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Right now she is laying on Gee, eating crackers and watching Calliou. It's nice to see her awake and not crying in pain.</div>
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Thank you for all of the continued prayers and well wishes. They have really helped me through the day! :-) </div>
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Resting peacefully on daddy:</div>
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<br />Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-25793630969795866352013-02-20T18:55:00.000-08:002013-02-20T18:55:33.963-08:00Is it Over Yet?We made it to FL unscathed, albeit exhausted. We spent many an hour at the hospital and clinic today going through the pre-op ritual, which always entails a lot of waiting, a lot of questions, and a lot of crying (mostly from Annie, but um, pass the tissues). <br />
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She was actually a champ for the better part of the day, charming passer-byers with her smile and zest for life. It was only after they started digging around in her vein (seriously) trying to get blood. The nurse tried to tell me that she was crying because she was being restrained, not because it was hurting. Are you kidding me? Anyway, she finally passed out on me from sheer exhaustion and took a power nap which got her through the rest of the long day in a really good mood.<br />
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We are staying at a house that is similar to the Ronald McDonald House, so we are surrounded by fellow patients of Dr. Paley's, which is wonderful. I am amazed at what some of these kids have gone through, yet seem so full of life and resilience. All of the other kids here (there are 9 other families) have lower extremity issues, most of which are profound. You would not believe how these kids can still run around like everything is fine. They have been to hell and back with surgery after surgery and endless hours of daily, painful therapy. It's very humbling. Truly it is. And amazing. These are some of the most beautiful children I have ever met.<br />
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We didn't realize that Annie would also be having a muscle transfer done on each thumb to finish out the pollicization process. We knew she *might* have to have that done, but I suppose we just kind of forgot about it since her thumb use is so awesome. Anyway, Dr. Paley explained how much additional function it should add, so it makes sense to have it done while he is already in there. She will be under for about 4 very long hours tomorrow. Glad she is up first!<br />
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Thanks for the continued prayers and well wishes....they really mean a lot and keep me going!<br />
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XOXO,<br />
JJeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-7576094093481438912013-02-13T12:30:00.000-08:002013-02-13T12:30:20.180-08:00Ready, set, go!!!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
We have been blessed with yet another miracle! Our insurance has been reinstated (LONG story
not worth telling) and Anastasia’s surgery has been approved! Now all we have to do is go on quarantine to
keep her well the next 9 days (well, actually the next couple of months would
be nice, but I suppose I should not be too greedy!). <o:p></o:p></div>
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Alexander is super jealous that Annie gets to stay home from
school and has decided that pooping in his pants is a really good idea and a
way to show us! I understand that it is
probably the only thing he feels he has control over, but I am so over
poop! I never knew I would get to a
point where talking about poop is as common place as talking about the weather
or what’s for dinner. We had a
conference with his teachers the other day and they told us one day he ran out
of the bathroom and declared, “I pooped in the potty. It was brown and green and REALLY big”. Yep, that’s my kid! We are trying to praise him a lot when he
chooses to go in the potty (because it is definitely a choice for him!) so we
called Aunt Katie last night from the car to tell her about his great pooping
day. I say, “Alexander, tell Aunt Katie
where you pooped today”, and he said in a really excited voice, “I pooped in
the potty”. Aunt Katie promptly threw him
a virtual parade for his accomplishment, at which point Annie spoke up and
said in an excited voice, “I poop in my pants”. How do you
not just laugh!<o:p></o:p></div>
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At least poop stories (not the cleaning up part) make me
laugh. I am trying really hard not to
think a lot about it, but when I do I get really nervous about next week. I know in the long run it will be well worth
it for her, but the whole process just sucks for her. She cried non-stop for about 12 hours
straight after her last surgery because she was in so much pain and so
unhappy. Valium and pain meds didn't work at all for her. She was so
miserable. Granted, that was a much more
complex and lengthy procedure, but it’s hard not to think about her pitiful
little face that said please do something to help me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The good news is that she is a trooper and nothing keeps her
down for long, so I know she will prevail!
