i g0t th3m last night th3y s0m3 killas

February 14, 2007 BlogPants

It’s a shoe blog.? Funny?? Meh.? The comments in this thread though?? th3y s0m3 killas.

True Wife Confession?

family

**EDIT BELOW**

As a loving husband, you would probably think these:

accompanied by this:

might get you this:

(more…)

This is Fitting

Friends

Happy Valentine’s Day! I created this anatomically correct heart for all my Flickr contacts using fd’s Flickr Toys. The idea came from Chris at Rude Cactus.

If you’re not already one of my Flickr contacts, just sign into your Flickr account and come back to click one of the pics above. Then mouse-over my profile until the drop down appears and add me! Easy Peasy!

Click the pic or this text to go to the Flickr account and add a note where your name is!?

I hope you all have a Happy Day!

xo

Oh - here’s one for David:

We’re Home!

February 13, 2007 family

Dylan and I went to the hospital this evening, (I had to wake him up to go, poor kid.) When we got there, he still had the fever, so they gave him a dose of Tylenol, and we were seen pretty quickly because it wasn’t busy.

I’m relieved he is okay, but let me just vent for a second.

Dear Dr. We Saw on Sunday,

If there is no added risk to MY Kawasaki Kid for developing Endocarditis, DO NOT EXPLAIN ENDOCARDITIS TO ME. No wonder no one ever told me about Endo in the last 8 years - his chart clearly shows no valve transplants, no sign that he would have any more risk than any other 8 year old.

Thanks.

Had I only known. I feel like the world’s biggest drama queen right now. And I’m not much of a drama queen. Maybe a little, but not about my child’s health. Come on, David. You may have made me feel like a fool this afternoon, but thanks to my homegirls for empowering this Mama Bear once again.

So, the doctor we saw tonight checked and double checked Dylan’s cardiology records, and consulted briefly with Dylan’s Cardiologist. All is well. Dylan has a virus and it’s just been flirting with him a little aggressively.

Since I gotta find some good out of all this, here’s some great points from the last few days:

• We read tons of Nanny McPhee together;
• We watched “Dirty Jobs” last night and laughed our asses off;
• Dylan got to ride in a wheelchair down a HUGE hill, while I slid behind him, clutching the handles of the wheelchair for dear life. I felt like a VERY SCARED ESKIMO. It was cool. and frightening.

So despite all the crappy stuff, he is indeed on the mend, and I can rest easy that it isn’t something serious.

Thank you thank you thank you all for being here through this. I know I haven’t “met” you all in person, but you are all amazing and I value your kindness greatly.

xo

The Fever Hasn’t Broke *Updated Again*

family

We’re heading to the hospital this afternoon.

**Update** The fever seems to have subsided. Dylan has eaten toast, and has drank the equivalent of Niagara Falls in juice and water. He is the champion of Cranium Family Fun and Sorry, and is fixing to make brownies. Lucky me! Since he was due for a dose of Tylenol at noon and doesn’t seem to need it, we are going to stay home and see what happens. I think he is on the mend!

We’re leaving in about 20 minutes when Daren gets home. Dylan’s fever is back and he fell asleep about an hour ago - my heart is breaking for him.

Thank you a bazillion times for all your comments and to the one who emailed and said I was over-reacting about a stupid fever? Clearly you don’t know anything about hearts, and how could you? You obviously don’t have one.

Big sighs of relief.

Thanks everyone. Feel free to beat up David in the comments.

Sometimes I Think There Are Sharks Around My Bed

Parentless

Sometimes I think there are sharks around my bed. If you put out your foot or hand  a fin will cut it off. I m lucky, though; my bed is against the wall, and the sharks can t get their fins up between. They could if they wanted to  but if I m real quiet, then they don t know I m here.

Sometimes I talk to God. I stay awake all night and he keeps me company. I have a direct line to God. He listens to me, and sometimes he makes things happen if I pray real hard. Mom says God always answers your prayers if you re in a state of grace. I promise him things. If I don t say anything to anybody  he ll make it go away.

Please  please  go to the bathroom, please go to the bathroom  not here, not tonight  please, please, please, please, please  I ll never pretend to be sick at mass again, please! No  Please Don t! I m sorry! It hurts, Papa!

God doesn t always listen to me. That s because I m bad. God always listens to good little girls. Maybe if I promise to never talk again  or give up my kitty ——

Sometimes I think there are sharks around my bed.

Written by The Fat Lady Sings

Two Crucial Days

February 11, 2007 family

**Major Update Below!**

The next two days are going to be tense. I took Dylan to the hospital this morning. If you don’t know his background, here’s the summary: Dylan was diagnosed at 3 months of age with Kawasaki Disease, which resulted in aneurysms in his heart. He has been through one surgery, and gone from us giving him 2 needles of heparin (blood-thinner) to his coronary arteries “growing into” all but one aneurysm, and being on baby asprin, once every other day to prevent scarring in his heart.

Thursday afternoon, Dylan came home from school, complaining he was extremely cold, changed into pajamas and carried his pillow and comforter down here to the family room and zonked out. He wasn’t anything like himself. I checked on him several times and he started to spike a fever. I gave him Tylenol, he barely ate anything for dinner, then watched Survivor with us and went to bed. Friday and yesterday, his fever came and went, ebbing and flowing with the Tylenol and Motrin we were alternating. Every time we thought we had licked it, it returned.

