My oldest daughter, Crystal, came over on Tuesday. We canned 22 quarts of applesauce. Crystal made cranberry sauce, too. That is the pretty red jars.
So much fun!
We plan to make some applebutter and more sauce next week.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Canning Day
My oldest daughter, Crystal, came over on Tuesday. We canned 22 quarts of applesauce. Crystal made cranberry sauce, too. That is the pretty red jars.
So much fun!
We plan to make some applebutter and more sauce next week.
Plastic Surgeon Appointment
Aaron saw the plastic surgeon at the wound center yesterday. He said Aaron has a keloid at his wound. This basically scar tissue that has gone crazy.
The plan is to have Aaron apply moiturizer, such as cocoa butter or olive oil, to soften and hopefully flatten the area a bit. He is also to stay off the area as much as possible. If it continues to bother him, there is the possibility of removing some of the excess scar tissue. Otherwise, they prefer to leave it alone.
I am having Aaron massage coconut oil on the area a couple times a day. Coconut oil is a good moisturizer and very healthy for the skin. Smells good, too:)
The plan is to have Aaron apply moiturizer, such as cocoa butter or olive oil, to soften and hopefully flatten the area a bit. He is also to stay off the area as much as possible. If it continues to bother him, there is the possibility of removing some of the excess scar tissue. Otherwise, they prefer to leave it alone.
I am having Aaron massage coconut oil on the area a couple times a day. Coconut oil is a good moisturizer and very healthy for the skin. Smells good, too:)
Friday, October 7, 2011
Oysters on a Half Shell
I was at the grocery store on Tuesday, when my cell phone rang. It was Allura, my 19yo daughter. She asked me if I could come get her at work. When I asked her why, she said she had sent me a text, hadn't I read it? No, I don't always feel my cell phone vibrate to alert me of text messages.
Allura was having an allergic reaction. She had eaten a sample cup of oyster soup at work. Allura is very allergic to shell fish, but she said she did not know oysters are shell fish! Currently, she is working in the food industry, so I would have thought she would know that oysters are shell fish! She has had reactions to crab, and to glucosamine and chondroitin, which comes from shell fish, in the past. When she consumes shell fish, her throat gets itchy, she gets short of breath, and her heart races and skips beats.
She was in her car, and wanted me to come get her. I tried to convince her to go back into the store and have one of her co-workers take her to the emergency room. She told me she would be fine, her friend, Miles, was coming to get her, he was only 10 minutes away. Later, she admitted she was too weak to walk, that is why she didn't go back in. If Miles was coming to get her, did she still want me to come? "yes, I need you to come, Mom". That scared me, my independent daughter!
The grocery store was about 45 minutes drive from Allura's place of work. I called her a couple times to see how she was. I instructed her to call me when Miles got there, and that he was to take her around the corner to the Urgent Care Center.
After about another 10 minutes and no return phone call, I called her again. This time, she was not answering the phone. I was in a panic. I envisioned her dying in her car, with no one there to help her! So, I called 911 and had them dispatch and ambulance. I continued to try to get her on her cell phone. After a few more attempts, she answered and said Miles was there, and was taking her to Urgent Care. I called 911 and had them cancel the ambulance. I heard later they ambulance had been circling the parkinglot looking for her car.
I was still a good 10-15 minutes away from Urgent Care. When I pulled into the parkinglot, Miles, whom I had never met, was nervously pacing the waitingroom, watching for us. He had such a look of relief when he saw the big blue van pull in. Allura agreed with me later, that he had been watching for us, and he admitted to being relieved when I showed up:)
The doctor had already given Allura a shot of prednisone in her butt, and a shot of benadryl in her upper arm. She was in the process of a nebulizer treatment when I walked in.
They kept her for a while afterward, to make sure she would not have a rebound reaction. When they discharged her, she was doing well, but still weak.
She came over for supper last evening, still not feeling well. She had not taken the oral steroid. The doctor told her she did not need to take it *if* she felt better. But she was not feeling better! Teenagers!! She was still short of breath and weak.
She got a lot of good natured teasing from the rest of the family about "not knowing oysters are shell fish"! She thought she just needed to avoid the crustations, not the ones on shells, like oysters and clams! We told her we think she should stick to land critters. She told me she had planned to have Miles just take her home, not to Urgent Care! Oh, my!