Just wish she didn't always have to be tested though! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-58971791496545805442013-02-04T12:42:00.000-08:002013-02-04T12:42:12.168-08:00Surgery Scheduled!<br />
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The May house is gearing up for another big surgery for
Annie (hopefully) on Feb 21<sup>st</sup> in FL.
Two big this have to happen first.
One, we have to keep her well, and two, the insurance needs to be
convinced that the surgery is medically necessary (they are not convinced
yet). We have pulled her out of school
and have her home with a nanny, so hopefully that will help in the health arena. As for the insurance, well, not much I can
do. Hopefully the Dr’s office can work
their magic and give them what they need.
I work for a new company (we were sold), so we have new insurance;
therefore they do not have her full history yet. I have to say that our last insurance was
AWESOME and never questioned anything. Being
in this situation really frustrates the hell out of me! <o:p></o:p></div>
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The surgery she is scheduled for is to lengthen the radius
on both arms, which should significantly improve her function. If you want to read about the lengthening
process, feel free to visit Dr Paley’s website <a href="http://paleyinstitute.org/?q=intro-to-limb-lengthening">http://paleyinstitute.org/?q=intro-to-limb-lengthening</a>. While I dread it for her (and all of us for
that matter) we are hopeful that this will be it for surgeries for many years
to come!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Annie and I leave for FL on the 19<sup>th</sup>, my mom will
meet us there on the 19<sup>th</sup>, and then Stephen will come the
20-23. Alex will be staying home this
time, which will be really hard on me to be away from him, but will be much
better for him. She has to stay in FL
for a week, and then we will go to Dallas for a few days (I have a work meeting
that I cannot miss) and then we will finally get to return to Nashville on
March 7<sup>th</sup>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Start the prayers now!! <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We had a really pretty snow on Saturday morning and the kids had a blast playing in it!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS71fz6Kx-6R-4MPHJdPdqrAIenFA7SKVLOQbKj8vL89CZEVKUBc9QoQ01e2t7RPgjeegEPc6O1qJfnK3W3w8oi4xzEoujcTjQwfNH9_Lh3Is5tyckEKvDXjE4ssDxnRBWm4o_Wy-TtSc/s1600/Annie+in+snow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS71fz6Kx-6R-4MPHJdPdqrAIenFA7SKVLOQbKj8vL89CZEVKUBc9QoQ01e2t7RPgjeegEPc6O1qJfnK3W3w8oi4xzEoujcTjQwfNH9_Lh3Is5tyckEKvDXjE4ssDxnRBWm4o_Wy-TtSc/s320/Annie+in+snow.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-63306065190871988372012-11-15T14:07:00.002-08:002012-11-15T14:07:26.611-08:00<br />
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Life is busy as usual!
Kids are both doing well and are growing like weeds! More later…but here are some pictures…..<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMBaoZUIQY1lrbuCJd8Nq7DNLYK1WsGd3BGh8jKpES_zI4CjQ3KgK650GaCDPsjqW8M31Hv58m8tuOIHl37pq4M1KJ6iwBEl4HnZ4Ln5NDUcLdUJcgJysuMcI6X7tqE8C4yhWD5UEB14/s1600/Alex+at+school+feast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMBaoZUIQY1lrbuCJd8Nq7DNLYK1WsGd3BGh8jKpES_zI4CjQ3KgK650GaCDPsjqW8M31Hv58m8tuOIHl37pq4M1KJ6iwBEl4HnZ4Ln5NDUcLdUJcgJysuMcI6X7tqE8C4yhWD5UEB14/s320/Alex+at+school+feast.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex at his Thanksgiving feast<br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLCgWgRLDKTUr9l8flj_IXsHKPs188xlx075xHklc1mDErkp-JaKvDFZfY_QmmcPynCCaWdEce0SX6HXAJo2ZQlEd4WldQMsMZpIdcggYcyEenKaNUEZz-xea1TSiMWy-Rcy4p9PAOU4/s1600/Annie+loves+suckers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLCgWgRLDKTUr9l8flj_IXsHKPs188xlx075xHklc1mDErkp-JaKvDFZfY_QmmcPynCCaWdEce0SX6HXAJo2ZQlEd4WldQMsMZpIdcggYcyEenKaNUEZz-xea1TSiMWy-Rcy4p9PAOU4/s320/Annie+loves+suckers.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annie loves suckers but hates the camera!