Tuesday, January 31, 2006

12 hours later

I started falling asleep mid post last night, then Danielle started crying. I just got up and went to bed...left my post open. Normally I'd delete it and start all over again. In other words...don't bother posting at all since I didn't consider the post completed. Instead I decided it's a partial post or none at all. So I had whoever was nearest the computer hit "publish". It was hard to do...I couldn't watch. Then I had to keep myself back from hitting the delete button.

Things are looking up for Michelle....I think. For the first time she woke up without a fever! :o) It's threatening to edge back up but so far it's sticking to very low grade. Her knee is looking better, but I thought that yesterday morning too. I hate how that happens. Things look good first thing but then they get worse as the day goes on UNTIL nighttime (after office hours) and then all hell breaks loose! I'm ok with letting her go one more day now though. Last night I wasn't sure if I should let her go one more hour.

Danielle's culture came back + for Group A strep too. UGH! At least she's a relatively happy sick baby. She's getting cuter by the day! Just when you think she can't get any cuter she goes and does something new. Her new trick is she crinkles up her nose, showing lots of gum and tips her head back when she smiles. Only thing missing is the actual words..."I'm cute!" coming out of her mouth. It always manages to make me lol when she does it. Which is OFTEN!

Most of the kids went to school this morning. Carrie being the exception. I was busy doing "paperwork" and forgot she was home. Finally remembered but couldn't find her. Just as I was starting to panic I found her. She had fallen asleep in Luke's and Jake's room while she was reading her book. I'm still not sure why she picked the boy's room instead of her own or mine.

Well need to get something done around here before school kids start getting home. Now if Danielle would cooperate...I'd be all set! LOL

Whoooooooooaaaaaaaaa!

Things have been moving along here at a pretty good clip. I can't believe January is about over already. Our house has become a den of germs. It seems Group A Strep is running rampant through here. Olivia had it on the 9th and took all her meds. Luke tested + for it on the 23rd. I took Michelle, Eileen and Olivia into the dr's this last Friday. Michelle had what looked like pimples...one on her back and another on her knee get huge and really infected. She was put on antibiotics with the mention it's most likely strep and staph together. I had Eileen and Olivia's throats cultured.

The dr's office called on Saturday to let me know that the girls tested + for Group A strep(yes, Olivia AGAIN!). I informed them that I had a number of kids with two or more of the following symptoms...fever, headache, sore throat, upset stomach. By the time I had all the prescriptions filled everyone but Pat, Val and Danielle were on antibiotics.

Michelle's knee hasn't gotten better and she's still running a fever (since Friday) so we went back into the dr's on Monday. I took Danielle along too since she decided to run a 102 degree fever that night...along with hoarseness and being miserable. We're waiting on her throat culture results before starting meds. Michelle was given a second antibiotic to take. Her leg is killing her (back is clearing up) and is pretty swollen. If she still hasn't improved and/or is running a fever tomorrow she'll be going back to the dr. She's been informed the next option is admission to the hospital for IV antibiotics. I kinda think it should've already happened....but I'm willing to give this a shot.

It looks good for most or all of the kids to go back to school tomorrow. There are a few I'm ok with staying home if they don't feel up to it. Carrie and Liz mostly, they both were pretty sick this weekend.

As for regular everyday stuff around here...

Valerie is into her last week of volleyball. Thursday is her last game and it's a HOME one! It'll be fun to be able to see her last game. It'll be nice not to have a commitment every evening. I don't think any of the girls are interested in spring sports...so we'll be spared for a while.

Drew saw his finace Allison off to Italy on Saturday. She's studying abroad this semester and will be gone until the end of May. What fun! I don't know how she's doing it. I think I'd be scared senseless over it. I'm really happy she can have this opportunity though.

Pat started classes again last week. :o) It's nice to see him going again. He's not working right now since his old job was for morning hours. I'm not sure what his plans are in terms of employment right now.

Carrie has been admitted into the TODAY study (Treatment Options for type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth). We start it on Thursday. It'll be interesting to see how they want us to treat her. This'll be time consuming at first. I think there was mention of weekly classes for a while. I'm sure we'll know more when our appointment is over. With this illness I didn't have her do her glucophage (not suppose to take it when severely ill). Her numbers were great or low...especially for her. It doesn't help that she barely ate all weekend. Now that she's feeling a bit better, her numbers were starting to climb tonight.

Thursday, January 05, 2006

I can access photos now

I finally found and installed a program on my computer to allow me to access my fuji camera. Now I can bore you all with pictures. I added a tree pic to my Christmas post below.

One I've been dying to share....DANIELLE!!!

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I have a sillier pic of her but I love this somber pic. She had been on the verge of tears before this was taken. Can't remember why.

Yesterday was her 4mo checkup. She now weighs 15lbs 2oz and is 24inches long. So growing like a weed. :o) She's quite the drooler and gets her clothes soaked all the time if she doesn't wear a bib. Based on the amount she was drooling, a diaper rash starting, the fact that she was starting to get stuffy again and her ears were a bit dull (but not infected)...the dr decided to take a throat culture. It came back positive for some germs but luckily not strep. She's starting an antibiotic.

Tomorrow morning bright and early Carrie is due to the lab. She needs to get fasting bloodwork done. It's to determine if she qualifies for a research study about treating children with type 2 diabetes. TODAY study If she qualifies she'll be one of three groups....lifestyle modification. This involves coaches to learn to eat better and exercise more. Continuing on the same course with only glucophage as a med. Or using glucophage and another oral med. The modifications would be the hardest for our TOK family. It would benefit EVERYONE though. They're all at a high risk of getting diabetes. So it might be the best group for her to be put in.

Her numbers have been so so in my eyes. I know there's room for tighter control. Not sure the glucophage alone can do it though. I'm also not sure the JC would think she needs such tight control. I want to see PERFECT numbers...not acceptable ones!

Time to get things ready for tomorrow and bedtime.