The last few weeks have been quite a whirlwind. Our normal routine has been out of sync for about 2 weeks now and it's been crazy. Today is the first day that has felt "normal" in quite a while and hopefully it will stay that way for a while.
Two weekends ago, John began to get sick. On that Sunday night, he didn't sleep well and even woke up during the night crying, which is something he never does. The next morning, I took him to therapy. It was supposed to be his first day of Physical Therapy. About half way through his OT, he started making unhappy faces and he had tears falling from his eyes. I didn't know what was bothering him, but I knew he didn't feel well. So I decided to take him home and skip the physical therapy. It was a school holiday so we just stayed home the rest of the day and rested.
That evening, while eating dinner, his tummy got upset and he vomited everywhere. He really hadn't had much to eat or drink that day, so I was shocked with how much was actually in his stomach. Thank goodness that Tommy was home and he took over the clean up efforts. That was a big mess. So needless to say, he stayed home from school the next day. I thought he was feeling better and would be back to school on Wednesday, but after we put him to bed that night. he got sick again. So he stayed home Wednesday. He managed to stay well all day Wednesday and made it to school on Thursday and Friday.
Saturday, we took a day trip to San Antonio to celebrate the 7th birthday of a very special friend at Morgan's Wonderland. I have talked about Blake before. We met him and his family during the time John spent in the NICU at Texas Children's Hospital. We have been friends and have kept in touch ever since. He will always be John's very first friend. In case you don't remember, Morgan's Wonderland is an ultra accessible park in San Antonio that allows children of all abilities the opportunity to play together. We always enjoy spending time there. After several hours of fun and some yummy birthday cake, we headed home. John got fussy on the car ride home, and that was my first sign that he wasn't feeling 100%.
We got home that evening and John began to have tummy troubles again. This time it was the other end that was giving him trouble. I will spare you the details on that. So after having his diaper changed by the nurse every hour that night and into the morning, we finally gave him some Imodium on Sunday morning and that seemed to take care of it. I planned to keep him home on Monday to rest. Monday night I went to dinner with some friends, and right before we left to come home, Tommy called and told me that John had gotten sick again after going to bed. At this point I felt like it was never going to end. So we kept him home again on Tuesday and this time took him to see the doctor. She said it was just a virus and to keep him hydrated as best as we could.
Meanwhile, Tommy was on vacation this whole week, so he was home and around John more than normal. So while I planned to keep John home again on Wednesday, I did not plan on Tommy waking up Wednesday morning sick. I was having flashes of a terrible week we had a couple of years ago when John had a stomach bug that I eventually got and Tommy had his "near fatal illness" all at the same time. Fortunately, Tommy was only sick for that one day and was feeling back to normal by Thursday. We sent John to school on Thursday, only to get a call 2 hours into the day that he was not feeling well and needed to come home. I think he just didn't have his full strength back yet and didn't have the energy to make it through the day. We sent him to school on Friday and he did well. Today is his third day back to school and he seems to be doing well, but now he's gotten very congested and we are fighting to keep the trach clear of secretions and to keep the area around the trach clean and dry. So it just feels like he is never going to be completely well. I will be so happy to get my John all of the way back.
Friday, I was supposed to sub for Junior High Girl's PE, and then afterward, Tommy and I were leaving to go to Baton Rouge for the LSU/Auburn game. We were planning to leave John home with my parents so we could enjoy the weekend by ourselves. I woke up Friday morning feeling terrible. There was no way I could have made it through the day feeling the way I did. It's hard enough to make it through a day of Junior High when you are at full strength. So I called in sick and stayed home and slept most of the day. I was finally feeling some better, so we decided to go ahead and go to Baton Rouge.
We stayed the weekend with my good friend, ChristyPitre family here in Katy, who sold us their season tickets for that game. The seats couldn't have been better. They were under an overhang so it was shady and there was a nice breeze. The seats also had seat backs so it was more comfortable to sit there. Watching the Tigers beat Auburn pretty bad made me feel so much better. Overall it was a fun weekend.
