Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Quick Catch-Up

UPDATE ON THE UPDATE: Emma was clear - no RSV, so she went back home with her aunt. Katie spent most of the day in the hospital - I was there most of the time, holding her so Kristen could get some things done and some rest. She went home at around 3:00 and we're keeping the big girls, since they have colds and they shouldn't be near the babes. Emma is staying with her aunt until Katie is well, so she doesn't pass the germs on to her. My word for the year, flexible, is getting a real workout!


PRAYER REQUEST UPDATE: Katie was admitted to the hospital around noon today with RSV (http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/welcome/infectionsguide/preventing_rsv.html). This is a serious issue for preemies. Emma was with her aunt all day today and now has been taken to the emergency room with the beginnings of the same type of cough and raspiness. Please pray for all of us! I have the bigger girls here tonight.



I needs lots of time to show you the beautiful shots of our week-end in the hills. I just wanted to catch you all up on a few things.


Maizie went home to Jesus and Joe on Monday morning. The funeral will be Friday afternoon at the funeral home. Her son who lives here is not a believer; in fact, he's quite anti anything Christian. He took a shine to my dad, the retired pastor who visited her, and has asked him to officiate at the service. It will be a small funeral, because most who knew her are already there waiting for her.

Lauren's mom and dad were on the news last night - they have already been to the state legislature to encourage passing of a law requiring carbon monoxide detectors in homes and apartments, just as smoke detectors are required. This bill was up for passage last year and failed. Six people have died in Colorado recently of CO poisoning. A skating rink in Greeley was closed down earlier this week when fumes were detected - apparently from a faulty zomboni. Scary stuff. A family of 4 was found dead in a huge luxury home in Aspen - they had won a week-end stay at this home in some sort of society contest in Denver. I don't know who the sixth person was.

Kristen will start school again Tuesday, so my schedule will rev up again with the babies every morning. The month has flown.

Kev and Sema are having a wonderful time with her family. We had an e-mail yesterday, which is always a treat. He's been keeping close tabs on the Super Bowl news, the Nuggets basketball scores, and the hiring of the new coach for the Broncos. Isn't it amazing what the Internet can do? Here's an exerpt from his message:

"Well we just got back from "shamba" which means farm really. It's their plot of land in a town called Kilifi near the beach. The beach was just a few minutes' walk away. It was so nice and peaceful, compared to Mombasa where it's loud, unbearably hot, and all that. I like both, but Dad, you would love it there in the countryside. I took lots of video. There are literally millions of palm trees there. This week we are actually going to a place called Watamu, a little town a couple hours away where (Sema's) dad has purchased us four acres of land. It's the first time we get to see that. Actually it was our wedding present. . . Wow, time is flying by. We hope to stay in a hotel for a night this week. Imagine at shamba we had to stay in a tent for 4 nights. and the mosquitoes, my goodness. I had to cover myself in bugspray every night. Other than that it was quite nice. Nothing to do but go to the beach and read. I also got stung by a jellyfish . . . "

I'm thankful they took lots of bug spray, because malaria is a real concern over there. Please pray as they come home next week on the 23rd that their flights will go more smoothly! I always wonder what they will do with that property that they own on the coast of Kenya!

I was going to show you this picture on my anniversary post, but there is a reason to show it now. This is my anniversary gift, which we found as we were visiting our favorite shop in Estes Park. They carry lovely paintings and photography. This caught my eye immediately - these watches are made in British Columbia and the bands are various types of wood. Just beautiful. Mine is sandalwood, I believe.




Please don't look too closely at the age spots on the hand! I took a shot from the other angle to show you the incredibly ugly ganglian cyst that I've been sporting for several months.




I keep waiting for it to disappear, as it did once before. But it just keeps getting bigger instead. I Googled it and learned that one way to get rid of it is to smash it with the old family Bible. Seriously. My friend (the one who just lost Lauren) told me recently that her grandmother got rid of hers when her grandfather did just that. The doctor even mentioned the old fashioned remedy! I think I'll pass! I don't have an old family Bible and I don't think my leather one would do the trick - maybe The Message would be heavy enough - but it sounds a bit too painful!

