July 2013 Blood Counts

We recently had birthdays birthdays birthdays around here... Paul was on Wednesday last week, and Jasper turned 10 on Friday...
That's right, T.E.N!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will do another post on that soon, but today is about recent blood counts...

We had bloods done yesterday - 1 July. The doctors are all happy with him. Everything is kind of sitting where it has been.

It would be nice to see him crack 25kg, but he is at 24.4kg... His height is 129.0cm.
The only real concern is his cholesterol which is 5.9. That is pretty high. 3 months ago, at biopsy time, Jasper was fasting and his cholesterol was 6.3. The doctors aren't sure what the go is, so I have an email in to one of FA doctors in America to see if she can assist us!

Here are the blood counts:

• in brackets is the "normal" range.
• the first number is what he was 3 months ago
• the second number is from yesterday.

White Cells (4.5-14.5)         3.90        4.50
Haemoglobin (115-155)       135         131
Platelets (150-400)               112         110
Red Cells (4.00-6.00)          3.71         3.72
MCV (75-92)                      103          105
Neutrophils (1.5 - 8.0)          0.94         1.24

So not much moved, it was all pretty consistent.

We saw a different doctor this time, and it is always interesting to see their take on things.. she is more transplant focused, but we are no where near that stage!!

As FA kids get older, there are more complications and considerations to take in. It is a  true balancing act, and the time to act is not clear... I don't think it ever will be.

For now, we are grateful to have our boy reach "double digits" with no real complications. He is a healthy child, with energy on top of energy.
He drives us crazy, we love him more than anything.

thanks for reading

Brooke

The Pins Come Out

Today was the day we have been waiting for... Jasper's pins were coming out of his thumb!

The dream was for the pins to come out, the splint to come off, and business to resume as usual...
Well, the pins came out....

Here is a little video of the procedure.. It was AMAZING! There is no anaesthetic, no nothing, just some big arse pliers and some wiggling.
The doctor was brilliant. He is Dr Pepsi Max... he always (and I mean ALWAYS) has a can with him... no matter the time or the day!

Jasper was a little freaked out, but I knew that if I didn't video it, he would regret it later. He has already watched it!!

So, the pins are out, Physiotherapy want to see us in 2 weeks... the splint comes off then.

We can take all plasters off the thumb in a day or so, and leave them off if the holes in the end are healed and look good.

After 2 weeks, the splint is off, all coverings are long gone, but Jasper is still banned from all "balls and wheels" for 6 extra weeks - so 8 weeks from today.

Goodbye football season... Jasper is not too happy, but there is always next year!!!

Here are some more photos of the pin coming out....

They were pretty long!!!
Hope it didn't gross you out too much!!

Thanks for reading.

Brooke

Thumb Update

It has been 2 weeks since Jasper's surgery. He is going great!!
There is no pain, and he is back to being... well, Jasper!!
It is a bit sad that he can't go to school swimming that is on for the next 2 weeks, he is missing his Scout's Camp this weekend, and still out of action with his football, but it is not forever, and hopefully the "new" thumb will make life more productive for him!

Just a reminder.. Here is the before photo:

 Just a little crooked, and he didn't really use it for much.

Here is a photo from about 1 1/2 weeks ago, when we had to change the dressing. Notice the 2 hooks out the end? It was so swollen. Poor love.

Here is his plastic splint, all signed by his friends!

 Today at the hospital, here is what his thumb looks like now. It is SO straight!!!
The wires come out in 2 weeks, so that will be the telling tale - will it hold it's shape!!
I will update to let you know...

Thanks for reading

Brooke

Jasper's Thumb Surgery

Jasper had his long awaited thumb surgery on Tuesday (May 14). His thumb looked like this...

and when he complained about it feeling tight, we went back to the doctors and they said they would operate to loosen it, and try to straighten it. Jasper wanted it chopped off at the joint, but they declined!

We didn't have to get to the hospital until 11am,as he was on the afternoon schedule. That meant no eating after 7am, and no only clear fluids between 7am and 11am. He had a HUGE breakfast, and nothing else to eat or drink after 6.45am.
I was in the same boat - I can't eat if he isn't allowed to... just doesn't seem fair.