<br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWbUGsmgEQJQ9156t1KmemYQ_qzIOHNUoxU9nqZ9eEy5AZOWkHR8DFc_FYlod08wJVwZZlAjUES2zMcvIqj9IJbmnHZx1VHcnR7TsvXbcjRHgRXFfkwL37Bd16Mcy1Sd0WPlCVA52r4k/s1600/Alex+on+hay+ride.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWbUGsmgEQJQ9156t1KmemYQ_qzIOHNUoxU9nqZ9eEy5AZOWkHR8DFc_FYlod08wJVwZZlAjUES2zMcvIqj9IJbmnHZx1VHcnR7TsvXbcjRHgRXFfkwL37Bd16Mcy1Sd0WPlCVA52r4k/s320/Alex+on+hay+ride.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy boy on hayless hay ride</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevYP3cR8yH3TYB210AiP0Y9sklq1iMaWSGZbaLz7fT8qt9h-2HJysAiI_8b_SI72poYNCcTU5Cc6kYjQXdfMMIVqfzJcru5NfIv9oJtMbb13NQ3PRLsF8h_vzcUPRY_BQBBmTwrXVQBA/s1600/Aunt+katie+and+annie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhevYP3cR8yH3TYB210AiP0Y9sklq1iMaWSGZbaLz7fT8qt9h-2HJysAiI_8b_SI72poYNCcTU5Cc6kYjQXdfMMIVqfzJcru5NfIv9oJtMbb13NQ3PRLsF8h_vzcUPRY_BQBBmTwrXVQBA/s320/Aunt+katie+and+annie.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aunt Katie and Annie on a hay ride (sans hay)</td></tr>
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Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-47681339007291364002012-11-01T13:40:00.003-07:002012-11-01T13:40:41.984-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My favorite little monster!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1br3LzZHJQ6aXxhnboPu-raOe6kgFc73SiMMOp4EJJ7YRYUcaEz6COBThx2rOuFyaYoImm7j2DIXTlU6UXPtIi9OX-7a61Ngpq9TBHlWahe_8FLzuEja5Cj9_mat5W3tlzO1W3re824/s1600/Alex+Halloween+2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1br3LzZHJQ6aXxhnboPu-raOe6kgFc73SiMMOp4EJJ7YRYUcaEz6COBThx2rOuFyaYoImm7j2DIXTlU6UXPtIi9OX-7a61Ngpq9TBHlWahe_8FLzuEja5Cj9_mat5W3tlzO1W3re824/s320/Alex+Halloween+2012.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Couldn't get a good picture of her in her costume, but she looked cute in her Halloween Hello Kitty shirt from Aunt Katie</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3i0SAbPDp00-cQtWfyJWm8sf_jo9v_wFR3hA1yg0mYU-VW9vB2UjI3FFsx7IoGxostBYA_qbrwUTclm3x2HAbcNhFw8XIpmqjjYXGON_QgTUod0bbtGqjxib91VTm4yF_wMey4rKUv4/s1600/Annie+Halloween+2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3i0SAbPDp00-cQtWfyJWm8sf_jo9v_wFR3hA1yg0mYU-VW9vB2UjI3FFsx7IoGxostBYA_qbrwUTclm3x2HAbcNhFw8XIpmqjjYXGON_QgTUod0bbtGqjxib91VTm4yF_wMey4rKUv4/s320/Annie+Halloween+2012.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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I'll show you mine if you show me yours....check out that pacemaker!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8962ZAgKFduZ-0k9nmQbUdkHYzJ9REz7ckS3Rhizh07Zt7Mpnf4Jl_iIETTXS5eyJ7mfD29Cqa4dB9vzKPYmxnP25dnaJtdoe7RL7pnByivgCIROzrLaFuoeXYOfQKYa7I-4Enc-sf0/s1600/Annie+Pacemaker.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8962ZAgKFduZ-0k9nmQbUdkHYzJ9REz7ckS3Rhizh07Zt7Mpnf4Jl_iIETTXS5eyJ7mfD29Cqa4dB9vzKPYmxnP25dnaJtdoe7RL7pnByivgCIROzrLaFuoeXYOfQKYa7I-4Enc-sf0/s320/Annie+Pacemaker.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-87355770585835397402012-08-23T08:39:00.000-07:002012-08-23T08:39:35.662-07:00Cardiology Update<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anastasia is doing fantastic in almost every way! In particular, her heart has completely
healed. What better news could we ask
for? She has a residual “patch leak”
from the VSD repair and a slight valve leak, but the cardiologist said other
than that (oh, and the ginormous pacemaker) her heart looks completely normal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been waiting for those words for a very long time now
and feel such a sense of relief to know that her precious little heart has
finally recovered. While I am not overly
comfortable with the blasé mention of the valve leak (I have been to this movie
before…they don’t always let on about the significance of what they see on the
echo) I just have to trust that she is not in harm’s way and we do not need to
worry about her heart. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, that’s a
bunch of crap, but sounds good, doesn’t it?!?!
