So Craig checks the mail every day. He likes to do this. I find it utterly depressing, as bills are in there. If he checks after E is home from school, she goes with him.
Yesterday while walking to the mailbox, the conversation went as follows:
Hubby: "How was your day, sweetie?"
E: "It was okay. How are your babies?"
Hubby: "They are fine. Thanks."
E: "Your welcome."
Friday, March 27, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Spring Break 2009 and other stuff...
Well it has been a while since our last post, so I finally carved out a little time to put up another. And let me tell, carving out ANY time with a set of 2 month newborns is not exactly easy! :o)
So E was on Spring Break for a week...and the same week the Hubby went back to working full time. Needless to say, with the twins not sleeping thru the night yet, we needed backup for that week. MommaJo to the Rescue!!!
She showed up and entertained E during the first part of the day while I slept from being up during the night. We even managed to sponsor a Spring Break Craft Day at our house for some of our friends who were also on Spring Break. We painted and applied foam stickers to pots and glasses and door hangers. When the paint dried, we planted seeds in our pots of either flowers or spices. E's pots are just now starting to show buds, so it seems to have been a successful "planting"...at least in our pots!!!
We did not do a big Birthday for E this year, just low-key-family-only-celebration. Cupcakes and a few small things, mostly Movies that she did not have - yes, all princess based {sigh}.
MommaJo came loaded for bear with Princess Dresses and accessories to match, including Crowns, Heels, Earrings and Rings. She also brought a new book that E insisted she read to her almost everyday! True sign of a successful gift :o) The hubby said that after a week of reading it, she had it memorized! Smart kiddo! Chuck sent her a tricycle with two wheels in the FRONT and one wheel in the back...pretty cool. And the hubby found a few of his scooters in the Shop, and they have been riding those around the driveway too!
E is starting to speak more and more clearly. Full sentences and broad topics. Even her whining is mostly audible, unfortunately. We have had to start employing new methods of deterring her from things and actions that will get her into trouble. One of the best things we have started is "If you need to cry, you need to go to your room. When you are done, you can come out." This works 90% of the time, and it is used when she is 'fake crying' for either attention or resisting something we have told her to do/not do. If she is truly hurt, we of course, do not do this (duh). At any rate, seems to dry her up pretty quickly. Credit to the Hubby for thinking of this one.
We also still employ the Time Out. She has to take her time outs in the hallway behind the fireplace on the tile floor, where there is NOTHING to entertain her or really, even give her anything else to look at....thus forcing her to 'think' about what landed her on the cold tile. One day after taking a turn in time out, a few hours later she put her "MommaJo Kitty" in time out. It was funny! See the picture below!
M & F are growing. At their 2 month check up, M weighed 10 pounds and is 22" long; F weighed 9 pounds 11 oz and is 21 3/4" long. So M has almost doubled her birth weight, and F -has- doubled his! Today was E's 3 year wellness check up, and she is 29 1/2 pounds and 37 1/2" tall!! It will not be long before we are eye to eye.....which is NOT saying much! HA! But hey, I'll still out weigh her! :oP
{sigh}
As for M & F, they are not sleeping thru the night consistently yet. But I am hopeful that is around the corner....somewhere....close....I hope. Also, I'm posting their 2 month Blue Chair Pictures.
They are still eating every 4 hours during the day, mostly eating 5 oz each....sometimes a little more, like 6-7 oz.....I'm contributing that to growth spurts. They are starting to track objects a little bit. They are also starting to make longer and longer eye contact. Which is kinda cool. They both smile when they sleep but not when they are awake yet. And of course, they make funny faces in their sleep and occasionally when they are awake. Their hair and eyelashes are really starting to come in now, and we are noticing the same "reddish tint" to their hair that E showed at the same age...that and the Really Long Lashes - thank you Papa!
E still thinks they are pretty cool. She comes to get us when either of them cry, declaring "Mama! Papa! My baby! She's crying!!" Yes, she has not quite got the pronoun thing down yet, so it is always "she" is crying. :o) She also likes to share her favorite toys with them. I attribute this to her total love and devotion to her brother and sister....or it could be that they don't GRAB the toys and keep them...so when she comes up to me and whispers "I want them back now" it is not a big deal to retrieve them :o)
Th hubby got to spend some time in his shop while on vacation, and got his 1967 Datsun running again....long story short, it turned out to be a spark plug issue. In the process though, he got new seats for it, and E claimed the box with all the packing peanuts to be her new favorite place to climb into and play!
As for me, I've been given the all clear by my OB, with my next follow up in 3 months. I'm still taking the Lovenox Shots twice a day, due to my Coumadin levels still being too low. It is taking a little bit longer this time to get it up to the necessary therapeutic levels, which sucks. I hate the shots. I think the hubby does too, as he is the one giving them to me. We are scheduled for another doplar of both legs in two months. My Hematologist believes at that time the clots will be completely gone. He also told me that given the reasons for my clotting (pregnancy, involving not moving), that he does not think I will have any clotting problems going forward.... YAY!!!!
So we are just trying to get back to some kind of a normal routine mostly. We are starting to take the twins out when we make little trips or errands. They like being in the car, so that makes it easier.
They have been on straight formula for about 12 days now, and have had some pretty substantial gas issues. I'm gonna give it another couple of days to see if it subsides any. If not, I will have to look into different formula. Luckily for me, I have Isabel doing all that I'm doing, but sooner! So she has given me some tips on that topic. Thanks Isabel!
That's all for now.
Love to everyone,
Cherise
So E was on Spring Break for a week...and the same week the Hubby went back to working full time. Needless to say, with the twins not sleeping thru the night yet, we needed backup for that week. MommaJo to the Rescue!!!
She showed up and entertained E during the first part of the day while I slept from being up during the night. We even managed to sponsor a Spring Break Craft Day at our house for some of our friends who were also on Spring Break. We painted and applied foam stickers to pots and glasses and door hangers. When the paint dried, we planted seeds in our pots of either flowers or spices. E's pots are just now starting to show buds, so it seems to have been a successful "planting"...at least in our pots!!!
