Kass is doing much better at this point. Her stitches are out, and I finally unpacked our emergency hospital suitcase. She is eager to be "out"; after being cooped up for so many weeks; even a trip to the gas station seems like an adventure. Her appetite has returned - as well as her teenager addiction to standing in the pantry full of food and complaining that there's nothing to eat. (Please tell me that all kids do this!) Essentially, I've proclaimed her "well". Of course, we will still have follow up MRI's and testing to continue, but we are confident that everything will turn out well. She has started school after a 12 week break. Her concentration is a little slower than normal, but I'm hopeful that she'll be in the full swing of things soon.
Kevin is in West Texas doing club, commander, and pastor visits - which means our life is returning to normal. Kimber started back to school and is clamoring for ANY sports season to resume. The next major goal will be for Kass to get back to diving lessons. She is quite eager to get a release from the doctor (and this cautious mom) to be back in the water.
So, as our life picks up speed and returns to normal activities, I thank you once again for all your prayers and concerns for our family.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Texas Two Step
When you take two steps forward and one step back, eventually, you'll end up moving forward. Right? That's basically where we are right now. We've taken a few steps forward, and a couple back, but overall, I think we're coming out ahead.
Kass still has her low grade fever. Since it's been 6 days since her last ER escapade and the weekend is coming, I called several doctors to see if anyone would see her today to try do something to help alleviate her "crummy-ness" and fever. No one would see her. The general consensus was, "We aren't equipped. Go back to the ER." The hospital gave a checklist of things to look for, and since "crummy-ness" wasn't listed, I don't think there's anything to "do". I can only imagine the triage nurse's expression if I showed up at the ER and said, "Something is wrong with my daughter, but no doctors want to see her. She has a low-grade fever and doesn't feel good."
So at this point, we are hoping that whatever this thing is that is causing her fever and crummy-ness will eventually just run it's course. It would be best if her body can naturally fight off whatever it is that is bothering her so much. The other route is to camp at the hospital while they run test after test until they find something. Kass isn't the camping type -- especially at a hospital!
Yesterday, she finally was able to eat something for dinner. Her appetite has been so poor that she was having a hard time eating jello. Today, she woke up with no fever and asked for Starbucks. Strange gauge, I know, but we've been waiting for her to reach this milestone. Since it was so nice out, we had lunch outside in the sunshine. Since she ate breakfast and lunch, and her fever was "only" 99, she convinced me to go to Charming Charlie's and use a gift card she had. She was quite stir crazy after being banned to bed and couch for several days. With all that activity, her temperature shot up to 100.9.
The plan is the same: pray nothing exciting happens over the weekend, and that we'll be able to avoid the ER. I think that if she can keep eating, she may get enough strength to fight off whatever this is. Thanks again for your prayers.
Kass still has her low grade fever. Since it's been 6 days since her last ER escapade and the weekend is coming, I called several doctors to see if anyone would see her today to try do something to help alleviate her "crummy-ness" and fever. No one would see her. The general consensus was, "We aren't equipped. Go back to the ER." The hospital gave a checklist of things to look for, and since "crummy-ness" wasn't listed, I don't think there's anything to "do". I can only imagine the triage nurse's expression if I showed up at the ER and said, "Something is wrong with my daughter, but no doctors want to see her. She has a low-grade fever and doesn't feel good."
So at this point, we are hoping that whatever this thing is that is causing her fever and crummy-ness will eventually just run it's course. It would be best if her body can naturally fight off whatever it is that is bothering her so much. The other route is to camp at the hospital while they run test after test until they find something. Kass isn't the camping type -- especially at a hospital!
Yesterday, she finally was able to eat something for dinner. Her appetite has been so poor that she was having a hard time eating jello. Today, she woke up with no fever and asked for Starbucks. Strange gauge, I know, but we've been waiting for her to reach this milestone. Since it was so nice out, we had lunch outside in the sunshine. Since she ate breakfast and lunch, and her fever was "only" 99, she convinced me to go to Charming Charlie's and use a gift card she had. She was quite stir crazy after being banned to bed and couch for several days. With all that activity, her temperature shot up to 100.9.
The plan is the same: pray nothing exciting happens over the weekend, and that we'll be able to avoid the ER. I think that if she can keep eating, she may get enough strength to fight off whatever this is. Thanks again for your prayers.
