Yesterday was a crazy day…really, really crazy. So today, I was looking back through some photos and remembered a trip I took with my boys to the zoo.
It wasn’t that long ago, and we took some of my nephews with. It was so much fun…and on days like today (when I feel lousy and exhausted), it’s a great chance to relive those moments.
So here we go:
Today was our first day here in Rochester for our fall checkup. We have met with the dietitian and got some really great new ideas for George’s diet.
For example, she gave me the idea of grilling a portabello mushroom (the great big cap) and topping it with a bit of salsa and a little bit of shredded cheese, to make it resemble a burger. What a GREAT idea! (I just hope George goes for it!)
We’re also going to be in contact with a chef that has a daughter that follows a low-protein diet…can’t wait to get some more ideas and recipes!
But I would like to give a big shout out to those people that have been so amazing and have made me feel like I was at Scooter’s coronation activity today. Scooter was named Little Mr. Ellendale last fall, and that meant that him and Little Miss Ellendale would be part of the high school Homecoming ceremony.
Unfortunately, this is Homecoming week…and I couldn’t reschedule this appointment again. So I missed it, but not really. Not one, not two, but at least THREE different people took photos for me. And truthfully, it probably went better than if I would have been there.
Scooter, escorting some beautiful women!
Little Miss and Little Mr. Ellendale - future Homecoming royalty???
The beautiful thing about living in a small town is that you can ask someone for help, and know that all is taken care of…and I can’t believe how lucky I am.
I saw this on Facebook tonight…and couldn’t get it out of my head.
A Mother's Love
This was the caption under the photo:
This is a true story of Mother’s Sacrifice during the Japan Earthquake.
After the Earthquake had subsided, when the rescuers reached the ruins of a young woman’s house, they saw her dead body through the cracks. But her pose was somehow strange that she knelt on her knees like a person was worshiping; her body was leaning forward, and her two hands were supporting by an object. The collapsed house had crashed her back and her head.With so many difficulties, the leader of the rescuer team put his hand through a narrow gap on the wall to reach the woman’s body. He was hoping that this woman could be still alive. However, the cold and stiff body told him that she had passed away for sure.
He and the rest of the team left this house and were going to search the next collapsed building. For some reasons, the team leader was driven by a compelling force to go back to the ruin house of the dead woman. Again, he knelt down and used his had through the narrow cracks to search the little space under the dead body. Suddenly, he screamed with excitement,” A child! There is a child! “
The whole team worked together; carefully they removed the piles of ruined objects around the dead woman. There was a 3 months old little boy wrapped in a flowery blanket under his mother’s dead body. Obviously, the woman had made an ultimate sacrifice for saving her son. When her house was falling, she used her body to make a cover to protect her son. The little boy was still sleeping peacefully when the team leader picked him up.
The medical doctor came quickly to exam the little boy. After he opened the blanket, he saw a cell phone inside the blanket. There was a text message on the screen. It said,” If you can survive, you must remember that I love you.” This cell phone was passing around from one hand to another. Every body that read the message wept. ” If you can survive, you must remember that I love you.” Such is the mother’s love for her child!!
Why did this strike a chord? Aside from just being a mother? (By the way, snopes clarifies that the picture and the story don’t go together…I’m fine with that, but whether or not the two go together, they both hit my heart.)
Well, to put it simply, I’m somewhat in the same position.
After researching and researching and researching some more…I’ve learned quite a bit about George’s OTC. And if he truly has OTC (which has been pretty well proven through testing and improvement with the diet), then we’re dealing with a disease that does a lot of taking.
For example…in OTC, males are hit harder than females. In fact, 50% of males born with OTC do not live 72 hours. And of the 50% surviving, another 50% will die by the age of 5.
Those are the facts.
So, on Sunday we head back to Rochester. And this time, the questions will be a little more pointed and a little more clear. I need to know exactly what the doctor is thinking, and what we need to do. I’ve read on some new research showing hopeful uses of gene therapy…something we may look into.
Whatever it is, we will do…I will stand over my son and let the roof crash on me, so that some day he can stand tall and read, “If you can survive, you must remember that I love you.”
Just moments ago, I finished speaking at the #140conf Small Town in Hutchinson, KS. I was terrified, but so grateful that I did it!