We did not do a big Birthday for E this year, just low-key-family-only-celebration. Cupcakes and a few small things, mostly Movies that she did not have - yes, all princess based {sigh}.
MommaJo came loaded for bear with Princess Dresses and accessories to match, including Crowns, Heels, Earrings and Rings. She also brought a new book that E insisted she read to her almost everyday! True sign of a successful gift :o) The hubby said that after a week of reading it, she had it memorized! Smart kiddo! Chuck sent her a tricycle with two wheels in the FRONT and one wheel in the back...pretty cool. And the hubby found a few of his scooters in the Shop, and they have been riding those around the driveway too!
E is starting to speak more and more clearly. Full sentences and broad topics. Even her whining is mostly audible, unfortunately. We have had to start employing new methods of deterring her from things and actions that will get her into trouble. One of the best things we have started is "If you need to cry, you need to go to your room. When you are done, you can come out." This works 90% of the time, and it is used when she is 'fake crying' for either attention or resisting something we have told her to do/not do. If she is truly hurt, we of course, do not do this (duh). At any rate, seems to dry her up pretty quickly. Credit to the Hubby for thinking of this one.
We also still employ the Time Out. She has to take her time outs in the hallway behind the fireplace on the tile floor, where there is NOTHING to entertain her or really, even give her anything else to look at....thus forcing her to 'think' about what landed her on the cold tile. One day after taking a turn in time out, a few hours later she put her "MommaJo Kitty" in time out. It was funny! See the picture below!
M & F are growing. At their 2 month check up, M weighed 10 pounds and is 22" long; F weighed 9 pounds 11 oz and is 21 3/4" long. So M has almost doubled her birth weight, and F -has- doubled his! Today was E's 3 year wellness check up, and she is 29 1/2 pounds and 37 1/2" tall!! It will not be long before we are eye to eye.....which is NOT saying much! HA! But hey, I'll still out weigh her! :oP
{sigh}
As for M & F, they are not sleeping thru the night consistently yet. But I am hopeful that is around the corner....somewhere....close....I hope. Also, I'm posting their 2 month Blue Chair Pictures.
They are still eating every 4 hours during the day, mostly eating 5 oz each....sometimes a little more, like 6-7 oz.....I'm contributing that to growth spurts. They are starting to track objects a little bit. They are also starting to make longer and longer eye contact. Which is kinda cool. They both smile when they sleep but not when they are awake yet. And of course, they make funny faces in their sleep and occasionally when they are awake. Their hair and eyelashes are really starting to come in now, and we are noticing the same "reddish tint" to their hair that E showed at the same age...that and the Really Long Lashes - thank you Papa!
E still thinks they are pretty cool. She comes to get us when either of them cry, declaring "Mama! Papa! My baby! She's crying!!" Yes, she has not quite got the pronoun thing down yet, so it is always "she" is crying. :o) She also likes to share her favorite toys with them. I attribute this to her total love and devotion to her brother and sister....or it could be that they don't GRAB the toys and keep them...so when she comes up to me and whispers "I want them back now" it is not a big deal to retrieve them :o)
Th hubby got to spend some time in his shop while on vacation, and got his 1967 Datsun running again....long story short, it turned out to be a spark plug issue. In the process though, he got new seats for it, and E claimed the box with all the packing peanuts to be her new favorite place to climb into and play!
As for me, I've been given the all clear by my OB, with my next follow up in 3 months. I'm still taking the Lovenox Shots twice a day, due to my Coumadin levels still being too low. It is taking a little bit longer this time to get it up to the necessary therapeutic levels, which sucks. I hate the shots. I think the hubby does too, as he is the one giving them to me. We are scheduled for another doplar of both legs in two months. My Hematologist believes at that time the clots will be completely gone. He also told me that given the reasons for my clotting (pregnancy, involving not moving), that he does not think I will have any clotting problems going forward.... YAY!!!!
So we are just trying to get back to some kind of a normal routine mostly. We are starting to take the twins out when we make little trips or errands. They like being in the car, so that makes it easier.
They have been on straight formula for about 12 days now, and have had some pretty substantial gas issues. I'm gonna give it another couple of days to see if it subsides any. If not, I will have to look into different formula. Luckily for me, I have Isabel doing all that I'm doing, but sooner! So she has given me some tips on that topic. Thanks Isabel!
That's all for now.
Love to everyone,
Cherise
Friday, February 27, 2009
The Last Surgery from the BABIES...
Or "How to almost die, part 3…"
What is it with my inability to do anything simply????
First, the ‘catch up’ part:
It has been a while, but the bottom line is F came home on Wednesday, January 21, 2009. YAY!!! He passed his car seat test, and home he came! So everyone is home and good!
My Coumadin levels finally had stabilized to the point that I did not have to go and have it checked weekly. But we still needed to face the final surgery to have the filter removed. That appointment was scheduled for Thursday, February 26, 2009…we will get back to this in a minute…
Meanwhile, the twins had reached their 1 Month Birthday (on February 9th)!!! We have taken the "Blue Chair" photos with each of them, but admittedly, it was WAY easier with E; she was almost 9 pounds at 1 month, and could support herself a little bit. M & F were only 7 pounds on this day, and not very good at supporting much more than their heads. But the pictures have been taken!! We are due to take the 2 Month pictures in a week or so.
We had about 10 days of help from MommaJo, who arrived shortly after Memaw and Pa left. Our family support systems have been AWESOME.
Right after MommaJo arrived, E came down with a virus and missed a week of school. This forced us to 'quarantine' the twins in the master bedroom. MommaJo was basically quarantined with them. She camped out during the day with the twins, feeding and taking care of them, while the hubby dealt with E and I pumped and slept. That was a crazy week!
I'm not long for the pumping...it had become more of a hindrance than a help. It was taking away time from the twins AND from E AND it was excruciating. I went to my 6 week Post-Op visit and after talking it over with Dr. G. we discovered I have DOUBLE MASTITIS. Well No Wonder I’m in such PAIN!!!! So I’m on big doses of antibiotics and trying to dry them up, and complete the switch from half breast milk and half formula to just formula for the twins….just the first week on antibiotics so far has made such a huge difference.
