Second week post- suregery update

It has been 2 long and miserable weeks since my surgery now! The top is healing fine, as I said before, just soreness, but the tummy, once again, has been a not-so-good experience for me! As expected, to put it plainly, it hurts! It still hurts now! The soreness is a constant feeling and the pain is still there everyday! Since yesterday, Monday, I have been "on my own" due to lack of helpers and I'm not suppose to pick up the baby yet, but I don't really have a choice. My stomach is scaring me because after picking Peyton up all day yesterday it is starting to bulge; I'm not quite sure what it means, but I see my doctor on Thursday so I'll have some answers then. I am in a lot more pain from this also! This past week I threw up, fainted, and was having night sweats partly because I forgot to take my anxiety medicine and partly because I developed an infection. I am now on antibiotics and have resumed my medicine so that part is much better. I still am very weak, sore, and swollen, so I can't wait to put this all behind me and enjoy the "torture" that I am going through! I'll have week 3 update blogged soon once I see my doctor and have time to post about it!

Surgery Update at 1 week

Today is exactly 1 week since my surgery. This usually means that there is still plenty of soreness, but also a lot of improvement. This is not the case with this surgery. Since the surgery I had been feeling a very slow, gradual improvement, until yesterday morning when I seemed to have a minor setback. However, after the pain I felt this morning, I don't think it was a "minor setback" any longer. This morning I felt like it was day 2 after the surgery!
What hurts? The question should be "What doesn't hurt?"
My "top" feels like someone took a foam bat to it and beat me over and over again...sore and unpleasant, but not too horrible considering the bat was "foam." As for my stomach, there are no words to describe the pain that I feel...seriously. I would say that it is unbearable, but since I'm still here struggling through it, let's just say that it must be one of the closest after- surgery pains to unbearable that you can get. Touching the skin on my stomach sends pains across to the other side of my stomach. I won't be able to stand up straight for 3-4 weeks and I have to sleep on my back with pillows under my knees and pillows behind my head to prop me up as if I'm in a recliner. After 1 week, I cannot yet get out of bed alone, or get up from anywhere alone, and on occasion, Paul still needs to help me get in the bed.
How does everything look? It seems like I'm going to love it....I mean after what I saw before this I don't know how I wouldn't love it, but right now it is all swollen and bruised, so everyone can ask me that again in about a month or two! For now, keep the prayers coming please....we really need them!

Also, Preston had to go to the After Hours clinic this evening to see why his arm hurt so much today. He's ok, his elbow had partially popped out of socket. They put it back in and he's good to go! He was excited about the sucker the doctor gave him for being a big boy! I said, "Your arm feels better?" He's so cute, he goes "Yes, the doctor fixed it."

Our first emergency room visit

We had our first emergency room visit on Monday, the 13th. I was sure we'd be there one day with these crazy boys! It was right before bedtime when Preston hit Paul in the head with a remote control car! We wanted to take him in to make sure everything was alright, which thankfully it was! I took him to the After Hours clinic and they sent us to the ER. After a few hours, we were back home and ready for bed. Paul was fine we just had to wake him up at least once during the night and make sure he got up normally. He was better by the next day, but he still has a bruise on his forehead. Our poor baby!

Update on sickness

Ok, so I was wrong....I'm not better. It turns out the steroids I was on gave me some energy so I didn't feel as weak, but the sickness never went away. When the steroid doses were decreased, I started feeling bad again, and yes even worse...I started with a cough on Friday night and by Saturday night, I was in bed again!!!! I was lucky enough to get my third antibiotic that night, so we'll see how that goes! For now, I'm struggling, but surviving! This one better work!!!

I took Peyton to the doctor this morning while Paul was at school. Peyton's breathing is alright, he is just very congested and he has another ear infection; yes, more antibiotics! Preston was with me so I asked her to look in his ear and he also has an ear infection. I need to bring Paul and Preston back in this week so she can check Paul out and get another antibiotic for Preston's ear. We are a mess!

On my way to feeling better....

Update on the sicknesses we've been experiencing around here: (I'll make it as short as possible) Ever since Saturday, March 7 I have been very groggy and had a lot less energy and strength than normal for me. My throat was a bit sore, but nothing major, or so I thought. This feeling continued off and on, but mainly on and especially at night and in the mornings, until late, late Thursday night March 26 when I started feeling really bad right before I went to bed. I got up and went to the after hours clinic where they told me it would be about a 1 and a half hour wait, so I said never mind and came home to bed! The next morning I woke up feeling sicker than I had in the previous weeks, but not as bad as the night before...until that evening when it seemed to get worse again, so I headed back to the after hours clinic and they saw me right away. I was told that I had a horrible ear infection in my right ear (an ear infection? I was like "what?" I'll have to ask my mom the last time I had one of those! I was probably 4 or 5!) Anyway, my left ear was filled with fluid on the verge of being infected, my jawline and neck were swollen, my face was sensitive to the touch, I had sinusitis, and I was running fever that I didn't even know I had. I was given a shot, atibiotics, and some medicine to help clear my sinuses. I was told I would feel a bit better the next day, but significantly better in 2 days. I felt like crap at this point and I was still worried about Peyton, who was very congested as well, so I had given him medicine and some breathing treatments, which seemed to really help him.

