Random Tid Bits - Doctors

1. The boy's pediatrician is moving far, far away! He's been a most excellent doctor! I'm sad we won't get to say, "Goodbye!". He's seen them through 2 c-sections, meningitis, a staph infection in the neck, many ear infections, scoliosis and more. 
   
   
2. I decided to switch the boys to a more adult doctor; that can take us all in. I HATED my primary doctor, and have really have only seen my allergy and asthma one the last 2 years. He's the doctor where I went with a head full of polyps and he prescribed me with antibiotics and cough syrup. I even said, "There's things in my nose, and I can't get them out." After that I saw my hottie allergy asthma doctor; on my own accord. Then that doctor put me on a rigorous plan, and had me see an ent doctor as well. Then that doctor said if they weren't treated I would in fact die. He gave me the, "You might go blind, or get meningitis with this surgery...bit." Hey all I lost was smell. Where there's a negative, there's also a positive. I can now breathe through my nose! Damn right I'm changing doctors right along with my sons. 
   
   
3. We will miss Doctor Harrison! The only reason I know he's moving is because my sister told me so. She had it worse than me, and had to find two new docs. Her Trisomy 18 kids have a lot to be covered, and her older kids are my kid's ages, so they are getting bumped up as well. 
   
   
   A most recent picture of Margaret. She's my niece that has Trisomy 18. Sadly Emerson doesn't smile at all these days. He has seizures most days. His meds make him out of it all the time. :(
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Doctor Harrison is the boy's profound pediatrician, and they are switching to Doctor Hare. When I told Isaak this he said,
   
   "What is this? Is Doctor Hare a rip-off of Doctor Harrison?"
   
   Ha! Possibly so. Doctor Harrison was a great doctor in the community. He along with my allergy asthma doctor; I wouldn't have traded either for the world. I even sent Doctor Harrison our Christmas cards. 
   
   
5. I got poked many times last week. One Johnson and Johnson shot (vaccine), and three allergy shots 24 hours later. I don't mind the poking. It's the reactions that are worse than the poking.
   
   Vaccine: I worry about an uprise with covid because of the many people that are getting the shot. Seriously! It was packed! Very little social distancing. In Nebraska, they almost didn't take me. Yes I'm a teacher, but no I don't teach at a union school. It's hard...who decides who should get shots, and who isn't up. It was medical professionals, then older people, then people that had health risks, then first responders, then teachers (but they weren't specific on what kind of teacher would get it). They never did go back to health risk individuals. Really store workers, work more with the public than others, but who am I to have an opinion? It's a crap shoot for who is more worthy of a shot. 
   
   I just had a headache and a was warm. I kind of wish I had more of a reaction. Then I'd know it worked! 
   
   I had more a reaction from allergy shots. Man they've been bad, since I found out I'm going through menopause. Itchy throat, uncontrollable sneezes, snot just dripping from my f-ing nose, huge Popeye arms, that are red, itchy and hot! The arms stay like that for a good 24 hours. I can't even keep ice packs cold. It's horrible! Pictures show a few hours after my shots, and then five hours after my shots.
   
   Are you afraid of needles? That's the topic in our house lately. Isaak's afraid of them. I'm not at all.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Random Tid Bits

1. We got our $5,000 medical bill a month ago for Mica's hernia that was fixed. That's with insurance. We called to see if we could get that bill to go down. With all my nose surgery stuff (another $5,000), the tumor on my forehead that came off it's just too much (another $1,000). In order to get medical help they had us file for medicaid. They need to see that we're denied before they can help us. What a crazy process! Fingers crossed that bill gets sliced down! 


2. Because of crappy medical bills I'm always terrified to go to the doctor. I'm due to see the ENT, due to see the Allergist, and due to see my woman doctor. 


3. I so wish we'd go back to the Little House on the Prairie days where they exchanged chicken eggs for medical care. 





Source



4. I had a testing session for a "freelance" job. They tested me over Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel. I was so nervous because I've never been a good test taker. On top of that I've used Excel before, but I didn't realize how extensive the program really is! Lots of formulas! Well I now get a little more what Excel is like.
   