After MommaJo left, Memaw came back for a week…..she was here the week I was finally diagnosed with the double mastitis, so it was not a fun week for her.
This week Aunt Charlene has been here….and she has been Great! She has 13 grandkids of her own, so she fell into the routine without batting an eye. And granted, this week, I’ve been more able to help out….not as many ouchies on my part….that does help!
So lets get back to the LAST Surgery:
Remember when I said my coumadin levels were great? Well, I had to come off of it in preparation for the surgery. So I’m back on the Louvenox shots again… (sigh) After the surgery, I will ramp back up on the coumadin, and the shots will go away again…..now on with the story…
We were told that the Interventional Radiology Nurses would call to ‘fill us in on the details’ on Wednesday, the day before the surgery. When they did not, we did not think too much about it, because we had already been through this once, so we kinda knew what we were in for…..or so we thought.
We showed up at 7am, and from 7am until 9am, things were going very smoothly. We were passed off from one Nurse and one department to the next waiting Nurse in the next department. All the paperwork went smoothly, and when they called us to go back we were like “hey, this is going to be smooth and quick….we will be home before lunch!”
So I dropped off the hubby in the waiting room and they wheeled me back. Dr. Clare came in to talk to me…..everyone asked about the babies….everyone was all smiles, this is going to be easy, type attitudes…..I was very relaxed. She mentioned the risks, both high risks and low risks……I joked with her “hey, remember, I’m Special Ed. Be prepared for ANYTHING!” We both laughed…..should have known better….
Continuing, she told me they would be going in through my neck again, as opposed to my leg, due to the positioning of the filter….basically, you have to get it out the same direction you put it in……she also told me I would be getting the FULL dose of Happy Drugs this time! YAY ME!!! I let her know that I had mastitis and was wearing an ace bandage around my chest, that I really did not want to take off…she said no problem, let’s go.
They remembered about the claustrophobia, so that was not a problem. I got my first dose of happy drugs and was listening to the doctors….everything started out so nice….
Then I started hearing them say things like ‘the filter is tilted……do you have it?.....can you get the cone over it?.....’ Then there was more pressing on my neck……OW!! Then they would give me more happy drugs…..then Dr. Clare started making requests for additional staff to be on hand….she was covering her bets…..more struggling to retrieve the filter…..more pressing…..more OW…..more drugs……then all of a sudden, I heard one of the doctors say ‘shit’ under their breath……the room went completely silent for about 10 seconds……then I was saying OW, OW, OW!!!! She was yelling at me, ‘Where??? Where is the pain?’ I was yelling in my head, “I’m having a heart attack”….but finally I managed to say out loud, “it feels like I’m having really bad indigestion”….
Next thing I knew, I had another line put into my neck, a line put into my leg, and what seemed like ‘new’ doctor voices in the room……I clearly heard Dr. Clare tell the nurses to draw blood for cross and type and called for a Cardiac Thoracic Surgeon, and she kept saying ‘Is Thoracic here?’
Then someone was saying, “What is that? What is in my field? Are those clips? Get those clips off her bandage, they are blocking my sight!” So then the nurses were wrestling with my ace bandage trying to pull it off or down or something….I’m trying to help, but they are like “Don’t Move!” They got the clips off…..I got more drugs….
So now I’m thinking……”hhmmmm…..Am I fixing to die? I can’t Die!!! I have Twins that need me! I have E that needs me! I have the hubby that needs me! I can’t die! I can’t die!” Then I had what I call my “Saving Private Ryan Moment”: I started whimpering on the table, “momma…..momma…..” {reminded me of the scene on the beach in the beginning of that movie when the solders would call out for their mothers]…..Then I just started praying as hard as I could……
The next thing, Dr. Clare is saying “check it! Check it! Do you see 6 legs? Are all 6 legs there? Are you positive?” Then it seemed like they were done and I was being wheeled into recovery.
Recovery….that was totally weird too…..I’m awake, but loopy…I’ve been awake but loopy this whole time…they tell me to keep my leg straight and my neck still……I have catheters in both…..the nurse removes these in recovery, which turn out to be HUGE…..not exactly what I wanted to see being pulled out of my leg…..I saw the first 6 inches of the tube come out of my leg and when she went to pull again, I closed my eyes. Then she moved up to my neck…..she pulled one out, I started to move, she said “wait” and then pulled out the other…..I got bandaged up and told not to move my leg or neck for a while.
Meanwhile, the doctors have been popping out during all of this, letting the hubby know what is going on.
Bottom Line:
• The filter had tilted, as is typical with filters placed in pregnant women. The blood flow changes after birth, so this effects the placement.
• They tried to get it and fish it out, but when they were passing my heart, they lost their ‘grip’ on the filter, and it got sucked into my heart.
• It became what Dr. Clare described to me as a “video game”….the filter is bouncing around in the first chamber of my heart and three different doctors are in there trying to catch it, with the Thoracic Surgeon standing behind them, ready to Crack my chest if it got away from the first chamber and into the second ….the second chamber would have sent it to my lungs….(this is the part where I said I am feeling ‘really bad indigestion’). When she was telling me about this part, I’m imagining people running around with nets trying to catch a butterfly…..good analogy….For those of you interested, here is a link to a visual of the Heart
• They caught it, got it out, checked to make sure nothing had ‘broken off of it’ inside me, and sent me on to recovery.
• I ended up with 7 doctors and one Surgeon in the room with me…..basically ALL the doctors from the Day Surgery Staff…..I put everyone behind schedule for the day…..I did not go to recovery until Noon. The hubby was in the waiting room with another guy, who kept calling the staff and going “they STILL have not started?” After the last update to the hubby, they guy looked at him and said, “I guess they are all in with your wife”
Yep! That’s me! High Maintenance! Special Ed!!
{…Sigh…}
We had to stay in the hospital for about 4-6 hours, to make sure the leg and neck entry points stayed closed. Then they let us go home.