I will be calling for the written echo report so I can see the details
in writing so I can research until my heart is content. I really do; however, feel that she is okay
and the leak is not of significance. She
was taken off of Lasix (diuretic) and was cleared for annual visits. She is using her pacemaker 6.7%, which is
more than ever before, but still hardly at all in the grand scheme of
things. They adjusted her settings again
to see if perhaps she just has a lower resting heart rate. We will do a phone check in 3 months to see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alexander and Anastasia both started at their new school
this week (Montessori Academy). Annie has
adjusted well, but Alex is having a bit of a hard time, which is totally
expected for a 3 year old. It stresses
me out and makes me worry beyond belief, but I am trying to stay positive and
remember that change is hard but eases in time.
It is a fantastic environment for
both kiddos so hopefully he will settle in soon. I imagine it is confusing and difficult to be
in a room full of complete strangers and new set of expectations. Luckily, Annie is in a room with a friend
from her other daycare, so at least she has one familiar face!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am having to do some travel for work, so life is even more
hectic than normal. It’s great to have
new clients and opportunities, but also very stressful. One of my new clients is in Irvine, CA, so
maybe I will get to go to Disneyland on one of my trips. Nothing like seeing the Mouse to make you
smile! </span> <o:p></o:p></div>
Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-10576371826230395772012-08-14T14:37:00.000-07:002012-08-14T14:37:07.329-07:00Just a couple of pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Cool dude wearing my sunglasses (which I got as a treasure for pooping in the potty):</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZD86_8dI3blnQ_uyEOV5XxNt2j68NPw_jVMvei09mRVcG-9Azht-C7Gyl2W0eB0ojkidHqRrqHwmJZvb6dngNcJxxidrAij4gnkNoxou75aChnCMJWr-JWmEhllAMVL1sDolrkKtt68/s1600/Alex.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZD86_8dI3blnQ_uyEOV5XxNt2j68NPw_jVMvei09mRVcG-9Azht-C7Gyl2W0eB0ojkidHqRrqHwmJZvb6dngNcJxxidrAij4gnkNoxou75aChnCMJWr-JWmEhllAMVL1sDolrkKtt68/s320/Alex.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Can you tell I am up to no good?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPnvotVNsGgrjulj-m8xg_wlrIktbrZUjc3cAQpOV6lI77MqII5tOeBV_Krbh4EA969X6-hhm4Q1f5GOrAsyx06SBRHKKEhg7CPsyRqP_2J5LA2a0pJtjnoxD89w-dPR_TXMLK63vkLRI/s1600/Annie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPnvotVNsGgrjulj-m8xg_wlrIktbrZUjc3cAQpOV6lI77MqII5tOeBV_Krbh4EA969X6-hhm4Q1f5GOrAsyx06SBRHKKEhg7CPsyRqP_2J5LA2a0pJtjnoxD89w-dPR_TXMLK63vkLRI/s320/Annie.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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All is well with the clan.....promise to update soon.....in the meantime, just thought I would share how big they have gotten!</div>
<br /><br />Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-17764329537729429122012-07-23T13:10:00.000-07:002012-07-23T13:10:39.898-07:00Update and Pictures!<br />
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I went to Austin this past weekend for a wedding (John and Tasha) and had a
great time (sans kiddos and husband)! I
love seeing special friends get married!
