I just wanted to give everyone a quick update on Alison's hospital visit this week.
Overall, things went well but with some errors/confusion on the hospital staff/coordination part- yet again-- I wont bore you with the frustrating logistics of the matter, as its pretty hard to go into and can't be the most exciting thing to read about either!
But, I will say that things took a little bit longer this time (we were there about 5 hours) and now that Alison is getting older she is much more aware of what is going on as was evident on Tuesday! She did really well though, all things considered..
When we were checking in and they took her vitals, she didn't scream or fight, and she is able to now tolerate getting her pulse/temperature checked pretty well! However, when we were waiting to be called down to the OR/Anesthesia area, she was a little bit anxious and might have had an idea that something was going on as she kept saying "No wait,.... no wait".. and, finally, when we met with the Anesthesiologist to discuss and go over the procedure(s) she KNEW someting going to happen that she didn't want part of and she started yelling "HOME!!!" over. and over. and over. Poor thing!!
The awesome part was that we had a fabulous Anesthesiologoist who was super sweet and sensitive and was able to understand our situation and take control very quickly. The not so great part was that after they gave Alison the initial gas and she was sedated, it took them about an hour to get the blood needed for the tests- and then the I.V started. Our anesthesiologist apologized profusely for the amount of sticks it took (I counted 18). But, the good part is that Alison was sleeping by that time. After they got the I.V going, she had her MRI and then was transferred upstairs to be run through the CAT scan. She woke up in recovery a little groggier and crankier than normal (we think in part due to the hour on the gas, as history shows she does not respond well when exposed to long periods of gas sedation).
The blood tests always take a while to come back and we more than likely wont have those results for another two or three weeks. And, honestly those are the most important part of the testing as far as any Cancer is concerned. But, her doctor called yesterday that both of her scans were clear, which is great news as well!!
I will take a short break from the blog Alison and I are headed to Pittsburgh tomorrow for a week of visiting my mom, Bill and friends! Will update as we hear more news/when we return!
Thank you for checking in!
Friday, June 05, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
That time again
On Tuesday morning we will take Alison to the hospital for her latest round of sedation, scans (CT and MRI) and blood-draws. The 14th of June mark the two years anniversary of Alison's diagnosis and surgery. We are hoping that after these rounds of scans and tests come back negative, Alison's doctors will feel confident enough to push back her scan schedule to every 6 month, instead of the current 3 or 4. That would be so nice! Thanks for checking in!
Where did May go?
It is officially Summer and I thought I'd share a few photos taken during the month of May.
Before David left for a 10 day underway, Alison and I went to visit his ship (U.S.S McCluskey)on one of his duty days and meet him for dinner. Although Alison and I had seen his ship from the outside once or twice, neither of us had been inside to see where he works/lives when he is away at sea before. Alison likes to talk about Daddy going to work on a daily basis so we thought it would be good chance for her to see daddy's work environment, esp before he left for 10 days at sea. She was very excited to be there and had a blast eating her mac and cheese dinner in the wardroom where Daddy eats everday.
In front of U.S.S McCluskey- David met us in the parking lot area since we had never been before. His boat is the one to the right at the very end of the dock.
(fyi: the humongous white ship on the left is of no relation to
David's boat but is the USNS Mercy which goes all over the world on humanitarian missions.)
Alison in the wardroom-waiting to eat her warmed up mac and cheese :)
Alison and her daddy in his room. Yeah tiny! There are built in closets, a tiny desk with his computer, and 2 bunks on the opposite side. David shares his room/office with another Lt. when they are out to sea.
Me on the bridge of the McCluskey
Sun setting from McCluskey. Coronado bridge in the distance.
Alison's Oma (my mom) visited for a few days while David was out at sea for the underway. It was really nice for Alison and I to have her company!
Alison and her Oma; standing next to the best letter of the alphabet!
Playing soccer/ball at the park
Here we are feeding ducks at a local pond
David returned on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. We enjoyed the long weekend together by grilling out, visiting Sea World, going for bike rides, and doing a little car washing :)
Alison really likes to help!
And Supervise!
