ER: Round 8...I think...lost count....

Saturday morning I woke up to Melissa screaming,"You broke it! You broke it!!"

Not what a mother wants to hear...at any time, but really doesn't what to be woken up by that.

I raced into the front of the house and was greeted with Melissa say, "He broke it! He broke the no ER streak!"

Deep relief that this is what Melissa was yelling about. And yes. Our 'no er streak' has come to an end after about 22 months.

As I said in early post William has been sick all week with one 911 call Wednesday. By Friday evening William and I really thought he was on the mend. Then as he was getting ready for bed he started to cough. And could. not. stop.

For well over an hour he coughed and coughed. Since it sounds like croup, I tried all the croup home remedies....breathing in cold air...breathing in moist air....nothing worked. He was so weak and had a hard time catching his breath.

So, I called 911. Again.

This time the ER doctor (whom the med techs were in contacted with) said he needed to be seen. I had called a neighbor to come over when I called 911, so Irene (thank you, thank you Irene!!! What a great friend!) stayed at the house with the sleeping Melissa and Benjamin.

Within about ten minutes of driving William quite coughing and fell asleep. I gave serious thought to turning around taking him back home. But I kept driving.

Since the med techs called ahead, they were excepting us and so we did not wait very long before we were taken to the back. After hooking him up to all the monitors the doctor came to check him out. The first thing out of his mouth?

"Is he up to date on his vaccinations??"

"Uhh. yeah. I think so."

"Well, there's white matter in his throat and that could mean pertussis. I never seen a true case, but lets check it out." Totally shock on my part.

Checking it out meant a trip down to x-Ray. I was sort of surprised that I had to take William myself - not with a nurse or orderly. And we were given the widest wheelchair I had ever seen. I mean there was room for William and I both to sit. I actually had a hard time getting through one door.

Since the x-Ray showed some swelling in his neck, the doctor decided to look down his throat with a scope. ooo. yuck.

To prepared William for this they gave him a nose spray, then sprayed lidocaine down his throat. After they did that, the nurses left the room to get the doctor and William asked me, "What are they fixing to do??"

"Uh....oh...um...." Then the nurses and doctor walked back in, "I'll let them tell you."

But William was a champ. He sat very still. While the doctor was not able to see as deep as he wanted, he did see enough to see that it was mostly drainage. He ended up giving William a different type of cough medicine (since what he was given on Thursday was not working). This cough medicine actually makes your throat numb so you don't feel the tickle or the urge to cough. He was also given antibiotics.

Saturday brought William still very ill - now with a sore throat - which could have been from the scope. Sunday morning he was still feeling bad, but by the end of the afternoon he turned a corner and has started to feel better. Finally. I'm praying that it will stick this time.


So. glad. I'm done with the ill. The ER doctor did ask for William to be seen on Monday as a follow-up, so he'll miss at least some of school tomorrow, but I'm hoping that he'll get an early appointment in order to be able to attend school most of the day.

One of the funny things about this is when William and I walked in the door Irene told us that Drew called to see what was going on because he had been noticed (he in Hawaii for a conference). Really? They called him???

deep sigh. Yes, that's what it means to live on an Air Force base.

One Year Anniversary

I am proud to say it's been one year since any of my children (as well as Drew and myself) had to make a trip to the ER. It was a year ago tonight that the boys got a hold of some peanut-coated shrimp. You can read about it here if you want to refresh your memory. Or not. I re-live it enough for all of us.

But lets not forget the way this trend started with Melissa and a cut on her face.

Then there was Ben's head. I'm still thankful he had a hard head.

Then there was William's leg.

And a ear infection that couldn't wait till normal clinic hours. William again. The it was Ben's eye. Which was just before the big one with the peanut sauce. Every time I think about the peanut sauce, I'm amazed that the chef didn't know that peanut sauce has peanuts in it....

Let's also not forget the other times...like when we played soccer I hit the ball into William's nose, Ben getting a pencil in the eye, Ben getting ringworm and pink-eye, and Ben's head again. Then there was Melissa's bout with a strange island fever that lasted for TWO WEEKS.

