Love Her

And now not only was she nominated for the Jefferson Award on the Central Coast but she's going to DC to possibly get national recognition. That's right. She's practically famous really. And I love her. A Lot. (And she is going to love me a considerable amount for finding all these fab pics of her.)

For more info, click here:

http://www.ksbw.com/news/22686887/detail.html

She's the best. And I could blog for days about her. But that's not the point. It's about seeing the quiet do-gooders finally getting a little pat on the back. Her work and dedication are what really matters. =)

Tiny Lil Update

Sorry for the delay in posts. This won't fill in all the gaps, but it will hopefully tide y'all over.

• Nat and I got Dad home from Santa Monica
• Emi's continued breathing treatments have seen her thru the worst part of the pneumonia
• I am now really REALLY sick.
• Got home Saturday. And it hit like a ton of bricks on Sunday nite. Felt awful.
• Worked Monday. Felt worse.
• To doc on Tuesday. Temp 104.8 and rising. Oh it was baaaaaaad =(
• I have bad pneumonia now too.
• Lu turned 11 in there somewhere too.
• For the first time today tried to make it out of the house with sis-in-law (still taking suggestions for blog names!) and barely made it home. It was going so well. And then it wasn't.

Tons of pics to post later and updates about Dad (who is doing fine.) Off to the land of Tylenol-pm, coughing every breath I take, and lots and lots of sleep.

Day II, Round II - Complete!

Dad BEFORE the 68th birthday celebration:

Now to Dad DURING the celebration at Bubba Gump's..... I told the waiter it was his birthday. Oh it was so fun. The guy goes away, then comes back, turns around and makes an announcement to the ENTIRE restaurant that this young gentleman is 16 today and is going on to pursue a career in dancing, but needed to make one last stop to work his moves out for a crowd. The waiter (a big white guy...) broke into a rap... "Ahhh PPPP and chhhhh a pppp a chhhhh... Shake your booty! Shake-Shake your boo-tay! Shake your booty, shake shake your boo-tay!" Dad just stood there so still. I think he was scared. I was a little scared for him. The waiter now grabs the mic and starts clapping his hands saying he's just going to get louder and louder until dad will shake his booty. Hahahahahah Then he did it. Yes. Dad shook his booty. This was the tail end of that:

Dad sits down and tells me: " You set me up." Oh yes I did. I tell him that he needs to remember his 68th birthday for something other than chemo. I have succeeded. Thank you very much. One point Meg.

All went well chemo-wise.

From the home front: sis-in-law is tending to Miss Emi who is finally starting to show signs of improvement.

Meanwhile, she is doing some of her own improvements (with the help uf Lu... and a shop-vac) to tell those mean scary spiders they are not allowed there anymore.

One last night in the hotel, then we are headed home-home.

I See You

My sister-in-law in amazing. Just so you know. Amazing. I love her. And I'd like to keep her. =) Any suggestions for a fun blog name for her?

She and I met at Emi's appt yesterday. Lungs awful. Fever better. Breathing hard but not labored. Attitude is snappy. And lots of poopy out. Atta girl. From the previous night (whatever day that was, I don't know what today was, and didn't blog yesterday) Emi was then on 3 antibiotics, 1 steroid, and 1 inhaler. But it was too much for her. She'd throw it all up. Every time. Any concoction or variation thereof. And when she was over that, she refused to put anything back in her mouth. So the doc cut back the meds, doubled one dose of antibiotics, and stopped the steroid. The inhaler at home wasn't helping much anyhow, but the in-office nebulizer treatments are when we really start to see Emi gain a little strength back. So her doc sent us (sis-in-law) home with one from the office. Awesome.

So Sis-in-law took Emi home, and has Lu there too. Meanwhile Nat and I left late yesterday afternoon for Santa Monica and that is where we are now. Got my first speeding ticket yesterday. That was not that awesome. My karma and my manners and acceptance of responsibility were in full force. I did not try to weasel my way out of anything. Enough of that going around right now.

Yes I did take a picture. I was feeling as tho this was the most invincible thing I could do now that I got pulled over going 90 in a 70. Yikes! The officer was nice. I did not tell him my sob story of where I was coming from, where I was going to and why, or all the other in between stuff. As dad said before, "You just let your horse get away from you there." Needless to say... didn't make stellar time getting down there. It's ok.

After that I was bit flustered, very on guard, ego a little bruised, blah blah blah. Needed gas, and food. A hundred miles later or so I finally feel out of harm's way and stop for these things. Gas first. Food second. Went thru the fast food drive thru. Ordered. Paid the money. Drove away. Got to the end of the building and realized..... shoot... we're out of windows. Where the heck is my food? Oooohhhh . I flip into reverse (because I am awesome like that) and try to steer back to the last window, which is always SUPER fun, especially when you have an audience of fellow patrons watching you out the window (roughly 2ft from said driving area.) It's distracting to see the lights pop on in their heads, when they realizing what I'm doing, and I'm trying to drive backwards, and contain myself. I get to the window in a wobbly backwards kind of driving method. The lady at the register looks at me, and me at her, and we just about die laughing. After THAT, she finally says, "Well, hello there." We laugh again. THEN I get my food. There we go.

