Last weekend I went to see my college girlfriends for a mega baby shower.
Here they are...my sweet sister friends:
\two babies in their mother's arms, and two babies in their momma's bellies...and contrary to the appearance of this photo, there is NOT a baby in MY belly. suck it in, alisha.
We had so much fun and it was sad to leave, because it is a rare sweet treat to see one another. We were sans one other friend who was on her way back from afghanistan....so while it was a great time together, we wish Lu could've been there too!
Saturday while I was gone, Ridge started bleeding and had to go back to the hospital. We didn't know why he was bleeding, other than he was still cutting some teeth. So he got blood a couple times, the bleeding stopped Tuesday, and we went home. Tuesday in the night, he spiked a fever of 101-102. So we had to take him in (anything over 100.5 warrants an ER visit for US, because Ridge has a central line and it is always assumed fever means line infection.) Line cultures were drawn, peripheral cultures (IV stick) were drawn...blood was given...tylenol was given....and we just waited it out. He didn't seem to have any infection, there was no growth on any of the cultures. But...being there this week meant we missed out on some of the fall festivities in the community. Thankfully...we are always at CHILDREN'S hospital...so the $$ i spent on costumes this year did not go to (as much) waste. Friday the hospital had a party (Sawyer didn't want to go...so we didn't)...and they had trick or treating in the halls...the kids both donned their costumes (one wasn't as willing as the other....) and we got lots of goodies (not so much candy bc they didn't really hand out candy at the hospital)....all in all, it was a good time.
So last night, we were all home, and we went trick or treating! First time for both of the boys!
Buzz Lightyear...and an alien from Toy Story. See those two pumpkins? there is a third one on the ground by the bench. Stupid me left them out last night, and after trick or treating, only one of the three remained. Dumb kids, stealing my pumpkins.
So this morning, Ridge still had the rash. He feels fine, is afebrile (no fever), so the rash was just....annoying (to us, not him). So I got my research on (bc I think parents need to be involved in their kids' health-- I will never again take at face value what a doctor tells me WITHOUT first and second doing research myself. I don't think this is OCD or weird, I think this is GOOD PARENTING. Doctors can be wrong. Doctors can be at a loss sometimes. It's okay if I research something, ask about it, and am wrong/get laughed at/people think I'm weird. Because sometimes....like today...I might've been weird, but I AM RIGHT!) I thought Ridge probably had Fifth Disease. It's just a virus, in the same type of family as other rash viruses like Chicken Pox, Roseola, Measles, Hand Foot Mouth...It starts with a fever/stuffy nose/red cheeks (check, check, check). Then, a rash appears on the tummy/back/feet/hands...but at that point, the child is no longer contagious. Most everyone has had fifth disease...and once you have it, you are immune. You haven't had it? You might have. Not everyone even knows when they had it/if their kids had it, bc not everyone shows symptoms. It's a mild virus that lasts not long at all, there is no treatment bc it is a virus, and the rash might hang around a few weeks, but isn't usually problematic and certainly isn't contagious (again, once the rash appears, no longer contagious). Brandon had put a call in to one of our GI docs, the one who'd seen Ridge all week. He shared the symptoms, answered a few questions, and also asked if it could be Fifth Disease, bc I wanted to know. The doctor said I'd done good research bc that's what she was going to suggest. :) Yes, I am proud of myself. All this to say-- PLEASE, parents, NOT bc your pediatrician/doctor isn't good, bc I am CERTAIN he/she is WONDERFUL, but bc YOU ARE THE PARENT-- please please please be actively involved in your child's healthcare. Ask questions at visits, DO RESEARCH/READ UP ON THINGS beforehand, and after a diagnosis/visit, do more research. Make sure you agree-- bc sometimes, doctors are wrong. Sometimes they just don't know bc there aren't enough symptoms yet. They are human. Wonderful humans who take great care of our kids, but they are still human, and your child isn't THEIR responsibility. Your child is YOUR responsibility. Knowledge is power and you have the ability to read up on things and be educated and involved in your child's illnesses/well checkups/vaccines/etc etc etc. I don't have kids in school yet, but as a former teacher, I will go out a step further and add that this advocation/involvement extends to the child's education-- while teachers might be facilitating classroom education, it is not their responsibility to get your child where he/she needs to go -- they are there to help in that process, sure, but as parents, we are also supposed to be training our children in the way they should go. I know...soapbox. But before Ridge, I took everything our ped said and just ran with it. I got the vaccines at normal times. Sometimes it might be a ton of vax at a time and I didn't know. It wasn't that I didn't care, I DIDN'T KNOW. I am PRO vaccinating...but I am MORE pro EDUCATING. I think you should KNOW what you are putting in your child's body...you should know what the symptoms of an illness your child has mean-- and it's okay to know before you go to the doctor. It's okay to think Sally has strep throat and ask if it could be that even if the dr says it isn't that. It's okay to ask for a strep test, or bloodwork, or whatever. I'm not saying be paranoid. Goodness, no. BE INVOLVED, though! God gave you that child-- if anyone should know what goes in his/her body, or why something is going wrong in his/her little body, or what's going on at school, it should be US-- the parents! These precious babies are entrusted to us and we need to take the best best care of them-- we make sure they are clothed, fed, and loved-- but what about their medical care? Why do we so often just allow someone else to make that decision for us? Because they have MD by their name? Good reason- but it doesn't make us exempt from being EDUCATED CAREGIVERS FOR OUR CHILDREN!
okay. i'm stepping off...for now.
I am busy trying to finish October See Saw Ridge Production orders .... won't be done by Nov 1...but I do have several finished.
And...November 11th is fast approaching. Blake Bolerjack/Soul'd Out Quartet benefit concert for Ridge is at Yukon Church that day. Contact the church for more details. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door- proceeds go to help cover Ridge's medical bills. A love offering will also be taken up that night. We appreciate all the parties/people involved in making this possible. God is good. Because of the concert, there was a write-up on Ridge in the Baptist Messenger here in Oklahoma. Because of that write up, a small church of about 25 people (my husband spoke to the pastor, who got our information from my dad, who is a BCM director at SWOSU, for those of you who didn't know) became aware of our story and wanted to help. They sent a donation that well surpassed their numbers...I can't believe a church that size was able to be so generous-- Thanks be to God!
I think that's it for now!
1 comment:
Oh my gosh! The boys look precious in their costumes! I love that they were Toy Story characters...our fav movie! Glad you all were able to Trick or Treat.
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