Yesterday, I did go to work in Junior High Girl's PE, so Tommy took one more day of vacation so he could take John to his therapies and then to school. He seemed to have a good day at school. I went to the doctor to find out why I still had a sore throat and came home with an antibiotic and steroid to hopefully get me well. Today, was the first normal morning we have had in quite a while, and it was nice to get John on the school bus and be able to come in and drink my coffee and relax. Hopefully there are more of these days to come in the near future. Now, if I can figure where to start to get my house put back together.
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Happy Anniversary!
On June 30, 2001, I said "I Do" to the love of my life. 10 years later, he is still the love of my life and has also become my best friend. Anytime something happens, good or bad, he's the first person I want to tell. I would rather spend time with him than anyone else. He makes me laugh (and sometimes cry). Over these past 10 years, I have grown to love him more than I ever thought I would.
We decided this was the best time to take our first ever overnight trip without John. I have to say that I never thought this day would come, but we finally made it happen. Well, I have to say that Tommy made it happen. He planned all of the details and just told me where we were going. He arranged for my parents to come and stay with John for the weekend. It worked out perfectly that we were able to get away on July 4th weekend so it was a long weekend. That gave us more time away since my parents didn't have to go home until Monday. And he planned for us to stay two nights at Lost Pines Resort in Bastrop, Texas, which is just outside of Austin. There is actually a funny story that goes with that.
When I took John for his 6 year check-up with his pediatrician, she asked me if we were getting out to the movies or dinner by ourselves like she had ordered us to do. She is great and always making sure that we take care of ourselves as well as John. I told her we were actually planning a trip for our anniversary. She asked where we were going. At the time we had a reservation at Barton Creek in Austin because when Tommy called Lost Pines, they were booked for the weekend. So I told her that. She asked if I wanted her to call Lost Pines and talk them into giving us a reservation. She was dead serious. I didn't think there was anything she could do, but I gave her the number to the resort and the dates that we wanted to check in and out. A week or two later, she called one night and talked to Tommy. She asked if we had heard from the resort and he told her we hadn't. She said she would check into it. The very next weekend, I got a call from the resort, telling us that they had spoken to Dr. Miller and they had a room available for us if we still wanted it. By this time, we had changed our reservation to the Marriott Resort in San Antonio. But since Dr. Miller did what she did for us, we thought we should go ahead and stay at Lost Pines. So I have to say Kudos to you, Dr. Miller. You are definitely our favorite doctor!
The weekend finally arrived and we actually didn't back out. We have tried 2 or 3 times in the past to go away for the weekend, and we always changed our minds for some reason. But this time we stuck to it. We left on Saturday morning. Since our official check-in time wasn't until 3:00, we took a round about way there. We first went to Luling, Texas so we could stop at the Buc cees! If you haven't been to a Buc ees, you have to some time. They are only in Texas, and they are the biggest convenience store around. They also have the cleanest public restrooms you will ever find. They have a gigantic store attached where you can buy t-shirts and plenty of other things. About 1/2 of John's wardrobe has come from Buc ees. After we left from there, we drove a few miles down the road to Lockhart, Texas to eat some barbecue. And then, since we were in the area, we decided to go to the outlet mall in San Marcos. We only went into a couple of stores, but we both came away with new clothes. Finally, we headed to the resort.
Once we got there and got checked in, we changed into our swimsuits and headed out to the pool. They have a lazy river around the pool that is 1000 feet. This is where we spent most of our weekend. If you have never gotten into a tube, let me tell you there is no graceful way to get on or off of one. That provided a few comedic moments for us. Fortunately there are no pictures of it. We stayed on the lazy river until about 6:00 that evening. We had scheduled to do a sunset float on the Colorado River and we had to meet at 6:45 in the lobby. The relaxing float we were expecting turned out to be a rafting trip where we actually had to paddle. It was not a comfortable raft and it was hot and humid. That was not what we wanted to do. But we made it back to the resort and were finally able to get cleaned up.