Here’s the gist of what I said…
There is a story to be told, but it’s YOUR story. If you don’t know it, no one else can share it. So many times, we look at our lives and say, “I don’t have time for this. I don’t have time for that.”
Are you kidding me?
No one HAS time for anything. We must MAKE time. A minute here, a few minutes there…it’ll happen.
I just have to thank my good friend, Katie, for encouraging me to be here. I would like to thank all my rural friends and those that encourage my story…and I would ESPECIALLY like to thank all those that have made it possible for me to be here, by taking care of my family.
I’ll post more later, but I just had to make a shout out and thank some peeps!
Just thought I would throw out a quick blog update, so that you didn’t think that I had fallen off the face of the planet. Actually, harvest is upon us and things are getting busy around here. This week we:
Sounds simple, right?
But this little story had me giggling this morning, so let me share with you…
EJ (4), asked if he could eat some oatmeal for lunch. I didn’t have a problem with that at all, I mean, a simple, fast meal that dirties one dish and can be made in a minute? Sure, count me in! I had picked up some special instant oatmeal packages the last time we were in Aberdeen, so he grabbed one of those and away we went.
EJ’s job was to open the package and put it in a bowl. I add the water, we push the buttons on the microwave together and voila! A meal is served. But he had a bit of a problem when he opened the package.
Dinosaur eggs in your oatmeal? Why not?
“Mom, what are those?”
“Hmmm….well, it says that those are dinosaur eggs.”
“Mom, I don’t think I’m hungry any more.”
“Don’t you want dinosaur eggs in your belly?”
“No, they might eat me.”
Well, being the nice mom that I am, I only tormented him for a little bit, then explained that they were actually just like little jelly beans. I would’ve kept the ruse going longer, but I didn’t want to have to make something else for lunch! 😉
A few weeks ago, I was reading a newspaper when I read a letter to the editor about the downfall of society occurring at the hands of social media. At first I dismissed it as a lash-out from someone who kept getting rejected from Facebook friends, but then I realized that even I have family members that question the importance of social media. They wonder, “Why?”
Let me explain why it’s important to ME.
1) As a stay-at-home mom, I find myself needing adult interaction. Yet, living on the farm and spending a lot of time at doctor’s appointments and what-not makes it difficult to have actual playdates, coffee breaks and other get-togethers. Through my blog, Facebook and/or Twitter, I can chat with a friend for a minute or two, and feel caught-up in the world.
2) I have met some AMAZING people through social media…and some of them I’ve never seen in person! In fact, one of my dearest friends I met through Twitter, and only met her in person a year ago (she only lives an hour away!). She’s one of my Prairie Mama companions and a true friend, a sounding board, a ball of energy and an amazing mother. She has taught me that quality can mean so much more than quantity…and when we get together with our other Prairie Mama Sarah, we can spend 30 minutes and cover every topic from labor and delivery, to breastfeeding in awkward places, to the role that social media can play in connecting agriculture to the consumer. We may not see each other often enough, but I’m grateful every day that I met her through social media!
Rural mothers...fast friends.
3) I can connect through social media. It’s amazing to see the connections in action. For example…imagine a busy mom in the city, hearing all this garbage about “industrial” ag and how our food isn’t produced in ways that will be sustainable for years to come and how it’s HER fault for not making wiser choices at the market. Since she’s only hearing the story from someone behind a desk a few hundred miles away, what else will she believe? But now, thanks to other means of communication, she can locate a farmer’s market, contact a local grower, or talk to someone who may be hundreds of miles away, but is actually INVOLVED in agriculture, and ask the questions that she has.
She can find out from farms, like ours, that our cattle spend the summer in their pastures, but winter where there’s better protection from the elements; she can talk to farmers that raise pigs, and find out how their barns can be climate-controlled; she can speak with a farmer that raises chickens, and find out how their facilities keep the birds healthy and safe. All of that, without ever having to leave her home. But better yet, she can leave her home knowing a farmer, and can put a face to the product…and she can find a local farm to visit.
She can research the different farming practices, talk to different types of farms, and decide for herself what types of products she wants to provide for her family. She can be an educated consumer…and a connected one.
4) I’m connecting to family members that I had lost touch with…and classmates as well. And in my opinion, anytime you connect with an old friend, it’s a good thing.