I also had the opportunity to hang out with Katie and Peter, Megan and
Bill, and Michelle. We had a lot of fun
strolling down memory lane!</div>
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Here are some pictures of the festivities:</div>
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Michelle and Jeanine:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyenI56CTBa9P2e1hERMJWr-_SzPH_GMEwo4CFSPsZ1g51EANYB7ip2RYpCeaYvyPqgmvxSUvKGLHOkzweEZ-ZEbG-ZyOrQcsVKC3ZaTY8PlMvFMRPssURUQmngtu2qS6rBmtw794P-Q/s1600/Michelle+and+Jeanine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyenI56CTBa9P2e1hERMJWr-_SzPH_GMEwo4CFSPsZ1g51EANYB7ip2RYpCeaYvyPqgmvxSUvKGLHOkzweEZ-ZEbG-ZyOrQcsVKC3ZaTY8PlMvFMRPssURUQmngtu2qS6rBmtw794P-Q/s320/Michelle+and+Jeanine.JPG" width="238" /></a></div>
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Katie and Peter:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdxgE-ToXPNlrLsKUwU61kwGxGk1eYOTXdKK7cdlFSd0ICDCFtOGIsKhyHasJKflkX2zN1nQdVBZ_FerKK7IiXOe_So8pgTqOlhomwf8cEaL26fV0mW9ee6F2b-kaa_wVKORHP7cv3qQ/s1600/Katie+and+Peter+at+wedding.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdxgE-ToXPNlrLsKUwU61kwGxGk1eYOTXdKK7cdlFSd0ICDCFtOGIsKhyHasJKflkX2zN1nQdVBZ_FerKK7IiXOe_So8pgTqOlhomwf8cEaL26fV0mW9ee6F2b-kaa_wVKORHP7cv3qQ/s320/Katie+and+Peter+at+wedding.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
Megan and Jeanine:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzAZPSctJM6XIvrdnHTd1QN87ymFKw-fZOCbzLIu7kbSv7tZh-qaN-GKP9fumMB1TTFSgs_CI8txY_KBIW1zokZ2fLayfJi9ONHzEXP4L9mVOf-F2JmqH4UeC3qARGwjG0LcV19eDs8M/s1600/Jeanine+and+Megan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzAZPSctJM6XIvrdnHTd1QN87ymFKw-fZOCbzLIu7kbSv7tZh-qaN-GKP9fumMB1TTFSgs_CI8txY_KBIW1zokZ2fLayfJi9ONHzEXP4L9mVOf-F2JmqH4UeC3qARGwjG0LcV19eDs8M/s320/Jeanine+and+Megan.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stephen survived in my absence, but thank goodness Mimi and
Papa where there to help him. They are
quite a handful these days, especially when sick. Annie has a yucky cold and is getting several
teeth, so needless to say she does not feel well (who can blame her??). She is also at that stage of being disagreeable
when her plans do not align with ours (i.e. getting her diaper changed). It’s great to see her becoming so independent
and opinionated, but man it makes the simplest things twice as hard as they
need to be. It’s kind of funny to watch Alexander
try to get on her case when she is not cooperating. She runs off laughing (after stealing a toy from him) and he chases
behind her saying, “That’s not funny Annie”.
I thought the older sibling was supposed to torment the younger
sibling? In due time I suppose!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Annie’s left thumb is still doing great and she continues to
use it as if it is her natural thumb.