Allura is my independent girl. She likes to do things herself, not be spoiled and pampered. Likes to be just left alone when she is not feeling well. But she wanted her mom, she needed me. That is a good feeling. I will remember that the next time she is spurning my desire to baby her. I will secretly smile, knowing she still needs me to love her:) I could have done without the crisis though.
After the past few weeks, I think I need to see if they make industrial strength hair color! I doubt I have a hair on my head that still has natural color! Thankfully, Allura is a good hairdresser!
Allura was having an allergic reaction. She had eaten a sample cup of oyster soup at work. Allura is very allergic to shell fish, but she said she did not know oysters are shell fish! Currently, she is working in the food industry, so I would have thought she would know that oysters are shell fish! She has had reactions to crab, and to glucosamine and chondroitin, which comes from shell fish, in the past. When she consumes shell fish, her throat gets itchy, she gets short of breath, and her heart races and skips beats.
She was in her car, and wanted me to come get her. I tried to convince her to go back into the store and have one of her co-workers take her to the emergency room. She told me she would be fine, her friend, Miles, was coming to get her, he was only 10 minutes away. Later, she admitted she was too weak to walk, that is why she didn't go back in. If Miles was coming to get her, did she still want me to come? "yes, I need you to come, Mom". That scared me, my independent daughter!
The grocery store was about 45 minutes drive from Allura's place of work. I called her a couple times to see how she was. I instructed her to call me when Miles got there, and that he was to take her around the corner to the Urgent Care Center.
After about another 10 minutes and no return phone call, I called her again. This time, she was not answering the phone. I was in a panic. I envisioned her dying in her car, with no one there to help her! So, I called 911 and had them dispatch and ambulance. I continued to try to get her on her cell phone. After a few more attempts, she answered and said Miles was there, and was taking her to Urgent Care. I called 911 and had them cancel the ambulance. I heard later they ambulance had been circling the parkinglot looking for her car.
I was still a good 10-15 minutes away from Urgent Care. When I pulled into the parkinglot, Miles, whom I had never met, was nervously pacing the waitingroom, watching for us. He had such a look of relief when he saw the big blue van pull in. Allura agreed with me later, that he had been watching for us, and he admitted to being relieved when I showed up:)
The doctor had already given Allura a shot of prednisone in her butt, and a shot of benadryl in her upper arm. She was in the process of a nebulizer treatment when I walked in.
They kept her for a while afterward, to make sure she would not have a rebound reaction. When they discharged her, she was doing well, but still weak.
She came over for supper last evening, still not feeling well. She had not taken the oral steroid. The doctor told her she did not need to take it *if* she felt better. But she was not feeling better! Teenagers!! She was still short of breath and weak.
She got a lot of good natured teasing from the rest of the family about "not knowing oysters are shell fish"! She thought she just needed to avoid the crustations, not the ones on shells, like oysters and clams! We told her we think she should stick to land critters. She told me she had planned to have Miles just take her home, not to Urgent Care! Oh, my!
Allura is my independent girl. She likes to do things herself, not be spoiled and pampered. Likes to be just left alone when she is not feeling well. But she wanted her mom, she needed me. That is a good feeling. I will remember that the next time she is spurning my desire to baby her. I will secretly smile, knowing she still needs me to love her:) I could have done without the crisis though.
After the past few weeks, I think I need to see if they make industrial strength hair color! I doubt I have a hair on my head that still has natural color! Thankfully, Allura is a good hairdresser!
Insult to Injury, or Injury to Insult
Aaron came to me on Monday to ask me to look at the healed wound on his butt. This is the large pressure wound that was caused by the edge of the board the doctors had underneath him during the resuscitation in July. The last little bit of scab had finally healed about 2 weeks ago.
The area, about the size of my fist, had developed a raised, red area in the center, about 1 inch by 1/2 inch, painful and warm to the touch. I emailed our doctor right away, and he called a prescription over to our pharmacy, with instructions to start it imediately, in case it was MRSA.
By Tuesday it was looking worse, so I made an appointment to have it looked at by the doctor. He wanted me to keep an eye on it, and continue the medication.