Last night (Saturday night), I decided that if he still had the fever this morning, the Children’s Hospital better have a peek at him since it had been long enough.

This morning, I woke to Thomas shaking me and screaming, “Diwwon needs Mommy! He’s cwying Mommy!”

Daren and I both flew to find Dylan, near passed out on the loveseat. He was shaking like a leaf. From what I could gather, he had gotten up and was very thirsty. He tried to pour himself juice but was so weak and shaky, he spilled it and thought he was going to pass out, so he put down the juice jug and flopped on the couch. Why he didn’t come to us first, I don’t know. He is a very independent kid.

He was burning up again, so I gave him some Motrin, got dressed, and took him to Children’s.

Once there, he was still weak, but in good spirits, responding to questions and prodding. They gave him two Popsicles and he perked up a bit. I was starting to think this trip had been a waste and meekly told the doctor so. That maybe it was silly for us to have come in.

He squashed my silly worry very quickly by explaining Endocarditis. It turns out, (And I can’t believe no health professional has told me this in the 8 years we’re dealt with Cardiologists), that people who have had heart damage are at risk for this. Think of it like a stream. When you get to the narrow part of a stream, where there are rocks and twigs, and the water flows through all that, there are little sections of water that swirl around and around, never really going through - like little whirlpools. Well when that happens in the heart, if there is bacteria in the bloodstream, it can cause an infection in the heart.

They checked Dylan for several symptoms beyond the usual ear, nose, throat, heartbeat stuff. They flipped at his fingernails, asked about back pain (kidneys), asked about intake and outake, tested his urine, listened again and again and again to his heart and it’s rhythms. All was fine. No murmurs, no irregularities. The fever is the most prominent symptom in Endocarditis, and the fact that it really isn’t accompanied by any other symptoms got them thinking about this possible diagnosis.

So for the next two days, I have to watch his fever. I checked him a little while ago and he was soaking wet with sweat, but not warm. I guess he is sweating it out. I’ll be sweating it out right alongside him.

I don’t know how to end this post but to say how much I want him to be alright. I know I shouldn’t surf for answers on this, but anyone who knows me, knows I have to have all the details when it comes to Dylan’s heart. Everytime I read this, I start crying again:

Treatment

High dose antibiotics are administered by the intravenous route to maximize diffusion of antibiotic molecules into vegetation(s) from the blood filling the chambers of the heart. This is necessary because neither the heart valves nor the vegetations adherent to them are supplied by blood vessels. Antibiotics are continued for a long time, typically two to six weeks. Surgical removal of the valve is necessary in patients who fail to clear micro-organisms from their blood in response to antibiotic therapy, or in patients who develop cardiac failure resulting from destruction of a valve by infection. A removed valve is usually replaced with an artificial valve which may either be mechanical (metallic) or obtained from an animal such as a pig; the latter are termed bioprosthetic valves. Infective endocarditis is associated with a 25% mortality.

~ Source: Wikipedia

I know you guys aren’t doctors, and you can’t promise a good outcome, but any words to help me manage this crushing fear would be great. I realize he might be completely fine, that this stubborn fever could be just that.

But I’m really scared here. Really scared.

**Update** Not much to report except that he is still feverish this morning. I gave him Motrin and he is drinking much more than he was, and also downed a Popsicle. He wants to stay in bed. This is not my kid. I want him to get out of bed and jump around, sing, dance, fight with his brother.

Thank you for all your comments. Amanda, they did not give him antibiotics. I don’t know why. I’m hoping you are all right about him not being serious enough to keep in the hospital. I stopped reading about this about 12:30 last night, crawled into my bed beside Dylan and tried to keep him warm. He had cold sweats and was shivering.

It is so hard to keep these tears back in his presence. Thanks everyone. I’ll keep you posted.

**Update #2** He ate a banana. Fever is going away with Tylenol/Motrin, but returns before the next dose is due. Waiting sucks.

**Update #3** He had half a bowl of cereal and is still feverish between doses. I’m trying really hard not to worry. Thanks for all your wonderful words and to my best friend for keeping me sane today on the phone.

**Update #4** He asked for a burger and Cindy made it happen! She bolted out to the nearest Harveys to get a burger (with pickles and ketchup please) for the little man. He got through a little more than half of it. Yay! The fever is still lingering, but eating is a good sign, right?

Now You Can Say I’ve Given You Tongue

BlogPants

I want to order this for Ruffy. Here’s the enlarged photo - it’s so worth clicking. Wonder if Chuck would approve?

Tastespotting

February 10, 2007 BlogPants

This is the prettiest food blog I’ve ever seen.? I doubt they would be interested in my nipple cookies.? Pure food porn.? You can submit your recipes since it’s a group effort!? If you do, let me know here - I wanna see!

It is going to take all my strength . . .

February 9, 2007 family

…not to run screaming from the house when Daren pulls in the driveway in 10 minutes. Four days couped up with sick kids is TOO MUCH for this lady. I have never been so excited to go grocery shopping in my entire life. I even flat ironed my hair and put on makeup.

The only things I’m going to “pick up” are produce, sea bass and toilet paper. I’m sure they will all be SO impressed by my beauty.

Hopefully the store people won’t think I’m some kind of thief. Go read my ROFL Award recipient! For more ROFL Awards, go here.

Oops! She moved! I bought the bizatch her own domain, so the post is here and her home page is here. Go say hi and tell her how purty she is!