5) There is strength in numbers. When I type something, and I know that someone else agrees, or feels strongly enough to disagree, at least I’m able to have those conversations with as many people as I like. And sometimes it’s comforting to know that when you’re going through a tough situation, that others have your back.
I could go on and on about how thankful I am to have these opportunities today…how has social media made a difference in your life?
School starts here tomorrow. And as bad as I feel for saying it…I can’t wait. I need some routine, some down time, some “regular” stuff. You know?
Just when I thought a week of plane crashes, hospital stays and sick little boys was looking up, fate stepped in. Big Bro was bit by a dog at the local park. Said dog had no vaccinations. It all adds up to Big Bro having to be on a round of antibiotics for the sore, and the dog being quarantined for 10 days to watch for signs of rabies. Even indoor pets need vaccinations. (Let’s not even get to why an “indoor” pet was at the park.)
For those that don’t know…let me explain to you what rabies all entails.
Well, enough of that, I think you get the point. Rabies is serious, rabies is deadly, and it’s simple to prevent. This is all a situation that didn’t need to occur. So please, have your pets properly vaccinated and cared for by veterinarians. If you can’t afford to do that, then do your animal a favor, and find them a new home.
I will know within 10 days if we have to go through the rabies series with Big Bro. Sooner if the animal dies between now and then. Is it likely that the dog has rabies? No, but even “indoor” pets can have contact with disease-carrying animals. Is it likely that the animal will get sick? No, but with a 100% fatality record, it’s not worth the risk.
What a way to start the week…and the school year!
We are home…and George’s stubborn streak has ended. He is finally drinking on his own, without being forced.
One nurse thought that if she just stayed by his side and constantly forced him to drink, he would eventually give in once he realized she wasn’t going anywhere. She had me leave for a bit. When I came back, she said, “North Dakota stubborn is different from South Dakota stubborn. I gave in before he did.” Yeah, I’m gonna have my hands full…but that’s a good thing.
Remember the little boy I asked you to pray for? Today is a very important day. He NEEDS to breathe on his own. Please, please say a prayer for him and his family.
That’s all for now.
Oh, and the pilot from the crash? He’s gonna be OK. You see…prayers do get answered!
Dr. T told me to try every trick in the book to get George to drink…and I truly believe I have. We have:
Where did it get us? A maximum of 2 ounces in one whole day. (And that was yesterday, thanks to Grandma W!)
So today, my mom and dad returned from a trip to see family in Wisconsin. They came down after loading up a cooler full of George’s favorites from their house. Which included: Hug fruit barrel juices, his sippy cup from their house, freezees from their house, pudding, etc. They brought a cooler with straws, spoons, you name it. (Apparently a hospital may not have such utensils??? Ha!) 🙂
Well, it worked pretty well, because George drank two ounces while they were here…he had only had one ounce all day! So, they doubled his drinking total! Woohoo! (I know, I’m easily pleased, eh?)
As I type, he is laying in the chair…with his sippy cup!
It all starts with baby steps!
We might get out of here before he turns 18! I was afraid they were going to make us switch units soon! 🙂
Thank you so very much for the continued prayers and support. I make light of it now, but we were in a pretty serious situation. I’m so grateful to have friends and neighbors like you to share with our joys and tribulations! We are so blessed!
P.S. And little Brayton has had some promising reports himself! How exciting! The power of God is so amazing!
Well, I’d love to say that we are at home, enjoying a great morning…but that’s not quite the case. Sunday morning at 11:30, I noticed that George’s thumb was purple. Ipushed the nurse call button, and we quickly discovered that his IV had quit working, pushing all the fluid into his hand.
Apparently, your hand isn't supposed to look like this. That silly George, always trying to be trendy.
Once the nurse had his IV pulled out, we were on a time crunch. George needed to start drinking on his own, stat…or else they would have to start another IV. And with his history with IV starts, he didn’t have a whole lot of places left to poke.
Well, long story short, the determination and bull-headedness of a 2-year-old won out. At 8 or so last night we started another IV…this time in the crook of his elbow. This means that his arm is immobilized with armboards and taped. Oh my, the fun we are having.
While all this was going on, I learned last evening that a little boy from our town was flown to another hospital with bacterial meningitis. So, as you are saying a little prayer for George to start drinking, can you life Brayton and his family in prayer as well? Thank you, so very much.
Here’s hoping my next post is from the comfort of home!
Wag'n Tales 