Soappy Hands!
Alison and I will be taking a trip to Pittsburgh next week to visit my mom and "uncle" Bill! I thought it would be nice for Alison to have her very own rolling luggage bag that she can take on the plane with us. When I saw this " Hello Kitty" travel bag, I knew it was the one for her! When we got it home Alison wheeled it all over the house for hours practicing. She is super excited to bring it on the "high and lo" (Alison's word for airplane) next week. In fact, she wanted me to take a photo of her and the bag and she even staged the photo all by herself-- She stood by our fireplace and put the bag on one side of her and her wooden (animal) pull train set on the other. She doesn't like the camera much these days but was more than happy (and proud!) to pose for these!
Her little curly hair ringlets are getting longer!--And if you look close, you can see a few freckles!
And, signing "thank you" :)
Before David left for a 10 day underway, Alison and I went to visit his ship (U.S.S McCluskey)on one of his duty days and meet him for dinner. Although Alison and I had seen his ship from the outside once or twice, neither of us had been inside to see where he works/lives when he is away at sea before. Alison likes to talk about Daddy going to work on a daily basis so we thought it would be good chance for her to see daddy's work environment, esp before he left for 10 days at sea. She was very excited to be there and had a blast eating her mac and cheese dinner in the wardroom where Daddy eats everday.
In front of U.S.S McCluskey- David met us in the parking lot area since we had never been before. His boat is the one to the right at the very end of the dock.
(fyi: the humongous white ship on the left is of no relation to
David's boat but is the USNS Mercy which goes all over the world on humanitarian missions.)
Alison in the wardroom-waiting to eat her warmed up mac and cheese :)
Alison and her daddy in his room. Yeah tiny! There are built in closets, a tiny desk with his computer, and 2 bunks on the opposite side. David shares his room/office with another Lt. when they are out to sea.
Me on the bridge of the McCluskey
Sun setting from McCluskey. Coronado bridge in the distance.
Alison's Oma (my mom) visited for a few days while David was out at sea for the underway. It was really nice for Alison and I to have her company!
Alison and her Oma; standing next to the best letter of the alphabet!
Playing soccer/ball at the park
Here we are feeding ducks at a local pond
David returned on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. We enjoyed the long weekend together by grilling out, visiting Sea World, going for bike rides, and doing a little car washing :)
Alison really likes to help!
And Supervise!
Soappy Hands!
Alison and I will be taking a trip to Pittsburgh next week to visit my mom and "uncle" Bill! I thought it would be nice for Alison to have her very own rolling luggage bag that she can take on the plane with us. When I saw this " Hello Kitty" travel bag, I knew it was the one for her! When we got it home Alison wheeled it all over the house for hours practicing. She is super excited to bring it on the "high and lo" (Alison's word for airplane) next week. In fact, she wanted me to take a photo of her and the bag and she even staged the photo all by herself-- She stood by our fireplace and put the bag on one side of her and her wooden (animal) pull train set on the other. She doesn't like the camera much these days but was more than happy (and proud!) to pose for these!
Her little curly hair ringlets are getting longer!--And if you look close, you can see a few freckles!
And, signing "thank you" :)
She's got "sol"
The shirt says so, and her dancing proves it. All while wearing her mama's flip-flops! :)
Friday, May 22, 2009
Mother's Day
I love Mother's Day. Seriously! Not to sound cheesy (which, of course I will anyway) but now that I am a mom I just get this warm and fuzzy feeling on the day. For me, it is much more special than my birthday (I'm not a big celebrater of that one!) and I guess what makes this day cool for me is the fact that not only do I have a special relationship with my own mom that I cherish, but I also really love being a mama to Alison.
So, we started the day with a trip up San Diego's Balboa Park. In theory this sounded like a relaxing plan..a nice stroll in a city park, tons of cool museums, gardens, rich architecture and things to see.. but with an active and quite curious toddler, things never work out as envisioned of course ;) It became apparent soon after we arrived that Alison had other plans for us, which meant scoping out every set of stairs in this park and conquering them. over. and over. and over again. I never knew that Balboa park had so many sets of stairs and I dont know if it is typical of Spanish Revival Style or what, but they are all over the place and our child seemed to have radar for them! Once she found them she did not want to leave them either, of course!