BUT!!

I will say again that for a year we have been out of the ER!! I'm very happy with that accomplishment! Our current health report is that all do have a slight cold - but nothing that requires medical attention.

Almost an ER Trip

You would think I was sitting around devising ways to harm my children - but really I'm not. Maybe they're the ones trying to come up with ways to get hurt...

So...last night as we were getting ready for VBS Ben found out that running at full force in socks on Mom's clean - squeaky clean - tile kitchen floor is not a good idea. Fell he did - right on his forehead.

Good thing he has a hard head.

He now sports a huge goose egg right in the middle of his forehead...in a nice shade of purple.

I ended up calling Drew to come home and look at him. At one point Ben was still whimpering and refusing to eat and wanting to go to sleep.

Not a good thing with a head injury.

He ended up staying home from VBS and hanging out with Dad for the evening. But this morning other than sporting the bruise itself, he's fine.

As he was crying about how much it hurt, he also was screaming:"I don't want to go to the ER!"

I'm there with ya, babe. Now, if I can just get you and your siblings to to cooperative!

ER: Round Seven

Have we really been that many times? This has got to stop....

Last night we went to a banquet hosted by the Chapel at a downtown hotel. The adults and teenagers were in one room while the hotel's staff "babysat" the elementary kids. As I dropped off my kids I did my normal speech about how these children are allergic to chocolate and nuts, please don't give them any as they will swell up and quit breathing on you.

And that's basically what happened.

As I sit down at our table I turned to Drew and said, "I don't have any epi-pens on me - but I do have benadryl." But we weren't too worried, after all - I had explained it to the adults in charge and was assured by one young man, Luis, that he would personally walk around with the kids at the buffet.

About half way through our meal, Ben comes up to me crying with his eyes very red and swollen and his lips a little swollen saying his stomach hurts. I asked him what he ate and he said just shrimp. Drew took him on to the bathroom since we really didn't want him to throw-up in front of everyone. That was a good call as he throw up several times in the bathroom.

Drew got Ben settled on a couch in the hallway, came to get me to sit with him while Drew went to check on William as Ben had told him he had eaten the shrimp as well. A few minutes later Drew came back to me saying I needed to go and get Melissa as he was going to the front desk to call for an ambulance (which we now think they never did!!).

I saw one of the chaplains and asked him to get some people to pray and asked another friend to go and be with William in the bathroom (I didn't know someone was already with him). I ran (really - I RAN!) to the other end of the hall where the kids were. I got Melissa while practically yelling at the adults to show me what they feed my children.

Luis showed me the shrimp and added that he asked a chef who said there were no nuts in it. The shrimp was on skewers and floating in some kind of sauce. We were later told it was coconut-peanut shrimp.

I ran back - (it really is too bad I can run that fast on the treadmill ) while dragging Melissa behind me. By the time I got back to where the boys were, several friends were there - including one with an epi-pen which they had already given it to William. One is dentist and he gave it to William while Drew held him down.

Another OSI wive took Melissa and we all went upstairs to wait for the ambulance - which never came. After about five minutes, we sort of took over a hotel van and told the driver to drive really fast to the Navy Hospital.

He drove sooo slow! Or at least it seemed that way to me. At one point I said "Don't worry about the speed limit just go faster!" I think when Ben started to throw-up in the back of the van and Drew's yelling "Are you okay, Ben?" and me yelling "Is he still breathing?" the driver got a clue as to how serious it was.

The ER didn't seem to move as fast as I thought they should either, but we were able to get in the back within 10 minutes.

Since William did have the epi-pen he was put on heart-monitors and watched for four hours. Ben was given lots of medicine, but since he throw-up all the food he was in good shape - he just looked bad for awhile.

When Drew went to check on William, William was already heading our way towards the bathroom. He had a lot of saliva in his mouth and wanted to spit it out. He now understand that he had a lot of saliva because he couldn't swallow! He also told Drew he back hurt really bad - and that was b/c his lungs were trying to get some air.

