Blood Work for Ryan's 1st Surgery

It's been almost 4 weeks since Ryan had his first surgery, so I guess now would be a good time to write about it. After almost a year of debating and putting this surgery off, we finally took that leap on Friday, May 24th. We scheduled it after baseball season ended to make sure he could make it to his last game so he could celebrate with his team, and get his first trophy!

We were originally scheduled to do his surgery last October when Dr. Moe (the best Pediatric ENT in the city) made the recommendation. He said that his tonsils are so big that it's restricting his breathing, especially at night when the throat relaxes. He snores, pauses in breathing, and never really can get a restful night's sleep. Without restful sleep, it can cause fatigue, lack of focus, and eventually it can be hard on the heart. But Bud and I kinda chickened out. We had a 2nd opinion and that doctor said "nah, he doesn't really need it yet. His tonsils are big but as long as you do it before he's 11, it's fine." He told us what we wanted to hear, so we canceled the surgery. After listening to his terrible snoring again, hearing him pause in his breathing during sleep, we finally decided to just do it. In the long run, it's best for Ryan. So we went back to Dr. Moe and scheduled the appointment for May 24th.

We had to do the blood work the week before his surgery. That was a bit traumatic for Ryan. I hadn't really told Ryan where we were going or why so he was fine at first. . . until we got into the lab and he saw "the chair." I still didn't tell him but he knew something was going to happen. We sat down, him on my lap, the lab tech took his arm and said "Ok, we're just gonna stick a little needle in your arm. . . " and that's all he needed to know. He started freaking out. They had to bring in another tech to help hold him down. Once they started, it didn't take long and he was fine afterwards. As a reward, we headed to Shipley's Donuts to have a little treat, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

The following Monday, I got a call from Dr. Moe's office telling me that Ryan's blood work came back abnormal and I needed to go do the blood work again. So I picked up Ryan and headed back to the lab. He recognized the place when we got there and I told him we needed to do another test. He looked at me and said "I'm gonna be tough this time." And he totally was. Not a tear. Not even a flinch. He did so great. And we headed to Dunkin Donuts for a snack.

The results came in later that afternoon, and they were again, abnormal. So we made an appointment with a hematologist to have his blood looked at more closely. Needless to say, I was a complete nervous wreck. I had no idea what to expect, but of course, I was planning for the worst and hoping for the best. I was asking everyone I knew to pray for him.

The hematologist appointment went great. They drew blood again but this time, they put "magic cream" on first to numb it, so he didn't feel the needle at all. And once again, he handled it like a pro! The doctor said he wasn't too worried about the test results (by the way, the only result that was "abnormal" had to do with the way his blood clots), he was more interested in his medical history and our family history. So he asked a ton of questions about bleeding, heart problems, bruising, nose bleeds, etc. We really don't have any family history no either side, so when I left there, I felt like it was gonna be ok. And it was! Our prayers were answered by the next morning when the doctor said his results were fine and cleared him for surgery the next day.

What JD is Going to Miss Most about 1st Grade

When I asked JD what he would miss most about 1st Grade, he said "Mrs. Tarr." She told me that she overheard him telling his friends on the last day of school that he wasn't going to the 2nd Grade, that he's staying in 1st Grade. When they asked him why, he said because he's staying with Mrs. Tarr. The other kids liked that idea too and soon, Mrs. Tarr had a few returning kids next year. Haha!! She had to reaffirm for them that they were, in fact, moving on to the 2nd Grade without her. :(

I'll be honest, me and Daddy really liked Mrs. Tarr too. She was so great with you.

Last Day of School

JD's last day of school was June 6th. I went to his Awards Ceremony in the morning then took him home for the day. I had to work a 1/2 day so they played with Caleb next door while I worked for a few hours, then we went in town for haircuts and a few other quick errands.

They woke up to a special donut breakfast and a small gift - they both got watches. JD can now tell time on a watch with hands and he really wanted a watch, and Ryan is learning to tell time on a digital clock. So we got them new watches as a last day of school gift.

I'm so proud of JD's 1st grade year. He was awesome!!! When they called his name at the end of the year awards ceremony, here's what preceeded it: "A-Honor Roll for the 4th 9 Weeks, Perfect Attendance for the 4th 9 Weeks, A-Honor Roll All Year, Outstanding Attendance All Year, Computer Award and 2nd Place AR Winner.......JD Blair!" He got almost every award he could get. And his necklace was adorned with 20 "Caught Being Good" charms, which he accumulated throughout the year by doing good things.

**By the way - AR stands for Accelerated Reader. After they read a book, they take a comprehension test on the computer and they accumulate points based on the # of books they read, the book's level of difficulty, and his comprehension level. This is the 2nd year he's received an AR Award. He's also gotten to attend the Principal's Reception in the Spring and Fall in Kinder and 1st Grade for AR Testing. I could go on and on about him. We are just so proud.

Here's a picture of him and Dusty. Dusty got 1st place in AR Testing, and they're best buddies in class. There's nothing like having a good friend to push you to be your best. Thanks Dusty!