The next day we actually slept in until 10:30. I haven't slept that late in years. So we had an early lunch and then took a walk around the property. We eventually ended up back at the pool, where we spent most of the rest of the day. That night we cleaned up and then went to their nicest restaurant for our anniversary dinner. We decided to sit out on their balcony overlooking the grounds. It was a nice night and we enjoyed a delicious dinner.
We want to say a special thanks to the people who helped make this trip special. First and foremost, to my parents for keeping John for the weekend. It would never have been possible without them being willing to help out. And I should say that when we got home, John acted like he hadn't missed us one minute. He had a great time with Gram and Pop. Also thanks to Dr. Miller for helping us get the reservation. She went above and beyond typical pediatrician duties for us on this one. But then again, she has done that since the day we met. And a special thank you to our very dear friends who arranged for us to have a bottle of wine waiting for us in our room when we got there. They were just as excited about our getaway as we were. You guys Rock!!!
Although, it has been a very wild and crazy 10 years, I would do it all again. I can't wait to see what the next ten years has in store for us.
We decided this was the best time to take our first ever overnight trip without John. I have to say that I never thought this day would come, but we finally made it happen. Well, I have to say that Tommy made it happen. He planned all of the details and just told me where we were going. He arranged for my parents to come and stay with John for the weekend. It worked out perfectly that we were able to get away on July 4th weekend so it was a long weekend. That gave us more time away since my parents didn't have to go home until Monday. And he planned for us to stay two nights at Lost Pines Resort in Bastrop, Texas, which is just outside of Austin. There is actually a funny story that goes with that.
When I took John for his 6 year check-up with his pediatrician, she asked me if we were getting out to the movies or dinner by ourselves like she had ordered us to do. She is great and always making sure that we take care of ourselves as well as John. I told her we were actually planning a trip for our anniversary. She asked where we were going. At the time we had a reservation at Barton Creek in Austin because when Tommy called Lost Pines, they were booked for the weekend. So I told her that. She asked if I wanted her to call Lost Pines and talk them into giving us a reservation. She was dead serious. I didn't think there was anything she could do, but I gave her the number to the resort and the dates that we wanted to check in and out. A week or two later, she called one night and talked to Tommy. She asked if we had heard from the resort and he told her we hadn't. She said she would check into it. The very next weekend, I got a call from the resort, telling us that they had spoken to Dr. Miller and they had a room available for us if we still wanted it. By this time, we had changed our reservation to the Marriott Resort in San Antonio. But since Dr. Miller did what she did for us, we thought we should go ahead and stay at Lost Pines. So I have to say Kudos to you, Dr. Miller. You are definitely our favorite doctor!
The weekend finally arrived and we actually didn't back out. We have tried 2 or 3 times in the past to go away for the weekend, and we always changed our minds for some reason. But this time we stuck to it. We left on Saturday morning. Since our official check-in time wasn't until 3:00, we took a round about way there. We first went to Luling, Texas so we could stop at the Buc cees! If you haven't been to a Buc ees, you have to some time. They are only in Texas, and they are the biggest convenience store around. They also have the cleanest public restrooms you will ever find. They have a gigantic store attached where you can buy t-shirts and plenty of other things. About 1/2 of John's wardrobe has come from Buc ees. After we left from there, we drove a few miles down the road to Lockhart, Texas to eat some barbecue. And then, since we were in the area, we decided to go to the outlet mall in San Marcos. We only went into a couple of stores, but we both came away with new clothes. Finally, we headed to the resort.
Once we got there and got checked in, we changed into our swimsuits and headed out to the pool. They have a lazy river around the pool that is 1000 feet. This is where we spent most of our weekend. If you have never gotten into a tube, let me tell you there is no graceful way to get on or off of one. That provided a few comedic moments for us. Fortunately there are no pictures of it. We stayed on the lazy river until about 6:00 that evening. We had scheduled to do a sunset float on the Colorado River and we had to meet at 6:45 in the lobby. The relaxing float we were expecting turned out to be a rafting trip where we actually had to paddle. It was not a comfortable raft and it was hot and humid. That was not what we wanted to do. But we made it back to the resort and were finally able to get cleaned up.
