Monday, January 15, 2007

What a week!

We had a week full of appointments this past week, which is always interesting. Learned something about Maddy's new wheelchair ~ it won't fit in my car! Kid you not ~ even if I take it completely apart and fold it up, it won't go unless I put it in the passenger seat! Oh my. Fortunately, her nurse is an absolute sweetheart, and let us use her car to transport Maddy to her appointments...wheelchair and all.

We had the cardiology appointment first. That was on Tuesday morning. Did the EKG, blood pressure check, and weight check (42.5#!) and then moved into another room for the echo of her heart. All looks about the same as last year, no news is good news, and they'll see us in...get this!...TWO years! Woohoo! That's a first. We used to have to go monthly. Then quarterly, semi-annually, and annually. Now it's bi-annually. I'm thrilled. Over the moon. Of course, the doc made it clear that part of the reasoning behind moving the appointments apart is that Maddy now has a nurse who checks her bp and listens to her heart five days per week, but whatever...I'll take it! lol

Thursday, we had the gastroenterology appointment. This one didn't go so well. We measured her at 46.5 inches tall, and she weighed the same (42.5#), both of which are good. She looks proportionate. *But* her constipation issues are not good. Of course, we knew this ~ that's why we went in! We've been giving 2 capfuls of Miralax for two days now, hoping to clean her out...and nothing much is happening. Poor kiddo. She's been miserable. We were supposed to go for an x-ray on Friday, but I was so sick I couldn't take her (fever of 102, chills, running to the bathroom ~ caught something at one of the appointments, I'm sure) and then we got iced in over the weekend. It's actually sleeting right now, so tomorrow is probably out for the x-ray, too. Hoping we'll get there on Tuesday ~ and then we'll know if the clean out worked. Of course, while she's battling the tummy issues, she also managed to get a fever (101, no other symptoms) that lasted for about 12 hours.

Meanwhile, my MIL has been hospitalized again. This time, she has fluid collecting in her abdomen, and they needed to draw it off. (It's been sent to pathology so they can check for abnormal cells.) They did a CAT scan and found "lesions" on her liver, kidneys, and her right lung. She'll have an MRI tomorrow, now that 2.5L of fluid are out. We're really worried. She is still fighting mono, and she had major surgery around T'giving for gallbladder issues. She really hasn't been well since she was here last January. She doesn't take care of herself at all, and now she is out of STD and PTO at work ~ so no income. I could kill her for scrimping on the LTD benefits ~ it would've been less than $2 per paycheck, and she just never signed up for it ~ and her insurance will only continue if she can pay the COBRA payment. Fortunately, my SIL is moving in with her to help with her household bills...we'll send cash as we can to help out.

What a week. This weekend? Nada. Didn't do a thing but cozy up to the fire, watch football, and hold and comfort Maddy. Lovely. I love bad weather when no one has to get out in it.

School is out tomorrow for MLK day, and it isn't supposed to get above freezing until Tuesday, so I doubt DH will have to go out, either. The nurse probably won't make it tomorrow (she lives further NW than we do, and in the country ~ I hope she stays home if the roads are bad!), so we'll spend another day just hanging out at home. Fortunately, DH and I are feeling a little better today, so not so much grumbling when something needs handled.

Maddy's pre-op appointment is scheduled for next Monday, and her eye exam (only! no one else wanted in on this anesthesia!) will be 1/23 sometime.

So, if you don't see me around, I'm cleaning up massive amounts of poop...or battling another migraine...or coughing my head off...or maybe all of the above. I'll update when I can!

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