A week of trials
So this past week has been a true week of trials. Last Wednesday we got news that my Grandma from Indiana (my Mom's mom) who has been fighting leg melanoma has stage 4 melanoma in her lung. Which pretty much means it's terminal. They can't operate or do chemo not that I think she would do either. She is SICK of hospitals and doctors after undergoing something like 13 surgeries in 7 months. So Andy and I went into planning mode, my best way to handle news like this. When could we go to Indiana, how, and how much would it cost? All those questions. Our biggest question how would Maddux do on the 10 hour drive? We went to St Louis a few weeks ago and that about did him in. So we are dealing with that. I believe we are going to try to make the trip over 4th of July. Andy has time off already so it would make the most sense to go then.... there are still a lot of questions though so we are STILL trying to figure it all out.
Our biggest trial/blessing came yesterday, Monday the 22nd. At Maddux's 9 month check up our pediatrician was not happy at his weight gain. At 6 months he was in the 50 percentile and at 9 months he dropped to the 25th percentile which from her standpoint was cause for alarm. He also has been weening himself from the bottle for 2-3 months and doesn't take more than 20oz ever. So our pediatrician told us to work on giving him as much formula as possible and getting him to at least 20oz in the next two weeks or call her back. So yesterday was 2 weeks so I called and just let the nurse know that he had only taken 20oz 2-3 times in 2 weeks but that he was taking 15-17 a day. This started a chain reaction of the nurses calling us back and telling us to take him to the outpatient part of Cox cause our pediatrician wanted to do an x-ray and some blood work. But didn't tell us what for. So being the dutiful mom I called my husband and told him we needed to do this that day, but when asked why I had no idea. So I called back and got the answer they were testing for a blockage (a.k.a. tumor) in his stomach, kidney and liver damage or failure, leukemia, electrolytes and his thyroid. Which about sent me over the edge almost. So we went to the hospital yesterday around 4:30. We checked in and Maddux had he x-ray first which he did amazingly well. They had to put him into a tube type contraption, and they had warned us that he would scream, but he didn't! He just sat there in the "cage". I posted a picture below. It was the funniest thing ever!! Andy and I just laughed and laughed because he was ok in it. We then went to get his blood work drawn and that about sent us both over the edge. They tried in his vein on his arm first, pushing the needle in and out and rolling it around in his arm, then they asked another nurse to come in and do the other arm. This nurse about got her head knocked off cause she was even worse. She kept thrusting, yes thrusting, the needle in and out and digging deeper than the first nurse. Finally Andy said enough let's just get it from his toe. And at first the nurse wouldn't listen but kept digging until another nurse told her to stop. While this was happening Maddux's cry turned from mad to hurt. As a mother you know these different cries. And we had to hold him down. It was HELL!!! Finally they just had him sit in Andy's lap and sliced his big toe open and squeezed enough blood out. And we left. It was the worse experience of my life!!! I would have GLADLY taken his place!!!! But we went and got sushi and ice cream, and even gave some to Maddux so we all felt a little better. :)
We got the results last night and everything is normal and good. The only problem is he is backed up in the poop department which could be causing him not to be hungry. So we have a heavy duty laxative to help him poop. So THANK GOD my baby is ok and healthy!!! So that trial is over for now. We have to monitor him for another week and if he still isn't pooping and eating then call her back again. So it was a long, scary night but it's over!!! And God is faithful and honestly I have a better respect for those parents whose kids have cancer and have to be poked all the time.
So our lives have been a jumble of ups and downs but we are SO thankful that God has seen us through it and that he continues to watch over us and provide for us. I can't tell you the relief I felt when the tests came back and everything was ok and my son was safe!!!
So where do we go from here? Well we will figure out about going to Indiana and hopefully getting my son to eat more.
And on a side note, I was so saddened and disappointed in Jon and Kate plus 8. Anyone else? I could go off on that for hours but I wont. My friend Tara Lale said something at church on Sunday that LOVE=COMMITMENT. Love is commitment. How true!!! And how fast our society forgets that!
Hope all is well with all of you!
The Steinmann's
Our biggest trial/blessing came yesterday, Monday the 22nd. At Maddux's 9 month check up our pediatrician was not happy at his weight gain. At 6 months he was in the 50 percentile and at 9 months he dropped to the 25th percentile which from her standpoint was cause for alarm. He also has been weening himself from the bottle for 2-3 months and doesn't take more than 20oz ever. So our pediatrician told us to work on giving him as much formula as possible and getting him to at least 20oz in the next two weeks or call her back. So yesterday was 2 weeks so I called and just let the nurse know that he had only taken 20oz 2-3 times in 2 weeks but that he was taking 15-17 a day. This started a chain reaction of the nurses calling us back and telling us to take him to the outpatient part of Cox cause our pediatrician wanted to do an x-ray and some blood work. But didn't tell us what for. So being the dutiful mom I called my husband and told him we needed to do this that day, but when asked why I had no idea. So I called back and got the answer they were testing for a blockage (a.k.a. tumor) in his stomach, kidney and liver damage or failure, leukemia, electrolytes and his thyroid. Which about sent me over the edge almost. So we went to the hospital yesterday around 4:30. We checked in and Maddux had he x-ray first which he did amazingly well. They had to put him into a tube type contraption, and they had warned us that he would scream, but he didn't! He just sat there in the "cage". I posted a picture below. It was the funniest thing ever!! Andy and I just laughed and laughed because he was ok in it. We then went to get his blood work drawn and that about sent us both over the edge. They tried in his vein on his arm first, pushing the needle in and out and rolling it around in his arm, then they asked another nurse to come in and do the other arm. This nurse about got her head knocked off cause she was even worse. She kept thrusting, yes thrusting, the needle in and out and digging deeper than the first nurse. Finally Andy said enough let's just get it from his toe. And at first the nurse wouldn't listen but kept digging until another nurse told her to stop. While this was happening Maddux's cry turned from mad to hurt. As a mother you know these different cries. And we had to hold him down. It was HELL!!! Finally they just had him sit in Andy's lap and sliced his big toe open and squeezed enough blood out. And we left. It was the worse experience of my life!!! I would have GLADLY taken his place!!!! But we went and got sushi and ice cream, and even gave some to Maddux so we all felt a little better. :)
We got the results last night and everything is normal and good. The only problem is he is backed up in the poop department which could be causing him not to be hungry. So we have a heavy duty laxative to help him poop. So THANK GOD my baby is ok and healthy!!! So that trial is over for now. We have to monitor him for another week and if he still isn't pooping and eating then call her back again. So it was a long, scary night but it's over!!! And God is faithful and honestly I have a better respect for those parents whose kids have cancer and have to be poked all the time.
So our lives have been a jumble of ups and downs but we are SO thankful that God has seen us through it and that he continues to watch over us and provide for us. I can't tell you the relief I felt when the tests came back and everything was ok and my son was safe!!!
So where do we go from here? Well we will figure out about going to Indiana and hopefully getting my son to eat more.
And on a side note, I was so saddened and disappointed in Jon and Kate plus 8. Anyone else? I could go off on that for hours but I wont. My friend Tara Lale said something at church on Sunday that LOVE=COMMITMENT. Love is commitment. How true!!! And how fast our society forgets that!
Hope all is well with all of you!
The Steinmann's
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