Dad seems good. He has been walking a lot and getting new routines down. We went today and he got hooked up for round two of chemo. It took a long time. Maybe this wasn't the best idea to bring an 8 year old. =(We did go and see Avatar in 3D this evening. It was SO good! I heart Avatar. A lot. And I think I need to see it again. The 24 hour chemo bag seems like a good idea, but one just can't get used to it. It's heavy, awkward, in the way, attached to the body, easy to leave behind, easy to get tangled into a belt, and it likes to beep and try to make you guess why. Oh well. It's only for 24 hours.

Here is Nat in the tub before she lost all her marbles.

She forgot to put the shower curtain into the tub, so a ton of water was on the floor of the bathroom. When I walked back in and found it, I asked her about it, and she was sad and embarrassed, and then pretty darn hostile. The hostility part really brought the decibels up and I tried to gently remind her that there were other people in the hotel rooms next to us who may not appreciate hearing her cry so loudly and angrily this late at night (11pm). Then she looks at me and glares and says (apparently for my dad's benefit) STOP HITTING ME! Ya know, I hadn't thought about that yet, but now come to think of it, I would like to smack..... Stop. Breathe. How do you do that again? The breathing thing?

I think I need to go back and see Avatar.

Night night.

Sickie Still Sick

She DID make it thru the night without an ER dash. But Emi did need another check in with her doctors, and she needed another breathing treatment this afternoon. Doc said her lungs sound just awful. Shoot. Her O2 and her coloring do perk up considerably after a treatment, but it only lasts a few hours. And so we wait... and listen....

In the meantime, Nat and I are planning to go to work and school, respectively, and then drive to Santa Monica tomorrow. That'd be Wednesday. Dad is scheduled for round II of Chemo to start Thursday and end Friday. Then Dad, Nat, and I are to drive home-home Saturday. This is all pending at least Emi's condition staying stable in the next 24 hours. Otherwise, I think we're on something like plan S by now.

On a VERY human note, I almost decked a guy outside the grocery store today. I think my nerves, lack of sleep are catching up with me. Emi and I stopped to get milk on the way home this evening. She was tired, and cranky, and feeling sick, and all very rightfully so. She refused to ride in the basket. She insisted on walked her little tired, pale body thru the store. She sobbed the entire time; not a whiny cry, just a done-with-the-day kind of sob. She REALLY wanted to carry a gallon of milk out to the car, but I wouldn't let her. It is too heavy for her. We needed to get to the car. We get just outside the doors of the store and she just melts into sobbing and tantrums, she MUST carry the milk. Nope sorry. Then a man who is out there every.single.day with his darn clip boards of petitions that I don't care about says OUT LOUD (to Emi, to me, to all the shoppers walking by) "Oh you MEAN OLD MOM! Come here honey and I'll give you a lolli-pop." To which I replied, "Oh hell no." Admittedly not my most delicate moment, but it did shut him up and Emi stopped all her fuss too.

Oh how I need some sleep.

Nighty nite!

Story of a Sickie II

Before/During Emi's breathing treatment:


AFTER the breathing treatment(showing the kitty cat how to use the inhaler):

Emi is having a heck of a time. It's 1130 at night. I can't go to sleep 'cause my little girl is sick, and I'm scared it's going to get worse tonight. =(

We went back to the pediatrician today because altho Emi started on a different antibiotic on Friday, she is only getting worse. A lot worse. The fevers are still up; the coughing is worse. The wheezing.... O2 sats were low again, respirations high. Working to breathe. Ordered a breathing treatment, another chest xray, adding an inhaler, an additional antibiotic, and we are to return every day to see the doctor, unless they admit her.

3/15/10 XRAY Report:
INDICATION: Pneumonia, not responding to therapy
COMPARISON/CORRELATION: 3/12/10
FINDINGS: Upright PA and lateral views of the chest are submitted. Lung
volumes are low, decreased compared to prior study. The lungs are remarkable for significant worsening of infiltrate on the left. Involvement is more extensive
than before but remains confined to the upper lobe. The consolidation appears
more severe but that is at least partly related to volume loss. No pleural fluid
seen. The heart is normal size. The mediastinal contour is normal. The hila are
unremarkable.
IMPRESSION: Worsening of left upper lobe infiltrate.

We were at the doctor's for hours today. After the breathing treatment, and assigning of new meds, the doc and I agreed that she would only call me tonight if they found something concerning on the xray. We weren't even 15 minutes out of the xray when she called. And in that amount of time the xray had been read, dictated, signed by the radiologist, sent to the pediatric doc, and called to me.

So here I am. Now 1146. I'm listening to Emi breathing as I'm writing.