Our friends the Carzola’s had picked up E the day before for a sleepover, so Aunt Charlene would only have the twins to deal with on Thursday. And after the scare, the hubby asked them to keep her again. We will get her today, Friday, after school…..’cuz I -need- to see her! :o)
As for me, I got to sleep for about 12 hours when we got home….got up and pumped, ate a little something, and went back to sleep for 3 more hours…..I feel SO much better than I did.
The hubby and Aunt Charlene took over the feedings for last night, but I’m hopeful to be able to pitch in today and tonight.
I gotta say, now that this is O.V.E.R., I am very grateful to know that I will not EVER be doing this again! HA!!! I believe God is telling me ‘Be grateful for your kids! Be grateful for your spouse! Be grateful for you life!!’
So I am telling all of you to do the same!
Here is hoping you are well rested and happy!
Love to all,
Cherise
What is it with my inability to do anything simply????
First, the ‘catch up’ part:
It has been a while, but the bottom line is F came home on Wednesday, January 21, 2009. YAY!!! He passed his car seat test, and home he came! So everyone is home and good!
My Coumadin levels finally had stabilized to the point that I did not have to go and have it checked weekly. But we still needed to face the final surgery to have the filter removed. That appointment was scheduled for Thursday, February 26, 2009…we will get back to this in a minute…
Meanwhile, the twins had reached their 1 Month Birthday (on February 9th)!!! We have taken the "Blue Chair" photos with each of them, but admittedly, it was WAY easier with E; she was almost 9 pounds at 1 month, and could support herself a little bit. M & F were only 7 pounds on this day, and not very good at supporting much more than their heads. But the pictures have been taken!! We are due to take the 2 Month pictures in a week or so.
We had about 10 days of help from MommaJo, who arrived shortly after Memaw and Pa left. Our family support systems have been AWESOME.
Right after MommaJo arrived, E came down with a virus and missed a week of school. This forced us to 'quarantine' the twins in the master bedroom. MommaJo was basically quarantined with them. She camped out during the day with the twins, feeding and taking care of them, while the hubby dealt with E and I pumped and slept. That was a crazy week!
I'm not long for the pumping...it had become more of a hindrance than a help. It was taking away time from the twins AND from E AND it was excruciating. I went to my 6 week Post-Op visit and after talking it over with Dr. G. we discovered I have DOUBLE MASTITIS. Well No Wonder I’m in such PAIN!!!! So I’m on big doses of antibiotics and trying to dry them up, and complete the switch from half breast milk and half formula to just formula for the twins….just the first week on antibiotics so far has made such a huge difference.
After MommaJo left, Memaw came back for a week…..she was here the week I was finally diagnosed with the double mastitis, so it was not a fun week for her.
This week Aunt Charlene has been here….and she has been Great! She has 13 grandkids of her own, so she fell into the routine without batting an eye. And granted, this week, I’ve been more able to help out….not as many ouchies on my part….that does help!
So lets get back to the LAST Surgery:
Remember when I said my coumadin levels were great? Well, I had to come off of it in preparation for the surgery. So I’m back on the Louvenox shots again… (sigh) After the surgery, I will ramp back up on the coumadin, and the shots will go away again…..now on with the story…
We were told that the Interventional Radiology Nurses would call to ‘fill us in on the details’ on Wednesday, the day before the surgery. When they did not, we did not think too much about it, because we had already been through this once, so we kinda knew what we were in for…..or so we thought.
We showed up at 7am, and from 7am until 9am, things were going very smoothly. We were passed off from one Nurse and one department to the next waiting Nurse in the next department. All the paperwork went smoothly, and when they called us to go back we were like “hey, this is going to be smooth and quick….we will be home before lunch!”
So I dropped off the hubby in the waiting room and they wheeled me back. Dr. Clare came in to talk to me…..everyone asked about the babies….everyone was all smiles, this is going to be easy, type attitudes…..I was very relaxed. She mentioned the risks, both high risks and low risks……I joked with her “hey, remember, I’m Special Ed. Be prepared for ANYTHING!” We both laughed…..should have known better….
Continuing, she told me they would be going in through my neck again, as opposed to my leg, due to the positioning of the filter….basically, you have to get it out the same direction you put it in……she also told me I would be getting the FULL dose of Happy Drugs this time! YAY ME!!! I let her know that I had mastitis and was wearing an ace bandage around my chest, that I really did not want to take off…she said no problem, let’s go.
They remembered about the claustrophobia, so that was not a problem. I got my first dose of happy drugs and was listening to the doctors….everything started out so nice….
Then I started hearing them say things like ‘the filter is tilted……do you have it?.....can you get the cone over it?.....’ Then there was more pressing on my neck……OW!! Then they would give me more happy drugs…..then Dr. Clare started making requests for additional staff to be on hand….she was covering her bets…..more struggling to retrieve the filter…..more pressing…..more OW…..more drugs……then all of a sudden, I heard one of the doctors say ‘shit’ under their breath……the room went completely silent for about 10 seconds……then I was saying OW, OW, OW!!!! She was yelling at me, ‘Where??? Where is the pain?’ I was yelling in my head, “I’m having a heart attack”….but finally I managed to say out loud, “it feels like I’m having really bad indigestion”….
Next thing I knew, I had another line put into my neck, a line put into my leg, and what seemed like ‘new’ doctor voices in the room……I clearly heard Dr. Clare tell the nurses to draw blood for cross and type and called for a Cardiac Thoracic Surgeon, and she kept saying ‘Is Thoracic here?’
Then someone was saying, “What is that? What is in my field? Are those clips? Get those clips off her bandage, they are blocking my sight!” So then the nurses were wrestling with my ace bandage trying to pull it off or down or something….I’m trying to help, but they are like “Don’t Move!” They got the clips off…..I got more drugs….
So now I’m thinking……”hhmmmm…..Am I fixing to die? I can’t Die!!! I have Twins that need me! I have E that needs me! I have the hubby that needs me! I can’t die! I can’t die!” Then I had what I call my “Saving Private Ryan Moment”: I started whimpering on the table, “momma…..momma…..” {reminded me of the scene on the beach in the beginning of that movie when the solders would call out for their mothers]…..Then I just started praying as hard as I could……
The next thing, Dr. Clare is saying “check it! Check it! Do you see 6 legs? Are all 6 legs there? Are you positive?” Then it seemed like they were done and I was being wheeled into recovery.
