Happiest paitent

When Bailey was born I noticed immediately how calm she was, She never really cried. But she did make sounds like a dinosaur. She has always been a peace maker and wants to please everyone. She truly has a heart of gold and is one of the sweetest little darlings I know.

None of this changes when she is sick. I can remember the first time she was admitted to the hospital with Pneumonia, she was obviously sick but still wanted to play and laugh. She has always been happy with whatever her situation happens to be at the time.

So here we are again, in the hospital. She has surprised me with her hot and cold attitudes to people. The Nurse and PCA are worthy of speaking to, but the Respiratory Therapist ( well he did stick a tube down her nose) doesn't even get a nod in his direction. And if you happened to be in the room when her IV was started then you are in big trouble.

While being here they have thrown around a couple of diagnosis. Some more serious than others, such as Cystic Fibrosis, Pneumonia and just plain old Asthma. We are thinking its a combination of Pneumonia and Asthma. Her chest x-ray only showed a small amount of abnormality but we are thinking that we've caught the Pneumonia very early and are going to be able to get rid of it before it can get any worse. She also has some tightening and something else I can't remember what its called but an excess of mucus. Basically she has a really awful cough and sometimes goes into 5 minute coughing fits where she throws up and can't stop coughing. She also has a 102.4 fever and no appetite.

So its just a lot of poking, prodding and waiting.

All the time , determination and patience have paid off. I got a call today from my Phlebotomy boss. I finally get my regular position and I can quit working on the 6th floor.

I submitted my notice to my 6th floor boss today. So as of now I have 2 shifts left there. I love the people that I've worked with there. There are always interesting patients to keep us laughing, or the crazy nights where it feels like everything is going wrong. I have made some of my very best friends working on that floor and it makes me sad to go.

Phlebotomy is a great new opportunity, It is a challenge every time you walk into a room. You never know if that patient is going to have good veins or if you will even be able to get it. I love that about it, it makes me think. And when you miss it just gives you something to improve on. I have made many new friends in Phlebotomy and am excited to be working with them more.

So HOORAY!! for reaching goals.

I hate that its snowing again!

The unoffical word

I am not one to boast about my time spent in the stirrups at the Doctors office and I am not sure anyone really wants to hear about it. However today there is cause for celebration.

I will start with a little back story, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer a year ago, I was suppose to be having 6 month checkups but when I lost my insurance for a while that turned into a year checkup. My Doctor wasn't very happy with me that it had taken so long to get back in but he became very understanding when I explained why.

I have been stewing for a long time about what they were going to find at my next checkup. It's been a couple of weeks and I still hadn't heard from my Doctor so I called yesterday and talked to my favorite Nurse, she told me the results were in and that he had been notified and would let me know soon. And just when I thought I was going to cry cause she wouldn't say anything she said "But everything looks fine"

So for now the unofficial word is: Everything looks fine.

We are having a visitor tonight

Laira has had a loose tooth ever since the first one fell out. Yesterday she was wiggling and wiggling it hoping it was ready to fall out. This morning she comes busting in my room shortly after I climbed in to bed after working all night. She was so excited, her tooth had finally come out. I gave her an exhausted reply and sent her back to bed.

When I really woke up we properlly celebrated by talking about the Toothfairy's visit tonight and taking a couple of pictures.

I can't beleive that she is getting so big, losing teeth, reading and catching on to math. I love her!

yup, this about sums it up

Thanks for the pic Aun

28 years of Denae

Wow, tomorrow I will be 28 years old. It is a bittersweet thing for me, I sit and think of how far I have come and I also thing about all the things i've missed out on.... aka.... regrets.

Today I am choosing to focus on what i've accomplished in my 28 years with 28 things people probably don't know about me.

1. I can bend my fingers back abnormally far

2. I have broken my ankles more times than I can remember.

3. I've had both ankles reconstructed ( they don't break going down the stairs anymore)

4. I don't know what my natural hair color is.

5. I have never been skiing or snowboarding

6. I LOVE yogurt... Red Mango please!!

7. I believe that you can say things better with music than just words alone.

8. I love Movies, all kinds of movies. Except the really scary ones, unless I have someone to cuddle with and to sleep in bed with me for the next month afterwords

9. I am not an animal person

10. I don't like a quiet house, I always have music on somewhere so there is always noise. ( the TV works too)

11. I always dance and sing in the shower

12. My little Sister and I are the same age for almost a month every year.

13. I don't like any kind of Rice-a-roni ( I don't know why and I haven't tried it for years)

14. I have never been east of Denver.

15. I am very ticklish, I giggled all the way through my first pedicure.

16. I have dark green eyes.

17. I don't have a favorite color, it all depends on my mood and what the color is being used for. (but growing up it was purple)

18. I love to decorate cakes, I just wish I were better at it.

19. I sometimes go into recluse mode when I don't leave the house for days.

20. I am in the process of refinishing an old desk that I bought.

21. I move the controller the direction I am trying to jump or what not when I play a video game

22. I hate laundry

23. I have broken both my middle (birdie) fingers at separate times.

24. I can cook well. At least I think I do, my family never complains.

25. I often wish I could go back and re-do high school

26. I have celebrity crushes on Ryan Gosling , Ashton Kutcher and Clive Owen.

27. Every so often I want to get all dressed up for a Ball, like a princess.

28. I have 2 of the most beautiful daughters in the world.

I found this on my friend Paige's blog so I decided to see just how pathetic I am with the things that I have never done.