Aaron was outside playing football last evening, with his brothers and sisters. He decided to try to tackle Bethany. Somehow, he managed to fall on one of the beams we have edging our parking area. He hit his butt, right across the tailbone area. He hit so hard that he was winded, and saw black spots, or as he called them, black blobs.
He got up this morning barely able to walk, and sitting caused him a lot of pain. I gave him ibuprofen and called our doctor. By the time we went in, the ibuprofen was working nicely. But I wanted the doctor to see his wound again, since it had some changes since earlier in the week. It has developed a red spot in the middle of the raised area, that looks thin and ready to break open.
The doctor agreed with my assessment, and has decided to send Aaron to a wound care specialist. He wants the plastic surgeon to have a look and decide if the wound needs opened up to remove any infected tissue, and if it needs some of the scar tissue removed. He said he has seen a lot of pressure sores, but has never seen one look like this after it has healed. We have an appt. next week. In the meantime, Aaron is to continue taking his antibiotic and ibuprofen. He is also to avoid rough housing and other activities that could cause more injury to the area.
The area, about the size of my fist, had developed a raised, red area in the center, about 1 inch by 1/2 inch, painful and warm to the touch. I emailed our doctor right away, and he called a prescription over to our pharmacy, with instructions to start it imediately, in case it was MRSA.
By Tuesday it was looking worse, so I made an appointment to have it looked at by the doctor. He wanted me to keep an eye on it, and continue the medication.
Aaron was outside playing football last evening, with his brothers and sisters. He decided to try to tackle Bethany. Somehow, he managed to fall on one of the beams we have edging our parking area. He hit his butt, right across the tailbone area. He hit so hard that he was winded, and saw black spots, or as he called them, black blobs.
He got up this morning barely able to walk, and sitting caused him a lot of pain. I gave him ibuprofen and called our doctor. By the time we went in, the ibuprofen was working nicely. But I wanted the doctor to see his wound again, since it had some changes since earlier in the week. It has developed a red spot in the middle of the raised area, that looks thin and ready to break open.
The doctor agreed with my assessment, and has decided to send Aaron to a wound care specialist. He wants the plastic surgeon to have a look and decide if the wound needs opened up to remove any infected tissue, and if it needs some of the scar tissue removed. He said he has seen a lot of pressure sores, but has never seen one look like this after it has healed. We have an appt. next week. In the meantime, Aaron is to continue taking his antibiotic and ibuprofen. He is also to avoid rough housing and other activities that could cause more injury to the area.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Constant Changes
When our second child left the shoe in August, we began discussing the sleeping arrangements in our household. We had an empty room, and needed to move some beds around.
Our plan was to move Bethany and Sarah into Allura's old room. It is slightly larger than the one they had been sharing, and it is one of the two bedrooms that has usable closets. And, we planned to move Trinity into the girls' room. But there was disagreement, so we put off the moving. The bedroom sat empty these many weeks. Well, not quite empty, Allura still had a lot of clothes in there, and the bed she slept in was there. The empty bed came in handy the nights our oldest came to stay. It was a blessing to be able to offer her a quiet place to rest.
Bethany did not want to move, and she did not want to stay in her current room alone. She enjoys being with others, and tends not to like change. So, Sarah moved over to Allura's old room alone. And Bethany chose to share her bedroom with Trinity.
Last night was the first time Trinity slept in her new bedroom. Until now, she had been in my bedroom, first in the bassinet, which she really did not sleep in, and then in the portacrib. We brought the real crib down from the attic over the weekend and put it together. We finally put sheets on it yesterday.
I went to bed, last night, for the first time in 2 1/2yrs, without my baby girl in the room with me. My calculations are not off, she will be 2yo in December, but before her birth, she was very much sleeping in the same room with me:) I was very torn about it, I laid awake for quite a while, listening for her, ready to run upstairs and bring herr back down with me. But she slept all night, is still sleeping peacefully at 9:30am.