Ryan's last day of preschool was Thursday, May 23rd. That was his last day because he had surgery the next day and since he needed about 3 weeks to recover and JD would be out of school by then, we just made the 23rd his last day. (More about his surgery in a separate post.)

Ryan has learned so much this year by going to Mrs. Brown's Preschool. He learned to write his name really well, he's learned to recognize and write his letters, he knows some basic addition, and he's learned so many great manners. I'm very proud of him and while I used to be nervous about him starting Kinder at such a young age (just barely 5 years old when he starts), I'm not anymore. I think he's definitely ready! Kingergarten --- here he comes!!!

I know his card says he wants to be a basketball player when he grows up. That's what he said that morning when I asked him (after he said he wanted to be a baseball player and a scuba diver), but any other time I've asked him as of lately, he has said "PHLEBOTEMIST." I guess it has to do with how many times he had blood drawn before his surgery.

So Much Going On

OMG! So much has been going on since JD's green stick break over 2 months ago. I've been so terrible about keeping my blog updated. Life is busy.....JD & Ryan, you'll understand one day when you have kiddos of your own. With school, church, Awana, sports, work, and all the other things (big and little) that life requires of us, my blog, while definitely on my mind, was the last thing I could get to each day. Now that Summer Break has officially started, I hope to do a better job of keeping up with this. Some people may think that it's unnecessary and something I could easily just "x" off my "To Do" list, but I think it's totally necessary. Because, hopefully, one day my boys will be able to go back and read all about their childhood, as viewed through their mother's eyes. That's why I scrapbook too. So much happens in our daily lives, some things that we'll remember very well, and some things not so well, and other things not at all. I really want to remember them all, and with my memory, it's best if I capture it somewhere. So JD & Ryan - I hope that one day you appreciate this blog and my scrapbooks --- it's all for you!!!  I love you boys more than words or scrapbooks or blogs could ever say.

We've Got Our First Broken Bone

The doctor called it a "Green Stick" break. Imagine trying to break a green stick. It won't break, but it will have a bend. That's exactly what happened to JD's wrist.

See that little bump on the bottom of the lower bone? That's the green stick break. It's technically a broken bone, but he doesn't have to wear a cast. He has to wear a splint for about 2 weeks, and hopefully, after those 2 weeks, he'll have no more pain and he can remove the splint and return to normal activities.

 

So, how did he break it? Doing what I asked Bud NOT to let him do. They went hog hunting for Chig's (Kennidy) 10th birthday. Bud had recently put a roof on his "mule" so the kids or dogs (or whoever else) could ride up there. Leroy has one on his mule, and Bud wanted one too. Oh, and the roof also provides shade. That too.

 

Here's the mule with the newly-installed roof.

 

I asked Bud not to let the kids ride up there because I didn't want them to fall off. They're still small children, remember. Bud said it's no big deal and all the kids do it. I knew I wasn't going to win the arguement - I don't go hog hunting with them, so I can't stop it.

 

Needless to say, the boys asked to ride up there, and even though Bud told them he wanted them to ride in the backseat, he allowed them to get up on the roof. And sure enough, he took a turn too fast and JD fell off the top. He complained about his wrist througout the day, but it wasn't swollen and he could move it, so Bud didn't think much of it.

 

We monitored it that evening and the next morning and still no swelling or bruising, but JD was definitely nursing it. We were convinced it was probably just a sprain so we were trying to get him to use it a little bit. Poor little JD - he was trying. He even went outside and tried to hit baseballs. And I think, just to make us feel better, he said that swinging the bat helped to loosen it up and it felt better.

 

Then we went to Laser Legend - it was JD's reward for getting straight As on his last report card. He originally wanted to go to Power Swing and hit baseballs, but when he hurt his wrist, he opted for laser tag. Bud really wanted to go to Power Swing so he tried to convince JD, but JD wasn't having it. He said his wrist really hurt and he couldn't hit baseballs. So Laser Legend it was. We spent a few hours there and he never complained about his wrist, so we went on with our plans.

 

Bud and I dropped the kids off at my dad and Linda's house so we could go have a nice dinner we'd planned. Shortly after we left, Linda called me and said that he was crying and complaining that it really hurt. She put some ice on it and we hurried through dinner - talking non-stop about him and his arm, and decided that we'd take him to the Med Clinic on our way home. We knew it was late, but we needed to go and find out what was wrong. So we did.

 

And that's when we found out it was a "green stick" break. Here's JD getting his splint put on.

 

 

The worst part is that we made him wait a whole day to get it checked out. We were pretty convinced it was just a sprain, and felt terrible when we found out it was a break instead. I've heard stories of parents who've done that -- thought their child's injury was less serious and didn't take them to the doctor right away. I didn't realize how easily that could happen. Bud and I feel terrible for making him wait. But he's a tough little guy, that's for sure.

 

He was really upset about having to wear the splint at first. He didn't want to walk out of the exam room with it on. His eyes teared up and he said "People are gonna think I'm weird. And what's Timmy gonna say?" Poor little guy --- the things that worry their minds. We convinced him that NO ONE will think he's weird and EVERYONE is gonna be interested and will want to know what happened. He seemed ok with that and walked out into the waiting room.