Her right thumb; however, is not doing as well. We are hopeful that with continued therapy
she will get there with it. Having the
radial club hand does not help function, that’s for sure. She also has a pretty significant contracture
in her now index finger (which was originally her second finger) so it is just
easier for her to grasp between the second and third fingers. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s hard to believe that my baby boy turned three
yesterday! Where does the time go? We had a family party for him a Chuck E
Cheese last night and he had a blast playing with his cousin Jackson, Aunt Jen,
Uncle Jedi, and Mimi and Papa. Annie
also had fun running around the joint spreading her germs. Let’s face it, those places are germ
factories anyway! The kids slept great
last night.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I started back to work full time last week. I
am not happy about it. I’ll just leave
it at that <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The birthday boy playing air hockey:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<br />
Poor thing got bit by an ant last weekend and his eye was swollen beyond belief:<br />
<br />
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<br />
Check out Annie's awesome looking hand:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxy9BqRiPdo7MwZhmL7RVvi4R_54BCseaspPyXVrpLkJKnAoEUT_q8ik7emwjjLWRDSy4YYKUoLEhsEKWEvFkkuHTtQ5j2_FXvY9OaAimh6uOhWgp4KdvdQhmYkcTu40fPTmzFGhvZKA0/s1600/3+fingers+7.18.12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxy9BqRiPdo7MwZhmL7RVvi4R_54BCseaspPyXVrpLkJKnAoEUT_q8ik7emwjjLWRDSy4YYKUoLEhsEKWEvFkkuHTtQ5j2_FXvY9OaAimh6uOhWgp4KdvdQhmYkcTu40fPTmzFGhvZKA0/s320/3+fingers+7.18.12.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
Such a great pincher grasp:<br />
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<br />
Hi there:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMsZmMU4eSUZu3ocibffAoxV0W0CElLhs-YRNI1LSjE6SLpPIdDwiJWSTrOXmsDynqXjlXt4zQmcBNmKcujJMNmoAdCfcls2_z_YsF8Ee4rOhMsa0qG0GxX6S4c7gbGfaD0HUrcj6y3g/s1600/Happy+girl+7.18.12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMsZmMU4eSUZu3ocibffAoxV0W0CElLhs-YRNI1LSjE6SLpPIdDwiJWSTrOXmsDynqXjlXt4zQmcBNmKcujJMNmoAdCfcls2_z_YsF8Ee4rOhMsa0qG0GxX6S4c7gbGfaD0HUrcj6y3g/s320/Happy+girl+7.18.12.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
Great at holding bigger objects too:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYAPqaUYCyXOZE0vVA27mZY_KiPd_7_JgsVKWx7KjJkjo0ggjyZGsgp5a0TYiIAlp2Lb4aEIbIGzC77azQw4Qs5rsvnrXPrD6uE8E_pDEeZbR6GQ7UucYJKHV1rxgvwsJqfA3zI9Z1FU/s1600/Holding+a+juice+box+7.18.12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYAPqaUYCyXOZE0vVA27mZY_KiPd_7_JgsVKWx7KjJkjo0ggjyZGsgp5a0TYiIAlp2Lb4aEIbIGzC77azQw4Qs5rsvnrXPrD6uE8E_pDEeZbR6GQ7UucYJKHV1rxgvwsJqfA3zI9Z1FU/s320/Holding+a+juice+box+7.18.12.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
Chillaxing at the mall play area:<br />
<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-62562144490887852662012-06-22T13:46:00.002-07:002012-06-22T13:46:42.858-07:00Future Hitchhiker….<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
All is well in the land of the new thumbs! The nasty scab finally fell off, and what is hiding
underneath looks great! At this point I
do not think she is having any pain associated with it, so I am very relieved
about that. She is not moving it yet but
I know that will come in time. She
brings her other fingers to it and uses it as leverage, so that alone is a huge
improvement from where she was before the surgery. I am so excited about the progress that she
has made and feel such a sense of relief.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Annie is back to being her happy, spunky little self. When she feels bad she is a bear, but when
she feels good, she is the happiest little person around! She has become quite the chatterbox lately and
will repeat most anything you ask her to say.
Her favorite new game is to swipe whatever Alexander is playing with and
run away with it laughing. She is a
quick little stinker! As you can imagine
Alex is none too pleased with her antics.