The next day we actually slept in until 10:30. I haven't slept that late in years. So we had an early lunch and then took a walk around the property. We eventually ended up back at the pool, where we spent most of the rest of the day. That night we cleaned up and then went to their nicest restaurant for our anniversary dinner. We decided to sit out on their balcony overlooking the grounds. It was a nice night and we enjoyed a delicious dinner.
We want to say a special thanks to the people who helped make this trip special. First and foremost, to my parents for keeping John for the weekend. It would never have been possible without them being willing to help out. And I should say that when we got home, John acted like he hadn't missed us one minute. He had a great time with Gram and Pop. Also thanks to Dr. Miller for helping us get the reservation. She went above and beyond typical pediatrician duties for us on this one. But then again, she has done that since the day we met. And a special thank you to our very dear friends who arranged for us to have a bottle of wine waiting for us in our room when we got there. They were just as excited about our getaway as we were. You guys Rock!!!
Although, it has been a very wild and crazy 10 years, I would do it all again. I can't wait to see what the next ten years has in store for us.
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| My view of the pool |
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| Lounging by the pool. |
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| 10 years of Marriage! |
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Spring Break
Last week was Spring Break for John. We didn't have any big plans to take a trip, so we stayed home and made the most of the week. While we didn't do an overwhelming amount of things, we still managed to have fun. Mostly I enjoyed not having a morning routine and having to rush around to get everything ready for school. It was nice to be able to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee and not get out of my pajamas until we were ready to go outside.
On Tuesday, we had some good friends over to play. We used to have frequent play groups when John was much younger, but with everyone's hectic schedules, we haven't had time to get together in quite a while. So it was nice for me to have other mom's to visit with and for the kids to spend time together. John doesn't get to run around with the other kids, but he really enjoys having them around. He did get to get in his swing for the first time this year and had a ball. After everyone left, he was worn out and crashed. That is the sign of a fun time.
On Wednesday, we got a visit from Tommy's brother Jimmy and our niece Jennifer. I have said before how much John LOVES his cousin. It is always fun to have her around. We went to play putt putt and then enjoyed lunch together. We took John outside to do some walking while they were here. He did really good with Jennifer around. He liked chasing her.
The rest of the week, we spent a lot of time outside and ran a few errands. Taking him to the grocery store is almost like going to an amusement park. Getting him in the grocery cart is a true workout for me. He is so excited to be there, that I can't get him to put his feet through the holes, and he is so heavy that I can't hold him with one arm while putting his feet through with the other arm. Let me take this time to tell you how disappointed I am with the girl scouts. When did the girl scouts become all about selling cookies that they have forgotten that service is the main purpose of the organization? Here I was, struggling for minutes to get John in the cart. I'm getting frustrated and he is getting wilder. 10 feet away sat a group of girl scouts and their mothers, selling their cookies, and not one of them came over and asked if they could help me. I thought that was pretty sad. But once I finally got him in the cart and my blood pressure came down a little, he had a great time shopping with me.
We ended the week with a fun family day on Saturday. We decided to take advantage of the weather on Saturday. So we picked a place to have lunch so we could sit outside to eat. We went to Ragin Cajun, and were very pleased that they agreed to puree some red beans and rice for John to eat. So instead of eating his bland jar of food, he was able to eat a nice big bowl of red beans and rice. That kid loves Louisiana cooking. He was very content. Then we did a little school shopping for him. He is getting so big and has outgrown most of his clothes. On Sunday, we enjoyed a nice morning at church and then went for an outside lunch again. The weather has been so beautiful we couldn't pass up spending time outside. It won't be long before it will be unbearable.
Here are a few other pictures from the week:
Now we are back to the grind of school. We are about to be really busy in the coming month. Starting tomorrow, I will be subbing in Junior High PE for 7 straight days. It will be fun, but I will be tired. I'm not used to working that much. Tommy and I have a date night coming up on Saturday. I do not know where we are going, but I am really looking forward to it. It will be the first one in several months. Also, the following weekend, we will be going with two other families to Morgan's Wonderland for the day. This is a park that is handicapp accessible in San Antonio. We have been once before and had a great time. We are so happy to have a place to go that has so many things for John to do. And of course, we have Easter coming up. I look forward to this holiday every year. We go to my parents along with both brothers and we boil crawfish and spend a lot of time together. We spend most of the day Saturday outside, so I'm hoping to have weather as beautiful as this past weekend. It has become one of my favorite holidays.
