Monday, June 8, 2009

Home sweet home

My mom and dad are home! I talked with my dad earlier this morning and then again around 1:30pm and they were getting close to home when I talked to him early this afternoon. I know both my mom and dad are very happy to be home and will be happy to sleep in their own beds, shower in their own shower, etc...

My mom's youngest sister Beth is a teacher in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and drove down this weekend to stay (I think for a week) to help my mom and dad with caring for my mom now that she is out of the hospital. THANK YOU Aunt Beth!!! I haven't talked to them since they arrived home, but I am guessing they might both need a good nap :)

In other news... I took Whitney to a new pediatric otolaryngologist today after learning in April that Whitney had fluid behind both ear drums and mild hearing loss in both ears (we already knew she was not hearing correctly, but an ABR exam confirmed the hearing loss in both ears.) I was very disappointed (to put it mildly) in the doctor that Anne had seen since she was a baby and who performed surgery on Anne 2X to place tubes in her ears. Today was the soonest appt we could get after going to the Indiana School for the Deaf in April, but it was worth the wait! Whitney's new doctor (and her nurse) were WONDERFUL and cared enough to address the issues relating to Whitney's heart, breathing, hearing, etc... Whitney does still have fluid in her ears and needs tubes (as I tried to talk with the previous doctor about when we saw her in March). The doctor told us that tubes like the ones Anne had are too big for Whitney's tiny ear canals, she will need special tubes that she called tiny tabs. In addition, while they are performing this surgery, the doctor plans to do a scope and look closely at Whitney's adenoids and tonsils. She will contact our pulmonologist prior to surgery to find out if there is anything specific he would like to have checked while she is under. She also said she would be in contact with our cardiologist to make sure we have a pedicatric anesthesiologist who would know any precautions to take given Whitney's heart condition. She normally performs this surgery at a surgery center, but she wants to make sure all precautions are taken, and plans to schedule this surgery at the St. Vincent Children's Hospital, so in case there would be any complications, we would be in a hospital rather than a surgery center. She performs surgery on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so now I am just waiting for someone to call to schedule (hopefully soon!) I am thankful now that the other doctor did not do a thorough exam to find out that Whitney did indeed have fluid (that was not visible simply by looking in her ears) that would require tubes, because it seems that by the way she examined Whitney in the office visit, she would not have taken all of the precautions and steps that are going to be taken now to place tubes in Whitney's ears to hopefully help her hear properly.

One other thing - I cut Whitney's mohawk yesterday. I know it needed to be done, but it broke my heart to cut the only hair she was born with... but it just kept growing and now that all of the hair on her head has come in, she is a bleach blonde and the "mohawk" was a darker strawberry blonde color... it looked a little strange having these long dark pieces mixed in with this short, fuzzy white-blonde hair. I will try to post pictures soon.

Thank you to everyone for your care and concern for my mom, she has made it through the toughest part and now just needs to get stronger every day. Hopefully my dad can survive all of the stress of being home and trying to catch up with all of the clients who have waited for him and work that has piled up while he was busy going back and forth to Chicago and Indianapolis for doctor appts and the surgery this past week.

7 comments:

Cary said...

Great news all the way around.. about MA and Whitney. Thanks again for all of your terrific and up-to-date blogs. XXOOXXO Cary

Ellen said...

Glad to read the latest about your mom and whitney. I hope your mom continues to do well and that whitney's future surgery is a success!

Anonymous said...

Welcome home!!reen!!!!!

mama T said...

Welcome Home MAG and Jim...Glad Beth is around to help-sisters rock! And speaking of sisters Whitney and Anne are too cute! Thanks for the pictures and news.Grandkids rock too-my two boys are here for the week with my Heidi. Love T

Anonymous said...

Malice & Jim - I know your house never looked so GOOD! It was an unforgetable week for you both. Welcome back - take care - rest - enjoy your wonderful family. Love Fish & Connie
PS Good Luck Laura. You're a great mom to your girls. Thanks for the blogspots for MAG

Dan Force said...

Laura,
Glad to hear MAG is home...and that "Kid" is there to take care of her. She's in good hands. Give all my best.

Dan

kathy.stadler said...

Laura,
It is good that your Mom is home.
Know she is happy about that.
Sorry about the tubes for
Whitney's ears..but sounds like
you have good doctors.
Keep us informed.
God bless all. Love, Aunt Kathy