NJ 2009 Chat - Jan, Feb and March

[NJSoldierwife 0]

Hi Bandana!

Morganville, that's by Marlboro? Right? Wow we are close!

I was banded September of 08, so just 4 months out. Well, from what I just heard, we are only getting maybe 3 to 4 inches of snow tomorrow. I wish it was more to just get it out of the way, you know?

Cool to be so close! We should get together!

[Kat817 19]

Hi girls~

Been a crappy few days. My DD is not well. She got an ear infection, and the glands below her ear and just behind it swelled like nobodies business. She has been to the ER 3 times, only managed to get seen once, and he made her an appointment with an ENT, for next week. She was supposed to come back if 2 days on steroids, and antibiotics and pain killers did not help. They didn't, it swelled more, and moved up into her ear itself, the cartilege outer part is swollen, oozing, and now black, and the skin has broke down. Well as we sat in ER again, I saw my own ENT, he saw her...because he didn't know what else to do with a crying Mom! She has staph infection, and is not good. The area below and behind her ear is like a rock, and so swollen, she does not even have a jaw line. She hurts, and they are concerned, as she is also septic. And the concern is the proximity of the brain to the infection.

Kinsey is handling it better than I expected, her Mama being sick. Manda is such a good Mommy, she does everything she can to make sure Kinsey is ok, and not too stressed.

I have hives on my hives.

Went to get Ricks heart meds, and insurance changed their formulary the first of the year, and his meds went from $40 a month with insurance, to insurance not covering them so now it is $174 every 30 days! I called and he even went and saw his PCP here today, and he refuses to change the cardiologists orders, so somehow, somewhere, some day we are going to have to try to get an appointment, and get to Albuquerque to his cardiologist and see what can be done. It is 186 miles each way....with my DD sick, we are just going to have to deal with it for now. His job did the first round of lay offs, and we managed to survive, but figure we are looking at a couple of weeks max. And they are not offering any severence packages at all---cheap ass company! They are HUGE and world wide.....and corrupt as the day is long. Claim to be all about family....such BS!!!

Anyway----I'll be in when I need to destress!!!

Y'all take care!!!

XOXOXO

Kat

[HarleyNana 10]

Kat, sorry to hear so much has happened and hope DD gets better real soon. As for the ins, I know Anthem here in VA has a cheaper plan, but it doesn't include name brand drugs, only generic. It saves a lot of money up front with premiums, but sucks if you need brand name meds.

It's quite scary thinking about all the lay offs and how it has and will continue to affect small corporations, like our little ma and pa business. Just in our area alone, I've seen so many businesses fold, companies that have been around for decades.

With so many people out of work, how is the country to rebuild and rejuvinate?

Hugs

[Bandana 0]

Michaele

Sounds great. I would love to get together. This band thing must be still very new to you. I know my first couple of months was all about adjustments cause I was still hungary. Looks like you're doing great. What do you think about the snow. It wasn't too bad, except I usually let my dog out in the yard and she won't step into the snow so I have to walk her around the block. Oh well, guess it's just some exercise for me, but it is cold out there.

Kat,

Hope all your loved ones' feel better.

[SherryW 4]

I really can't stay - Baby it's cold outside

I've got to go away - Baby it's cold outside

This evening has been - Been hoping that you'd drop in

So very nice - I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice

burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr all I can do is think of that song haha. It's only 10 degrees out there burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr (Supposedly it's going to get to the 50's this weekend? That's New England for ya hee hee)

[Kat817 19]

Forgive me in advance, I am copy and pasting this so I can keep everyone informed, and not spend all night typing.

Manda was readmitted to the hospital with a positive MRSA test. They are seriously thinking she might lose her ear...and are VERY concerned with the proximity of this infection to her brain.

They readmitted her today, after releasing her yesterday. But sure enough the infection originally called staph, has morphed into a MRSA and is not responding to the 4 antibiotics previously tried.

So that was the story through til tonight......

OMG girls the night I have had.....I hate to come here and do nothing but complain and monopolize things, but you just have no idea.

Manda has now got a spot on her leg and one on the right rib cage they are watching. She is getting IV antibiotics, vancomyicin or something, 2 times a day.

So I was stressed with that, and Kinsey was getting antsy, so we come home about 7:30. She ate a bowl of ice cream and wanted a bubble bath, so I had her in the tub. I usually sit on the floor next to the tub with the lap top, and just hang out. She decided she was done, and I reached for her towel and realized I left it on the hamper outside the bathroom, by the linen closet. So I told her just a second, and got up, and turned away to sit the laptop away from the Water, and to get the towel, and I heard her scream. She tried to get out on her own, and straddled the edge of the tub, with the rail for the slider doors and fell! I turned, I was right around the corner, and she was covered in blood from her crotch to the floor. I screamed for Rick, and grabbed her up and rounded into her bedroom and laid her on the bed. She is dripping wet, and pouring blood from inside her. He come barrelling in, and about passed out. I am trying to tell him what happen, and he handed me a towel. We kept trying to stop the blood so I could see what was happening. Finally deciding to just take her to the hospital. Kinsey had quit crying, and was only worried about getting "pokes" at the hospital. So I got some panties that were left here from Lindzie, and were big, and pulled them on over the towel, and got some big jammies, and tried to get them on her, it is 20 some degrees, and she is wet....and then I called her Mommy. I held it together until I had to tell her that I let Kinsey get hurt seriously, she is of course upset, although not with me. Kinsey talked to her, and I checked the bleeding, which had slowed a lot. We decided to give it 10-15 minutes and see if it would stop. It slowed considerably. So I talked to Manda again. To touch her, to clean her up, and for her to walk etc. was not hurting her. So we decided unless it began pouring like it was to wait. OMG the amount of blood was unreal. I know that is an area with lots of blood flow and she had been sitting in a hot tub, but nothing prepared this Granny's heart for seeing that. Nothing.