On Tuesday, we had some good friends over to play. We used to have frequent play groups when John was much younger, but with everyone's hectic schedules, we haven't had time to get together in quite a while. So it was nice for me to have other mom's to visit with and for the kids to spend time together. John doesn't get to run around with the other kids, but he really enjoys having them around. He did get to get in his swing for the first time this year and had a ball. After everyone left, he was worn out and crashed. That is the sign of a fun time.
On Wednesday, we got a visit from Tommy's brother Jimmy and our niece Jennifer. I have said before how much John LOVES his cousin. It is always fun to have her around. We went to play putt putt and then enjoyed lunch together. We took John outside to do some walking while they were here. He did really good with Jennifer around. He liked chasing her.
The rest of the week, we spent a lot of time outside and ran a few errands. Taking him to the grocery store is almost like going to an amusement park. Getting him in the grocery cart is a true workout for me. He is so excited to be there, that I can't get him to put his feet through the holes, and he is so heavy that I can't hold him with one arm while putting his feet through with the other arm. Let me take this time to tell you how disappointed I am with the girl scouts. When did the girl scouts become all about selling cookies that they have forgotten that service is the main purpose of the organization? Here I was, struggling for minutes to get John in the cart. I'm getting frustrated and he is getting wilder. 10 feet away sat a group of girl scouts and their mothers, selling their cookies, and not one of them came over and asked if they could help me. I thought that was pretty sad. But once I finally got him in the cart and my blood pressure came down a little, he had a great time shopping with me.
We ended the week with a fun family day on Saturday. We decided to take advantage of the weather on Saturday. So we picked a place to have lunch so we could sit outside to eat. We went to Ragin Cajun, and were very pleased that they agreed to puree some red beans and rice for John to eat. So instead of eating his bland jar of food, he was able to eat a nice big bowl of red beans and rice. That kid loves Louisiana cooking. He was very content. Then we did a little school shopping for him. He is getting so big and has outgrown most of his clothes. On Sunday, we enjoyed a nice morning at church and then went for an outside lunch again. The weather has been so beautiful we couldn't pass up spending time outside. It won't be long before it will be unbearable.
Here are a few other pictures from the week:
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| He enjoyed several wagon rides. |
He did a lot of walking.
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| Monday morning when it was time to go back to school. |
Now we are back to the grind of school. We are about to be really busy in the coming month. Starting tomorrow, I will be subbing in Junior High PE for 7 straight days. It will be fun, but I will be tired. I'm not used to working that much. Tommy and I have a date night coming up on Saturday. I do not know where we are going, but I am really looking forward to it. It will be the first one in several months. Also, the following weekend, we will be going with two other families to Morgan's Wonderland for the day. This is a park that is handicapp accessible in San Antonio. We have been once before and had a great time. We are so happy to have a place to go that has so many things for John to do. And of course, we have Easter coming up. I look forward to this holiday every year. We go to my parents along with both brothers and we boil crawfish and spend a lot of time together. We spend most of the day Saturday outside, so I'm hoping to have weather as beautiful as this past weekend. It has become one of my favorite holidays.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Turning a Corner
It finally seems that John is turning a corner. His O2 levels are finally starting to level out at night, and he has been doing a lot more playing the last two days, although he is pretty clingy after being held for most of a week. I even have heard him laugh a few times. It's been a while since I have heard that sweet laugh of his. He still has some congestion and a cough, but all of those things are manageable as long as his oxygen levels are normal.
As for me, I'm still hanging in. I've still got a lot of congestion and am still coughing up a lung, especially at night, but I'm feeling much better. I just hope that by the end of the week, we are all completely better.