If its bolded I've done it.



1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch-hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain ( Someday I WILL do this)
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper ( I was 5 I think)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating ( I know... crazy )
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (Does working at the Hospital count?)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Looks like I need to travel some more. Maybe I need a different list.

Bryce comes HOME!

We left for the Airport about quarter to 7 and his plane was scheduled to come in at 8 so we got there with about 20 minutes to wait. And that was a long 20 minutes for the kids! But then there he was ! He said he felt like he never left. Its been great to have him home.

Right now he sleeps in the girls room with them since they sleep in the same bed and no one sleeps in Baileys bed. The girls absolutely love it! I'm not sure if Bryce does. Laira makes his bed for him every morning and that really made him laugh the first time she did it. He said that Bailey likes to climb in bed and snuggle with him. I think they are happy to have him home.

Bailey's Thumb part 2

In our last post we talked about our experience in the ER with the Dermabond happy doc. Well we went to the regular Pediatric office, we didn't get to see our favorite Dr. Nielson because he was out of the office that whole week for the Holiday. BUMMER! So we saw another doctor. He was very nice and also agreed that the ER doctor's elevator doesn't go to the top floor. He told me that the mess he made was hard to fix, we couldn't just take the glue off with out totally reopening the wound and that isn't a good plan. SO we just protected it with more than a stinkin bandaid. He told me that he thinks that the reason that its still bleeding is that anytime anything bumps it its swelling and bleeding so if we protect it more and keep it from swelling it may have a chance to get better. So we put a splint on it and cobaned it to her hand. Then next morning when we checked it the bleeding had stopped. HOORAY!

Wednesday she had an appointment with Dr. Nielson to make sure it was healing well and there was no infection. When he checked it out most of the little flap that was trying to reattach was white , that is not a good sign, but there was a small part in the middle that was still pink. He said to be very careful with it and to not let her get it wet at all since the Dermabond is starting to peel off and he wants it to stay as long as possible. Laira has an appointment Friday afternoon and he wants Bailey to come so he can look at it again and keep things looking good.

So for now, Bailey has a splint that she lovingly refers to as "little legs" that protect her little thumb.

Bittersweet

Most of you know that I have a Brother on a mission. He has one of the biggest hearts ever.. He has been a great influence in my girls lives. Laira worships the ground that he walks on, Bailey says his muscles are bigger than Matt's.(Matt likes to point out that he is taller)

Well my dear brother is coming home tonight. He has done an amazing job on his mission and I am so proud of him. I can't wait to see him. The girls are simply beside them selves that he is coming home.

Its a very bittersweet surprise but we all support him in his decision to come home.

I will post pictures and more later.

WARNING * Somewhat Graphic pics

So my New Years was basically uneventful. I spent the night at work stabbing people in the arm with needles. Not my ideal celebratory situation but it worked. I got home about 6 am and went to sleep. I was then woken up at 10 with Bailey crying, so I got up to see what she was crying about and I found my Dad carrying her ( I didn't have my glasses one mind you) as I got closer I saw that her hand was covered with blood. My Dad ran her upstairs and I ran to get my glasses. I got up stairs and ran her hand under some water and still couldn't find the source and the blood was already clotting and I didn't want to hurt her. We got it cleaned up as much as we needed to be able to tell that yes she did need medical attention. So I loaded her up and took her to the hospital.

The funniest thing to me was how woosie I got looking at this relatively small cut. I have seen a lot worse at work. I think the fact that I rushed out of bed and hadn't eaten anything didn't help. But I have just come to terms with the fact that when my kids are hurt I am no help.

When at the hospital (on 4 hours of sleep) Bailey was most worried about getting an IV and I tried to make her feel better and told her that she would most defiantly not get one of those. But I didn't want to tell her that they might have to numb her up, which in my opinion hurts much much worse than an IV ever would. The Doctor was very nice and came and took a look at it. Her wound is a little flap of skin that gets deeper as it goes, so the outsides of the flap are pretty superficial but the deepest part definitely needed some help staying closed. So he presented me with the option of Stitches or Dermabond (a medical super glue) With where the cut is I was a little apprehensive of the Dermabond (still am) but he assured me that its just as effected and less traumatic. I am all for less traumatic so we decided to go with that. They cleaned it very well and then he glued the edges closed and then put a thin layer all around her thumb to create a protective 'glove'. We were to keep it covered with a band aid so A) Bailey couldn't see it and B) a little extra protection.*Sidenote* I would like to point out that I suggested COBAN for this * I was told that the band aid wouldn't hurt or remove the Dermabond. The Dermabond would start to come off in 7 to 10 days and all is well in the world. It all sounds great in theory doesn't it?



Well the cheap band aid that they put on her started to have the sticky seep through to the out side and was snagging on everything and causing Bailey pain so I decided we should change it to a different kind and see if that helped. Well I couldn't get that dang bandaid off, and when it did start to come off so did the Dermabond. With the bandaid part off I could also see that she continued to bleed some after the Dermabond was applied, creating a pocket of blood. HOORAY. My poor little one has already had to go to the ER once today and now what they did isn't working. So I called the ER to see what I should do, they told me to come back in. Yeah right , I am not going in at night when you have to sit there for 5 hours. So I looked at the wound and it looks to all be covered with Dermabond and I made sure I couldn't see and new blood wrapped that sucker up good with some coban and am going to take her to our favorite Dr. Nielson in the morning.