Photos below..
These stairs outside of the Timken Museum of Art were probably her fave- We didn't actually go into the museum on this day, but this spot gets Alison's vote for best stairs-- I lost count how many times she walked up and down.
I don't know if she is trying to practice her Miss America walk here or what but I'd say she has that walk/smile/wave thing perfected.
how David and I spent most of our time--watching on and waiting.
Are you finished with these stairs yet Alison??
Yet, more stairs.
In case you were curious, this is what happens when trying to tear her away from her beloved stairs. Classic, eh?
In the end an airplane ride from her daddy helped put that smile back on her face.
At least I was able to manage a photo with my girl at one point.
After we came back from the park I got some highly cherished "ME" time ! David and Alison left the house for a few hours and I had the house to myself and experienced a rare thing- SILENCE! I made myself a smoothie, sat in the sun, got a little bit of reading done and caught up on some dvr'd television. But, want to know something ironic? After two hours or so I got bored and called my family to see when they would be coming back home. HA!
Hope you all had a great Mother's Day!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
videos
I know everyone likes to see video from time to time.
Dancing with her doll (if you listen you can hear her kind of singing along to Old Mcdonald-- she thinks they are saying "Home" instead of EI-EI-"O":)
Clapping for Shamu at Sea World
Convo about going on Daddy's ship for a visit
Dancing with her doll (if you listen you can hear her kind of singing along to Old Mcdonald-- she thinks they are saying "Home" instead of EI-EI-"O":)
Clapping for Shamu at Sea World
Convo about going on Daddy's ship for a visit
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Dentist visit #2
Last Friday we went to a new pediatric dentist office in order to get a 2nd opinion on Alison's dental situation. I knew going in what to expect from Alison, and I had explained to the office/dentist that things could get ugly. They were compassionate, felt sorry we had a previous bad dental experience, and seemed very understanding and eager to try to replace our bad experience with a better one.
David was able to leave work early last Friday so that he could go with me this time. When Alison gets upset she has the strength of 3 men ( it really feels that way at least!!) and I figured he may be better able to hold her during the exam. Upon arrival at the office, Alison played in the waiting area and life was good. The waiting area was not crowded with parents and tons of children waiting and the best part is that we didn't have to wait an hour before we were called back.
Things weren't pretty when we went into the exam area as Alison knew exactly what was going on. But, what was nice was that the appointment was scheduled right before the office lunch so there were no other kids in the exam area and all attention could be paid on Alison. I was able to transfer the X-rays taken at the previous office so that they didn't have to re-take them thankfully!! All we had to was get through the oral exam. The awesome part (and difference) was that the dentist and staff remained calm through this process. And, props to my husband as he was the one this time sitting in the knee-to-knee position while holding a squirming-screaming-kicking-Alison during the exam. It's not easy.
Overall, the experience went as well as possible, and better!! After the exam was completed the dentist was able to sit down with us and go into detail about Alison's teeth as well as the work that will be needed. One thing that I learned from him was that Alison's teeth are more brittle than others and this is due to the way they were formed. He mentioned that when they were forming they were probably exposesd to some sort of "stressor" and the result makes teeth that are more prone to issues. He also reported that Alison has three cavities and not five like the other office told me! He said that three cavities are up front (actually two cavities--and one chipped tooth in the front which needs a cap since the chip is so close to the root). The two problem areas in the back molars though are actually NOT decay, but in fact small chips as a result of her brittle teeth. We will want to keep an eye on those.