Recovery….that was totally weird too…..I’m awake, but loopy…I’ve been awake but loopy this whole time…they tell me to keep my leg straight and my neck still……I have catheters in both…..the nurse removes these in recovery, which turn out to be HUGE…..not exactly what I wanted to see being pulled out of my leg…..I saw the first 6 inches of the tube come out of my leg and when she went to pull again, I closed my eyes. Then she moved up to my neck…..she pulled one out, I started to move, she said “wait” and then pulled out the other…..I got bandaged up and told not to move my leg or neck for a while.
Meanwhile, the doctors have been popping out during all of this, letting the hubby know what is going on.
Bottom Line:
• The filter had tilted, as is typical with filters placed in pregnant women. The blood flow changes after birth, so this effects the placement.
• They tried to get it and fish it out, but when they were passing my heart, they lost their ‘grip’ on the filter, and it got sucked into my heart.
• It became what Dr. Clare described to me as a “video game”….the filter is bouncing around in the first chamber of my heart and three different doctors are in there trying to catch it, with the Thoracic Surgeon standing behind them, ready to Crack my chest if it got away from the first chamber and into the second ….the second chamber would have sent it to my lungs….(this is the part where I said I am feeling ‘really bad indigestion’). When she was telling me about this part, I’m imagining people running around with nets trying to catch a butterfly…..good analogy….For those of you interested, here is a link to a visual of the Heart
• They caught it, got it out, checked to make sure nothing had ‘broken off of it’ inside me, and sent me on to recovery.
• I ended up with 7 doctors and one Surgeon in the room with me…..basically ALL the doctors from the Day Surgery Staff…..I put everyone behind schedule for the day…..I did not go to recovery until Noon. The hubby was in the waiting room with another guy, who kept calling the staff and going “they STILL have not started?” After the last update to the hubby, they guy looked at him and said, “I guess they are all in with your wife”
Yep! That’s me! High Maintenance! Special Ed!!
{…Sigh…}
We had to stay in the hospital for about 4-6 hours, to make sure the leg and neck entry points stayed closed. Then they let us go home.
Our friends the Carzola’s had picked up E the day before for a sleepover, so Aunt Charlene would only have the twins to deal with on Thursday. And after the scare, the hubby asked them to keep her again. We will get her today, Friday, after school…..’cuz I -need- to see her! :o)
As for me, I got to sleep for about 12 hours when we got home….got up and pumped, ate a little something, and went back to sleep for 3 more hours…..I feel SO much better than I did.
The hubby and Aunt Charlene took over the feedings for last night, but I’m hopeful to be able to pitch in today and tonight.
I gotta say, now that this is O.V.E.R., I am very grateful to know that I will not EVER be doing this again! HA!!! I believe God is telling me ‘Be grateful for your kids! Be grateful for your spouse! Be grateful for you life!!’
So I am telling all of you to do the same!
Here is hoping you are well rested and happy!
Love to all,
Cherise
Saturday, January 31, 2009
BABIES part 2
So, where did we leave off? Oh yeah, babies have been born…
Shall we continue? Yeah, I think so too….
Saturday, January 10, 2009:
I wake up on Saturday, and am more lucid than I was on Friday. The nurse comes in and tells me they are taking away my “happy drug dispensing button” and switching me to Motrin and Hydrocodone pills. Okay, okay….as long as the pain killers keep coming my way, I should be good. The nurse tells me I have to ASK for the pain killers; they will not just bring them to me….great…..now I have to think…..this is a stretch….
I cry…..a lot…..this is a recurring theme……it happens everyday, several times a day….which is WEIRD for me…..because I’m not a crier…..I’m a screamer and a curser, but not a crier……so this weirds me out, which makes me cry more…..yeah, I’m not getting anywhere with this…
I also feel like someone else had the babies and I’m just a stabbing victim. I tell everyone that I would like to see the babies, because I have not seen them yet. They all look at me like I’ve grown 2 heads. They tell me that I saw them yesterday….I argue and say “NO I Did Not”…..they show me pictures of me in the NICU with each of them……I burst into tears….again…..’cuz that always helps….
They load me up in a wheelchair and cart me off to the NICU to see the babies for what I think is the FIRST time…..it was GLORIOUS!!!!! They get each of them out of their NICU enclosed cribs (which we have started calling their ‘Condo’s”) and I get to hold each of them. The NICU rules state that there can be no more than 2 people at each baby’s bedside…..so Memaw and Pa and the hubby and I take turns rotating between the two kiddos to maximize our ‘baby time.’ Simple GLORIOUS!!!!!
Back to my room….at this point, they trade out my 2 Heparin shots daily for 2 Lovenox shots daily…..still to be taken in the abdomen…..still painful…..what a shocker…..
My pain is still pretty bad, and I let it get ahead of me……I suffer thru the afternoon and evening trying to get back on top of it. I request the nurses to BRING me my pain meds every time I can take another dose, instead of me calling to request them…..I even ask for them to wake me up to administer the doses…they agree without hesitation…..the Nurses at Baylor Dallas ARE SO AWESOME!!!!!
E comes to see me. It has been a few days since I remember seeing her, so it is good to see her, even though I’m not at my best. She also receives her “presents from her sister and brother.” Her sister M gave her a Hello Kitty with matching Purse and book and a Kitty Rice Krispy Treat on a stick (she loves food on sticks). Her brother F gave her a hardback book containing 4 Superman comics (she loves superman too). She was thrilled with it all! She still did not -really- get that she has a new sister and brother. With this being RSV season, she is not allowed in the NICU, so all she has to go on is our word and some pictures we took.
But the hubby made her a ‘flashcard’ with M on one side and F on the other and laminated it so she can carry it around with her….which she does!
Sunday, January 11, 2009:
Memaw and Pa take a break from us and head to the house for some down time…. and our good friends the Korson’s take E to a Camping Expo in Arlington for the day…..she gets to see fish and hang out with her friends, so she is pretty happy.
I finally get to start eating real food today.
