When the Bough Breaks

You know there is a difference in you child's cries- the I'm-really-hurt-and-going-to-make-you-panic-cry versus the I'll-get-over-it cry. We had the former this afternoon, that which makes even the toughest mama's stomach drop and panic rise. Before I get to that, let me give some background.

We have a frequent flyer pass with our local ER and the annual Thanksgiving tradition here isn't just the turkey, Macy's parade, and football. Historically the holiday has included an ER visit for C...EVERY year. And JUST TODAY a colleague asked me about this tradition and I responded that I hope we break that one tradition this year, and just enjoy our time in Hilton Head. Well, we hope we broke the tradition and that our ER visit this evening takes the place of a Thanksgiving visit.

My boy must be part monkey; he cannot be outside without climbing a tree. As much as we say "that's dangerous" and "get down" the result is temporary. C will get down for that moment, but once your back is turned, he's at it again. As a mom, I am torn- aren't boys supposed to be climbing trees, catching bugs, chasing frogs and the like? I think this is one lesson that teaches itself though. Frankly, I'm not even sure the result of this fall will be a permanent deterrent for the little guy who likes to do his own stunts.

So, what happened? C decided to climb a tree after school and took quite a spill. He's broken both the radius and the ulna in his left arm, has a shiner forming on his eye, and a large goose egg on his head. My mom and I both knew when we heard his cry, then saw the limp arm, that we were headed to the ER immediately...and C wailed and wailed, which indicated even more that something was seriously wrong. C is finally resting (thank you Tylenol with codeine) with a splint and sling and we're visiting the orthopaedic surgeon in the morning.

Once we returned from the ER my mom and I visited the "scene of the crime" and realized how blessed we are that this was not even more serious than it already is. From where the branch broke and landed, it appears that C was at least 10 feet up in the tree...that sits between our stone driveway, stone walkway, and construction fencing (ditch work being done). There was also a metal landscaping light right there. We are so blessed that C did not hit the stone, the light, the fencing, the car- it's amazing he hit the patch of ground and nothing else, and for that, we are overwhelmed with gratitude. The branch is strewn all over the stone and I'm just so thankful we didn't have a compound fracture or more serious injuries.

I told my mom that I just don't know that my heart will ever be strong enough as boyhood marches on and leaves its nicks, scrapes, and ER visits. Tomorrow we'll meet with the orthopaedic surgeon to learn more, but for now, I'm just thankful my little snuggle bug is nestled in and feeling some pain relief. Thank God it wasn't worse than this!

Random Thoughts

Tonight's dinner is curry and coconut chicken with rice and Tuscan melon. My son thinks I am out to get him; I think I may be the only one enjoying this dinner, with a glass of wine of course.

Christmas is 47 days away and I already feel "behind."

Vacationing for Thanksgiving is a nice idea, but after cooking a Sunday dinner last night, I called it quits. Actually, I called Fresh Market, and since they are on island, they will be catering my TG dinner.

A split vacation is a concept we are going to test out this year- we'll enjoy 1/2 a week of just me, hubs, and C prior to family chaos arriving and ensuing.

I am packing wine for the trip- lots of it. And my bike. However, I will not be drinking wine on the bike.

During a rousing game of Candyland tonight, my son yells out "AW- THAT SUCKS." Not a proud moment around here, not a word we use. Couldn't get from him where he'd heard that, but I guess it resonated that we don't say it when C asked, "so, is it bad like 'shit'?" Mother.of.the.Year.

I am hosting a baby shower in less than a month- really need to get this place cleaned up and ready to entertain...and the invitations out!

Hoping to get rid of this underlying feeling of intense stress right now!

Friday Night Leftovers...the ON TIME Edition!

Hello Friday...where have you been when I needed you earlier in the week? Busy, busy week here, but lots of good stuff going on:

• I think my homemade mummy costume turned out pretty darn fantastic for an investment of $6 and 4 hours, plus a few glue sticks.

• Spent the week in the Queen City of Charlotte, NC- a lot of great work was accomplished, I enjoyed seeing old and new colleagues, and I had the chance to catch up with some dear friends...a successful week in my book, both professionally and personally.

• Now that C is a little older, I love being able to volunteer again, and that I can combine it with my passion for education and investing in our children. My "clients" every Friday afternoon are a group of awesome 5 year olds.