So, it looks like my next project is to fold up the portacrib, and put it away, and rearrange my bedroom. Bethany is not the only one who has difficulty with change:(
Our plan was to move Bethany and Sarah into Allura's old room. It is slightly larger than the one they had been sharing, and it is one of the two bedrooms that has usable closets. And, we planned to move Trinity into the girls' room. But there was disagreement, so we put off the moving. The bedroom sat empty these many weeks. Well, not quite empty, Allura still had a lot of clothes in there, and the bed she slept in was there. The empty bed came in handy the nights our oldest came to stay. It was a blessing to be able to offer her a quiet place to rest.
Bethany did not want to move, and she did not want to stay in her current room alone. She enjoys being with others, and tends not to like change. So, Sarah moved over to Allura's old room alone. And Bethany chose to share her bedroom with Trinity.
Last night was the first time Trinity slept in her new bedroom. Until now, she had been in my bedroom, first in the bassinet, which she really did not sleep in, and then in the portacrib. We brought the real crib down from the attic over the weekend and put it together. We finally put sheets on it yesterday.
I went to bed, last night, for the first time in 2 1/2yrs, without my baby girl in the room with me. My calculations are not off, she will be 2yo in December, but before her birth, she was very much sleeping in the same room with me:) I was very torn about it, I laid awake for quite a while, listening for her, ready to run upstairs and bring herr back down with me. But she slept all night, is still sleeping peacefully at 9:30am.
So, it looks like my next project is to fold up the portacrib, and put it away, and rearrange my bedroom. Bethany is not the only one who has difficulty with change:(
Monday, October 3, 2011
Observing Faces
I like to look at faces of people. When I am out and about, I enjoy looking at faces, especially the eyes and mouths. I like to see if they look friendly, troubled, grouchy, etc.
Lately, I have been noticing something rather interesting. When I go out in public with Christopher, he gets noticed.....a lot. I can tell by the faces of others how they percieve people with disabilities, and more specifically, my son.
Some of the faces show that the person does not see the disability, only the amazingly cute little boy with blond hair and blue eyes. Some of the faces show they are repulsed by his features, or, perhaps it is just the fact that he is who he is, that repulses them. Some faces show pity, for him, for me.
Some of the faces are able to quickly cover the initial reaction to seeing the little boy with Down Syndrome. Usually, this is by fixing an artificial smile, where the scowl had been.
I have been taking mental notes on the ages of the people and their reactions to my son. Even noting the gender of the onlookers. What I may say next may surprise some people.
I have noticed that young men, in their late teens and early twenty's seem to be the most accepting of my son. They frequently smile at him and more often than not, interact with him in some way. They do not seem to notice the characteristic facial features, or seem to care. Christopher initiates interaction and they respond in a positive way.
The next age/gender group that stands out to me are the women who are in their 30s and 40s. They look at Christopher with sadness, and then look at me with pity in their eyes. I meet their gaze openly with a smile and "hello". I hope in our brief encounter I have given them a glimpse of reality, that I do not desire or need their pity because my child has an extra chromosome. They have looked into Christopher's smiling face, and then into my smiling face, hopefully, they understand our unspoken communication.
The next age and gender group is the tough one. This group consists of older men, age 60 and above. Many of these men will look at my son with repulsion. Some with contempt. Some will then lift their eyes to mine, and I give them a smile and greeting. Many will avoid eye contact with me, like they somehow think they know a secret about my son and don't want to reveal it. Or maybe they are are repulsed by the fact that not only do I dare keep my son, but I also take him on outings, with the rest my children.
I have to remind myself that it was during the lifetime of this last age group that people began keeping their children with disabilities at home. Prior to this, the so-called experts convinced parents that their children with Ds were too much work, had no potential for a productive life, took too much out of the parents and away from the other children in the family, they just were not worth the effort. So, they placed them in institutions to be "cared" for by professionals and paid attendants. Thes children lived up, or down, to their expectations. They did not learn, they were never able to lead productive lives, and they even had a shortened life span. Is it any wonder that many of the people in this age group still carry the misconception that people with Ds have no hope for learning and life? that they will be adults sitting in their own filth, unable to even go to the toilet?
How do we overcome the mindset of these older people? People with Ds have been demonstrating for decades that they can and do learn, they can find meaningful jobs, they can have friendships, and they can be independent, productive people. Yet, the mindset continues. Do we just wait, and bide our time until there is no one alive that remembers the evil days of institutionalizing children just because they have an extra chromasome? Do we try to educate these people when we have an opportunity? Do we expose our children to them and their close-mindedness, in hopes that they will be won over by the freindliness and unconditional love for which our children are well known?
