Hard to catch our breath

It started with a call at 8 in the morning on a Wed. “Pam can you come pick me up from school? I don’t feel good” Our dear Abbi was sick. The answer is “of course” and I am again reminded of the value of teaching a half day to not only the kid who isn’t in school yet but also to the one who is. I got her home and put her in bed to have her sleep over 8 hours after having slept all night. This thing comes with a myriad of symptoms including stomach issues and and upper respiratory involvement. Next on Friday Caelun kicked in and was really sick by Saturday while I was at the forensics tournament. Clint held down the fort and by Saturday night when I got home he himself had started to succumb. We got the nebulizer out when Caelun started to sound like a seal and he was less than thrilled but I think it actually helped us all. By Sunday I had it. Clint and I both went to school on Monday really sick but we had to go in because Tuesday we were both taking off for me to have periodontal surgery. I know you are thinking “those Conleys they are just a laugh a minute.” Well I had my periodontal surgery, and we all started to get better and then spring break came and we completely got better but for a bit there we were having a hard time catching our breath- literally and figuratively.

 

  What can I say- it helped but he was less than thrilled.

Sick Kids

So I was going to catch up on all of these posts during mid-winter break -not so much but I will get to that later. This weekend was going to be a weekend to work on Caelun's room and catch up on sleep. Abbi was going to spend the weekend with a friend and Caelun was going to stay with Grandma Mary Saturday night. So how do I find myself sitting in room 607 of Metro Hospital for a second night? Abbi's plans fell through with her friend, so Clint picked her up on Friday like normal. He got her home and she wasn't feeling good. Clint went to bed- he gets up at 5:00 a.m. and I stayed up. She was running a temp. We did Tylenol and it didn't come down. We did Motrin. Her throat still hurt and she was stuffy. We did Benadryl and cough drops and at 1:30a.m. she went to bed. I went to bed. At 2:00.m. Cae woke up with the continuing saga of the stuffy nose we have been dealing with for a week. He was up again at 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. At 8 Clint got up with him and let me sleep. I got up at 10:00 to hear Cae was running a temp- 102.5 that Tylenol wouldn't bring down. No stay a Grandma's for Cae. We did alternating Motrin and Tylenol on alternating kids all day. At 9:00 p.m. As we were looking at Abbi's red, white spotted throat with a flash light, Cae woke up barley able to breathe. After a call to our pediatrician's- emergency line, a stand in the bathroom with the hot shower running, and the recommendation from our friend/ neighbor/and fireman/first responder Brien Velting we packed up both kids and headed to the ER. We decided on Metro Health because we thought it would probably have the shortest wait time and we were correct. It wasn't two minutes from walking in the door that we were in a triage room. Clint didn't even get the van parked. We had planned to take Abbi to the weekend clinic through our GP but since her little brother decided to try to not breathe the ER folks killed two birds with one stone and swabbed her throat. Luckily it wasn't strep. Not so lucky for Cae. He has croup and a reactive airway to boot. At least this I know how to handle- been there done that. Breathing treatments of abuteraol, epinephrine's, oral steroids, - all drugs I was currently carrying in my pocket at the time, for me- and a scalp IV and we are off to the races. We have been sleeping in a cool mist tent. That in conjunction with the scalp IV makes him look like he was wounded in Iraq. This poor kid's baby book is going to be nothing but hospital wrist bands and lists of drugs -drama, drama, drama.

You know you want one of these at home

A room with a view- and oxygen please

Dad says "the room is nice but the pool is disapointing"

It's okay mom dorks get all the chicks!

It's a sympathey thing.
Even sick and full of tubes he is our smiley boy

Bandage boy helps mommy order lunch
A view through the vent in our cool mist tent

IV is out and we are charming the nurses

Spike the dinosaur and Cae cruise the hall waiting to see

if more rebounds are comming

Hay cutie going our way?

Yea for ear tubes!

Just a quick note to say Caelun's PE tubes went in with out a hitch. It took him most of the day to kick the anesthesia but he actually slept last night! Hurray! Hurray! One of my fellow teachers, Robbin said she had this done with her son at the same age and it "CHANGED THEIR LIFE!" I can believe it. Her son is now in high school and hasn't had any recurring problems so here is hoping. As you can see he is his usual happy self- really even more so. The last picture is the unusual one- he is sleeping!

M R DUKS- C M Wangs? - L I B M R DUKS!

