Medical

As a child, I just wanted to be older. As I get older, I just wish that I were younger. Growing older has it’s perks, being able to do more things, but it has it’s downfalls, like responsibilities.

Growing older also shows how life really is and how we once viewed things, maybe not really be real. But it also shows up the important things in life. Possessions are not as important today as they were when I was 5.  So as I type this, I’m exchanging text messages with my God Father, who is going in for a major knee replacement surgery tomorrow. Normally, that big of a concern, however with his history of heart issues, he is going to be required to stay a few extra days in the hospital. But I realized as we were texting, that he was feeling the same as I was, concern, worried, hell, scared.

Growing older, these are the worries and concerns that our parents dealt with, not us. They shielded us from these worries, because we needed to play, not think about someone that I have known and loved for 35 years might not make it tomorrow through this surgery. The surgery is at a top medical facility in the US and has a team of Dr’s that are some of the brightest in the world, so even though I am nervous, I am confident that he will come out ok.

Growing older isn’t as fun as it seemed as a child.

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We don’t hit, we don’t PUSH, we don’t kick and we don’t bite. I feel like I am repeating this all the time lately.

The boys have been, well boys lately. They are pushing each other around and hitting. Luckily, no one has gotten hurt, but we are really trying to get this under control. Tonight, we are staying in a hotel, as we are traveling to visit family and the boys Godfather and wouldn’t’ you know, the boys were pushing and Baby B was pushed into the corner of a table. He wasn’t hurt, thank goodness and it happened right in front of me and there was nothing that I could.

After a gasp for breath, Baby B let out a LOUD scream. I couldn’t do anything but hold him. And make sure that he wasn’t bleeding.  After a minute, he was ok and ready to start playing again. But, I had to talk with Baby A. I had to make him understand what he did was wrong. We talked, he repeated the we don’t hit, we don’t push, we don’t kick and we don’t bite.

We have to walk a fine line with discipline. This would have been the perfect situation for spanking, but would Baby A understand what he did was wrong? I don’t know? But, I do know that pushing can/is dangerous. I’m just lucky that with being out of town at the ER.

 

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The words that no parent ever wants to hear from their child’s Doctor. But those are the words I heard the other morning.  Baby A has been having a pretty rough time lately with a really bad cold. But he started getting better and then literally overnight, he was coughing and the coughing turned to croup.  The cough didn’t get any better after a day or two so we called the Pediatrician to have him checked out, because his breathing was a little different this time. He was still playing, eating and acting like himself for the most part, but this time, he sounded like Darth Vadar when he breathed.

The Doctor and I were talking and she very calmly told me, that Baby A as expected had the Croup cough, but that he also had Stridor, which is something that I had never heard of. I give the Doctor a lot of credit, I guess she saw a little bit of panic in my face and she basically explained the treatment, which was a steriod and if that did not resolve the problem, that we would need to goto the ER for breathing treatments. But, she suggested that we drive with the windows down on the drive home and then also going to the playground, because with it being a chilly day, the cold air will help with his breathing.

So, that is what we did. Got the prescription field, drove home with the windows down and then after his nap, we went to the playground. It was cold running after he and his brother, but it helped. We did not have to goto the ER, this time at least. And I’m sure that at some point, we will, but we were at least able to avoid it for the time being him.

We are almost a week into the cold, again, and I think that we are getting over the hump of the cold. Or I hope at least. But, I will say two things: 1) I hope that you have a great Pediatrician that you trust and that is available, even on the weekends and 2) please look for the signs for Croup and Stridor. Though not super dangerous, from what I’ve read, the Stridor portion can be if not monitored. And even though I love Star Wars, I can’t imagine talking like Darth Vadar is a fun thing.

 

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Hearing is something that most of take for granted. Hearing sounds for the first time or a new sound, is just a fleeting thought.

But for this little boy and his family, hearing is became really important, because for the first time, their son could hear.
Take a moment and watch this YouTube video – there are a few gross scenes, so turn your head.

But seeing that moment, when the little boy heard his father for the first time is just an amazing this.

I take for granted so many things, like hearing or seeing, but through a medical break through, their lives are forever changed.

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