I don't have the answers to those questions. But I plan to continue taking my son out and about, and letting him smile and interact with others. I plan to continue living my life and enjoying it. Perhaps people observing us will have a heart change, if not, well....I plan to continue living my life and enjoying it!
****Please note, I do not consider all people of certain ages/gender to be a certain way. I was generalizing. I have encountered some young men who have been not so pleasant, and some older men that have enjoyed talking to my son and me. I only wish to share my observations.
****Older men can have a change of heart. My very own father was close-minded regarding people with disabilities, until his grandson won him over!
Lately, I have been noticing something rather interesting. When I go out in public with Christopher, he gets noticed.....a lot. I can tell by the faces of others how they percieve people with disabilities, and more specifically, my son.
Some of the faces show that the person does not see the disability, only the amazingly cute little boy with blond hair and blue eyes. Some of the faces show they are repulsed by his features, or, perhaps it is just the fact that he is who he is, that repulses them. Some faces show pity, for him, for me.
Some of the faces are able to quickly cover the initial reaction to seeing the little boy with Down Syndrome. Usually, this is by fixing an artificial smile, where the scowl had been.
I have been taking mental notes on the ages of the people and their reactions to my son. Even noting the gender of the onlookers. What I may say next may surprise some people.
I have noticed that young men, in their late teens and early twenty's seem to be the most accepting of my son. They frequently smile at him and more often than not, interact with him in some way. They do not seem to notice the characteristic facial features, or seem to care. Christopher initiates interaction and they respond in a positive way.
The next age/gender group that stands out to me are the women who are in their 30s and 40s. They look at Christopher with sadness, and then look at me with pity in their eyes. I meet their gaze openly with a smile and "hello". I hope in our brief encounter I have given them a glimpse of reality, that I do not desire or need their pity because my child has an extra chromosome. They have looked into Christopher's smiling face, and then into my smiling face, hopefully, they understand our unspoken communication.
The next age and gender group is the tough one. This group consists of older men, age 60 and above. Many of these men will look at my son with repulsion. Some with contempt. Some will then lift their eyes to mine, and I give them a smile and greeting. Many will avoid eye contact with me, like they somehow think they know a secret about my son and don't want to reveal it. Or maybe they are are repulsed by the fact that not only do I dare keep my son, but I also take him on outings, with the rest my children.
I have to remind myself that it was during the lifetime of this last age group that people began keeping their children with disabilities at home. Prior to this, the so-called experts convinced parents that their children with Ds were too much work, had no potential for a productive life, took too much out of the parents and away from the other children in the family, they just were not worth the effort. So, they placed them in institutions to be "cared" for by professionals and paid attendants. Thes children lived up, or down, to their expectations. They did not learn, they were never able to lead productive lives, and they even had a shortened life span. Is it any wonder that many of the people in this age group still carry the misconception that people with Ds have no hope for learning and life? that they will be adults sitting in their own filth, unable to even go to the toilet?
How do we overcome the mindset of these older people? People with Ds have been demonstrating for decades that they can and do learn, they can find meaningful jobs, they can have friendships, and they can be independent, productive people. Yet, the mindset continues. Do we just wait, and bide our time until there is no one alive that remembers the evil days of institutionalizing children just because they have an extra chromasome? Do we try to educate these people when we have an opportunity? Do we expose our children to them and their close-mindedness, in hopes that they will be won over by the freindliness and unconditional love for which our children are well known?
I don't have the answers to those questions. But I plan to continue taking my son out and about, and letting him smile and interact with others. I plan to continue living my life and enjoying it. Perhaps people observing us will have a heart change, if not, well....I plan to continue living my life and enjoying it!
****Please note, I do not consider all people of certain ages/gender to be a certain way. I was generalizing. I have encountered some young men who have been not so pleasant, and some older men that have enjoyed talking to my son and me. I only wish to share my observations.
****Older men can have a change of heart. My very own father was close-minded regarding people with disabilities, until his grandson won him over!
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