When I told a few people I was taking alison in for a 2nd opinion I got a lot of support from great friends (a lot of moms who also understand!) but I'm sure a few others might have wondered why bother? And WHY would I choose to put Alison through this again? However, I have to say I am really glad that I listened to my mommy instinct and went through with it. Alison may have had to endure a few minutes of anxiety and tears yet again but we had a very different experience this time and feeling when we left. I didn't start crying as soon as I got in the car this time! In fact I felt confident and completely happy, I think we all did. And, ironically, Alison is doing SO much better when it comes to toothbrushing at home lately. She brushes her teeth every morning (usually!) and every night and after she brushes at night David will do a "quick brush" again just to make sure she got them. She doesn't like that part so much of course 1) because of her oral aversion and 2) due to the fact that her favorite word is "NO" (with a smile!), she likes to be the one in control and wants to do EVERYthing HERSELF, of course. :)
So, Alison will need two fillings and one cap in front- we weren't able to schedule an appointment for this yet because the authorization is being sent in to our insurance first. The holdup is mostly because an anesthesiologist is needed for the sedation and that part has to be authorized first. You know how insurance goes!
-More good news is that Alison will be starting Speech Therapy next week! She will go twice a week at the same office that sees her for Physical therapy. I am super excited for speech therapy to begin as I know that this will be soo great for her. Physical therapy will be ending shortly so the timing is just perfect too.
-Alison is scheduled for her next round of MRI and CT scans, bloodwork and sedation at the Naval Medical Center for June 2nd. David will be in port so I am thankful he will be able to go with me.
David was able to leave work early last Friday so that he could go with me this time. When Alison gets upset she has the strength of 3 men ( it really feels that way at least!!) and I figured he may be better able to hold her during the exam. Upon arrival at the office, Alison played in the waiting area and life was good. The waiting area was not crowded with parents and tons of children waiting and the best part is that we didn't have to wait an hour before we were called back.
Things weren't pretty when we went into the exam area as Alison knew exactly what was going on. But, what was nice was that the appointment was scheduled right before the office lunch so there were no other kids in the exam area and all attention could be paid on Alison. I was able to transfer the X-rays taken at the previous office so that they didn't have to re-take them thankfully!! All we had to was get through the oral exam. The awesome part (and difference) was that the dentist and staff remained calm through this process. And, props to my husband as he was the one this time sitting in the knee-to-knee position while holding a squirming-screaming-kicking-Alison during the exam. It's not easy.
Overall, the experience went as well as possible, and better!! After the exam was completed the dentist was able to sit down with us and go into detail about Alison's teeth as well as the work that will be needed. One thing that I learned from him was that Alison's teeth are more brittle than others and this is due to the way they were formed. He mentioned that when they were forming they were probably exposesd to some sort of "stressor" and the result makes teeth that are more prone to issues. He also reported that Alison has three cavities and not five like the other office told me! He said that three cavities are up front (actually two cavities--and one chipped tooth in the front which needs a cap since the chip is so close to the root). The two problem areas in the back molars though are actually NOT decay, but in fact small chips as a result of her brittle teeth. We will want to keep an eye on those.
When I told a few people I was taking alison in for a 2nd opinion I got a lot of support from great friends (a lot of moms who also understand!) but I'm sure a few others might have wondered why bother? And WHY would I choose to put Alison through this again? However, I have to say I am really glad that I listened to my mommy instinct and went through with it. Alison may have had to endure a few minutes of anxiety and tears yet again but we had a very different experience this time and feeling when we left. I didn't start crying as soon as I got in the car this time! In fact I felt confident and completely happy, I think we all did. And, ironically, Alison is doing SO much better when it comes to toothbrushing at home lately. She brushes her teeth every morning (usually!) and every night and after she brushes at night David will do a "quick brush" again just to make sure she got them. She doesn't like that part so much of course 1) because of her oral aversion and 2) due to the fact that her favorite word is "NO" (with a smile!), she likes to be the one in control and wants to do EVERYthing HERSELF, of course. :)
So, Alison will need two fillings and one cap in front- we weren't able to schedule an appointment for this yet because the authorization is being sent in to our insurance first. The holdup is mostly because an anesthesiologist is needed for the sedation and that part has to be authorized first. You know how insurance goes!
-More good news is that Alison will be starting Speech Therapy next week! She will go twice a week at the same office that sees her for Physical therapy. I am super excited for speech therapy to begin as I know that this will be soo great for her. Physical therapy will be ending shortly so the timing is just perfect too.