Monday, January 12, 2009:
Today they have added Coumadin to my drug regiment; there are significant food restrictions with this one. Anything high in Vitamin K will jack with my Coumadin levels…….which is bad. I will be on this drug for 6 months. Also, I have to continue to take the Lovenox shots until I reach the appropriate therapeutic levels of Coumadin. Now I’m checking out soon, so this means Memaw will be giving me these shots to the abdomen twice a day……ah yes…..fun for everyone.
Dr. Graham’s partner, Dr. Weinstein comes by to check on me and basically says “you gotta get outta here before you catch something!” We agree. But at the same time, I’m not really trilled about checking out with out the kids. They are estimated to be in the NICU for about 2 weeks. We go over all of the drugs that I will be on upon leaving the hospital. Obviously the Coumadin is the one for concern.
He also mentions that the Coumadin will put me at an elevated risk for bleeding injuries….so a cut will bleed more than normal…..but something big, like, say, a car wreck, might be a significant risk……just what we need to hear….”Drive Careful”…..it’s like this is a never ending cycle of “gotcha!”…..
He also tells us to see Dr. Maisel by Friday. This is to check my blood for the Coumadin levels….he does not want me to go too long on both the Lovenox shots AND the Coumadin…..me too, so I’m okay with seeing Dr. Maisel sooner rather than later….
Also, I have started having back spasms, due to me having to use my back to walk and sit up instead of my abdomen……hell, I sneezed once and thought I -must- have popped a staple loose……the thought of using my abdomen for ANYTHING is really, really far in the back of my mind…..like maybe next year I’ll consider trying again….maybe….
Tuesday, January 13, 2009:
We check out without the kiddos……I cry A LOT today……
I’m checking out with doctor’s instructions/prescriptions to be on the following:
• Lovenox Shots (2 times a day)
• Coumadin once a day, and a healthy list of “do not eat…”
• Iron
• Prenatal Vitamins
• 1200mg Calcium
• Hydrocodone
All of the above come with ‘don’t exceed blah, blah, blah’ type of instructions. The hubby fills all my scripts for me.
My Back spasms have replaced the gut wound as ‘the most painful’ spot on my entire body. They actually take my breath away…..I’m beginning to think this will never end…..and yes, there is more crying…..{sigh}
Wednesday, January 14, 2009:
The Kiddos “graduate” from the North Hall to the South Hall in the NICU. This is GOOD! This means they are getting closer to release. They both have been moved out of the Condos and into the Regular Open Cribs.
M is on target for check out on Friday. However, they had to put F back on his Cannula (oxygen tube to nose) and moved him under a Heater – he is losing weight and can not keep up body temperature. He has lost weight 3 days in a row, and they are speculating that he is using his entire food intake to try to stay warm. However, once stripped down to his diaper and put under the heater, he stretches out and appears to be VERY relaxed....kinda looks like he is thinking "Ah.....I could use a beer...waiter?"
Late this evening the hubby discovers one of my prescriptions is wrong; I was supposed to be taking 1200mg of CALCIUM Carbonate, but the Pharmacy made a mistake and the Rx was filled for LITHIUM Carbonate. The hubby discovers the mistake after I had taken 600 mg of Lithium in the morning, and was retrieving the ‘second’ dose of what we believed was Calcium. WE ALL FREAK OUT! The hubby calls the NICU (pumped milk expressed after I have taken the Lithium has been dropped off for kids). It was a -rough- night for all with worry……and yes, MORE crying……{when will this part end???}
Thursday, January 15, 2009:
The hubby calls to check on Kiddos with regard to our Lithium scare. The NICU Pediatrician reassures us kids are not in any danger, due to the dosage being so small; however, he does instruct me to “pump and dump milk” for 48 hours from the time I ingested the Lithium. {sigh} All that effort, for nothing…..
The hubby goes by the Pharmacy to confirm our Prescription is for calcium. The pharmacist he talks with (not one who filled script) is visibly shaken over the mistake; we get a copy of paperwork documenting the Lithium mistake on -their- end.
I call Dr. Graham’s office to confirm I am supposed to be taking Calcium not Lithium – yep, they confirm it’s the pharmacies mistake. {NOTE: Dr. G’s office is also extremely Freaked Out by the mistake}. They also tell me the Calcium can be Over the counter; yeah us!
I should pause right here to address all those little voices screaming inside most of your heads……..MAYBE CHERISE –SHOULD- BE ON LITHIUM…….yeah, I thought it too, but come on! Talk about Wrong Timing!!! :o) This can be addressed at a later date, right? Right?
Back to the timeline…
The NICU had to put F back into the Condo to help him maintain body temp and gain his weight back; he had dropped in weight 3 days in a row. His temp is holding and he is starting to regain the weight....so it is working.
M had been cleared for check out on Friday!!! YEA!!! But NICU protocol requires us to “Overnight with her” prior to release. So the hubby and I pack a bag and head to the hospital for the evening with M. Memaw and Pa handle E at home.
The night comes and goes……very slowly…..I still have a lot of ‘ouchies’ and have to figure out how to get in and out of the hospital bed again, every 2-3 hours to pump; meanwhile the hubby is up every 3-4 hours to feed M. We are totally spent by the time the morning arrives……and I am thinking “Holy Crap! That’s just ONE baby…..I’m screwed….”
Friday, January 16, 2009:
We meet with Dr. Maisel to go over our blood levels and future treatment; he is a really nice guy. I am confused as to where exactly the filter was placed. He draws us a picture of where the filter is located….it is funny, and he keeps saying ‘this is not to scale’….but still, it is funny…..we ask him to sign it, which he does….he laughs at us! It is nice to laugh….almost forgot what that feels like…..we tell him it will be on our blog….he laughs again! :o) The drawing is included with the explanations added by the hubby...
He tells us the filter will be in for 2-3 weeks then we need to go get it out…..oh goody! Another round of the light flashing, neck pain, pushing fun…..wait! I won’t be pregnant this time……maybe I will get the FULL dose of Happy Drugs!!! Yea!!! Maybe I won’t even REMEMBER getting it removed??? Wouldn’t that be GREAT?!?!
