The patient

Here is Jay the day after surgery. He was all smiles through the morning. He enjoyed all the pampering but by afternoon, he was exhausted and ready to go home which didn't happen. It's Saturday morning as I'm posting this and he's still in the hospital. They want to make sure they have him on the right meds to kill the staph infection before they send him home which totally makes sense but Jay was really down last night. We are hoping he gets to come home today.

About one hour after surgery. Notice his big wrapped finger! He wasn't in any pain, just very hungry since it was 4:30 in the afternoon and he hadn't eaten anything all day.

Nick enjoyed vistiting Jay as he got to play with the beds. As I was watching/listening to him I was thinking I was glad I was doing this whole hospital surgery thing with a 9 year old vs. a 4 year old. I have a feeling that had it of been Nick I would be deaf from the sounds of him moving his bed up and down, up and down all the time. On the day of Jay's surgery he had to go all morning and into the afternoon with no food and poor Nick took the brunt of his frustration with that. Jay was meaner than a snake to Nick but as I've always said about Jay since birth........when he's sick or doesn't feel well he's the most delightful child - you just have to make sure he's fed. Ha.

Right before surgery he had some drugs to make him sleepy. See picture below. Before he was sleepy he was giddy.

The finger situation

Jay's finger infection went from bad to worse on Wednesday. We found out that he indeed had staph infection that had gotten into his finger bone. We were told we needed to act quickly because we risked the infection getting into his blood stream - very scary. When I'm nervous I sweat. My shirts were completely pitted out by late Thursday afternoon! It's a totally gross thing but some people pace, some people get really quiet (this is what Jay does) but I sweat. Jay had surgery yesterday at 2:30 and it all went well. The doctor said the infection had made some of the bone unhealthy but he irrigated it and Jay has been on IV meds overnight in the hospital. The doctor is confident this should clear up the staph infection and Jay's finger should heal just fine. It was a very scary 36 hours though. My boy was so brave! I was really proud of him. And he touched my heart this morning. I was helping him get to the bathroom - people who have had surgery or a baby know the drill - you have to get the IV situated and because both of Jay's hands are "indisposed" he needs help with cutting his food, going to the bathroom, getting dressed, etc.....Anyway, after I helped him go to the bathroom he looked at me with his big brown eyes and said, "Thanks for helping me mom, I'm really glad you were here with me." Really, where else would I be but it felt good to hear it from him.
To make this story more amusing, my sister was admitted to the hospital yesterday for preterm labor. My mom spent the day going from Jay's room to Kim's. I also have good news to report about Kim. Her labor is under control and she and Jay have bets as to who will be released from the hospital first. We'll see who wins.

Cuts, bruises, fractures & more

A few weeks ago I blogged that Jay had fractured his finger but that he also had an infection in that same finger. He was put on two rounds of anti-botics and Mike (thank goodness for my husband and his work schedule) took him to an orthopedic doctor three times - all the while, this doctor's main concern was Jay's infection. Here we are three weeks later and Jay's infection hasn't cleared up. The doctor surmises the infection is in his nail now and he's referring Jay to a hand surgeon. Jay is well aware of what will happen and he told him tonight that this time he's insisting they put him "under" for the next procedure. I can't blame him. After the ER incident a few weeks ago, it's not his idea of a good time to be faced with a big, giant needle again. And this time they may have to remove the nail. January is clearly the month for injuries in the Siebert household because Mike accidentally drilled a hole in his hand last week. It didn't go all the way through but it left a huge gash that he's really had to nurse. Mike was helping the Cub Scout boys with their pine wood derby cars and as he was drilling one of the cars, he was also talking at the same time - well you get the picture. It's so unlike Mike though - to make a mistake like that. Thankfully his would is healing nicely and he doesn't have an infection. Between Jay's visits to the eye doctor, the orthodontist, the orthopedic and now the hand surgeon it's been a busy month for us.
On another note I wrote a quick blog last night that I ended up deleting this morning. My mom caught a glimpse of it (before I deleted it) and said she liked the blog. I told her I had deleted it because I thought I was too negative. She laughed and reminded me I'm human and reassured me the tone of my email wasn't negative. I will admit the goal of that particular blog was to just be real and besides that, how many times do I say in my blog that I don't like to sugar coat things? So, this is enough blogging for tonight but in a few days I'll go back and "recap" what I wrote last night. I also have a special surprise to post in a week or so but I have to talk to my mom before I do it. Ha - Got your attention, didn't I? Stay tuned.