As far as our Colorado trip that we missed out on, word from my parents and my sister-in-law is that everyone is having a good time. They have a lot of snow and even had a snowball fight yesterday. I wish I could be there to see the kids enjoying the snow. I know John would be loving it.
We are thinking of planning a new trip for another time. We are trying to decide whether to go at spring break or in the summer. But we do want to go to the Adaptive Sports Center in Crested Butte, Colorado. They have amazing opportunities for John all year around, so we just have to figure out when would be the best time to go. I still want to see him ski, but we would probably have a better chance of keeping him well in the summer.
We hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year. If John is well enough on Friday, we will get to spend New Year's Eve with some friends. Wishing you all Health and Happiness is 2011!!!
As for me, I'm still hanging in. I've still got a lot of congestion and am still coughing up a lung, especially at night, but I'm feeling much better. I just hope that by the end of the week, we are all completely better.
As far as our Colorado trip that we missed out on, word from my parents and my sister-in-law is that everyone is having a good time. They have a lot of snow and even had a snowball fight yesterday. I wish I could be there to see the kids enjoying the snow. I know John would be loving it.
We are thinking of planning a new trip for another time. We are trying to decide whether to go at spring break or in the summer. But we do want to go to the Adaptive Sports Center in Crested Butte, Colorado. They have amazing opportunities for John all year around, so we just have to figure out when would be the best time to go. I still want to see him ski, but we would probably have a better chance of keeping him well in the summer.
We hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year. If John is well enough on Friday, we will get to spend New Year's Eve with some friends. Wishing you all Health and Happiness is 2011!!!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Christmas in Houston
Yesterday came and we made the decision that staying in Houston was the best choice for us. We need to get John well, and it will be more difficult to do that if we go on our trip. So we made the difficult choice not to go skiing.
When I think about not having to pack and travel and all of the "not fun" part of going on a trip, I'm okay with it. But when I think about all of the fun things we will miss out on and not being able to see my family, I get a little sad. This will be the first Christmas I have ever spent away from my family. I will get to see my parents tonight and tomorrow morning. They are driving here to Houston so they can fly out tomorrow. So we'll try to spend a nice evening with them and they can watch John open his gifts from Santa in the morning.
But the part that is the most weird is that it doesn't look like Christmas here. We decided not to put up a tree or decorate the house since we weren't planning on being here. So it is going to be weird tomorrow without a Christmas tree.
But we are going to try and make the most of things. We are going to spend a nice evening with my parents tonight and then try and have a nice meal tomorrow, just the three of us. It'll be quiet, but the most important thing is that we will be together as a family of 3.
And there is always 24 hours of "A Christmas Story" on TV starting tonight. That is my favorite Christmas movie.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone out there who may be reading this, from the Hitt Family. May you be richly blessed and don't forget that we would have neither Christmas nor Eternal Life if God hadn't chosen to send his only son.
When I think about not having to pack and travel and all of the "not fun" part of going on a trip, I'm okay with it. But when I think about all of the fun things we will miss out on and not being able to see my family, I get a little sad. This will be the first Christmas I have ever spent away from my family. I will get to see my parents tonight and tomorrow morning. They are driving here to Houston so they can fly out tomorrow. So we'll try to spend a nice evening with them and they can watch John open his gifts from Santa in the morning.
But the part that is the most weird is that it doesn't look like Christmas here. We decided not to put up a tree or decorate the house since we weren't planning on being here. So it is going to be weird tomorrow without a Christmas tree.
But we are going to try and make the most of things. We are going to spend a nice evening with my parents tonight and then try and have a nice meal tomorrow, just the three of us. It'll be quiet, but the most important thing is that we will be together as a family of 3.