• We are leaving for Hilton Head Island in two weeks and my son took it upon himself to pack his suitcase. Excited much?

• I've been inspired by Sippy Cups Are Not For Starbucks and started packing bento style lunches. Thanks for getting us out of the lunch rut Danifred!

• I'm looking forward to a low-key and unplanned weekend...might even finish up the bathroom re-do and will be happy to check that off the list.
  

How to enjoy the leftovers:

1. Write out all the random thoughts swimming in your head that don't quite constitute a blog entry of their own.

2. Copy and paste the Leftovers photo onto your post (copy photo, upload to your post).

3. Link back to The Simple Life.

4. Enter your blog name and the permalink to your post into the comments section.

5. Visit all the other leftovers and leave your love over the weekend.

Friday Night Leftovers...the Saturday Edition

Our schedule has been a blur lately, so I am guilty of not dishing out the leftovers these past few weeks, but I've certainly enjoyed reading others in the meantime.

C is having a great time in Kindergarten and I am enjoying volunteering at his school and in the classroom. This week brings us a trip to the pumpkin patch, school pictures, and a pumpkin decorating contest.

Travel has been the continuing theme around here. I spent a long girls' weekend in NYC and have upcoming flights/travel booked to Charlotte and Hilton Head, so it will continue to be a very busy few weeks ahead. I'm excited, but honestly, exhausted just thinking about it right now. I feel like the song "I Need A Nap." Every weekend in December is already booked (how did that happen?), then another trip to NYC.


Our little dog, which I've always said is the not-so-smart one, proved me wrong yesterday. She got out of the back gate (unknown to me) and evidently ran the neighborhood. She is a rescue and the shelter estimated she'd been running in the woods as a pup, prior to being dropped off. The few times we've tried to let her off lead, she bolts, so she is not let loose because we're afriad she won't return. So, yesterday, I have no idea she's running loose and I get a phone call from my mom asking me if I'm missing anything. I said, "no, I don't think so, but I must be if you're calling to ask that." She tells me she opened her front door to find our little dog just hanging out on her front porch. I give the dog credit, she found her way through our large neighborhood, to my parents' house, then stayed for a "play date" with my parents' dog.

Today is the last game in the fall Little League season, followed by the awards ceremony for the boys. Next up: basketball season starts on Monday.

We took on overhauling the dining room and renovating C's bathroom in all of our (not-so) free time. What were we thinking?

I saw two wild turkeys walking down the side of the road on my way home from Starbucks and the market this morning. Random!

How to enjoy the leftovers:

1. Write out all the random thoughts swimming in your head that don't quite constitute a blog entry of their own.

2. Copy and paste the Leftovers photo onto your post (copy photo, upload to your post).

3. Link back to The Simple Life.

4. Enter your blog name and the permalink to your post into the comments section.

5. Visit all the other leftovers and leave your love over the weekend.

Our Life in Pictures

I'm not sure what look he was going for, but he sure does look ready for a good time!

Dressing himself for school

Mummy candy apple

"Dashing through the COTTON!"

Yep, random pig running around and he sits pretty for peanuts.

A view that never grows old

The mischevious look just prior to attempting to scramble down the bluff

Homemade Pumpkins

This post is actually recycled from last year, on my old blog. After reading the experience my friend had with her adorable homemade pumpkins, I was reminded that I found a fairly simple craft with C last year, that was a big hit with the family for Thanksgiving place settings. Here it is:

Looking for an inexpensive way to add charm to your table and indicate seating arrangements? Enter the paper pumpkins! We had this on our list of crafts to make last year and we never made it to these darling litte crafts. Here’s what we used:

12 x 12 scrapbook paper (makes 2 pumpkins)
green paper
brass brads (2 per pumpkin)
twine
leaf pattern scissors (optional)

Cut 12×12 paper in half. Cut each half into strips of 10 or more. Punch a hole on both ends of the strips. Use a brad to secure the “bottom” of the pumpkin. Fan out the strips in a circle- it will look like wheel spokes. Cut a leaf from the green paper and punch a hole in one end. Write name on leaf (my little guy liked this job), insert brad, and begin pulling each strip up and onto brad. Once all strips have been gathered, secure brad. Cut piece of twine, slip under leaf, and tie. Easy and adorable, these can be placed on each person’s plate.