I spent the next week in bed. Daddy had to take off work Monday to help with the boys because I could not really get up and had very low energy and strength. Tuesday, March 31, I was on my own with the boys because Paul had to go back to work and we didn't have anyone to help...to say the least, it was a miserable day for me! Tuesday night I was lucky to have my sister come up to help on Wednesday and watch the boys so I could relax and get some rest. But, Tuesday night, things were really, really bad and my jaw hurt so badly that at times it was hard to speak. My head was pounding with no relief and Paul and I decided I should go back to after hours to see what was up. I still had all the same things, but now my throat looked worse and things obviously had not improved, so I was told to stop taking the antibiotics because they were not effective and given another antibiotic and steroids....yay, just what I wanted, to gain all the weight I had just lost back! But, I thought that at least I may be feeling better because of them, so I went with it! Wednesday Nanny was a HUGE help, going above and beyond just watching the kids by cleaning too! Wow, I am so lucky to have such an amazing and awesome sister! Thank you Nanny! Thursday, I was on my own again and it was the first day in a week, that I actually felt a little better and started to get some strength back and I actually got a bit of relief as the headache started to subside! Today, I feel about the same as yesterday, more strength, but I still have a sore jaw, I am still congested, my ears are still sore and I still feel a lot of pressure in them, and I don't have all of my energy back, but I think I am on my way to feeling better soon! I hope anyway! As for Peyton and all the boys, they are congested again, or still, but for the most part, they seem to be doing well!

I have learned 2 things from this long and annoying sickness experience:
1) The next time I know something is not right with me, I will go see a doctor! As opposed to this time of just letting the sickness build up, mostly to prove to my husband that I am not a weanie, only to get it extremely bad later! I will probably continue getting sick when the kids do since I spend every day with them, until they are a bit older and they don't get sick so often!

2) I have the greatest husband, friends, and family in the world! Thanks Amy and Paul for really helping me out when I needed it! Thank you to all my far away friends for checking on me! I probably should move closer to my mom, sister, family, and friends so that I have more help when situations like this happen again! Thank you Charmaine and Steve for helping bring and pick up Paul for me too....as ALWAYS!

Our sick week(s)

After the weekend of not feeling well and high temperatures for both the older boys, Mommy took them to the doctor on Monday, the 9th. Peyton came too, but he didn't seem to be feeling bad, so I just let her listen to his chest and he was a little congested, but nothing major. Paul, on the ther hand, had two "really nasty, nasty" ear infections. She gave us an antiobiotic and set us up for a return visit in 10 days to check on him. He did not have any throat issues this time. Preston had a little bit of a red throat, but no strep again, and he had congestion and a little fluid in his left ear, but not an infection "yet" the doctor said. We had leftover congestion medicine for Paul and Preston, so we were told to give them that. That evening Paul goes "Mommy, I have boogie in my ear!" Yep, his eardrum ruptured and I cleaned it up and called the doctor the next day to notify her. That morning though, his other eardrum ruptured as well. And throughout that night, Peyton began a bad cough. So when I called, I told her about both of them and the doctor called in congestion medicine for Peyton and eardrops for Paul.

By Wednesday, Mommy was feeling worse; Paul was better, so he was back at school. Peyton and Preston did not feel well, so they had me rock both of them; each time they fell asleep I couldn't get even one of them down without waking them. Finally, on the third try, I succeeded, after 3 hours of rocking time and crying! I called Paul to come home and then noticed Peyton was really not doing well and seemed worse, so I called the doctor and then rushed him in, while Paul stayed with the older two. The doctor told me that the prescription they called in for him the previous day was a mistake and to not give that to him anymore! He needed a breathing treatment and then she gave us an antiobiotic for him.....surprise....he had an ear infection as well, aside from the wheezing! She also gave me an antiobiotic for Preston because he was running a high fever and we assumed that of course his fluid-filled ear probably developed into an ear infection as well!

Peyton had his check-up on Friday so Daddy took him after taking the older two to Paul's field trip to the Bluebonnet Swamp. Mommy and Peyton were sick, so we couldn't go. The doctor said Peyton's ear infection was getting better, but we still needed to give him the breathing treatment every 4 hours and at night we could stretch it to 6 hours. His follow up appointment along with his 6 month check-up is on the same day as Paul's check-up this Thursday. So, at this point, all the kids are doing better, but Mommy had a rough weekend and was miserably sick. Thanks Daddy for all your help and for taking care of Mommy this past weekend; you were such a big help and I appreciate everything that you did for us! I still don't feel great, but I feel much better than this past weekend. My ears feel like they have so much pressure in them, I may end up at the doctor for antibiotics of my own if it keeps up, but we'll see! And, that is our sick story until the check-up tomorrow!