It's been a really long time - about six or seven years - since our last really bad reaction. They won't forget this one for a while - neither will we. And I won't be leaving this house without the epi-pen, either! No matter how small my purse is and cute it matches my outfit. This is why I hate buffets and pot-lucks - not even the chef knew what was in the food!

As we were leaving the hospital (at 1 am) the marquee sign said, "May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month."

Oh, yeah. We're aware.

ER: Round Six...sort of...

Well, not exactly the ER...and yes, Grandmothers, Ben's fine - now.

Today I worked for the other art teacher. Just after my second class (which was William's class actually!) was settled in the room working, the phone ranged. It was the nurse saying she had Benjamin in her office.

Great.

Some how he got something in his eye. Even though his teacher as well as the nurse washed out he eye, he still was in pain. Nurse Karen felt that he needed to be seen to make she the cornea was not scratched.

Okay, then. Sounds serious.

While the class started to go a little wild, I called the appointment line. They tried to get a hold of the optometry clinic for me, but had to take a message. Within a short time they called back to say just bring Ben in as soon as I could and they would work us in.

After my class left I had a two hour break - and I needed it!

We were able to walk right in for his first evaluation. The doctor did have to finish up with another patient, but he got to us within a short while. He gave Ben some kind of yellow eye drops and he then flipped Ben's eye lid up and fished out the speck of sand and said he felt the cornea was fine with no damage.

It's amazing how a small speck of sand can be so painful.

After another short wait at the pharmacy for some antibiotic drops (just in case) we were back at school before my next class arrived.

Not a full ER visit...but only because we have a doctor here on this base that agrees to see walk-ins...otherwise my day would have consisted of another drive to the Navy Hospital....again...where we have so often that I'm afraid they will give me my own parking space if I go again...or investigate me for child-abuse...

ER: Round Five

Yep, you read it right, we were back at the ER. And yes, grandmothers, William is fine.

As I said on Friday, he woke me up at one in the morning not feeling well. But by noon he was just about to normal. He never threw-up, but had a lot of stomach pain. Saturday morning he woke us up again (this time at three a.m.) and within a few hours he did throw-up.

For most of the day he was okay - not feeling the best but not feeling as bad as he had in the early morning hours. He spent most of the day watching TV, but did eat fairly normal. But by evening time he was just about double over with pain. We were pretty sure it was not constipation nor appendix, but felt that he needed to be seen just in case it was his appendix.

They did give him some fluids by IV to make sure he didn't dehydrate. And they took about three vials of blood. All of the blood test came back normal, so they said that it was probably just a virus.

Today he says his stomach still hurts, but not nearly as bad as is had.

So, yeah...the ER - again.

ER: Round Four

Yes, we ended up taking Melissa to the ER for her ears. When she started to complain that her other ear was starting to hurt and she was still in a lot of pain even with meds - it was time.

And did you know that in the ER you can learn all sorts of things? Like older kids won't typically run a fever with an ear infection. I just looked a the doctor. Really?? Because, that 's why I didn't bring her in earlier!!

So, I can look like an over-reactive mother if I bring a child in with no fever and just a cold or I can not bring her in until her ear is about to burst so I can look like an uncaring mother. Wonderful.

But I did come home with a load of medicine. Even more motrin. Love that.

Didn't so much love the pink eye meds. I was looking for drops, but no - he gave us the cream.

Cream for the eyes...hmmm...she's nine...and very, very strong. It was just a wonderful mother-daughter bonding moment as I held her down with her screaming as I put cream in her eye.

And all the boys slept through it all...including the big boy that I married. How is it that he can sleep through crying, screaming, and bad storms and I wake up by a child whimpering??!! When do these "mother ears" turn off??!!!

This morning I took Ben in for his pink eye. Poor thing - his eye is almost swollen shut. Yep, he probably had it Friday or Saturday, but we didn't notice till Sunday. Aren't we just the very observant caring parents?!!

I asked if he would get the cream or the drops. The doctor said the drops. I than asked exactly how do you apply the cream and explained the night before with Melissa. And I asked if he could give me drops for her as well. He said no, not without seeing her.