Winter beauty blahs

This time of year is brutal on my body and I tend to notice all of my "problem areas" more (Remember the "great" idea of my neck slimmer last year, we all see how well that worked out for me). I try really hard not to gain weight during the winter but I find it much easier to maintain my weight during the summer. Getting outside and taking a walk is much more enjoyable than battling the weather and getting to the gym or working out in my cold basement. The other day a co-worker of mine said she was spending her evening trying on her summer clothes for an upcoming trip she was taking. Lucky her for the trip but we all agreed that summer clothes is not something any of us are ready for. Just the other day I was in a dressing room, trying on a pair of jeans. I was in a room with one of those 3-way mirrors. Really, is there anything worse than one of those things? I look around and notice my black roots first and make a mental note to myself to schedule my highlighting appointment ASAP, then my eyes go down a little and I see my pastey, cellulite legs - which haven't seen a good moisturzer in quite awhile - and I think to myself, "And Mike sees this everyday, poor man!" I always say that moisturized, tanned cellulite is better than pastey white, dried up cellulite. And let's not forget the "ring" everyone gets around their ankles from the socks they wear during the cold, winter months. I don't know how everyone else feels but I'll be glad when spring arrives and I can expose my legs to the sun and get out and move my body!!! Until then I'll be avoiding all 3-way mirrors.

Bath time fun

Lauren and Nick have a love/hate relationship. Kim and I always say they have more of a brother/sister relationship than cousins. They are 18 months apart and can really get into it but as many times as they get into it, I also hear them conversing back and forth in their 3 and 4 year old ways. It's too cute. Lauren can hold her own with Nick too. I've seen her outright charge at him, attacking him at full force. It's a hoot! Lauren is just preparing to spend her life with boys, boys, boys - as her brother Luke will arrive in March! I sure love you, Lauren, you bring some much needed girly girly laughter into my testerone filled home.

Random pixs

Once in awhile my boys will show affection towards each other. They spend so much time picking on one another it's rare that I get a picture like the one above. The boys were both dressed for hawaiian day at school. When I asked them to get together for a picture I expected some resistance but Jay jumped right in the chair with Nick and they both posed. Gee, wonders never cease.

My mom got Nick this USA puzzle for Christmas and he loves it. He wants to put it together and then leave it put together right in the entry way for days. It's really "convenient." This morning when I was making my way to the kitchen at 4:45 a.m. I slipped on it and nearly broke my neck! Needless to say the puzzle is put back in its box tonight. But I'm glad Nick enjoys it and he's learning about the states, although he's obsessed with Mississppi and California. Ask him where those two states are and he can point them out everytime. But ask him where Illinois is and he has no clue - Go figure! I'll be working on that small task before Kindergarten. I can just hear Nick's kindergarten teacher asking him where he lives and him shouting out, "CALIFORNIA!"

The horrendous head piece

Just a few weeks ago I blogged about Jay's mouth appratus. Today he "graduated" to the night gear appratus which attaches to the appratus he already has in his mouth. I would have posted a picture of Jay wearing this horrendous head gear but he is ultra sensitive about it so the joke I made at the doctor's office about how he should wear it out to lunch didn't go over so well. Remember the scene from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" with Johnny Depp when his father makes Willy Wonka wear that mouth-piece to keep him from eating candy? Let's just say there are a lot of similiarities between that and Jay's "new and improved" night time appratus. As we were driving to his appointment today he got very quiet which isn't so unusual for Jay but when he barely utters a word, then I know he's nervous and not happy. He got home this afternoon and shed a few tears but as Mike and I pointed out to him, he doesn't have to wear it to school but he does have an incentive, the more he wears it, the quicker he can be done with it. He was playing Wii this afternoon, head piece and all! Jay has had a lot to contend with lately from eye appointments, emergency room visits - needles and all - and visits with an orthopedic doctor. His finger is still broken and remains in a splint. He returns to the doctor tomorrow and we're fairly certain his infection hasn't cleared up so another round of anti-botics will probably be needed.
Here's to another week - Have a good one everyone.