Modern methods are two - surgery, which I'd like to avoid, or aspiration of the gunk inside. I went in Tuesday with high hopes for aspiration. Often the cyst will return when this is done. Well, true to form, every time I have something done, it turns out to be a bit on the weird side. I don't want to gross you out with details, but suffice it to say the young doctor just about had a heart attack, I think, when the syringe began to fill with blood instead of gelatinous gook. He tried a different spot, after pressing on it very hard to stop the bleeding, with a bit more success. But not enough. I still have a large cyst, now with two needle holes in it. He was quite shocked and distressed, saying that I must have a vein over the top of it instead of underneath it. He wants to see me again in a week, but I don't really see what good that will do. My wonderful retirement insurance, pre-old-enough-to-have-Medicare-insurance, has such a high deductible that I don't really want to go the surgery route. But I really don't like having this ugly thing on my wrist either, and it does get in the way of my watch!

Could you pray for little Katie today? She has a nasty cold and Kristen just told me she spiked a temp during the night. She'll take her to the doctor today. We had hoped to avoid another trip over there.

I'll close this morning with this adorable picture of Feisty and her leaf-filled snowman that she made yesterday afternoon with what was left of Monday's snow.




20 comments:

Needled Mom said...

Such a wonderfully newsy post, Dawn.

First of all I am so glad that Maizie has entered into eternal life and will be free of the pain and indignity from this life. I am also glad that her son has softened a bit...there is always hope.

I had read about the carbon monoxide poisening of that family and thought about how awful that was. I do hope they can get the bill passed this time.

I love your new watch. I know you will enjoy it for years. That ganglion is a puzzling thing. I am not so sure that I could tolerate the pain of the Bible slam. It doesn't sound like a good idea with a blood vessel there either.

Reading Kev's letter reminded me of that "Hello Mudder" song from the child at camp. Prays remain for a safe trip back - on time!

Yes, your days will be busy again, but remember the many blessings that you are for Kristen. That is what makes all the work worthwhile. (Plus you get to have such precious time getting to know the girls.)

Have a great week.

Sue Seibert said...

Love the picture of Feisty! As to the cyst, I have thankfully never had one, but one of our cats does, and it always comes back. That Bible thing sounds pretty good, actually. Wonder if it really worked on anyone. I pray the kids come back safely from Africa!

xoxoxo

someone else said...

That's a really pretty watch!! What a nice gift.

A Hint of Home said...

How adorable Feisty is.
I'm sorry about your cyst. I had one like that and it was hard to use my thumb. I was told of the Bible remedy but decided against the smashing. I went to an orthopedic dr. and he shot it with cortisone and it went away--but first it created a rebound effect and was very painful for a day or so. All ended well and it never came back.
I may have gotten it from overuse, they said. I was holding a lot of wood items while tole painting.

I wish you success, whatever the course you choose.

Unknown said...

None of the solutions to get rid of a cyst sound pleasant! I think I would have been concerned too seeing the syringe fill with blood.

Please keep us updated on Kate. I hope she feels better soon!

Sharon Lynne said...

I'll pray for the twins!!!!
(regarding the post update)

-and your cyst.

Unknown said...

I will be praying. I have hope that these miracle girls will make it through this illness okay.

Hootin Anni said...

I'd have the surgery for that cyst! [we both have age spots....I thought that was normal...so I really wouldn't have noticed if you didn't mention it.]

I pray for your babies!!! Hope they recover 100%!!!

And the snowman...and her smile? Priceless!!!!

That watch is so very unique!!!

Keep us posted on the twins...I care.

Laurie in Ca. said...