We sat for awhile with her on my lap, and finally I took her and laid her back on the bed, Rick had stripped it....and we removed the towel, and cleaned her up. I cannot see where she cut/tore herself, it is up inside. It cannot be deep inside, but inside out of view. And I was not going to go hunting, which is what I was afraid the ER Dr. would do. I got her cleaned up, and of all things, I put a pad on her---left over from my TT bandages! She is still oozing a bit, but not much. I gave her a bottle of Water and told her she needed to drink as much as possible, so the urine is diluted and won't burn so much. She has actually peed twice, and it makes the bleeding worse, but it stops quickly. I gave her some Tylenol, and she fell asleep in my arms just a bit ago, so I laid her in bed.

I cannot believe how bad it was. Rick is still pale as a ghost, he is in shock from it, I think we both are. She is chatting away and wanting pop corn and being normal Kinsey.

I was right there! If I had not forgot the towel I would have lifted her out of the tub like I always do. But she said when I went to get the towel she heard the phone and thought it was her Mommy and she wanted to talk. It was not her Mommy, and in fact I have no idea who he hung up on....hadn't thought about that til just now!

My poor baby....both of them! Manda's ear is horrible, and she is stuck in a hospital knowing her baby is hurt. And the little baby was hurt, very badly!

And now I have finally relaxed and started crying and cannot stop....I am just so thankful she is ok.

I am taking her to see her pediatrician tomorrow, and let her look at it. I know she will be gentle, and Kinsey knows her. Unlike an unknown ER Dr. who may have been rough with her. Manda and I have talked again, and thought this way would be less traumatic for her.

Thanks for letting me pour it out.....again. I am so glad y'all are here.

Gonna go check on her again....only been in half a dozen times while typing this post, she is sleeping soundly......I will check her bleeding off and on through the night.

Rick and I decided tho, that if it starts up heavy again we are calling an ambulance, so we go straight in to ER.

Will keep you posted.

I am being very careful, I don't even hug my own DD, and don't let Kinsey. We blow kisses. And we wash when we go in and out.

But ya know her Dad is worthless, and we are all she has, I have to go.

My head feels totally wierd, lotsa hive bumps! Odds and end ones, I am surprised with the panic I am not a mass of them.....they may be yet to come!!! Hope not.

OMG I cannot believe I let her get hurt like this! I feel like such an idiot. I know to never leave a child in the tub---but the water was draining out....I needed her towel. The poor thing is going to be so sore. She will never want a bath at Granny's again.

Will be in touch some time tomorrow, will be at the hospital most of the day...and Kinsey's Dr.

hugs~~

Kat

[Iluvharleys 15]

Kat my heart goes out to you. I know you blame yourself for this, but it is not your fault. It is just one of those freak accidents and it's nobody's fault. At some time or other no matter how hard we try they get hurt. We sure don't want them to and try to protect them any way we can. But along comes a day and things happen. She is fine, and she probably learned a good lesson of not standing up and getting out of the tub without help. I guess it's God's way of teaching us things. So, please don't feel so bad!

I hope things get better for you and your family. You have a lot on your plate right now.

Hugs my friend.

[SherryW 4]

Wow Kat......what a day! How is your granddaughter now? I hope she's doing ok and so is her mama.

How is DH and especially you doing today?

[HarleyNana 10]

Oh Kat, I just found this post, (of course I'm not getting email reminders), just decided to check in. As a Nana, I so feel for you. Everytime one of the boys decides he doesn't need help getting out of the tub, which is surrounded by tile, and I can just vision them doing the same thing!

Poor, poor child, not to mention mama, gma and gpa, I wish I was there to give you a big hug.

How are all of you doing today, could we get an update please!!!!!

If she starts burning from the urine, put her in the tub, yes the dreaded tub, with enough Water to cover her bottom and tell her to pee, that way it will be diluted and shouldn't burn.

More hugs!

[HarleyNana 10]

PS, Kat, your daughter, bless her heart, she's been through enough too. Not that it compares to your life, my 5yr old gson has that highly contagious flu, the entire family is taking antibiotics.

Needless to say, your plight has made me realize I have so much to be thankful for that I have taken for granted, for that I thank you again for sharing your story.