They didn't seem to understand my need for Jasper to have a blood count done prior to surgery, and when they finally GOT IT, the phlembotomist (vampire), didn't get enough blood to get a good count done. GRRRR. All of this pushed us further down the surgery list, and so instead of going in at 2.15pm, it was 4.45pm. The surgeon said it should take about 30 minutes, but it was about 6.30pm before I  saw him.

Here are some pre-surgery photos.
Initially, we were in a group room with other "day surgery" kids waiting for surgery... slowly they went in one by one, until we were the last ones left.
Then they started coming back, all post surgery, so they asked Jasper and I to move to a small treatment room... it was better, a bed, quiet, and surgical gloves!!! We played a bit!!

 Then in the pre-op bay, we had to wait for the surgeons and anesthetics consultant. Jasper found a trike! In between complaining about hunger, he had a zoom around!

Post surgery was a bit different from biopsy... he wouldn't wake up!! One of the nurses in the post-op bay had a cold wash cloth and was wiping it over his face talking to him REALLY loud! I didn't like it. There was another little girl they were trying to bring around by tickling her with a tissue! Meanie.

He finally woke up enough to drink some juice, hold it down, and open his eyes, so they let us go home. It was almost 8.30pm.

He came home with no pain relief, just the words of "paracetamol", as he can't have ibuprofen.

Wednesday saw Jasper at my bedside saying "it hurts really bad" at 3.30am. I gave him a dose of paracetamol and sent him back to bed. Then he was at me again at 6.30am. I gave him more at 7.30am.

The day saw a LOT of this:

 which made the following happen:

Wednesday, 3.30pm saw me dropping Molly at my parents again... (she had slept there Tuesday night). Jasper and I headed to the hospital as he was SCREAMING in pain, saying it was 8/10.

We were fast tracked through emergency, and they cut the bandages off, took the cast off, and this was the best photo I could get:

 Jasper demanded I do NOT take a photo, as he was freaking out. I am queasy as anything, but had a good look once they took all the coverings off... It looked AMAZING! There are 2 pins sticking out the top of his thumb, and the stitches now go from his existing scar all the way up his thumb! Jasper is now demanding that I take a photo of it, so I will as soon as I can!

The doctor said we should stay the night to get the pain under control, and we got some hard core meds into Jasper.

Before Oxycodone:

 During Oxycodone:

 After Oxycodone: (yes, I took in school work... no change of clothes, or phone charger, but I took maths!!)

 Here he is getting the old cast removed and a new plastic splint-like cast fitted... Nick, the physio said I was free to take photos, as long as I didn't get him in them!

 This set up worked much better.. it doesn't put as much pressure on his thumb, and we can remove it to air his arm out when it starts to get stinky!

 At home, with a very tired momma!

 It doesn't take long to get back to normal around here... tormenting his sister on the swing...

 swinging (albeit with one arm)

Jasper seems to be ok once the pain meds kick in... but he is watching the clock to see when his next dose is. I am only giving him a half dose of the oxycodone and seeing how he goes with that. The paracetamol is 6am, 12 noon and 6pm.

We have a follow up with the surgical team on Wednesday, so will know more then!

Thanks for reading,

Brooke

Molly Turns THREE

It does feel like yesterday when this little bundle of love arrived in our arms.. a super quick labour, arrival at the hospital and 20 minutes later she was there... One night in hospital, and our little family of 3 was under one roof as a family of 4.
Jasper was besotted from the first... he wanted a brother, and still sometimes complains that he wants one, but they love each other so much! (even when screaming at each other!)

Yesterday, May 4th, marked the anniversary of the birth of Molly Ann Miles.
She is no longer a little baby. She is a three year old sassy madam who has a strong mind of her own, voices her opinions very clearly, sings her two times tables, is very independant ("I got this mumma" is a frequent phrase!), and completes our family.

This is what 3 looks like at 7am... bed hair and all!!

 Birthday snuggles from daddy and Jasper

 The presents!!!!!

 Jasper wanted to get in and "help", so he did the cards!!

 All motion, no being still!!

 Molly's big-big brother got her this noisy little pup... it yaps and walks!

 Playing horses with daddy

 Jasper had some friends over.. Molly loves them both.

 Molly's little friend, Viv. Double trouble, double cuteness!

 The super awesome cake, made by momma.

 Getting ready to cut the cake with Jasper.

 The inside of the delicious cake, again, made by momma.... I am pretty proud of myself!!

 Walking down to the park, with big brother Jasper, and big-big brother Brent!