 

The next morning, I texted a picture to Kelli and asked Timmy what he thought. He said he was sad and felt bad for JD because he might not get to do the stuff he wants.  But he DEFINITELY didn't think that JD looked weird.

Sick and Tired

I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. And tired of everyone around me being sick too. Since Christmas, it seems like it's been non-stop. I felt bad a few days before Christmas, but went to the doctor the day after Christmas with a sinus infection. Ryan was also sick the last week of the year with a virus. He ran a 102 - 103 fever for about five days straight. About 10 days after my sinus infection, I was sick again, this time with an upper respiratory infection and I got started on a 10-day antibiotic. About one week later, JD started feeling bad, complaining of a sore throat and saying it was hard to swallow. No fever though. . . . . .at first. Then later that evening, he started running a low grade fever of about 100.5. I gave him some Tylenol and in the morning, he didn't have a fever. I kept him home from school, just to keep an eye on him. He seemed pretty normal so back to school he went for the next two days. One of those days was his 7th birthday.

That night, he started running fever again so off to the doctor we went. Strep test was negative but we started him on antibiotics, just in case the results weren't accurate, and the doctor sent the culture off to the lab. Just 2 days later, I started feeling bad AGAIN! I thought it was allergies, but when I started running a fever, I figured it was something more. That same day, Bud started running a fever. We figured we had the flu so he went to the doctor - flu test was negative. But it sure seems like that's what he has. He's been moaning and groaning, and has barely moved from his recliner. Ryan also started running a fever, but he seems to be better now, other than a little congestion. JD's doctor called yesterday and confirmed that he did, in fact, have strep after all.

The only silver lining in this season of dark clouds is that my kids love to cuddle when they're not feeling good. Ryan has fallen asleep on the couch with his arms wrapped around me the last 3 nights. I hate that he's sick, but I really love the cuddle time.

JD is 7 Years Old!

Bittersweet. My little boy is not so little anymore. He's officially a 7 year old big kid. Waaaaaa! He's had a fun-filled birthday week - celebrated at school, at home, then with his friends this weekend. The week started out not-so-good though when he got sick on Sunday. Sore throat, headache, then later that day a low fever. I kept him home from school on Monday but he never had another fever and seemed fine other than a little congestion. Sent him back to school on Tuesday and Wednesday (his birthday fell on Wednesday). He had his awards program that day and got A-Honor Roll and Perfect Attendance Awards, then had cookie cake in class with his friends to celebrate his birthday. Then that night started running fever again. So I stayed home with him on Thursday and took him to the doctor. She thought for sure he had strep but the test came back negative. Long story. . . . but decided to do antibiotics just in case the results were wrong - and she sent them off to the lab for further testing. Kept him home Thursday and Friday and by Friday he was feeling fine. Good thing, because his birthday party was planned for Saturday.

Here he is on Wednesday night for his birthday dinner (personal homemade pizzas).

Bud, Ryan and I got him a new pair of Ariat boots, Toy Story 3 game for his 3DS, a monster jam t-shirt (that he specifically asked for), and .243 shells (ok, those were from Bud).

Before his birthday party got started, Nanie and Bada gave him their gift so he could open it without all the kids around, and so he could really focus on what the gift was (you know how crazy it gets when they open gifts with all their friends crowded around). They got him EXACTLY what he wanted -- a brand new .22 rifle, carrying case, King Ranch gun sock to protect it, and some shells. He LOVES it!!

This is the special cake that Aunt Kelli & Uncle Jason made for JD. It's a camo 2-layer, double chocolate fudge cake with buttercream in the middle and on the outside, then covered with chocolate fondant. Oh my gosh, it was soooooo yummy! Then they put the Hooey brand symbol on the top since our boys (Bud included) are big Hooey fans. I thought it turned out perfect!

 He gets all shy when everyone starts singing to him.

 

Those weren't tricky candles, but he had a hard time blowing them out!!

 

This is what Kelli, Jason, Ashton & Timmy got for JD. An 11x14 canvas print of JD and his prize buck so he can hang it up in his room. What an awesome gift idea. When JD opened it, he yelled out "Oh wow! This is cool!" He really got so excited about it - more excited than Kelli & I really expected. Now we just have to figure out where to hang it.

 

Papa and Nana gave him an old, vintage Army ammo box where he can store all his ammo. There was also some cool hunting stuff inside like a deer call and binoculars, among other things.

 

He also got 3 awesome deer hunting shirts from Amber, Mike and family.

He got some a couple of lego toy sets from some of his friends, an Academy gift card from Joe & Rosanne, cash from Gage, and a pair of cleats and Wii hunting game from Uncle Beau & Aunt Stacie.  He is a very loved and blessed little boy.

 



Here is JD with all his friends who came to the party.
Back row, left to right: Alex, Addison, Adrian, Connor, Kaden, Brady, Audriana, Ashton, Alex (Bud was standing there to block the light from the door.)
Front row, left to right: Austin, Brooks, Zane, Gage, Timmy, Case, JD, Collin, Ryan