Monday, January 19, 2009
Uber Newbie
http://ping.fm/p/98Bwf - I'm trying out a new hobby. I'm playing around with photo editing software, to learn how to create siggys. I have been dying to learn this, and now I've joined some tutorial groups in hopes of figuring this stuff out.
My first tutorial was to learn how to make a very basic siggy. It was fun to play with. Now, I was just playing with the stuff built into the program - nothing fancy. But it was fun! And I came up with something that I didn't think was hideous.
The software is already getting a little less scary. Maybe I'll be able to get this figured out one of these days. But for now, baby steps.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Untrustworthy
I'm upset. Ds came home all frustrated and unhappy. He said he was taken to the nurse's office this morning, and accused of lying. He said his para told him he was "untrustworthy."
What the heck?! He was all confused, and didn't understand what it was all about. I've gotten bits and pieces of the story, but I don't understand the whole thing myself. I know part of it was that he was supposed to call me from the nurse's office yesterday. Which he did. And the nurse called me too. But apparently they are saying he didn't call. (I have voicemail and missed calls on my cell to prove that he did.)
I don't know how this relates to his hurt foot? The nurse assured me it wasn't that bad. Some Tylenol, ice pack, raise it up, and time. He seemed a bit better today, but I gave him some Ibuprofin this morning. It should have lasted all day. He was walking on it better today. So what's going on with the school?
I'll tell you, it's making me see red that they called him "untrustworthy!" Huh??? The staff that lies to me and hangs up on me and threatens me and withholds information from me, accuses my son of being untrustworthy??? If I trusted every word that EVER came out of my son's mouth, I'd be far better off than if I trusted one sentence that came out of their mouths!!
Grrrrrr!
And why the hell didn't anyone call me if there was something going on, and if they had questions about whether or not he called me?
This boy is incredibly confused about what happened. He is NOT lying about this. If he was supposed to do something, and didn't, then he didn't understand. He is baffled. And so am I.
The end of the school year can't come fast enough for me.
What the heck?! He was all confused, and didn't understand what it was all about. I've gotten bits and pieces of the story, but I don't understand the whole thing myself. I know part of it was that he was supposed to call me from the nurse's office yesterday. Which he did. And the nurse called me too. But apparently they are saying he didn't call. (I have voicemail and missed calls on my cell to prove that he did.)
I don't know how this relates to his hurt foot? The nurse assured me it wasn't that bad. Some Tylenol, ice pack, raise it up, and time. He seemed a bit better today, but I gave him some Ibuprofin this morning. It should have lasted all day. He was walking on it better today. So what's going on with the school?
I'll tell you, it's making me see red that they called him "untrustworthy!" Huh??? The staff that lies to me and hangs up on me and threatens me and withholds information from me, accuses my son of being untrustworthy??? If I trusted every word that EVER came out of my son's mouth, I'd be far better off than if I trusted one sentence that came out of their mouths!!
Grrrrrr!
And why the hell didn't anyone call me if there was something going on, and if they had questions about whether or not he called me?
This boy is incredibly confused about what happened. He is NOT lying about this. If he was supposed to do something, and didn't, then he didn't understand. He is baffled. And so am I.
The end of the school year can't come fast enough for me.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Back to that School
The Christmas break has come to an end, and with enormous trepidation, I watched him head back to class.
It would be nice to be like other parents once again, and look forward to my child's return to school. That is not our lot. For me, school has become a fear, a danger.
The phone rang from the school today. Of course, my heart fell into my shoes. What now? Restraint? Seclusion? Humiliation? Injury?
This time it was a simple childhood booboo. Nothing to panic over. Ice pack and comforting words and back to class. Whew. The other kind of calls are far too plentiful. I can't take much more of those.
I wonder how these people on the school staff can bring themselves to inflict such trauma on children, and on their families. Where is their conscious? Where is that still small voice within that whispers, "This is wrong. So very wrong."?
They must be at least aware that what they are doing is wrong, because they hide it from me as best they can. They have even taken to hanging up the phone on me, so they can restrain him without my knowledge. They don't file reports about restraining him, so they have no one to answer for when they violate the IEP. Nothing written, no proof. Twice within one week, too.
I'm sick to my stomach that he's back there. Summer can't come soon enough for this mom.
It would be nice to be like other parents once again, and look forward to my child's return to school. That is not our lot. For me, school has become a fear, a danger.
The phone rang from the school today. Of course, my heart fell into my shoes. What now? Restraint? Seclusion? Humiliation? Injury?
This time it was a simple childhood booboo. Nothing to panic over. Ice pack and comforting words and back to class. Whew. The other kind of calls are far too plentiful. I can't take much more of those.
I wonder how these people on the school staff can bring themselves to inflict such trauma on children, and on their families. Where is their conscious? Where is that still small voice within that whispers, "This is wrong. So very wrong."?
They must be at least aware that what they are doing is wrong, because they hide it from me as best they can. They have even taken to hanging up the phone on me, so they can restrain him without my knowledge. They don't file reports about restraining him, so they have no one to answer for when they violate the IEP. Nothing written, no proof. Twice within one week, too.
I'm sick to my stomach that he's back there. Summer can't come soon enough for this mom.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Back Several Paces
Docs say MIL's kidneys were failing but are now improving since they are re-hydrating her. The UTI is improving. White cell count was high but also coming down. She's very weak and won't eat. She has thrush, and they are treating that. Inserting a feeding tube in her side may be the next step. She is so weak now, she can't sit on the edge of her bed. Hard to believe just over a week ago she was home for four hours for Christmas. She's been able to sit up in a wheelchair for weeks, but now she can't. The c.diff. is mostly to blame, coupled with her refusal to eat enough to keep a bird alive.