 "cup of tea, mummy?"

Molly decided she did not need to sleep on her birthday. She coped really well!
Presents galore, cake and lollies.... she had a super awesome day with our family.

One week and one day til Jasper's hand operation, and then the end of June sees my first born baby turn 10. Yes, people, that's right. TEN!!!

I think I just got another grey hair!!

Thanks for reading.

Brooke

Operations are not just for Jasper....

So, this is a post about ME. All about ME.
It doesn't happen very often, but I felt I deserved this one...

I had some bad belly pains a few months ago. Really bad. It hurt to eat, it hurt to not eat. It hurt to walk, sit, breathe.. you name it, it hurt. The only thing that made the pain go away a bit was a scalding hot shower.

I went to my doctor, and she took blood, but it showed nothing much. Then the pain went. I didn't give it a second thought.

Then 2 1/2 weeks ago, it started again. It was a Saturday, and I just expected the pain to go away in the afternoon as it had previously. It didn't. It got worse.
Luckily, Paul was home, so he took charge of the kids, and I went to the emergency department at the local hospital. The pain wasn't so bad that I couldn't drive, and I didn't really want the kids coming with us, so the best option was for me to take myself.

They put a cannula in and put me on fluids. I was given strong pain killers and just waited waited waited.I told my parents where I was, because if they had found out after the fact that I was in ED and not told them, they would have been REALLY cross with me!
Dad came up for a bit, but the doctor decided that I could go home with a script for the pain killers and instructions to see my local doctor on Monday.
Off I went to my doctor, who gave me a referral for an endoscopy and an ultrasound. I had to wait a week for these.

On Tuesday morning, I woke up and felt great. No pain, I felt like I was over it again!
Then I got out of bed.
I was so crippled with pain, I could barely breathe.
Jasper packed his own school bag, and I had called a friend to come and pick him up to take him to school. I called my mum, said "I need you", and she was on her way. Then I called another friend to look after Molly for the day for me.
My friend who was looking after Molly came and packed us all in the car, drove Jasper to his ride, and then took me to the hospital to see the doctors again... Dad was already there waiting for me, and mum was on her way.

They admitted me after a bit, and did an ultrasound.
Turns out I had gall stones... My gall bladder had to come out. AND there were some additional stones floating around somewhere that needed to come out too. The plan was that I would have surgery Tuesday night, they would get the loose stones, and I would go home Wednesday!

Here is the first cannula they put in. The doctor in ED took blood from both arms before he was told I needed a cannula... He tried 2 times to get one in my hand as I requested, but couldn't get it, so this is where it went. I don't do needles, so this whole experience was quite traumatic!

So surgery was a kind of success... My gall bladder was removed by keyhole surgery - 4 little cuts.It's amazing actually!
The bad news was the loose roaming stones were not able to be retireved... there goes my plan for being home on Wednesday!
Here is what my tummy looked like a few hours after surgery..

Looking lovely on the oxygen... there was no sleep being had in the hospital!

 I had to go to another hospital via ambulance patient transfer for the second surgery to get those slippery little stones, so that was booked for Thursday. I am happy to say we had SUCCESS!!!
I was pretty happy, as I had not really had anything to eat since Monday night, and this was Thursday! I had to wait for breakfast before I could eat.

Paul was working in Vietnam all the week I was in hospital. We were text messaging, and he sent me a picture of what he was having for dinner...

So, I showed him what I was allowed to eat... I know what I'd rather have had!! (and it ain't the ice cream!)

Just because we don't like to do things by halves, Paul has to go and get his toe squashed by a motorbike while he is in Vietnam. I do have pictures, but it is kinda gross, so I wont subject you to that!

So when he gets home, I can't walk properly, and can't lift anything, and every time he walks, his toe bleeds everywhere! Talk about a comedy act!!

Luckily we are both on the mend!

One of my favourite visitors...

Looking happy and relieved to be escaping from the hospital on Friday afternoon...

 I had a total of 4 hepron needles... it stops you getting blood clots when you are in your bed! I was so bruised from them, and over 2 weeks later, I still have the bruises and lumps!! OUCH!

 I feel better than I have in a long time. A few of my surgery sites are tender still, but there is no belly pain!!!

Jasper has surgery on his hand in 2 weeks, so I will post when we are done with that.

Thanks for reading!

Brooke