And there is always 24 hours of "A Christmas Story" on TV starting tonight. That is my favorite Christmas movie.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone out there who may be reading this, from the Hitt Family. May you be richly blessed and don't forget that we would have neither Christmas nor Eternal Life if God hadn't chosen to send his only son.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
To go or Not to go
Through all of the planning and preparing for our trip, we never prepared for the possibility that we wouldn't be able to go. When we found out on Friday that John had strep throat, we thought we had plenty of time to get him well. When he got it last time, he was well fairly quickly. But now we are 2 days before Tommy and my Dad are scheduled to leave, and he isn't much better
We spent part of the night Monday in the ER with John. He has a terrible cough and when he gets started, he just can't stop. He also was having some issues with his oxygen levels being low. He was taking rapid, shallow breaths and we had to turn the oxygen higher than normal, just to get his saturations to acceptable levels. So we decided to take him to the ER. They did a chest x-ray (which was thankfully clear) and they gave him a breathing treatment along with a prescription for breathing treatments at home and a steroid. We got home a little before 3am.
Yesterday wasn't much better. He is still coughing and then when he finally stops, he is so worn out that he just goes to sleep. He is sleeping a lot the last few days. We think that his throat is inflammed because coughing is usually followed by crying.
We finally got in touch with his pulmonologist today. She told us to continue the breathing treatments every 4 hours and to double the steroid dose. The steroid is supposed to work quickly and should decrease the inflammation. She expects to see a quick turn around with it.
So now we have to make a decision. Should we take him to Colorado and risk having to spend time in an ER there, or should we just keep him home so he could fully recover? Of course we would rather him stay home and get completely well, but we were so excited for this trip. If we take him and he's still not well, we would be stuck indoors most of the trip and that wouldn't be any fun for him or for us.
We are going to wait until tomorrow to make the decision. Tommy has already contacted the airline to see what can be done with the tickets. If John isn't any better by tomorrow, we will probably be staying home. We will be very sad if we have to stay home. This possibility never crossed my mind.
Please pray for John, that the medicine does what it's supposed to do and he begins to feel better very quickly.
We spent part of the night Monday in the ER with John. He has a terrible cough and when he gets started, he just can't stop. He also was having some issues with his oxygen levels being low. He was taking rapid, shallow breaths and we had to turn the oxygen higher than normal, just to get his saturations to acceptable levels. So we decided to take him to the ER. They did a chest x-ray (which was thankfully clear) and they gave him a breathing treatment along with a prescription for breathing treatments at home and a steroid. We got home a little before 3am.
Yesterday wasn't much better. He is still coughing and then when he finally stops, he is so worn out that he just goes to sleep. He is sleeping a lot the last few days. We think that his throat is inflammed because coughing is usually followed by crying.
We finally got in touch with his pulmonologist today. She told us to continue the breathing treatments every 4 hours and to double the steroid dose. The steroid is supposed to work quickly and should decrease the inflammation. She expects to see a quick turn around with it.
So now we have to make a decision. Should we take him to Colorado and risk having to spend time in an ER there, or should we just keep him home so he could fully recover? Of course we would rather him stay home and get completely well, but we were so excited for this trip. If we take him and he's still not well, we would be stuck indoors most of the trip and that wouldn't be any fun for him or for us.
We are going to wait until tomorrow to make the decision. Tommy has already contacted the airline to see what can be done with the tickets. If John isn't any better by tomorrow, we will probably be staying home. We will be very sad if we have to stay home. This possibility never crossed my mind.
Please pray for John, that the medicine does what it's supposed to do and he begins to feel better very quickly.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Preparing for Colorado
After months of planning and preparing, we leave on Saturday (Christmas Day) to spend a week in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. We have been looking forward to this vacation for a while now. It will be nice to spend Christmas in the snow for the first time since I was 3 years old.
Sometime early Christmas morning, Tommy and my dad will set out in the car for the drive. When we go on vacation, Tommy always drives ahead so he can carry all of the equipment and supplies that we need for JT while we are gone. This includes all of our luggage, toys, ventilator and oxygen for sleeping, trach care supplies and many other things that are necessary. Then early afternoon on Christmas Day, my mom, JT and I will fly from Houston to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Durango is a closer airport, but it's not as big and we couldn't get a direct flight. Once we arrive in Albuquerque, we will rent a car and drive to Santa Fe, where we will meet Tommy and dad, as well as my brother, Jimmie, and his family to stay the night. Then sometime on Sunday, we will drive the remainder of the way to Pagosa Springs, where we will be staying at the Wyndham resort for a week.
