Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Hanging in there....

   Every day, Brett and I trudge onward. We work hard, spend as much time with the kids after school and activities, and then when they go to bed, we do all of the adult responsibilities we have to in order to keep everyone on track. There have been multiple days when I have left my sick baby home with a babysitter, so life could go on. I get asked on a daily basis how I do it. To be honest, I don't know. I just keep going, we both do.
    Today, though, is one of the hard days. Olivia for the last three days has been sick. We have been giving her decongestants, tylenol, albuterol breathing treatments, and finally broke down today and brought her to the pediatrician. She has what they are calling the croup virus and an ear infection. All of this we can handle...it is nothing, right?
   Well that ever so present question comes back up... how are we doing it? This is when the not so glamorous side of being a heart parent  comes out. We will wake up every hour or two to make sure she is breathing. We will give her nebulizer treatments every four hours. We will sit with her in a steamy bathroom, whatever it takes to let her sleep.
      No one wants their baby to be sick. With a heart baby, it isn't just a little virus here or there. This is a life changer until she gets better. As a parent  of a heart kiddo, you think your child has been through it all. Surely, a virus will be nothing. How quickly I have been schooled in the art of viruses. Unfortunately, it stills stinks.

Sorry for my rant to all those who chose to read... having a hard day and hate to see my baby sick.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Valentine's day and chd awareness day

As congenital heart defect week comes to an end, I would like to share a letter that I have written to my sweet girl.....

Livi bean,
      In life, we all are different. Some people have things that set them apart when you look at them like scars and birth marks. You, my sweet girl, have something on the inside that sets you apart in more ways than you will ever know. You are the face of so many challenges, hurdles, milestones, accomplishments, prayers answered, and fears. You have experienced more in your short life than most adults would even imagine is possible and yet you thrive. Your smile is something we treasure and never take for granted. Your laugh is something we look forward to hearing on a rough day. And lastly, your eyes sparkle like true gems whenever you enter a room. You, Olivia, are a strong and determined little girl. HLHS to us is only a series of letters, because with LOVE anything is possible.
Many hugs and kisses...
Mommy

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Status update

Olivia has had a rough weekend. We got her bloodwork back and her hemoglobin was 17.2. Good, stable, but not a drastic difference from the month before.
Next, we were at a parade Saturday night and she fell and hit her head. She had some vomiting and we called the on call doctor to check things out. Sunday, she started with really high fever out of no where. We worried so off to the ER. They recommended tylenol, love, and call her peds in the am. So, Monday to the peds we went. No signs of the flu, rsv, or what was causing her to be miserable. Blood cultures and a cbc later, the consensus was viral.
I am happy to say that after all that, Olivia is finally doing better.  No fever today and she ate a great dinner.
Hopefully she will continue to be on the mend. Fingers crossed