We don't understand her inability to eat. It isn't just that her mouth is sore. Even when given foods that don't irritate her mouth, she barely ingests anything. Seriously, it's like two teaspoons of soup and a sip or two of tea. It's more of a "won't eat" than a "can't eat" kind of thing. And we're perplexed. There is no medical reason, according to the docs. It's been going on all along, at least to some degree, as if she's lost all interest in food.
The hospital asks if she is depressed, and I suppose that could be a factor, at least now, when she is losing ground on getting well. But I didn't see depression before, and not eating has been a problem since this began. I don't know. She insists that she's not hungry. Ever. I can't understand this. The men (Dh, FIL, her brother) all get angry and frustrated because they think she's not trying. I'm just confused. Sometimes she does seem to act like she's not going to be bothered with working to get better, at least where food is concerned. Other times she shocks us all and survives things that no one thought she would. She seems to be a fighter! So why not fight to get well by doing what should be simple? Eat! For Chrissake!
The doc told us that if she won't eat, this cycle will repeat. She will go back to the nursing home, not eat, get sick again, and be right back at the hospital. Her kidneys will continue to fail for lack of nutrition, the c.diff. will keep coming back, and it will all be a vicious cycle. Eventually the kidneys will shut down altogether.
And the doctors won't allow this cycle to continue.
They asked about the feeding tube. We are all for it, but MIL was not, at least not the last time. This time, the doc was able to get her verbal permission. So it looks like that might happen tomorrow. Or soon, anyway. They say if they can get nutrition into her, and she can get stronger, she should be able to fight off this bout of c.diff. (whew). Let's hope so. They can always remove the feeding tube later, if she starts to eat on her own.
I just want to see her well again.
We don't understand her inability to eat. It isn't just that her mouth is sore. Even when given foods that don't irritate her mouth, she barely ingests anything. Seriously, it's like two teaspoons of soup and a sip or two of tea. It's more of a "won't eat" than a "can't eat" kind of thing. And we're perplexed. There is no medical reason, according to the docs. It's been going on all along, at least to some degree, as if she's lost all interest in food.
The hospital asks if she is depressed, and I suppose that could be a factor, at least now, when she is losing ground on getting well. But I didn't see depression before, and not eating has been a problem since this began. I don't know. She insists that she's not hungry. Ever. I can't understand this. The men (Dh, FIL, her brother) all get angry and frustrated because they think she's not trying. I'm just confused. Sometimes she does seem to act like she's not going to be bothered with working to get better, at least where food is concerned. Other times she shocks us all and survives things that no one thought she would. She seems to be a fighter! So why not fight to get well by doing what should be simple? Eat! For Chrissake!
The doc told us that if she won't eat, this cycle will repeat. She will go back to the nursing home, not eat, get sick again, and be right back at the hospital. Her kidneys will continue to fail for lack of nutrition, the c.diff. will keep coming back, and it will all be a vicious cycle. Eventually the kidneys will shut down altogether.
And the doctors won't allow this cycle to continue.
They asked about the feeding tube. We are all for it, but MIL was not, at least not the last time. This time, the doc was able to get her verbal permission. So it looks like that might happen tomorrow. Or soon, anyway. They say if they can get nutrition into her, and she can get stronger, she should be able to fight off this bout of c.diff. (whew). Let's hope so. They can always remove the feeding tube later, if she starts to eat on her own.
I just want to see her well again.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
Deja Vu
Just came from the hospital. MIL has a UTI, is very dehydrated, and they are testing her again for c. diff. We have to gown up again as a precaution, until they get the test results.
Sounds like the next step is to put the feeding tube into her side. She hasn't been eating, and she's very weak. Oh, and she has thrush in her mouth, so they are treating that now as well.
We're all bummed out and discouraged. Seems like we've taken several steps backwards. Not only that, but if this is c. diff. again, we worry that she may not survive another go of it.
It was hard to drive into that hospital parking lot again. Poor MIL. She's so tired and wrung out. She's struggling with the same discouragement that we all face. But she's the one who can't afford to lose hope. If she gives up, that's all folks.
Dh is grumpy and strung out, too. He's frustrated with the medical care, but we probably don't have realistic expectations of the facilities we're dealing with. Right now, she's in the hospital, and she'll get more direct care. That's a good thing. Maybe she'll get on the right path this time.
We just spoke to one of her doctors. She was very nice. She isn't one I remember from before, but she is very familiar with the case already. It makes you memorable when you spend 2 months in the hospital, mostly in ICU. They all seem to know MIL, and us. The doc knew more about her medical condition than anyone at the nursing home did, so that was encouraging. I just hope they can get her on the road to healing.
Sounds like the next step is to put the feeding tube into her side. She hasn't been eating, and she's very weak. Oh, and she has thrush in her mouth, so they are treating that now as well.
We're all bummed out and discouraged. Seems like we've taken several steps backwards. Not only that, but if this is c. diff. again, we worry that she may not survive another go of it.
It was hard to drive into that hospital parking lot again. Poor MIL. She's so tired and wrung out. She's struggling with the same discouragement that we all face. But she's the one who can't afford to lose hope. If she gives up, that's all folks.
Dh is grumpy and strung out, too. He's frustrated with the medical care, but we probably don't have realistic expectations of the facilities we're dealing with. Right now, she's in the hospital, and she'll get more direct care. That's a good thing. Maybe she'll get on the right path this time.
We just spoke to one of her doctors. She was very nice. She isn't one I remember from before, but she is very familiar with the case already. It makes you memorable when you spend 2 months in the hospital, mostly in ICU. They all seem to know MIL, and us. The doc knew more about her medical condition than anyone at the nursing home did, so that was encouraging. I just hope they can get her on the road to healing.
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