Tommy and I have never been skiing. I'm a little afraid to try because I'm the one that will break something, and we certainly cannot afford to have me out of commission any longer than I already have been. So I haven't decided yet if I'll do any skiing while I'm there.
But for me, the highlight of the trip will be seeing John come down the hill in a chair ski. After several conversations with the staff at Wolf Creek, we seem to have an arrangement made for John. They have a certified adaptive ski instructor there, and he has several instructors that he has trained. They have what is called a bi-ski, which is a chair on two skis that we will be using for John. It will have him strapped in pretty well, and he will basically be going down the hill with an instructor and one other person that we send with him.
John loves the cold weather and he loves having the wind blow on him. I'm hoping that he is going to love this sensation and this experience and want to continue to do it. If he enjoys himself, the look on his face will be priceless. I will be sure to post pictures. But if this IS something that he enjoys, then a trip to the Adaptive Sports Center in Crested Butte, CO may be in the near future. They have sports programs year round for the disabled. I would love to take John there one day so he can experience things that he otherwise wouldn't be able to experience.
We are looking forward to spending the week with my parents as well as my brother, sister-in-law and their two boys. Being around the kids always makes me happy. And my sister-in-law is expecting their 3rd child. We always have a lot of fun and we eat very well while we are together. I'm so thankful to have a sister-in-law who is a good cook.
But first, we have to get John well from his latest bout with strep throat. I think we will all enjoy it much better if he is not sick.
We are wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.
By the way, if you are someone who we usually send a Christmas Card, don't worry. We haven't forgotten you. We just haven't taken any family photos yet. So I will probably use photos from Colorado and send out a Happy New Year card.
Sometime early Christmas morning, Tommy and my dad will set out in the car for the drive. When we go on vacation, Tommy always drives ahead so he can carry all of the equipment and supplies that we need for JT while we are gone. This includes all of our luggage, toys, ventilator and oxygen for sleeping, trach care supplies and many other things that are necessary. Then early afternoon on Christmas Day, my mom, JT and I will fly from Houston to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Durango is a closer airport, but it's not as big and we couldn't get a direct flight. Once we arrive in Albuquerque, we will rent a car and drive to Santa Fe, where we will meet Tommy and dad, as well as my brother, Jimmie, and his family to stay the night. Then sometime on Sunday, we will drive the remainder of the way to Pagosa Springs, where we will be staying at the Wyndham resort for a week.
Tommy and I have never been skiing. I'm a little afraid to try because I'm the one that will break something, and we certainly cannot afford to have me out of commission any longer than I already have been. So I haven't decided yet if I'll do any skiing while I'm there.
But for me, the highlight of the trip will be seeing John come down the hill in a chair ski. After several conversations with the staff at Wolf Creek, we seem to have an arrangement made for John. They have a certified adaptive ski instructor there, and he has several instructors that he has trained. They have what is called a bi-ski, which is a chair on two skis that we will be using for John. It will have him strapped in pretty well, and he will basically be going down the hill with an instructor and one other person that we send with him.
John loves the cold weather and he loves having the wind blow on him. I'm hoping that he is going to love this sensation and this experience and want to continue to do it. If he enjoys himself, the look on his face will be priceless. I will be sure to post pictures. But if this IS something that he enjoys, then a trip to the Adaptive Sports Center in Crested Butte, CO may be in the near future. They have sports programs year round for the disabled. I would love to take John there one day so he can experience things that he otherwise wouldn't be able to experience.
We are looking forward to spending the week with my parents as well as my brother, sister-in-law and their two boys. Being around the kids always makes me happy. And my sister-in-law is expecting their 3rd child. We always have a lot of fun and we eat very well while we are together. I'm so thankful to have a sister-in-law who is a good cook.
But first, we have to get John well from his latest bout with strep throat. I think we will all enjoy it much better if he is not sick.
We are wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.
By the way, if you are someone who we usually send a Christmas Card, don't worry. We haven't forgotten you. We just haven't taken any family photos yet. So I will probably use photos from Colorado and send out a Happy New Year card.
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