Monday, December 26, 2011
things seem to be getting harder instead of easier
I know many of you are looking for an update. It's hard to know when blogging is obnoxious blabbering vs. interesting information, so I tried to error on the side of "less is more". Also, I know I've had a few requests for more detailed information. Although it would be easy for me to blab a bunch of stuff, I'm trying to keep Kassie some semblance of privacy. If you want more info, just email me your questions and I'll try to respond.
We seem to be in a roller coaster pattern with good and bad swings. Yesterday was good, but today is...not so good. Her neck pain and original surgery recovery seem to be going well. Now, the biggest complaint is headache, nausea, and just "not right".
I'm not a doctor, but from what I understand about her complication, I'll share with you my GUESS. She was leaking cerebral spinal fluid out her incision. They sewed up her incision, the leaking stopped on the outside, but it could a) still be leaking on the inside, or b) still have an excess of fluid that hasn't absorbed yet, or c) leaked too much, and now her brain is playing catch up to make more. The doctor didn't give me any answer saying simply that he didn't know. We would ALL like to avoid more MRI's and tests. The hope is that we can just keep the status quo at home. We will have to go back to Temple Children's if her fever gets to 101 - 101.5, or if her headaches are unbearable. Last I checked, she was 100.9
She is simply miserable, but doesn't really have "symptoms". Her eyes just run and run. I'm starting to wonder if it's Cedar Fever - since the counts are going up. I also wonder if it's just how you feel when you have a fever - not well.
We have simple hospital bags packed and a list of things we need to grab - like cell phone chargers. I'm hoping that we won't have to use them. In the meantime, I'm trying to take down Christmas and related clutter. When Kass woke up from a nap and 2 rooms were back to normal, she was REALLY glad. As much as Kimber thrives in Christmas Chaos, Kass and I will probably feel a lot better with Streamlined Simplicity.
I am hoping that 2011 goes out slowly like a dimming candle with nothing flashy or that needs extinguishing. For those requesting specific prayers, please pray that her fever would go down (away) and that she would start feeling normal. Pray that whatever is causing the fluid to go crazy inside her brain would simply "heal itself" so that we don't need further medical intervention. And finally, pray that Kevin and I would have discernment if we need to take her back to the hospital. Thanks for your prayers.
We seem to be in a roller coaster pattern with good and bad swings. Yesterday was good, but today is...not so good. Her neck pain and original surgery recovery seem to be going well. Now, the biggest complaint is headache, nausea, and just "not right".
I'm not a doctor, but from what I understand about her complication, I'll share with you my GUESS. She was leaking cerebral spinal fluid out her incision. They sewed up her incision, the leaking stopped on the outside, but it could a) still be leaking on the inside, or b) still have an excess of fluid that hasn't absorbed yet, or c) leaked too much, and now her brain is playing catch up to make more. The doctor didn't give me any answer saying simply that he didn't know. We would ALL like to avoid more MRI's and tests. The hope is that we can just keep the status quo at home. We will have to go back to Temple Children's if her fever gets to 101 - 101.5, or if her headaches are unbearable. Last I checked, she was 100.9
She is simply miserable, but doesn't really have "symptoms". Her eyes just run and run. I'm starting to wonder if it's Cedar Fever - since the counts are going up. I also wonder if it's just how you feel when you have a fever - not well.
We have simple hospital bags packed and a list of things we need to grab - like cell phone chargers. I'm hoping that we won't have to use them. In the meantime, I'm trying to take down Christmas and related clutter. When Kass woke up from a nap and 2 rooms were back to normal, she was REALLY glad. As much as Kimber thrives in Christmas Chaos, Kass and I will probably feel a lot better with Streamlined Simplicity.
I am hoping that 2011 goes out slowly like a dimming candle with nothing flashy or that needs extinguishing. For those requesting specific prayers, please pray that her fever would go down (away) and that she would start feeling normal. Pray that whatever is causing the fluid to go crazy inside her brain would simply "heal itself" so that we don't need further medical intervention. And finally, pray that Kevin and I would have discernment if we need to take her back to the hospital. Thanks for your prayers.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Leapin Lizzards! The Pipers thumped my Drum!