Blood work comes back showing we are still too low on the Coumadin levels….we have to continue with the
Lovenox shots 2x/day plus Coumidin; we are scheduled for another check in a week.
Texas Oncology at Baylor makes me remember there are others out there also battling serious diseases/cancer….in addition to the massive amount of folks in the waiting rooms, there is a wig store located right next to the main check in counter…..Makes me very grateful for everything we have, and try not to complain as much…
Next we go to our Dr. Graham appointment to have our staples taken out….Man! That feels SO much Better!!! We tell her about the Lithium scare…..she just shakes her head and reiterates that life can change on a dime….we ask for an update on Baby Sophia….she tells us that the baby’s kidneys are functioning and her seizures have stopped, but that she is still waiting for confirmation of brain activity…..it is hard to ask for details, given the patient confidentiality rules she is working with…..God Bless Baby Sophia And Her Family.
F continues to gain weight and eat more; he is still in enclosed crib for temp issues for today. But otherwise, he is doing Great!
We bring in the car seat for the stress test for M. We also take a mandatory Infant CPR class. Then we sign all the release paperwork. It is VERY HARD to leave F in the NICU…alone….without his sister… :o( {it should be a given that there was more crying…}
M comes home! E is DELIGHTED; she brings all of her favorite toys over to M….she even shares “kitty” with her (it is a VERY special moment).
We are very blessed!
Oh! One of the pictures was just too cute not to share....I am holding M in the NICU and she is dreaming and smiling really big....the hubby managed to snap up the picture of me smiling back at the right time....totally too cute!!
Love to all,
Cherise
Shall we continue? Yeah, I think so too….
Saturday, January 10, 2009:
I wake up on Saturday, and am more lucid than I was on Friday. The nurse comes in and tells me they are taking away my “happy drug dispensing button” and switching me to Motrin and Hydrocodone pills. Okay, okay….as long as the pain killers keep coming my way, I should be good. The nurse tells me I have to ASK for the pain killers; they will not just bring them to me….great…..now I have to think…..this is a stretch….
I cry…..a lot…..this is a recurring theme……it happens everyday, several times a day….which is WEIRD for me…..because I’m not a crier…..I’m a screamer and a curser, but not a crier……so this weirds me out, which makes me cry more…..yeah, I’m not getting anywhere with this…
I also feel like someone else had the babies and I’m just a stabbing victim. I tell everyone that I would like to see the babies, because I have not seen them yet. They all look at me like I’ve grown 2 heads. They tell me that I saw them yesterday….I argue and say “NO I Did Not”…..they show me pictures of me in the NICU with each of them……I burst into tears….again…..’cuz that always helps….
They load me up in a wheelchair and cart me off to the NICU to see the babies for what I think is the FIRST time…..it was GLORIOUS!!!!! They get each of them out of their NICU enclosed cribs (which we have started calling their ‘Condo’s”) and I get to hold each of them. The NICU rules state that there can be no more than 2 people at each baby’s bedside…..so Memaw and Pa and the hubby and I take turns rotating between the two kiddos to maximize our ‘baby time.’ Simple GLORIOUS!!!!!
Back to my room….at this point, they trade out my 2 Heparin shots daily for 2 Lovenox shots daily…..still to be taken in the abdomen…..still painful…..what a shocker…..
My pain is still pretty bad, and I let it get ahead of me……I suffer thru the afternoon and evening trying to get back on top of it. I request the nurses to BRING me my pain meds every time I can take another dose, instead of me calling to request them…..I even ask for them to wake me up to administer the doses…they agree without hesitation…..the Nurses at Baylor Dallas ARE SO AWESOME!!!!!
E comes to see me. It has been a few days since I remember seeing her, so it is good to see her, even though I’m not at my best. She also receives her “presents from her sister and brother.” Her sister M gave her a Hello Kitty with matching Purse and book and a Kitty Rice Krispy Treat on a stick (she loves food on sticks). Her brother F gave her a hardback book containing 4 Superman comics (she loves superman too). She was thrilled with it all! She still did not -really- get that she has a new sister and brother. With this being RSV season, she is not allowed in the NICU, so all she has to go on is our word and some pictures we took.
But the hubby made her a ‘flashcard’ with M on one side and F on the other and laminated it so she can carry it around with her….which she does!
Sunday, January 11, 2009:
Memaw and Pa take a break from us and head to the house for some down time…. and our good friends the Korson’s take E to a Camping Expo in Arlington for the day…..she gets to see fish and hang out with her friends, so she is pretty happy.
I finally get to start eating real food today.
Monday, January 12, 2009:
Today they have added Coumadin to my drug regiment; there are significant food restrictions with this one. Anything high in Vitamin K will jack with my Coumadin levels…….which is bad. I will be on this drug for 6 months. Also, I have to continue to take the Lovenox shots until I reach the appropriate therapeutic levels of Coumadin. Now I’m checking out soon, so this means Memaw will be giving me these shots to the abdomen twice a day……ah yes…..fun for everyone.
Dr. Graham’s partner, Dr. Weinstein comes by to check on me and basically says “you gotta get outta here before you catch something!” We agree. But at the same time, I’m not really trilled about checking out with out the kids. They are estimated to be in the NICU for about 2 weeks. We go over all of the drugs that I will be on upon leaving the hospital. Obviously the Coumadin is the one for concern.
He also mentions that the Coumadin will put me at an elevated risk for bleeding injuries….so a cut will bleed more than normal…..but something big, like, say, a car wreck, might be a significant risk……just what we need to hear….”Drive Careful”…..it’s like this is a never ending cycle of “gotcha!”…..
He also tells us to see Dr. Maisel by Friday. This is to check my blood for the Coumadin levels….he does not want me to go too long on both the Lovenox shots AND the Coumadin…..me too, so I’m okay with seeing Dr. Maisel sooner rather than later….
Also, I have started having back spasms, due to me having to use my back to walk and sit up instead of my abdomen……hell, I sneezed once and thought I -must- have popped a staple loose……the thought of using my abdomen for ANYTHING is really, really far in the back of my mind…..like maybe next year I’ll consider trying again….maybe….