-Alison is scheduled for her next round of MRI and CT scans, bloodwork and sedation at the Naval Medical Center for June 2nd. David will be in port so I am thankful he will be able to go with me.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
New layout
I felt like changing things up here on the blog and and wanted to add some color and flair. What do you think? Do you like it? Hate it? Ambivalent? Still trying to fix the bugs associated with it so let me know soon. I'll be posting a new Alison update shortly too..keep checkin' back!
Friday, May 01, 2009
You take the good you take the bad you take them both and there you have..
Alison loves to go to the playground and I haven't taken many photos there before, so the last time we went I took my small point and shoot and snapped away. Ironically, her most FAVORITE part of the playground trip is the swing (and yet I did not take any photos of her on the swing!). In fact, she could spend the entire time swinging in the swing for an hour then leave the playground and be a happy kid! She has always been a baby that loves the sensory aspect of swinging. When she was an infant it was THE only way to get her to sleep during the day aside from when she nursed. These days she associates going to the playground with swinging because she doesn't ask to go to the playground she only asks to go "SWEEN"! On the other hand, getting her to leave the playground swing can often times be tricky, she loves it so much!
Last weekend we headed up to Carlsbad, CA to investigate and view the Wildflower Fields that bloom every spring in the area. We heard that the fields were currently in full bloom and thought it would be a fun drive up there too (only about an hour away). WRONG. For some reason the 5 was PACKED on a Sunday mid-afternoon and the actual wildflower fields were kind of a letdown. OK, so perhaps our expectations were set too high as we were picturing majestic fields of flowers spanning for acres and acres in the middle of nowhere. (If anyone reading this has been to the Skagit County Tulip Festival in NorthWest Washington then you will completely understand our disappointment!)
All was not lost though! We had fun trying to take photos (of which Alison wanted NOTHING to do with posing for a picture with me on this particular day! As you will see in one of the photos below she was actually running away from me as if being in a photo with me would be THE worst thing in the world!!!) ;)
And, next door to the flower fields? A huge Outlet shopping center which more than made up for our dashed flower dreams (at least in my mind!). We did our civic duty by contributing to the economy a little bit too and the day ended on a nice note! :)
Specific news re: Alison this week--
Dentist: I've heard nothing back from the dentist office where I took Alison for her first checkup more than 3 weeks ago. I've called numerous times and they give me some lame excuse to call me back and never do. I'm getting sick of this run-around , esp if she really does have crucial work that is needed to be done soon. Thus, I've decided to take her to a new dentist office (a much recommended one from other local moms) where we will try to get a 2nd opinion on Alison's cavity situation. As crazy as it may sound and as horrible as an experience as we had at that first dental visit, I think a 2nd opinion is best considering the amount of work that they reccomended Alison would need. Not going to get my hopes up but I'm hoping this visit goes at least a little better.
I was able to transfer Alison's X-rays over so hopefully we wont have to go through the pain of tring to get those all over again and we will just have a quick, though probably teary, consulation and all will be over. We go in later today for the appointment, wish us luck!
Good news? Alison's Physical Therapists met with me for a few minutes after yesterday's therapy appointment and told me she is doing SO great that we have the option of discontinuing or tapering down therapy at any point now!! Her therapist says that she has made so much great progress (though still has very minor areas they could work on like jumping and balance if we so choose) and has improved so very much that we now have the option of cutting back to once a week therapy OR none at all! It is completely up to me/us at this point! Crazy as it sounds, I was ALMOST a tad disappointed to hear this initally. Don't get me wrong, I am beyond proud of Alison for working hard and so happy she is doing extremely well of course! But this has been a big part of our routine here in San Diego ever since we arrived and Alison enjoys going there (well, most days anyway) and it is really just like play time for her. She loves her therapists and they love her too and she is quite the hit at the center. I'll miss seeing the other same faces in the waiting room at the same time we are there.So, to make the transition a bit easier I may initially cut her PT back to once a week at first, and then cut the remaining day in a few weeks. Also, the timing actually works out perfectly because I believe that Speech Therapy will be starting soon for Alison which I'm excited for her to begin and going there everyday of the week would have been just TOO much of a good thing!