Sometimes, no news is good news. Other times, no news is crazy news! Since I've lost track of days, I'll just recap events over the past 72 hours. Kass got her stitches out, but had one of her bad days. The next day was "good", until she started leaking clear fluid out of her incision. We took her to the ER in Round Rock hoping that they could patch her up there. Nope. VERY gratefully, the Hoffmann's were on a Date Night, so they swung by the ER to pick up Kimber just in time for us to leave for the Children's Hospital in Temple. (Much thanks to the Hoffmann family for the intrusion on Christmas!)
Although Temple Children's knew we were coming, by the time we drove the hour north, they had a pediatric gun shot wound that took precedence. Bottom line, they stitched her back up, kept her overnight for observation, and a round of antibiotics. We're hoping and praying that this will solve the problem. The theory is to let her body heal itself with as little medical intrusion as possible. If this doesn't work, the doctor gave me a snapshot of the stops we may have to take later on down the road. Our Neurosurgeon is gone until next year, so we'll just wait until he's back in office to see what he has to say.
There's more obnoxious details about allergic reactions to drugs, annoying LONG night in the hospital, frustrations, and frazzled nerves, but I won't bore you with specifics. Suffice it to say, Kass is ready for this ordeal to end!
Please pray that this "simple" solution will resolve the issue, that her body will heal without further medical intervention, and that the new headache from the leaky fluid will subside quickly. Additionally, if you would, please pray that we have wisdom to know if the headaches are normal, or something that we need to take her back to the hospital.
I won't be bothering you nice folks again with these blogs too often. I said I'd only do 12 Days, so now that it's Christmas, my daily updates should be wrapping up. Thank you all for your prayers throughout this ordeal. Lotsa love to you and your loved ones, and Merry Christmas!
Although Temple Children's knew we were coming, by the time we drove the hour north, they had a pediatric gun shot wound that took precedence. Bottom line, they stitched her back up, kept her overnight for observation, and a round of antibiotics. We're hoping and praying that this will solve the problem. The theory is to let her body heal itself with as little medical intrusion as possible. If this doesn't work, the doctor gave me a snapshot of the stops we may have to take later on down the road. Our Neurosurgeon is gone until next year, so we'll just wait until he's back in office to see what he has to say.
There's more obnoxious details about allergic reactions to drugs, annoying LONG night in the hospital, frustrations, and frazzled nerves, but I won't bore you with specifics. Suffice it to say, Kass is ready for this ordeal to end!
Please pray that this "simple" solution will resolve the issue, that her body will heal without further medical intervention, and that the new headache from the leaky fluid will subside quickly. Additionally, if you would, please pray that we have wisdom to know if the headaches are normal, or something that we need to take her back to the hospital.
I won't be bothering you nice folks again with these blogs too often. I said I'd only do 12 Days, so now that it's Christmas, my daily updates should be wrapping up. Thank you all for your prayers throughout this ordeal. Lotsa love to you and your loved ones, and Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Nine Ladies Dancing
Unfortunately, it's another one of those images that just popped into my imagination that I can't shake. Picture my house as Christmas River Dance. The music changes tempo, the dancers change, the costumes change, the choreography changes, but one thing is constant; no matter what the feet do, the head and neck remain stiff and unchanging. Reclining on a quadruple stack of pillows, TV, coloring, playing a game, and Facebook look freakishly the same.
The biggest difference is the dancing. The girls are starting to get spicy with one another. Like a pitiful kitten in a rescue shelter, Kass is starting to bat playfully at her cage mate, Kimber. Exacerbating for Kimber, she is unable to defend herself or react in any way that will make Kass flinch. What a fun game for Kass! What a frustrating situation for Kimber! What an annoyance for the referee! For those with girls, you understand that "wrestling between sisters" takes on many forms. Sisters pester playfully. For Kass, this River Dance looks like feet moving wildly, her hands moving minimally, and her head remaining statuesque. For Kimber, this River Dance looks like to fists clenched at her side with a thudding foot stomp, and her head thrown back like a Pez dispenser, "Maawwwm! Please tell me I can get her back!" The funniest incident (that made the cut for a FB post) was after Kass casually and gently poked Kim's forehead with a carrot: "Touching me is one thing, but touching me with a VEGETABLE is a COMPLETELY different story!" *sigh*
In all, I think that even though she's getting the short end of the stick, Kimber secretly enjoys Kass being back to almost normal. With the headaches dissipating, we are all seeing a side of Kass we haven't seen for months. Perhaps I'm taking too much liberty, but dare I say that Kim is happy her playful sister has returned??