I wanted to yell - Open your eyes, she's sitting right here!!! But I restrained myself.

But after talking a few minutes (nicely, of course!), he said he would give her the drops. I think he figured out that whether he gave them to me or not I would give her the drops from Ben's bottle, so he might as well.

Putting drops in is so much better than the cream....not as much screaming....but boy! I've got strong kids.

This is Getting Ricdiculas!!

This really is starting to get on my nerves...

Ben still has ringworm...they are getting better and are almost gone...then we found what looks like a new spot. Lovely.

Melissa woke us up at 3 AM on Friday say her throat was hurting, so she (and me) stayed home from school on Friday. Friday night she started to complain that her ear was hurting. All of this with the sniffles but NO fever. We've debated all weekend whether or not to take her to the ER, but since she hasn't had fever, we've decided not to.

Then today looking at Ben's red eye...hmmm...just doesn't look right.... Pink eye. Great - just what we need.

Then I look at Melissa's red eye....hmmm...didn't look right either...Pink eye. Great...

William is hiding out at a friend's house.

So, we'll spend tomorrow in the doctor's....if we can get an appointment. With military medicine (aka: government health care) there's no guarantee we'll get in tomorrow. If we don't I guess we can always go to the ER. I hear they'll saving us seats.

Maybe they'll rename in after us...

Health Report

Jsut thought you would like a health report on us...
William - still have stitches, but healing nicely
Melissa - healthy
Drew - healthy
Me - found out this week my cholorestal is 154 - YEAH!
Benjamin - has ringworm

Lovely

Head live is going around 1st as well...great....

I will totally lose it if he come with those little bugs.

Here's praying that he does NOT share the ringworm.

Maybe Guam is bad for our health....

As I was eating breakfast this morning, the school nurse called to say that Ben had been poked in the eye with a pencil.

You know....at some point this has really got to end.

But he's fine. After talking we decided that he was fine to go back to class. When I spoke to him I asked if he thought he was okay to go back to class, "Nooooo." I said, "Now look, if you leave school, you're going to the doctor's! You are not coming home to watch TV all day." "Oh,alright, I go to class." He's so funny - anything to get out of school. He's going to be so much fun as a teenager!

Our week has been good. Yesterday I got to sub for one of the 5th grade teachers, so I had William for a little while. (This school has five 5th grade teachers - one for each subject - and they rotate through.) William was excited to have me for a sub. When I said my name, several students said, "Wait...does that mean your William's mom?"

I even got to eat lunch with the other teachers...and talk about William. One said, "I finally saw him crack a smile the other day - he's so quiet."

Yeah...they should live him...he's not so quiet all the time. But they all seem to like him - and that's what I want.

And once again soccer practice was cancelled due to the weather...we have a storm passing north of us that just may turn into a typhoon and hit Japan. We've decided that next fall we won't do soccer - just not worth it during the rainy season.

Did any of you hear on the news of the 7.1 earthquake we had??!! I was actually on the phone with Mom when it happened. I know it would be a big number, b/c it just kept going. Usually we feel one bounce or roll, but that had four or five.

I would like all of you to pray for friends of mine - Dawn and Garreth. (He's the one that did my hair that Melissa liked so much.) They are in the process of adopting from Guatemala for the second time. (Callum is just so cute!!) They started over 18 months ago hoping to avoid what has happened, but their case just seems to be going on forever. The government there has passed a law to stop all adoption to the US as of the 12/31/07. If their case is not done by then, they will not be able to bring Nickolas home. Nickolas has already sent the first year of his life in foster care. There are probably hundreds of families in the same situation. Not only will they lose this child they have already come to love and see as part of their family, but also anyway between $20,000 - $30,000 in fees that these families have already paid. And the question of what will happen to all these children in foster care is left unanswered as that country is not equipped to deal with them. Thanks.

ER: Round Three

Once again, let me start by saying for the benefit of the grandmothers, William is fine...well...now anyway...or at least he will be....

I was watching Melissa's gymnastics class (the first one here). The boys' soccer practice was cancelled due to lightening in the area and they were getting antsy, so I said they could go in the lobby or out in front of the youth center. They decided to go next door to the skate park and look around.