Post-Surgery Update on M

Surgery #7 is crossed off the list and MANY, MANY thanks go out to our awesome family and friends that have supported us with the blessing of prayer, kind words, and positive thoughts. We are humbled by having such a fantastic support network- thank you from the bottom of our hearts. The technical update is that M was in surgery a little over two hours yesterday. A long segment of Barrett's remains (not the news we really wanted) but it was a smooth enough of a segment that it could be treated with radio frequency ablation (RFA), versus cryo. In regular terms, they used a wand to zap off the bad cells, instead of freezing them off. M had two rounds of RFA during yesterday's surgery and he will need at least 1-2 more surgeries to continue to treat the high dysplastic (bad) cells, then another surgery to biopsy. Yes, we are on the frequent flyer plan at this hospital. After some time in the recovery room, a very groggy M was too tired and sore to eat dinner and he's up and around today, but still very sore. Despite requests to see M in his lovely and fashionable hospital gown (can't imagine why he refused those requests), I hope you got a chuckle out of the cartoon I found.

We did A LOT of waiting yesterday...but now instead of feeling like we are waiting with a bunch of strangers, we have folks coming by to say hello, check on us, ask if we brought pictures of "that cute little curly headed babe," and to ask how M has been faring. I like that it is the same support team and that they make you feel at home, in a place you probably don't want to consider anything like home. M and I both jest that we really should have platinum level frequent stay cards by now, and shouldn't there be some perks to go with that, beyond the free ginger ale and sneaking me back into pre-op and recovery?

The downside to tertiary care at a teaching hospital is that it can seem very disorganized and frightening at times. I will never forget M coming to after his first surgery last year, opening his eyes and asking me "WHAT DID YOU DO?" I turned around to see two armed guards in the recovery bay five feet across from us, with their prisoner. Nice. M, of course, thought I raised some kind of ruckus re: waiting and waiting and waiting some more and that security was called. We have to call REPEATEDLY to get appointments scheduled, typically with no callback, and it takes me emailing the surgeon directly (thank goodness for university email search) to ask what it takes to get a surgery scheduled that he mandated? I'm confident the admin team has my photo on a dart board somewhere- so be it. We've learned you have to be an advocate for the care you are prescribed; no one is going to do it for you. M's local GI specialist called the other day to tell me he still has no records, after 12 months of treatment with this hospital, so the poor GI intern got to take that down in his pre-op notes when I explained that I really didn't know what else we could do beyond the multiple requests and releases that have been provided. *sigh* At times, yes, managing a medical condition in this care space feels at minimum like a part-time job.

M and I had a "we are getting old" moment yesterday when the intern for anesthesiology came in. The attending we'd met a few minutes prior was what we expected, the intern, however, looked like he was about 14 years old. And 14 is being generous. Wow, did we feel O-L-D to cross that threshold into our caregivers are now younger than us. In Doogie Howser's defense, he did an excellent job answering my barrage of questions and even gave M a shot of lidocaine before inserting the IV. Where was he when I was being prepped for my c-section? Our next young one to arrive was the GI intern who would be performing the surgery, with the attending at his side. This one looked like he just gave up the tricycle for the two-wheeler, so it is a bit unnerving. All went well, and I am sure they are very talented young men, it just throws you for a loop to think, is this kid old enough to have a beer, let alone perform major surgery?

And just like the trusty specials menu at your favorite restaurant, we're thinking Mondays must be prison day at this hospital. We had the added bonus of two prisoners in our four person bay area, with three armed guards. Yes, prisoners need care too, but preach to me when the guy is five feet away from you and you wonder what he's doing time for. Makes you wonder when you are packing your hospital bag if you need to start adding "personal protection" to your list. Frightening.

In closing, I assume the admin team is tired of me calling for the following surgery the doctor always prescribes, so this time they pre-empted me and sent a note to recovery with M's next surgery appointment. Sweet- and really, about time. We'll be back in early December for surgery #8, and #9 will likely be in February 2011, be it for additional treatment or for biopsies. On a positive note, we are blessed that this condition was not quickly discovered in M. Had his Barrett's been diagnosed just 3-5 years ago, the treatment was radical (removal of esophagus). Despite all of the little annoyances, we are thankful to use new technology to treat this condition, in the hands of the world's best pioneers with it...we're just ready to get things "fixed" and get on with our next adventure. As always, thank you for your concern, care and support- it's priceless.