Luckily Alex protests by screaming that Annie has stolen something from
him instead of snatching back whatever she has taken from him. I know it sounds odd to encourage that, but
the alternative might result in injury to her new thumbs or her arms. So we are happy to encourage him to “use his
words” instead. He’s such a good sport!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are all excited to welcome my niece and nephew (Emily and
Ryan) to Nashville this weekend. They will
be staying with us for the week. I am so
touched that at their age, 11 and 13, they would want to give up a week of their
summer to come play with us. It is so
sweet how much Ry and Em love their cousins, even though they are so much
younger. We are so blessed!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Look how great her hands look:</div>
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<br /></div>
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Going on a serious picnic:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brotherly love (Alex helping Annie into the sandbox):</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-75975831081950526502012-06-11T07:47:00.000-07:002012-06-11T07:47:04.002-07:005 for 10!<br />
5 for 10....what am I referring to? 5 days until vacation? No, we don't go
on vacations around here these days. 5 beers for 10 dollars? No, but that
would be an awesome deal! I am actually talking about having to wait 5 very long hours for our 10
minute visit with the surgeon Monday (yes, the one in West Palm Beach, FL).
Granted, we didn't really need any more than 10 mins of his time, but wow, it
was a really long time to wait with a tired 16 months old that does not feel
well. I should have counted the number of other patients (mainly kids) that
were waiting to see him that day. At a minimum there were 30. Annie was by far
the youngest, but she was also by far what is considered the "least involved"
(thanks Missy for helping me out with a much nicer term than deformed). We met
some really great kids and parents during our wait, which is always so helpful<br />
.<br />
The good news is that Annie is such a trooper and is doing well. We don't
have to go back until she is 2, at which time she will have surgery again to
start the radius lengthening process (which I actually refuse to even think
about at the moment as I want to relish in the fact that just maybe Annie can
stay out of the OR for 8 months..knock on wood of course).<br />
<br />
Her new thumb is very swollen and angry looking. Not angry as-in infected,
just angry as-in painful and with significant scabbing. Totally to be expected,
but I guess I just forgot what it looks like when it first comes out of the
bandage. It kind of broke my heart seeing what looks to be no doubt extremely
painful. The outer layer of the dressing (coban...that sticky, stretchy stuff
they usually put around your arm after they draw blood) was too tight and caused
the outer layer of skin on her upper arm to come off too. <br />
Poor Annie sure did shed a lot of tears, as did I (Gee too). I just keep
reminding myself that it is temporary and she will not remember any of it. She
is a tough little girl, so I know she will prevail, I just kind of wish we
didn't have to watch her go through all of this in the meantime. She is doing
absolutely awesome with the thumb on her left hand (the one done in January) so I
know with several months of therapy, which kind of equates to her as play
time (thanks to our wonderful OT Missy) she will get there with this thumb too.
Time heals all wounds, right? Of course, I have also heard that saying as time
wounds all heals, but we will just forget about it like that :-)<br />
<br />
We all look forward to Annie getting past this and back to her very happy
self. She is extremely cranky these days, but it is no wonder! She is also
working on another ear infection, so that just adds insult to injury. Hopefully
the antibiotics will kick in soon and she will kick the infection to the curb!
Buh-bye infection!<br />
<br />
Gee leaves tomorrow. Alexander was very sad when I told him she was going
back to Dallas tomorrow. He stuck his bottom lip out like he was going to cry.
He loves him some Gee.....as do we all. I am not sure who will miss her the
most. I really don't know what we would have done without her through all of
this. It's amazing that she just dropped her whole life to come and live with
us and help us all through the last 16 months. She has made a tremendous
sacrifice for us that I can't even begin to thank her for. I know this day is
what we have been waiting for....not for Gee to leave but for Annie to be well
enough for her to leave. I will miss her dearly.....it is a bittersweet
farewell.<br />
<br />
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<br />Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-50594115228439581792012-05-30T10:01:00.001-07:002012-05-30T10:01:06.772-07:00Home 5/22/12<br />
Our trip back to Nashvegas was uneventful and Annie did great. She is so
happy to be back home amongst her toys and familiar environment (wait, is that
me or Annie I am talking about?) :-) Alexander was also quite excited to have us
home. He really loves his sister, and the feeling is mutual. They give each
other a hug every morning, which is so cute! He still has his very jealous
moments, and he does naughty things, like he tries to sit on her, but generally
