D Day

So, tomorrow is the day!  We go meet Dr. Hasley tomorrow!  

It made me nervous when I called Dr. Kronberg today to remind him to talk to Dr. Hasley before we go see him and he calls me at work and tells me that he wants to see Matthew TODAY!

Luckily for my sake, Jason just happened to be in Omaha with both of the boys. 

To cover my tail, I requested that Dr. K call me and he did!  I know I have said this a million times but Dr. K is one of the most amazing doctors EVER!  

After joking around with me, he then told me that as far as he was concerned Matthew is doing excellent.  Then I questioned scoliosis and the way his feet point in and he said...you had to ask about the two things I didn't focus on huh?  Then he laughed of course!!!

He assured me that Dr. Hasley is not only an amazing Orthopedist, but the best spine guy in Omaha as well.  

So tomorrow is another day...I just pray it turns out good!

Allergies, Allergies Everywhere!

About 4-6 weeks ago, Andrew was diagnosed with nummular eczema. Forget the first word, just realize it is eczema.



Anyway, as we well know, allergies, eczema and asthma run hand in hand. All of this from Matthew however.



Tonight, the boys hung out with their great aunt and uncle, who happen to have two dogs by the way. Andrew came home with a face that was fire engine red and exacerbated like you wouldn't believe!



I thought one kid was bad enough!

Sharpie attack!

This morning I was emailing friends and family and Andrew comes running to get me!

"MOM, Matt colored on himself again!"

I hoped it was about like the night before as the yellow marker had attacked. This time however, it was a black sharpie marker. We hit every part of our bottom half from our hips to our toes and everything in between!

Not only did he get his legs, but he also got his jungle that he just got from Uncle Brandon and Aunt Christi! At least it wasn't Andrew's bedroom wall as it was the other day!

So needless to say, my new best friend is rubbing alcohol! There are still remnants, but it's not as prominent. We are however, sterile now in this house! :)

Matthew update: 1/6/09

Dr. Kronberg, our pediatrician from Omaha, called late last night to check on Matthew again, for the third time after I initially talked to him. He asked lots of questions and checked on him. He was happy with the fact that the limp was starting to go away and he wasn't seeming to be in any more pain. Matt slept through the night with me, after a long nap and spent much of the night coughing.

I did question Dr. Kronberg last night about leg-perthes. An idea that Dr. Pete had planted in my head. When I researched leg perthes, those signs and symptoms seemed to fit Matthew better than the toxic synovitis.

Then again this morning, Dr. Kronberg called and asked yet more questions about Matthew, including whether he had been constipated, which he hadn't and whether he was fully potty trained. I said no to both, but I said I think the potty training could be because he was stubborn and Dr. kronberg laughed and asked where he got that...jokingly. He said that the potty training issues could be related to issues with the spine. Although i don't want it to be an issue with his spine, it would make my attempts to potty train him a lot better!

He also said that there are scans that he wants to run on Matthew but he wants him to see Dr. Hasley, the pediatric orthopedist before he orders them because tthey would have to sedate Matthew to get things done.

So, we go to see Dr. Hasley on the 20th. As of now, that's where we stand.

Another Scary Day!

I have had way too many of these days, but they come. I had another terrifying day in regards to Matthew's health!

Matthew woke up this a.m. and couldn't walk. I shouldn't say he couldn't walk, but he couldn't keep his balance. The first few times he fell I mad a joke out of it and said...Matthew Robert, didn't you get enough sleep last night!

I knew this couldn't be true because he slept next to me last night! He had woken up in the middle of the night and was crying saying he hurt! ***HELLO MOM! But at 2 a.m. you don't think much of it after you ask him and he falls right to sleep!

So once I noticed him continually falling, I knew I had to seek out a doctor and immediately. After our scare last June, I was terrified by this point. I just wanted to cry!

I happened to be at the hospital to put my time off for work in and heard Dr. Pete talking so I told him right away. He ordered just what I wanted him to and we got that done at the hospital before we left.

I felt like a moron because since I had surgery only 2 weeks ago, I couldn't pick him up and people were looking at me strange. I had to just keep going! When I came back to the hospital later however, I brought the stroller so he didn't have to walk!

So, while we were waiting to go to Dr. Pete's I was on the phone with Omaha to Dr. Kronberg's office! I also planned to get on the hi-way to Omaha.

Dr. Kronberg called me himself and stated that he was pretty sure that it was a case of toxic synovitis. For those of you that don't remember, Andrew had it at 14 months! Although this brought me a little comfort, I was still unsure that it was the correct diagnosis! I just felt it couldn't be that simple with Matthew! Nothing ever is1

So we then went to Dr. Pete's and found out that the lab work was okay and the x-ray showed nothing, although I already knew this because I had already talked to the people at the hospital!