Tuesday, January 13, 2009:
We check out without the kiddos……I cry A LOT today……
I’m checking out with doctor’s instructions/prescriptions to be on the following:
• Lovenox Shots (2 times a day)
• Coumadin once a day, and a healthy list of “do not eat…”
• Iron
• Prenatal Vitamins
• 1200mg Calcium
• Hydrocodone
All of the above come with ‘don’t exceed blah, blah, blah’ type of instructions. The hubby fills all my scripts for me.
My Back spasms have replaced the gut wound as ‘the most painful’ spot on my entire body. They actually take my breath away…..I’m beginning to think this will never end…..and yes, there is more crying…..{sigh}
Wednesday, January 14, 2009:
The Kiddos “graduate” from the North Hall to the South Hall in the NICU. This is GOOD! This means they are getting closer to release. They both have been moved out of the Condos and into the Regular Open Cribs.
M is on target for check out on Friday. However, they had to put F back on his Cannula (oxygen tube to nose) and moved him under a Heater – he is losing weight and can not keep up body temperature. He has lost weight 3 days in a row, and they are speculating that he is using his entire food intake to try to stay warm. However, once stripped down to his diaper and put under the heater, he stretches out and appears to be VERY relaxed....kinda looks like he is thinking "Ah.....I could use a beer...waiter?"
Late this evening the hubby discovers one of my prescriptions is wrong; I was supposed to be taking 1200mg of CALCIUM Carbonate, but the Pharmacy made a mistake and the Rx was filled for LITHIUM Carbonate. The hubby discovers the mistake after I had taken 600 mg of Lithium in the morning, and was retrieving the ‘second’ dose of what we believed was Calcium. WE ALL FREAK OUT! The hubby calls the NICU (pumped milk expressed after I have taken the Lithium has been dropped off for kids). It was a -rough- night for all with worry……and yes, MORE crying……{when will this part end???}
Thursday, January 15, 2009:
The hubby calls to check on Kiddos with regard to our Lithium scare. The NICU Pediatrician reassures us kids are not in any danger, due to the dosage being so small; however, he does instruct me to “pump and dump milk” for 48 hours from the time I ingested the Lithium. {sigh} All that effort, for nothing…..
The hubby goes by the Pharmacy to confirm our Prescription is for calcium. The pharmacist he talks with (not one who filled script) is visibly shaken over the mistake; we get a copy of paperwork documenting the Lithium mistake on -their- end.
I call Dr. Graham’s office to confirm I am supposed to be taking Calcium not Lithium – yep, they confirm it’s the pharmacies mistake. {NOTE: Dr. G’s office is also extremely Freaked Out by the mistake}. They also tell me the Calcium can be Over the counter; yeah us!
I should pause right here to address all those little voices screaming inside most of your heads……..MAYBE CHERISE –SHOULD- BE ON LITHIUM…….yeah, I thought it too, but come on! Talk about Wrong Timing!!! :o) This can be addressed at a later date, right? Right?
Back to the timeline…
The NICU had to put F back into the Condo to help him maintain body temp and gain his weight back; he had dropped in weight 3 days in a row. His temp is holding and he is starting to regain the weight....so it is working.
M had been cleared for check out on Friday!!! YEA!!! But NICU protocol requires us to “Overnight with her” prior to release. So the hubby and I pack a bag and head to the hospital for the evening with M. Memaw and Pa handle E at home.
The night comes and goes……very slowly…..I still have a lot of ‘ouchies’ and have to figure out how to get in and out of the hospital bed again, every 2-3 hours to pump; meanwhile the hubby is up every 3-4 hours to feed M. We are totally spent by the time the morning arrives……and I am thinking “Holy Crap! That’s just ONE baby…..I’m screwed….”
Friday, January 16, 2009:
We meet with Dr. Maisel to go over our blood levels and future treatment; he is a really nice guy. I am confused as to where exactly the filter was placed. He draws us a picture of where the filter is located….it is funny, and he keeps saying ‘this is not to scale’….but still, it is funny…..we ask him to sign it, which he does….he laughs at us! It is nice to laugh….almost forgot what that feels like…..we tell him it will be on our blog….he laughs again! :o) The drawing is included with the explanations added by the hubby...
He tells us the filter will be in for 2-3 weeks then we need to go get it out…..oh goody! Another round of the light flashing, neck pain, pushing fun…..wait! I won’t be pregnant this time……maybe I will get the FULL dose of Happy Drugs!!! Yea!!! Maybe I won’t even REMEMBER getting it removed??? Wouldn’t that be GREAT?!?!
Blood work comes back showing we are still too low on the Coumadin levels….we have to continue with the
Lovenox shots 2x/day plus Coumidin; we are scheduled for another check in a week.
Texas Oncology at Baylor makes me remember there are others out there also battling serious diseases/cancer….in addition to the massive amount of folks in the waiting rooms, there is a wig store located right next to the main check in counter…..Makes me very grateful for everything we have, and try not to complain as much…
Next we go to our Dr. Graham appointment to have our staples taken out….Man! That feels SO much Better!!! We tell her about the Lithium scare…..she just shakes her head and reiterates that life can change on a dime….we ask for an update on Baby Sophia….she tells us that the baby’s kidneys are functioning and her seizures have stopped, but that she is still waiting for confirmation of brain activity…..it is hard to ask for details, given the patient confidentiality rules she is working with…..God Bless Baby Sophia And Her Family.
F continues to gain weight and eat more; he is still in enclosed crib for temp issues for today. But otherwise, he is doing Great!
We bring in the car seat for the stress test for M. We also take a mandatory Infant CPR class. Then we sign all the release paperwork. It is VERY HARD to leave F in the NICU…alone….without his sister… :o( {it should be a given that there was more crying…}
M comes home! E is DELIGHTED; she brings all of her favorite toys over to M….she even shares “kitty” with her (it is a VERY special moment).
We are very blessed!
Oh! One of the pictures was just too cute not to share....I am holding M in the NICU and she is dreaming and smiling really big....the hubby managed to snap up the picture of me smiling back at the right time....totally too cute!!
Love to all,
Cherise
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