[Kat817 19]

Hi girls~

Well, Kinsey is a goin' and a blowin' like nothing ever happened to her. I took her to the pediatrician, and she checked her out really well, and she sliced an area just up inside, and had an abrasion from the scrape of the door rail, the entire length of her little girlie parts. She had quit bleeding, but the next morning she started up again, and the Dr. said it was because she was swelling, so the swelling caused the wounds and abrasions to open up. Had me put 1% hydrocortisone on it, and let it heal. It oozed for awhile, but since her bath last night, there has been none.

She (Dr.) also had us pushing lots of fluids, and doubling her OTC Vitamins, as she did lose a lot of blood. Plus the extra Fluid did as you mentioned Pat, and diluted the urine. But the pediatrician said while it might burn a bit, it was the best thing she could do! That the urine is sterile, and will help in the healing process. Encouraged her to take baths, just no bubbles!!

She is just fine again. And feels like somewhat of a star! Tells her story to anyone who will listen!!

Her Mama is another story. The infection is not responding to any of the antibiotics they have tried. They are on #5 now, along with the vancomyicin, that they thought originally was working. They put in a PIC line so they can use stronger meds, as they get stronger, they tend to eat up veins, so------into the artery with them now. The PIC line is under the bicep of her right arm.

Her white count is headed up again, and the swelling is increasing today, so they plan on draining it tomorrow...something she is dreading and looking forward to all at the same time. The pressure in the ear and gland is so severe, that she is on constant pain meds. So that will be a relief, while she is not looking forward to the actual draining itself, she is ready to get on with it. She was in the hospital, for 2 days, released, then readmitted 29 hours later, andhas been there this time since Thursday morning.

Her work is being great, but in this economy, being off for any reason is not a good thing, you do not want to be dispensable!

Rick is recovering!!! But all you have to do is say anything about it, and he acknowledges that he had never seen anything like it, and hopes to never again! And this is the man that literally threw up buckets of blood during his GI bleed, and has hauled me to the hospital hemhorraging 2 different times!!!

He just says "that poor little girl!"

Thanks for all the well wishes. I am heading back to the hospital soon, it is snowing like hell, so I am dreading it. The hospital is in kinda a poor section of town....why is that so common???? But, waiting to hear from her. Right now her sisters are there (on her Dad's side) so she has company. If she is tired when they leave, I will just let her sleep.

Will update as things change....thanks again for being there. This 24/7 parenting of a 4 year old is exhausting!!!!

Hugs~~

Kat

[HarleyNana 10]

Kat, thanks for the update. I'm glad you took her to the doctor, can't be too safe for sure. As for your daughter, I just don't know what to say, except a prayer.

Snow, ha, it was almost a record breaker here today 74 at my house :thumbdown:, I could handle an early spring.

Sherry, got your jammies on and reading your book?

Trish, love your posts on FB.

Betty, come join us ya hear!

Diane, I enjoyed the cocktail, goes so well with the warm weather.

Almost time for my girlie shows, glad the Grammys are on 3 not 13.

Nite all!

[Trishadish 0]

OMG Kat, {{{{{Super Big Hug}}}}}

I am so sorry to hear all that is happening. I am glad your Kinsey is doing better. Prayers, good thoughts and healing for your daughter.

Please stay strong and keep us informed.

Hello everyone else. Yes, I've been hanging out in Facebook lately...it is quite addicting! Lots of fun and nonsense--just my speed and a great escape from everyday stress! Come sneak a peak at FB Diane and Betty and other LB buddies!

[signgirl 0]

I want to tell everybody Hi and that although I haven't been posting, I always think of you folks

....But today my heart goes out to you, Kat. I'm thinking so many things that I really want to say to you, and then realize that Betty, Pat, Sherry and Trish have already conveyed what I would have wanted to say...and the rest, is in the the silence of a hug......a long, big, hug. I promise my prayers are being said for your DD, you and your whole family.

[Kat817 19]

Thank you so much, all of you, and Pat a super big hug and thanks to you for sharing things for me. As I told Pat, something about typing it, and seeing it in black and white made it just all too real.

As of right now there is no real change in my DD's situation/condition. The preliminary blood work has come back, and the 2 Dr.'s involved are still differing in their opinions of the diagnosis. The ENT believes it to be a simple cellulitis/infection that led to MRSA and is still stubborn about healing. The Dr. in charge of communicable diseases is the one who believes it is the RP, and thinks that even though right now her numbers (SED rate, and a nuclear antibody # or something) are lower than usual for diagnosing this, she believes it is because the flare is easing up.

Needless to say we are praying day and night that the ENT Dr. is right, not the CD Dr.

When I get my email, and get the PM's from all of you, and the Jersey girls who no longer post, it literally reduces me to tears....I am so thankful to have you all, and know that the support is there.

When I got the news I tried to call both Pat and Sherry, as I had their numbers in my phone---and got no answers! Finally got Pat the next morning.

I have been home all day with my granddaughter down sick with a stomach bug---so have not been able to see my DD. I will go up this evening when Papa is here with her.

I will keep you posted either here or in email----if I don't have your email, and you get missed, just let me know, and again---thank you so much for caring about us like you do.

Hugs

XOXOXO

Kat