After they had been out there for a little while it started to rain, so they started to come back to the youth center when William slipped with his soccer cleats he was wearing and cut his leg on one of the skate-board jumps. He sent Ben to come and get me.

By the time I got out there, he had made it half-way to the car. I got him settled and looked at the cut...deep...oh my. So I went back to the youth center and got some paper towels from the bathroom. Then went back out to give them to William and looked at the cut again....still deep...very deep. Oh my.

Have I ever told you how I really don't do well in emergencies???

So, I went back inside to get Melissa and we went to Drew's office for him to say what I really already know: ER time.

I just walked in office while he was in the middle of a meeting with one of his agents, "You need to come out and look at William's leg - he cut it."

So he and the agent and another agent come out and with a very quick look, "Yep."

While Drew went back inside to shut down his computer, one of the agents went and found some better bandages than the paper towels. While he was putting it one, the another guy - Josh - got a good look at the cut and I thought he was going to pass out! He had to take a few deep breathes..I hate to see this guy in a bloody crime scene...wonder how he does in an autopsy....

Anyway, Drew took William to the Navy Hospital. They just called and they are on their way home with about seven stitches.

I asked if they got any frequent visitor points.

I'm really, really hoping this will be the end of this habit.

But other than that we had a great day in paradise. :)

Really - We're trying!

We really are trying to stay out of the ER...you wouldn't know by how we are acting, but really - we are.

Last night after we meet William's soccer coach the kids wanted to play soccer - with Mom and Dad. Actually, just with Dad, but he made me play, too.

I'm sure most of you know how UN-athletic I am. Very. You would have gotten a good laugh out of watching me.

Anyway, I did get one good kick in...right in William's nose. My heart just dropped. I just knew that I had broken his nose. But being the great player that he is, he blocked it.

Then today as Drew and I were walking out of the golf grill after lunch. I slipped off the sidewalk and took a tumble. One again, you would have gotten a good laugh out of watching me. My knee looks like a six-year-old who fell off their bike.

Then at supper tonight we practically had to use the Heimlich maneuver on William....guess he didn't think too much of my supper.

After the last 24 hours you would think we were trying to go back to the ER....but really - we're not.

ER: Round Two

Let me just start by saying for the benefit of the grandmothers, Benjamin is fine...now at least.

We have a four foot concrete wall that marks off the cubbie for the garbage can. William and Benjamin were sitting on top of it. They were to slip off and run an obstacle course their friends had marked out for them. Best time wins. Cool. Dandy.

Until Big Brother loses his balance and falls off...backwards...taking Little Brother with him. William breaks his fall and catches himself. Ben goes straight back and lands on his head...hard. Drew was outside and hears the cries - (well...really the blood-curling screams). While Drew puts ice on his head and checks Ben all out, I get out the Baby-Care book (so glad I didn't get rid of that!) and read all about head injuries. Within a few minutes Ben is calm and just says it hurts a lot.

A few minutes later as Ben was coming to the table to eat supper, he says he's dizzy...not a good sign. Drew says, "Yeah...I'm taking him in."

So off they go to the Navy ER which is about 40 minutes away. (We just have clinic on base, with no ER service.) They do a CAT-Scan and declare all is fine.

Not the way we had planned to spend four and half hours on a Sunday night.

Melissa has now scared William by saying next weekend is his turn for the ER. William plans to spend all of next weekend his bed...safe and sound.

Today we are hosting an office Labor Day party....hope you all enjoy a break from your labor!

Kelley

trying to get the pictures to work...

Here's one of Ben next to the the coconuts that they knocked down off our trees. We asked that houseing "de-fruit" our trees so if we get a bad storm, these won't become missiles and break a window...or just fall down and hit our cars or the kids.

And here's one of Melissa after she got her hair cut off again - LOVE IT!! and after her falling into a table at the chapel and our 1st trip to the ER...we're hoping it's our last! They were able to use flesh super=glue and not stitches.

William is being shy when the camera comes out...I'll try to get one of him soon!

~kelley