Doctor Appointment

Yesterday morning little Paul woke up saying his ear hurt and he didn't eat much at all for breakfast. He also said he wanted to lay by me (this never happens so I knew he wasn't feeling well!). I gave him some advil and in a short period of time, he was up and playing. After about a half hour of that, he continued saying his ear hurt and he laid down all by himself and fell asleep for about an hour! Wow, this is not normal for him. He woke up and I picked him up and he felt hot, looked very weak, and was shaking! I called the doctor and while I was on the phone with them to get him an appointment, I took his temperature, which was 103.5!!!! I freaked out and the doctor said to come right now. I gave him some tylenol and ran around the house like a mad woman to rush to get 3 kids and myself to the doctor as fast as I could! Meanwhile, Paul came up to me and said his belly hurt and proceeded to throw up the tylenol I had just given him all over my pants and himself. I called Paul and he left work to meet me at the doctor's office. While we were there, we figured we'd get the other 2 boys checked out because usually when one gets something, we all do, except big Paul!
Good thing we did, Peyton was the only one who checked out fine. Paul and Preston both have strep throat again, apparently Paul had some sort of stomach virus, and his right ear was very red and had a lot of fluid in it. He was so weak, he fell asleep on the table waiting for the doctor to come back in. They gave him motrin and on the way out, he threw that up at the check out window! My poor baby! We got home and Paul pretty much laid down all evening. We got both kids antibiotics and Paul is able to eat and hasn't thrown up anything else. He was able to eat a little bit last night and today he acts like nothing is wrong; I guess he just had a little belly bug for a day, but he couldn't go to school today because of the strep throat...he missed PJs and Pillows Day, which I feel so bad for, but at least he's doing better!!!!

Peyton's 4 month check-up

Mommy took Peyton, with Paul & Preston in tow, to his 4 month check-up with the doctor last Monday! He is doing great and is in the 25% for height and the 50% for weight, which is about how little Paul was at that age. We were happy to know he's doing well and the doctor even commented on how he is such a happy baby!!!! He gave her pleny of smiles and even sat up pretty well for her and she said "that's really good." He wasn't too thrilled with the nurse who gave him his shots though!!!! He only cried for about a minute and then fell asleep, so that was good! Mommy hates the shot part of the visits!!!!

Back to the doctor

Peyton had to go back to the doctor today. He had what looked like a "cold" in his eye and it was almost completely closed with a lot of gooey stuff in it. We called the doctor and then headed in...it is just a blocked tear duct and when she was telling me to use warm compresses and massage it, I remembered Preston had the same thing when he was little, around a few weeks old also. She gave us an antibiotic ointment for it and that was that! It is a very commom thing for infants.

Lunch with Uncle GJ and doctor appointments

We went to the doctor for Peyton on Monday, September 29 to make sure he was back up to his birth weight. When we had gone for his first appointment the week before, he wasn't quite there yet. It turns out that he was back up and he weighed in at 7 lbs. 8 oz. Everything was great, so we go back next for his 2 months shots, unless with having 3 kids we see her sooner!

I had a doctor's appointment too, but since mine wasn't until the afternoon and my Uncle GJ was in town, we (Mimi, Mommy, and all the boys) went to meet him and Edgar at Cracker Barrel. Because we had the kids there, it was a little hard to really talk to him, but we still enjoyed the visit! It was sooo good to see him, and Edgar as well! We all wish we could see him more often! Thanks for meeting us Uncle GJ!

We headed straight to my doctor's appointment after that and mommy is doing well now. The doctor said that I developed "fluid pockets," ewwwww, that will go away in about a month! Other than that, everything is good!!!

Peyton's first doctor appointment

Peyton had to go to the doctor this past Monday for his very first doctor's appointment! It was a family outing because Daddy, Mommy, and both his big brothers went with him! He weighed 7 lbs. 1/2 oz. so he was not quite up to his birth weight yet. We have to go back on Monday to see if he is at least 7lbs. 5.6 oz., his birth weight. No shots today though!!!

Paul's rash

Ok, so Wednesday night after bath time, I noticed some bumps on the top of Paul's back, but I thought it was just dry skin. On Thursday, I noticed it looked like an actual rash and by last night (Thursday) it was a full blown rash all over his upper and lower back. We went to the doctor this morning and we are glad to know that it is NOT contagious and cannot be spread from one person to another (we didn't think it was, but we wanted to be sure). And, the best news is that he is fine! He just has something called swimmer's itch, which produces a rash in the skin and will eventually go away on its own. There is no medicine or anything that he can take, we just have to wait. It may or may not get worse before it gets better and apparently, the way to get it is from "contaminated" water. At first, I thought it could have been the pool or the sprayground at the park, but we really don't know where he got it from b/c supposedly the larvae (I know gross) that causes it doesn't generally live in chlorinated water. Also, water that was "contaminated" one day may not be "contaminated" the next, so for now we just wait for it to go away. For all we know, he could have gotten this in our backyard from standing in the ditch. All we know is he feels fine, there is nothing seriously wrong, and he is doing great with not itching it!