The biggest difference is the dancing. The girls are starting to get spicy with one another. Like a pitiful kitten in a rescue shelter, Kass is starting to bat playfully at her cage mate, Kimber. Exacerbating for Kimber, she is unable to defend herself or react in any way that will make Kass flinch. What a fun game for Kass! What a frustrating situation for Kimber! What an annoyance for the referee! For those with girls, you understand that "wrestling between sisters" takes on many forms. Sisters pester playfully. For Kass, this River Dance looks like feet moving wildly, her hands moving minimally, and her head remaining statuesque. For Kimber, this River Dance looks like to fists clenched at her side with a thudding foot stomp, and her head thrown back like a Pez dispenser, "Maawwwm! Please tell me I can get her back!" The funniest incident (that made the cut for a FB post) was after Kass casually and gently poked Kim's forehead with a carrot: "Touching me is one thing, but touching me with a VEGETABLE is a COMPLETELY different story!" *sigh*
In all, I think that even though she's getting the short end of the stick, Kimber secretly enjoys Kass being back to almost normal. With the headaches dissipating, we are all seeing a side of Kass we haven't seen for months. Perhaps I'm taking too much liberty, but dare I say that Kim is happy her playful sister has returned??
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Eight Maids A-Milking
For the 8th Day of Christmas, the girls wanted to mark the milestone by going to Target for some last minute shopping. First, they convinced Kevin that he and I should sit at Starbucks while they did errands. Second, they pointed out that Kass's low grade fever was gone. Third, with three against one, I was out-voted. Fourth, Kass proved she was feeling well enough by showering and getting ready with no aid. Fifth, she laid down for over an hour before we left. Sixth, she agreed to ride the motorized cart. Seventh, when we got there, she bamboozled me into ditching the scooter and walking. Eighth, she was definitely ready to leave after a successful trip.
Kass was self-conscious to walk through Target, saying that she had a stiff neck, shifting her eyes and entire shoulders to see down the aisles, and a huge goofy smile she couldn't wipe off her face. She couldn't stop grinning because it was the smallest headache she'd had since she could remember. She said her neck was sore, but not painful. When we got home, she certainly needed a good rest, but was fine a few hours later. It's amazing that she's gone from surgery to Target in a week!
While she was resting, Kimber, the entrepreneur, decided to make some extra Christmas cash by cleaning out the garage. She worked for hours this afternoon organizing and cleaning. The best Christmas present ever for mom!! Wonder if she's interested in cleaning out the kitchen cabinets for a New Years project??
Kass was self-conscious to walk through Target, saying that she had a stiff neck, shifting her eyes and entire shoulders to see down the aisles, and a huge goofy smile she couldn't wipe off her face. She couldn't stop grinning because it was the smallest headache she'd had since she could remember. She said her neck was sore, but not painful. When we got home, she certainly needed a good rest, but was fine a few hours later. It's amazing that she's gone from surgery to Target in a week!
While she was resting, Kimber, the entrepreneur, decided to make some extra Christmas cash by cleaning out the garage. She worked for hours this afternoon organizing and cleaning. The best Christmas present ever for mom!! Wonder if she's interested in cleaning out the kitchen cabinets for a New Years project??
Seven Swans Scuba Diving
Didn't get to blogging yesterday; life was one of those underwater-days. You know the days that you seem to be attempting normal tasks, but for some unknown reason, it's like you're underwater. Every effort seems to be more difficult, and your vision is cloudy. It was dark and rainy, and the leaves fell in a steady stream to the soggy yard. Kass wanted to go on walk outside, but it wasn't a good idea for several unstated reasons. Kass's neck and back seemed "better", but she had a new stabbing , throbbing headache she'd never complained of as yet - both new sensation and new location. If she wakes today with another low grade fever, we'll try to get her into the doctor. Will blog about the results of the 8 Milky Maids later!
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