Photos...
A few pics of Alison at the playground
The Carlsbad Wildflower fields-- pretty, but not what we expected with the apartment buildings, hotels, restaurants and outlet shops right next door.
Alison is really into the WAVE right now. Apparently she thinks that when a photo of her is about to be taken she is supposed to wave very dramatically in the camera's direction :)
A photo of me, myself and I- in front of the fields
(notice Alison's head in the bottom left corner? Yeah, that was her running away!)
She was more than happy to pose by herself though :)
Last weekend we headed up to Carlsbad, CA to investigate and view the Wildflower Fields that bloom every spring in the area. We heard that the fields were currently in full bloom and thought it would be a fun drive up there too (only about an hour away). WRONG. For some reason the 5 was PACKED on a Sunday mid-afternoon and the actual wildflower fields were kind of a letdown. OK, so perhaps our expectations were set too high as we were picturing majestic fields of flowers spanning for acres and acres in the middle of nowhere. (If anyone reading this has been to the Skagit County Tulip Festival in NorthWest Washington then you will completely understand our disappointment!)
All was not lost though! We had fun trying to take photos (of which Alison wanted NOTHING to do with posing for a picture with me on this particular day! As you will see in one of the photos below she was actually running away from me as if being in a photo with me would be THE worst thing in the world!!!) ;)
And, next door to the flower fields? A huge Outlet shopping center which more than made up for our dashed flower dreams (at least in my mind!). We did our civic duty by contributing to the economy a little bit too and the day ended on a nice note! :)
Specific news re: Alison this week--
Dentist: I've heard nothing back from the dentist office where I took Alison for her first checkup more than 3 weeks ago. I've called numerous times and they give me some lame excuse to call me back and never do. I'm getting sick of this run-around , esp if she really does have crucial work that is needed to be done soon. Thus, I've decided to take her to a new dentist office (a much recommended one from other local moms) where we will try to get a 2nd opinion on Alison's cavity situation. As crazy as it may sound and as horrible as an experience as we had at that first dental visit, I think a 2nd opinion is best considering the amount of work that they reccomended Alison would need. Not going to get my hopes up but I'm hoping this visit goes at least a little better.
I was able to transfer Alison's X-rays over so hopefully we wont have to go through the pain of tring to get those all over again and we will just have a quick, though probably teary, consulation and all will be over. We go in later today for the appointment, wish us luck!
Good news? Alison's Physical Therapists met with me for a few minutes after yesterday's therapy appointment and told me she is doing SO great that we have the option of discontinuing or tapering down therapy at any point now!! Her therapist says that she has made so much great progress (though still has very minor areas they could work on like jumping and balance if we so choose) and has improved so very much that we now have the option of cutting back to once a week therapy OR none at all! It is completely up to me/us at this point! Crazy as it sounds, I was ALMOST a tad disappointed to hear this initally. Don't get me wrong, I am beyond proud of Alison for working hard and so happy she is doing extremely well of course! But this has been a big part of our routine here in San Diego ever since we arrived and Alison enjoys going there (well, most days anyway) and it is really just like play time for her. She loves her therapists and they love her too and she is quite the hit at the center. I'll miss seeing the other same faces in the waiting room at the same time we are there.So, to make the transition a bit easier I may initially cut her PT back to once a week at first, and then cut the remaining day in a few weeks. Also, the timing actually works out perfectly because I believe that Speech Therapy will be starting soon for Alison which I'm excited for her to begin and going there everyday of the week would have been just TOO much of a good thing!
Photos...
A few pics of Alison at the playground
The Carlsbad Wildflower fields-- pretty, but not what we expected with the apartment buildings, hotels, restaurants and outlet shops right next door.
Alison is really into the WAVE right now. Apparently she thinks that when a photo of her is about to be taken she is supposed to wave very dramatically in the camera's direction :)
A photo of me, myself and I- in front of the fields
(notice Alison's head in the bottom left corner? Yeah, that was her running away!)
She was more than happy to pose by herself though :)
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