Rough winter!!!

This winter as you can read in the subject of this blog has been a rough one. Noah has been sick with something one after another. Mostly we have had three phemonia's in the last 3 months, a viral cold close to another phemonia, and a few retching episodes. Its been very stressful for me and I cannot wait for spring in hopes Spring brings better health. Just last week we went through the viral cold that was very close to phemonia in my opinion. We had many nights of steamed bathrooms for 15 minute episodes, vaporizers, lots of suctioning of his saliva, pounding on back, etc. His stats were very low at night dropping into the med-high 80% oxegyen level and sometimes dropping as low as the high 70's. Very scary. He does however seem to be doing better this week. (knock on wood) He still seems congested at times and has a horrid cough at times but his stats have been in the high 80's to low 90's so Ive been happy.
We started night time nursing last week. Last tuesday to be exact. And I have to say that it has helped so much. The first night I was a reck and didnt sleep very well...worrying and having nightmares about leaving him with someone new. But after that night and seeing how well she does with Noah has relived my worries and Im getting the sleep Ive needed for a long time. The nurse we have is great she is very attentive, and when he wakes up with her at night she gets some PT excersises in and reads to him and cuddles him of course. She seems to be a good fit for the family.
I did go see the specialist for my foot and luckily no surgery as of now. However he was lovely enough to put a Cortisone shot into the bottom of my foot. MAN THAT HURT! but it is doing better now. I have plantar Fasitis meaning tendons in my arch are severely strained and tearing. PT excersises and the coritsone shot and it should get better. Hopefully. IT does feel somewhat better however since the shot Ive been struggling with charlie horses at night in the bad foot. Nothing seems to help. So hopefully that goes away the more I do my PT.
Noah has been set up for another swallow study. I am really Really nervous and stressed about it. They think that his aspirating has got worse and this is the cause of the increase in phemonia. I cried in the office when it was suggested we redo this test. This is the fight Ive been having since he was 6 months old. I want him to be healthy and I do want to find out but I just dont want to take food by mouth away from him. I agreed to do this test on one condition and that the test be done by a different hospital other than MMC in hopes for an unbias opinion. I have really worked and fought hard on Noah drinking bottles and eatting by mouth and it scares me to get this taken away. His appt is April 14th at Central Maine Med in Lewiston, ME. Erik and I will be bringing him and Im really praying that it is okay news. I have decided that as much as I would hate it Im ok with them telling me he cannot drink from a bottle (as tears stream down my face) as long as they say its still ok to eat icecream ( he loves it thanks to his grandfather LOL) and solid foods. Just this one thing is all I pray for everynight.
We also have an appt scheduled to an Orthepedist to look at his curvature of his spine. This is scheduled for April 26th. I hope this is not bad news as well.
Noah is now set up with Case Management services now and the lady we met with seemed to be great in that she was going to help us to get some great things. It feels good to have someone on my side who can help me now.
So March seemed to bring adventures through the sickness realm....Im hoping and praying for April to bring good news, answers, and health.

Another Hospital Visit

So this month has not started out so good either. Sunday Noah started to sound really "junky" and was running a temp. I tried to handle this without going to the hospital or doctors office--crossing my fingers it was just a cold. Sunday night his stats were really low...so Monday morning I took him to Goodall Express in Waterboro. They listened to him and took his oxegyen stats as well... registering at an 86 % the doctors decided that Noah needed oxegyen and should be brought to Maine Medical Center by ambulance to get the care he needed. He has phemonia. So we spent the night in the Barbara Bush Hosiptal.
He is home now and we are doing everything we can to get him feeling better. He is doing better but we are still struggling a little. Last night his stats dropped to 81 at bedtime. We brought him downstairs and steammed up the bathroom and brought him in there for 15 minutes. I set up his Vicks WAterless Vaporizer in his crib and we got his stats to stay at 89-90 all night. Mommy was a nervous reck all night but it worked.
I went to SMCC yesterday to get my foot looked at finally. It has been hurting me for at least 9 months but I have been to stubborn to go get it looked at. It has finally got to the point it hurts so much to put any wieght on it and it just aches all the time. So I went. Xrays confirmed that I infact have a pretty big heel spur on my foot. I go to a specialist on Monday and Im a little nervous that they are going to say its surgery time. But maybe besides my fear of needles this might be the best choice anyway so that I can get it healed as quick as I can so I can be back to my 100% self for Noah. We will see how it goes Monday.
So Today I registered for the Epilepsy Walk again. I really hope to raise more this year than last year, and Im hoping that all my family and friends from last years walk does it this year too. Here is the link to my page:Please go on and help me raise money to a cause that means so much to me and my family. And anyone interested in walking let me know you can join my team!

Where do I start....

Well its been a while since I last updated my blog. But this is by far not the longest I've gone!! LOL!
Well this blog will bring many updates on many different things some good others bad. Here we go. Noah is doing okay. January and Febuary were both hard months for us. January being the worst. We got through the EEG and the allergic reaction and the phemonias finally. Lets hope March brings back the less bumpy path. He has had some tempatures lately reaching 103.2-103.3 but bringing him to the doctors office on Monday the doctors felt it was just a viral bug going around. He seemed to do better Tuesday but Wednesday had the temp again. No signs WEdnesday or today so lets hope that it is done.
On Febuary 20th we brought him in for his scoliosis xrays. The results showed that he does in fact have a 20 degree curvature to the spine but his pelvis is fine so far. We are going to be seeing a orthropedist as soon as we are referred to one. The pediatrician and Noahs therapist feel that this visit will result in the specialist just wanting to keep close eye on him for right now.
The struggle to get Night time nurses is still an on-going struggle. I finally gave up on the first company and researched a company close by. They were going to hire my own mother to come into the home and they were going to pay her to watch Noah. We were very excited about this. I was approved to recieve 48 hours and was going to have four nights and some day time hours covered. However the agency had a weight restriction of 20 lbs! And will not let mom lift him. So now Im back to square one and have started back with the first agency. They are coming into the home on Wednesday next week to do their evaluation and hopefully in two weeks I will have help. Frustrating.
He was doing pretty good sleeping well at night but lately its been another story. We do have some good night but we still have quite a bit of not so good nights. It would just be nice to have some help.
Because of this we have decided to change my scrapbook room into Noah's new bedroom downstairs. I went out and got a dresser and Noah's auntie Holly helped me to find a really great deal on a brand new crib. So we have a room for him now that is his very own...well besides the computer being in it!!! But its nice to have his own space where I can put his equipment and supplies! Very exciting!
More Good news!!! I went to sign up for classes for this term and was told some very exciting news. Because Andover is switching to Kaplan University some of my classes from YCCC that didnt transfer to my major when they were Andover now do transfer. This term I am taking two online classes and next term starting in May I have to do my externship and then in June I graduate! I get my degree, my associates degree in Early Childhood. Not sure what I am going to do with it yet. I've got some options we will see what I decide as it gets closer. But I am so excited!!!
My wieght loss has slowly came to a hault but its my own fault. Over the past few weeks I just had so much going on and Noah's really been sleeping like crap and I just havent had the energy to workout. I keep saying Im going to return to it but I just havent found the stamina yet. Really am going to work on this in the next few weeks. I can do it. I want to do it. I need to do it.
This week Erik is on vacation so we are going to start painting the house. We have paint for the kitchen and dining room. And the girls room. So starting next week my house is going to be madeover!