The PE Tubes go in tomorrow - we have to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. Clint and I are both taking the day off of work. I wanted to post some pictures that I think are just to cute. He sure does love the water- we will have to see what our restrictions are with the ear tubes and get some ear plugs. I hope to start swimming lessons at the YMCA in the next month or so.

Ear infections

Well it is official from our ENT, Caelun needs PE tubes. We are putting in 11 month PE tubes on Tuesday. Here is hoping that all of us get to sleep through the night Tuesday night. The doctor is Tom Pfennig. He is an ENT, allergist, audiologist, cranio-facial plastic surgeon. I don't even want to know how long you have to go to school to have all of that. He is the same guy who reconstructed my head both times. He is also Clint and Abbi's allergist. Here is hoping.

Snow Day

We have a snow day today. Forest Hills, Cedar Springs, 200 other schools including eventually KCTC- but not until after first session block in which Clint taught 1 student. Cae is on his fouth antibiotic azithromycin, and we go to the ENT on Thursday. Abbi spent the weekend scooting up and down the stairs on her butt- at least they are clean now- the stairs that is- I can't speak for her butt.

My debate kids broke to octo-finals at the East Kentwood debate tournament back on the 11th and 12th of January. I told them I would post some pictures.

Hurry find the evidence!

Your see judge this is why I have the best argument

Judge Mandy from Mona Shores says we will see.

But judge you must listen to me!

Beware the cross-ex

Who needs high heels?

The octo-finalist are....

Abbi's Ankle

When it rains it pours. Abbi fell down the stairs at school on Tuesday and pulled the ligaments in her ankle. We talked to her last night and she has some swelling and it hurts a lot. We told her the RICE prescription, Motrin, and time will hopefully make things better for her. This is my week for damaged children.

Ear Infection

We had a debate tournament this last weekend and the kids broke to octafinals, today we vote in the primary, and we have our garden club get together for Christmas but this post isn't about any of those things. Caelun has a double ear infection. We started on amoxicillin before New Years. We switched to omneceph when the amoxicillin didn't work. We went back to the doctor yesterday- he was still miserable, and we now have a series of three rocehperin shots. They are very painful. They dilute it with lidocain but it is still painful. If this doesn't work we are probably looking at PE tubes. We now know why he hasn't been sleeping through the night. Thanks to my friend Pat in garden club who had a grandson with a similar thing who suggested ears might be the problem and not just the reflux. So much for the undergrad. in speech path. Any input is appreciated.

Happy New Year

Abbi and Caelun in
"a one horse open sleigh"
at the entrance of
Frederick Meijer Gardens













The tree that greeted us in the "trees from around the world" the gardens decorate every year. This one represents Germany.
















There are over forty
trees. This one represents
Spain. Don't worry
I won't make you see
all forty.















The Cedar
Express- a mini-train
made from all botanical
materials.

















Here comes the train!




















Waterfalls
with the train passing
in the background.







A bread fruit tree.




















A view from behind the
waterfall.






















Lights on the palms.


















More green!




















More palms



















Abbi at the orchid display.














Banana Tree

I should have included the
bottle of apple juice in the pictures
for Cae's bottle.













From our house
to yours...



















Happy New Year!






Let me just open with I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. December 30th I went back to the doctor for yet again another sinus infection and reactive airway. That was antibiotic number 6 for me since school started and number 4 for Clint. We decided to take it easy for New Years Eve this year. Not that we usually party all that hearty, but we do usually get together with some friends at somebody's house. We didn't go anywhere and we didn't have anybody over. We went to Fredrick Meijer Gardens for the afternoon to see the mini train and the trees from around the world. In general it is a great place to go for some warmth, humidity and to see something green. We then came home to watch the ball drop on TV, toasting in the New Year with Champagne, Champagne and orange juice, sparkling non-alcoholic grape juice , and apple juice -respectively. The Augmenton I started on the 30th wasn't cutting it so I am now on to antibiotic number 7. I am going back to the specialists as soon as debate season is over. Thanks Dr. Dan if you are reading this for suggesting Avelox. We just took Cae in to see Dr. Sue - he still isn't sleeping through the night. We have switched from Zantac to Previcid for the reflux and now we found out today he has an ear infection. Abbi who was the sick one all last spring and summer has not had so much as a sniffle. Thankfully at least they take turns. This antibiotic for me,already seems to be improving the situation so I am cautiously optimistic. Enjoy the green and the lights of the botanical gardens.