   All the creative programs I was tested over were multiple choice. I just do things, and don't pay close enough attention to what palettes are called.
   
   Most of my studying went into Excel, which I hardly use.
   
   I found out I did above average on the testing. In the interview I asked how much Excel is used, and they said they never use it. Crazy! They seemed to really like me. Apparently I'm too creative for that job. Their words not mine. BUT they have an opening for something they see me doing in a month. I'm ok with waiting. That would get me closer to the end of the school year. They have great pay, and benefits, which we so need! Health insurance for independent workers, or small works that can't afford health insurance for their employees is becoming non existent.
   
   I had another interview with someone that wants to work with me. She does patterns for allergy/asthma safe bedding. She wants a freelancer that would work for her full time after some time. Hopes to a new chapter with work. 


5. I posted some design/illustration images on instagram. A curator wanted me to post to their website a piece or two. They then post it to their instagram page. I would get exposer, and get to say that happened on my resume. After I posted the images to them, they emailed me to have me submit some work to possibly entered into their magazine. YAY!  

Nephew Time

Last week was hectic for sure. My 5 year old nephew Emerson went to the hospital again. I can't even count how many times he's been in this year. He's the nephew I have that has Trisomy 18, which is too much of the 18th chromosome.

It started with him going in awhile back because he wasn't able to breathe very well. He went in and out of the hospital about 3 times for that. My sister wondered the whole time if it was from a hernia he had - possibly it grew. Instead of checking that, they were looking into small seizures he was having. That wasn't his main problem. The hernia was. The hernia was finally fixed. It was pressing on his lungs, and colon. The surgeon doctor decided to put in a tube that would help flush him out when he needed to go to the bathroom. Before the hernia grew he had no problem going to the bathroom.

Since then the flush tube has been a huge problem. We all wish it was never put in. His little body doesn't want to accept this foreign object inside him. He's fine while he's on antibiotics, starts to go off them, then he's a mess. Recently the antibiotics were making him sick. He starts draining through the tube, he gets a fever, his white blood cell count goes up, and he's not himself.

After a few days in the hospital he's fine again. The IV fluids help!

It's a back and forth affair.

Last week at the end of the day I went over to watch my other 3 nephews, and my 2 sons to help out. I was supposed to pay my sister back with a date night. Instead it was a hospital trip night. One nephew was closed into his room because they thought he had Strep Throat. He ended up testing positive to that. Yuck! That's like the 2nd or 3rd time he got that this year. When it rains, it rains hard! He's the one that's Mica's age.

I really only had to watch 1 kid with all 5 I had to be responsible for. Mica, Isaak and my nephew Elijah played and played. No fights! I love watching Elijah and Isaak play together. They are such great buddies. They are only 2 months apart.

They played basketball, on the trampoline, and some video games. They included Mica too. I wanted to get a good photo of just them though.

The one I had to watch like a hawk was Edison - the almost 3 year old. He usually wants nothing to do with me. We became friends after a little time. We made faces at each other. He's really into Back to the Future, so we watched that.

Edison looks like his brother Elijah above!

Edison and I finished the evening out by reading lots of books! He kept handing me Sandra Boynton books, which I've made up my own songs to them. Edison enjoyed me singing to him. He kept say, "Again!" But his favorite word is, "What?" 

Elijah had his big friend birthday on Friday. The only thing he asked for was Orange Fluff for dessert. His Dad was too busy cleaning, and preparing for his party to get the fluff. We checked 3 store's deli sections. No Orange Fluff. I call it "Orange Crap" because I don't like the stuff. Ha! 

Emerson's (the one in the hospital) old Occupational Therapist came in to see him when my sister was feeling really low. My sister told her about the many hospital visits, some doctor's not making time to see him, and missing Elijah's birthday, and him not getting the one thing he asked for. That sweet girl went home to make Orange Fluff. She brought it to Elijah the next morning for breakfast. It's so crazy how something so simple can bring tears to your eyes. Things can be so dang frustrating, and turn your emotions around like a snap of a finger. Then you feel blessed. Orange Crap turned into Orange Fluff Gold in my mind.

What has made you feel blessed this week?