speaking they get along quite well (knock on wood). <br />
<br />
Annie has been very up and down the last several days, where she is
delightfully happy one minute, but unhappy and crying the next. It is a guessing
game as to what is bothering her. She is cutting molars, so it could definitely
be that, she has been tugging on her ear (which is somewhat of a habit for her)
so she could have an ear infection (she has already had 4 this year), or her
hand could be hurting her (I hope she is not getting a wound infection under her
bandage). She has been a little clammy lately too, but any of the above
mentioned could be causing that. So hard to figure it out! She was up last night
from 3-5 and was very agitated again (I rocked her from 3-4 and Gee rocked her
from 4-5). We have not been giving her medicine (Tylenol) but maybe once every
24 hours or so, so I don’t think the medicine is negatively affecting her. Maybe
we will go back to giving her Tylenol on a regularly scheduled basis to see if
that helps sooth her. Guess we might be visiting the pediatrician before the
week is over. It has been about 3 weeks since we have seen him after all, which
is a record for her these days, lol. <br />
<br />
I am currently on my way to CA to meet with a perspective client. It is an
exciting thing from a business perspective, but it sure was tough leaving the
kiddos! I will only be gone for about 24 hours, but still, that can seem like an
eternity, especially when you are worried about your babies. I have to admit;
however, traveling sans kids is MUCH easier! Security was a breeze, as I could
go through the scanner like normal (we usually have to be pat down because of
Annie’s pacemaker). <br />
<br />
Thanks for the continued love and support. And thanks for the prayers for my
nephew Ryan. They have determined that the culprit of his woes is Mono. He does
not have an active case, but he is still battling the lingering effects of
extreme fatigue and migraines. The poor kid has not been able to do much of
anything the past several weeks, including go to school. Praying for some relief
for him soon (and my sister too).<br />Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-20388036969759833752012-05-30T10:00:00.001-07:002012-05-30T10:07:13.342-07:00Doing Great 5/15/12<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Annie
continues to make daily progress, and in fact has not needed anything for pain
in almost 24 hours. Pretty amazing considering where she was just
a few days ago. She is such a resilient little girl with such a
sweet spirit and zest for life. Nothing is going to keep her down
for long. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Michelle went back to Houston on
Saturday night and Stephen and Alexander went back to Nashville on Sunday, so it
is just me, Gee, and Annie hanging out in West Palm Beach. It is
kind of lonely and I miss my boys like CRAZY, but this way Stephen can go to
work, Alexander can be in his environment (where like any toddler does much
better) and Gee and I can tend to Annie’s every want and need. Her
nighttime sleep pattern is all screwed up right now. She will go
to sleep for about 3-4 hours then wake up and want to be up for about 3-4
hours. At first she tries to get down to play, but once she
realizes that isn’t happening, she is content to just lay in our arms and
sleep. Great for her, not so much for us! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oh well,
my mom and I trade off every other night tending to the princess, so that
helps. Hopefully she will get back to sleeping better when we get
home, which can’t come soon enough! Including tonight, just two
more nights.….yippee!! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Michelle and Annie:</span></span><br />
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We got to take Alexander to the beach for a couple of hours and he had a blast!</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span>Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4419884800065562069.post-18285996170245833182012-05-30T09:59:00.005-07:002012-05-30T10:04:52.863-07:00Amazing Progress 5/11/12Wow, what a difference a day makes! After 12
straight hours of crying, and my insistence of no more morphine, Annie finally
calmed down and went to sleep (albeit 3 o'clock in the morning). Of course they
had to come wake her up to take her blood before the sun was even up, but her
pain was so much less! Don't get me wrong, she is one grumpy bear, but given
what she had done to her, I think she is allowed to be a little pissed at the
world! As long as she is not hurting like she was, I'll take it! I have no doubt
that all of the prayers sent up for her have played a role in her markedly fast
improvement.<br />
<br />
She is doing so well that they agreed to my request of discharge
home (well, home away from home) instead of to the regular floor. So excited!
She hates the hospital, and anyone coming at her with a stethoscope, so I know
we will see continued speedy improvement in a quiet and peaceful environment
(well, I am not sure how quiet and peaceful it is with Alex in tow, but
considerably better than the beeping). I am sure it will take eons to get
discharged, but at least she is resting comfortably right now :)<br />
<br />
Watching Dora with her Gee<br />
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<br />Jeaninehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07148295863910507318noreply@blogger.com0