Dr. Pete gave us the same diagnosis with the further possibility being leg-perthes.

So here we are, two Motrin doses later and four calls from Dr. Kronberg himself, he isn't limping as much and called his dad to say, "me better now dad! No hurt me now!"

But for both Jason and I, another heart stopping day!

thoughts

I sit here and watch Matthew and he does weird things. Funny things! I just wish I knew what was going on in his head at that time! Most likely it is probably, "You don't know what you are talking about, MOM!" or "Drew I'm gonna kick you in the shin if you do that again!"



It's just hilarious to watch his face and watch him walk around! He totally beats to his own drum!

Heartbroken

So...I have this friend that i've known for the last 9 years, he actually graduated with my husband. Anyway, I thought he was a good friend. Little did I know he was a blogger as well, so I go to read it and find out that I have to be invited! What in the world!

Jeremy! I take back all of my 12 hugs for the last 9 years!! :)

Just kidding! I still love you guys!
000000000000

You there?

Matthew was in his bed tonight and I have been sitting here quietly on the computer blogging all of this.

Matthew starts yelling...mom, mom, momma, mom!

I just sit here quietly and continue to type. Pretty soon I hear...Mom, you there?

I can't help but chuckle. So then it starts all over again...Mom, mom, momma, mom! I said what this time and he goes...dad there?

I replied...yes, he's sitting here.

Matt does his contagious little giggle and goes...OH!

Melt My Heart

I'm very guilty for saying to Matthew...Hello, love of my life, or goodnight love of my life. It's just what I do with him! With Andrew I always say, goodnight George! (Georger is his nickname!)

Anyway, tonight Drew asks me...Mom why do you say Matthew is the love of your life.

I replied...it's just something I say.

Drew counters...why don't you say it to me?

I felt horrible. I don't love him any less, it's just been a thing with Matthew and I.

So as I feel horrible and I tell him I love him as I am putting him to bed...he says...Mom...I love you to the moon!

I know it is totally from a book, but it totally melted my heart!

I think we found our thing!

Bed!

Matthew has been sleeping in our bed a lot lately, moreso because he is superglued to my side for some unknown reason. So he automatically goes in to our bed. However, if i get up, he gets up, if i lay down, he lays down...on top of me!

Tonight jason was taking out the garbage and he pounded on Andrew's window. I heard him come back into the garage and said to the boys...here he comes you better get in your bed.

Matthew went running down the hall to then stop in the hallway and cry because he didn't know which bed to crawl into. He just stood there and cried...bed, which bed?

I had to laugh!

Sir!

Matthew doesn't talk much but lately he has a new thing as he's starting to put 2 and 3 words together.

His new thing...Yes/No Sir!

Clean Up Your Act!

Tonight, Jason was taking out the trash when I was reading him an email in it and it has a curse word in it and I read it in front of Matt. Jason says I need to clean up my act or all the swear words Matthew knows is going to come out in speech therapy!

Matthew asks..."What Dad?"

So then Jason says to Matt that he needs to clean up his act. So Matthew spent the next few minutes looking for his act to clean up! It was great!

Help Finally!

Well, we had the meeting today and set up the time...Matt gets to start speech therapy on MONDAY! I've been wanting this for so long, but then as I'm sitting there, listening to what his speech therapist has to say it is frustrating. In my head all I could think was...he doesn't seem that bad to me!

I guess I am his mom and I understand him quite well. Then they started talking about his cognitive help that he may need and that we should get it started before he gets to school rather than waiting until he gets to school. I just kind of sat there in shock and was like...what? Huh? When we did the test the things he didn't get were things that he had to speak. I just passed it off that it was his speech and we would re-evaluate it later. Now I'm thinking...is that the wrong idea? I don't want him to be behind. he's just three though and he has this imagination like wild.

But as she was saying at the meeting today...he doesn't know his colors, he doesn't know his numbers...Andrew new all this stuff at this age!!! Could it be because I snuggle Matthew where I worked with Andrew? Maybe working full-time isn't worth it!

It's just all a lot to swallow.

On the other hand...I am so excited he is finally getting speech help!

Holy Empty Leg

Matthew ate half a frozen pizza today! I took a minute to check his legs real quick for hollowness, but there wasn't anything rattling in them that i could tell. I am just impressed!

Rhyming

Andrew, Matthew and I were driving to Norfolk last week to do a little shopping. Lately has like to do this rhyming game...does this rhyme with this and what rhymes with that...