Dawn,

I will definitely be praying for the twins and for yours and mommy's hearts to be calm. These things are so scary and all we can do is pray. I too, had a cyst just like that on the same hand, only on top where your watch face is. Had it surgically removed the first time. It grew back some years later. My girlfriend and I dug into it with a large needle and all it did was make another one grow out the top of the first one. I had a parrot and one day his claw punctured it and talk about gross!!! It emptied out like toothpaste from a tube, seriously, for about a week off and on. Finally went away. That was like 15 years ago. I hated it too and made me self conscious. Have you tried holding a parrot?:) It worked for me, go figure. I love Fiesty's picture with the snowman. She is so pretty Dawn. I am praying for your grandkids. My heart is with you on this.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

Robin said...

Praying for those sweet babies - RSV can be such a bad thing.

Jess said...

Praying hard!

Love, Jess

nancygrayce said...

Praying for the babies! How sweet that picture is of feisty with her snowman.....it is actually getting cold here! Love the watch, sorry about the cyst....my mil had one removed and hasn't had any trouble with it coming back.

Carole Burant said...

Let's see if my internet will stay up long enough for me to post a comment on here! All day it's been on and off...I called my internet provider and she said due to the extreme frigid temps, they're having problems with their cables and such. A few more days of this and then it's supposed to start warming up a bit!!!

Such great news to hear that Emma doesn't have RSV...prayers that Katie recovers quickly and fully!!

I'm so sorry to hear of Maizie's passing but she's in a much better place now, with no pain. How wonderful that her son has asked your dad to officiate at the service!!

There have been a few deaths around here due to carbon monoxide so they're really pushing for everyone to have a detector in their homes.

Sounds like Kevin and Sema are having a great time with her family:-) Wow, Sema's dad even purchased 4 acres of land for them...wonder if they'll eventually live there?!

I just love your watch, it's gorgeous! My two older brothers live in British Columbia:-) I've started getting a ganglion as well...when I was at the clinic last month, I asked the doctor what it was and she said "just a ganglion" and not to worry about it. It's not as big as yours and doesn't hurt me at all so for now I'm just letting it be. I may need a big old Bible later! lol

That picture of Feisty with her snowman is just so precious!! xoxo

nannykim said...

Wow...a lot of news on that post. My grands had a similar virus and so did my Mother-In_law--it started with a fevor and a cough and then went into a real cold and with my MIL pneumonia. Whatever it is it started the same way with the grands and my MIL and they are 2 states apart. All have recovered but they all got it at Christmas time.

I have had a ganglion cyst on my wrist--it is now gone, but it took 3 different surgeries too finally get rid of it. It kept coming back. I needed to have it removed because it made my whole rest weak. I have now been without it fo 20 years. They do say they often come back, but 3 is the charm with me. (same thing happened to a cyst on my scalp!)

I hope your Son and DIL are taking malaria pills!! My hubby and kids always took them when they traveled to various places.

nannykim said...

oooops wrist not rest

Kristen said...

Hard to believe I took that pic of Feisty with my phone camera!! Turned out great!

You made a name error in the first paragraph (on the update to the update....)

Tammy said...

I am late getting in on this...so sorry about Katie getting RSV and having to be in the hospital. Poor little thing!

(That picture of Fiesty and the snowman is adorable!)

(((HUGS))) to all of you and I'll be praying!
~Tammy

Laurie in Ca. said...

Hi Dawn,

Stopping in this morning to check on news of the kids. Flexible is definitely happening here and I am praying that everyone will be back under Kristens roof together and soon. Hoping the worst is over now.
It is times like this that are so rough on our "gramma hearts" as we worry for our own kids and worry with them for the grandkids. Praying for complete health in your neck of the woods. God is with you all.

Love, Laurie

Unknown said...

I'm glad Emma doesn't have RSV. Still praying for Katie. I'm glad there is family around to help Kristen and the girls through this. You are awesome!

groovyoldlady said...

You know, before we lived in this house a family of 9 did. Three of their boys passed out in the basement from CO poisoning and her teen daughter almost did as well. Fortunately Mom wondered at the unusual quiet and went down to check on them...

Apparently there a malfunction in the furnace vents.

I think I'll be buying a CO detector before another week goes by!

I am praying fro all the little girlies...and for their harried Mama and flexible Grammy!