This has been one of those weeks where I can't seem to get anything done. I have so many things going at once (work, home, Claire) that I don't seem to be taking care of any of them well. Claire's upcoming open heart surgery (OHS) doesn't help either. I've been calling the hospital and the surgeon's office with tons of questions I as try to work out the logistics of being away from home for a couple of weeks. The stress of the surgery itself isn't helping either.
Claire's 4 month well baby appointment today was great. I just LOVE her doctor. He is close to our age with young kids of his own, and I love that he doesn't make me feel rushed at our appointments. He is also open to learning more about the best way to treat anything that may come up with Claire, and even thanked me today for allowing him to take care of her! I passed on the info for an online class on Down Syndrome: Healthcare Updates for the Primary Care Pediatrician and he was excited for the opportunity to learn more.
Claire's growth is wonderful. She is 11 lb 8 oz and 23 inches. She got one shot and one oral vaccine today and did worse with the oral med. She was asleep when the nurse came in and startled her and it put her in a grouchy mood!
This afternoon Claire had a play based vision screening. She really favors her right side, and we wanted to have her eyes checked out to see if that was the cause. Her eyes show a nystagmus, which is a jerky movement in her eye when she focuses to the left, which is her weak side. While it explains why she almost always looks to the right, we'll have to wait until after the OHS to have her eyes tested by a doctor.
I was hoping to have some pictures to add to this post, but I haven't cleaned my camera out in so long that my memory card is full. It's just one more thing I haven't gotten to lately...
Busy, busy. Glad the well baby check went well. You are very lucky to have a great doctor! Try not to stress, hugs!
ReplyDeleteI can imagine that you're starting (ha- starting???) to get overwhelmed. While it seems like a long time away, I'm sure, they say that after the 1 year mark, things slow down a lot, appointment wise. It'll get better, promise!
ReplyDeleteYou said surgery is at PSL- that's where Piper had her gallbladder removed in February. She was delivered at St Joe across the street, and our OB is between PSL and St. Joe. Needless to say, after a complicated pregnancy and an 8 week NICU stay, we know the area VERY well. When you're down here for surgery, we'd love to give you a hand however we can. I'd even be happy to sit with you during surgery, if you wanted. If you want distraction the night before, you could come over for dinner, or we could bring you dinner down that way. You'll just have to let us know!
Take a few big breaths, and focus on it getting closer to being over! One thing at a time! Hang in there!
That is overwhelming...I wish I lived closer so I could offer some relief in some way. But I can pray that all goes smoothly and for a fast recovery for little Claire.
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel, most days it feels like i am going nowhere fast - i am constantly trying to get things done but don't seem to get nearly as much done as i would like, let alone catch up on things i should have already done... i guess this is how it goes, huh???
ReplyDeleteso happy claire's 4 month appt went so well!!!
I know how overwhelmed you feel. Surgery day will be a long day, but every day afterwards will get better. Everyone told me how quickly babies bounce back from heart surgery and I couldn't understand it until going through it. Every day more and more things came off of him. I took pictures every day to remember how far he had come. I will tell you to make sure to take some breaks while at the hospital. I needed those breaks to keep my sanity! It is hard to do, but you have to take care of yourself too, so you can be there for Claire.
ReplyDeleteHi, I got on your blog from BBC:) I just wanted to say your little girl is soooo cute! And also- my 2nd oldest son has nystagmus. He's 20, and he is an ekg tech..just to encourage you that it isn't anything that affects their actual vision(in case you didn't hear this yet.) Looking forward to following your story!
ReplyDelete