Anyway, he as I am driving I throw out...what rhymes with truck. Without hesitation he returns...F***!

I couldn't help it...i laughed. All I could respond was...although you are correct, it does rhyme, that is very inappropriate!

He knew I was proud of him though!

failure once again!

So Jeremy informs me the other day when i call him and attempt to pawn clothes off on he and Therese that I haven't been blogging enough lately! For a couple days i had my computer on and I would just come straight to it to type what the boys did funny. Please note earlier in the comment...for a couple days! It's not that the funny things haven't continued, it's just that sometimes it is hard to keep up!

So this is for you Jeremy...I'm trying!

yet another one liner!

While watching the Olympics...he asked to watch the Chinese...don't know why...

"That's not a China guy, that's a normal guy!"

Andrew's newest one liner!

"Matt, I'm not a kid anymore!"

So Strong!

We carry a diaper bag with all of Matt's meds that he may possibly need at any time. It is where I keep the tylenol there and needed to give some to Matt tonight as he was complaining of a sore throat.

I asked Matt if he wanted to go get the diaper bag and he did. So he went over to get it and it was heavy...of course, it carries a nebulizer...anyway, he called for help. Instead he dropped it to the floor and dragged it.

I said, "Wow, you got it!"

Matt replied, "I strong!" Then proceeded to go over to Drew and show off his muscles.

Then later Matt had water and Drew wanted a drink. Matt rolls it on the floor and in Matt language basically said...go get it dog! he was treating Drew like a dog! I laughed...

The most terrifying experience of my life!

Wow, I didn't realize it had been almost 2 months since I last blogged. Things have been completely crazy around here.

We finally got to the point with Matthew that they were going to put tubes in his ears and take out his adenoids. Dr. Denman was in Omaha and is amazing! Yes, he looks 12, but he's awesome. He has that...I'm a parent too...feel to him and I have no clue if he has children or not.

So yesterday we were off to Omaha. Matt had to be at Dr. Kronberg's to have a pre-op physical done. He checked out perfect of course. I asked Dr. Kronberg however, about this leg pain that Matthew continues to have. He'll limp some days or he wake up in the middle of the night screaming that his legs hurt. Some nights we are doing this like 3 or 4 times. They Motrin or Tylenol will no more wear off and he'll be screaming again.

I asked Dr. Kronberg about this and he got serious really quick. He looked over Matt's legs and moved them and poked them and manipulated them and then said...

"Guys, I'm not trying to scare you, but we have to rule out BONE CANCER!"

At the first I was like...okay, no biggy and we finished with the physical and received instructions to head to Children's Hospital where they would draw a CBC, CRP and sed rate. Dr. Kronberg also wanted to do a hip xray.

We stopped to have lunch at Red Robin...Awesome if you din't know that...and then we headed to the hospital.

I opted for the xray first and then the lab work. That's what you learn in school right, least invasive first. Then after all that we headed to find baby gifts.

I slowly began to think about things. Over and over in my head, all I could hear was BONE CANCER, BONE CANCER, BONE CANCER! He couldn't have cancer, no way, he just had ear infections, not cancer.

I found myself playng out every scenario in my head that afternoon. I'd after postpone boards....he'd have to have chemo at Children's...I wouldn't be able to work...and last but not least. BONE CANCER! When you are diagnosed with bone cancer...that's pretty much it.

I was fine until about 5 p.m. I'd been waiting to hear from Dr. Kronberg and he wasn't calling. I knew the clinic was closed and I hadn't heard anything. At this point my thought process was, it's bad and he won't tell me bad news over the phone so maybe he'll be meeting us at the hospital tomorrow. I wasn't sure. I had made it through the previous five hours without crying....until now.

I lost it, I just cried and cried and cried. I didn't know what to think or what to do! Jason was so calm. He wasn't doubting that Matthew was sick. I couldn't imagine not having my big brown eyed boy. The little boy that could make me laugh with just a smile.

When we got to Cindy's house, I was physically and emotionally exhausted. I saw a note on her buffet though that said..."Blood work normal, no xray." I immediately asked... "Is that Matt's?"

I could breath again! I was so excited. Granted the xray wasn't back yet, but it didn't matter. The blood work would have to be indicative too for a cancer diagnosis. I could deal with a malformation or disformity.

So we went to the hospital this a.m. and had our tubes put in and our adenoids out. It all went off without a hitch and the x-ray came back clear. It was a great day!

I told my friend Kim that through all of this another thought of mine was...I hope there isn't an increase WBC. Then they will call off the surgery and I don't want that to happen.

Kim agreed that only a nurse would think like that!