She did seem to do better for a few hours after the breathing treatment. It was nice to see her back with a little bit of spunk. Since we've been home tonight, she's successfully used her inhaler, and shared with the kitty cat. We were hoping that the inhaler would just help get her thru the next night or two or three while the antibiotics go to work. But that fever is creeping back up, and that seems to be the clincher to bring everything else back down again.

1211... not sure how much sleep I'm going to get tonight. I'm really very much wavering on taking her to the ER tonight. I can deal with a throwing up kid, a crying kid, but it's the gasping for air kid that is totally unfamiliar to me. Darn.

1215: edited to add: she just giggled in her sleep. I think I'm going to take that as my queue to try and catch a few winks. =)

Story of a Sickie

We attempted church today. Kinda worked. Kinda not. When we got home... Emi made her preferences/mandates known:

• Needed to be naked
• Needed it to be quiet
• Needed to be in the sun

• Sleeping upside down in the chair

• Time of the deck with mommy. It WAS a beautiful day. We were out there for a very long while.... just soaking up the sun. Some more than others. Did you know that if you are light-complected, not wearing sun screen, EVEN in mid-March.... you WILL get sun burned? Bummer. <-- That'd be me.

This Week: Recap in Pictures!

Two little ladies getting ready for a night out with Grampy:

New coffee mug thanks to a special friend.

Cute! But it gets even CUTER!!!

Hi there little buddy! So fun to see you swimming in here. =)

I think I love you!

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.

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And here is Miss Emi. Sick as can be. She had been fighting a cold for the past week. We usually just wait these things out. Let them run their course. Monday night she took a turn for the worse. She started coughing horribly, sounded like she was barking. Plus the fever of 102. Tuesday saw the MD. Should have started to see progress by today (Friday.) Nope. Worse. She couldn't kick the fever. The cough was worse, she was tiring too easily, and now wheezing pretty bad too. =( I should have gotten a picture of her getting her chest xray taken. It was so cute and so sad. Who knew they even made little shields that small? Anyways... little girl has pneumonia. She's pretty sick.

Late Snow Pics! (January 2010)

We really DID go to the snow... really! Here are the real pictures from the camera.... enjoy!

Today's Chapter

Here we are. A Monday night. Hmmm.

Got up early. Showered and dressed myself and 3 children. Dropped Emi at Grandma's. Wrote Nat a note to take to the teacher for missed work since she was out sick all last week. Took Nat to school. Lu had an appt. Sat in the the elementary school parking lot for 1/2 hour to pay bills until the bank opened. Paid bills. Went to the bank. Went to Starbucks. Dropped off my taxes. Went to the post office. Took Lu to her doctor's appointment. Took my coffee. Got a prescription. Drove to the pharmacy. Waited for pharmacy to fill prescription... so I could give it to Lu so she could go to school. Drove Lu back to school. Walk her in, sign her in, feel incredibly scrutinized by the office staff. Go to work. Timecards. Reports. Emails. Faxes. Status. Reply. Check phone messages and inbox too. Times two... for two facilities. Print, sign, mail. Drive to hospital meetings. Take my coffee. Meetings successful. Run to car. Drive back to school to pick up Lu. Pick her up. Have quick late lunch. Drive her to another appointment. Then Me to an appointment. Then to another. Drop her with a friend. Pretty sure this is when I made it back home. In time to.... do nothing other than pee. Turn around, drive back down the mountain. Practice. Now back home. And here I am.

In a previous post I've made known that my staff can tell how my day is going, by seeing when/if my hair is up yet. Ok. Still applicable. Now, though, I'd like to add an additional element to this. Feel my coffee cup. Is it empty? Almost empty. Then you are in luck. Tonight as I make it home, my coffee from 930 this morning is more than 3/4 full. That was 12 hours ago. A LONG time ago.

This all comes following a day yesterday that included: explaining to a 10 year old and an 8 year old why some things don't turn out as they should. Why we have to keep moving. Keep making good choices for ourselves and others. Keep our heads above water. Keep our mouths shut a good majority of the time, and opening them when we would otherwise be scared to. Life is tough. And hard. And usually it hurts, and I just don't know why. I hope it all makes sense later, but for now, this is it..... draw on your strengths, lean on each other, speak from your love and never your anger. Other people will talk and talk and talk and try to tell you what to do; they'll weasel their way in. But their wise words never stopped the bleeding.

Text Conversation With an 8 Year Old

Nat: Mommy where is my Nintendo DSI?

Me: I don't know. maybe in my desk at home? maybe desk drawer?

Nat: mom it wasnt werking, u sed you were going to try an fix it an tak it to get fixd.

Me: I remember we had that conversation but I wanted to look at it first. I haven't worked on it yet. we can look when I get home.

Nat: Can you look in the front of the car?

Me: It's not there lovie. sorry. didn't you and lu both taken them to grandmas last week?

Nat: No mom. you took it. war is it.

Me: Nat- I dont know. I didn't take it. It's not in the car. Can u call granma and see if you left it there?

Nat: Mom WAR IS IT. That is all I am ascing for