Pretty and fun!

I got this website from my mother in law and it's pretty. Click on the link below or try clicking on the title to this post and maybe it'll take you there. Once you get to the black page of this link start clicking your mouse wherever you want and see what happens. It's pretty! So when you are bumming about all the cold and snow you can do this. Have fun!!

http://www.procreo.jp/labo/flower_garden.swf

Febr. MRI update

I am happy to let you all know Ellie's MRI last Wednesday went well. The anesthesiologists were delayed an hour and a half so we waiting around a long time. When it was time Ellie got her model magic ready to play with while they put the mask on her to distract her and we walked to the back. Well the second we got back there she started freaking out and saying, "I can't do this, I can't do this!" The doctor offered to put the tube in her mouth like a straw instead of the mask and she wouldn't stop saying no to listen. So then the anesthesiologist said they could give her a shot in the leg and I immediately turned that down because the needles and pokes is what Ellie is afraid of. Aparently still afraid of the other procedural stuff also. So once again three or four of us had to hold her down and put the mask on her and talk to her about rainbows and flowers until she fell asleep. I started to cry again because I hate holding her down with her trying to get out of it. It's heart breaking. So I left in tears after I kissed Ellie goodbye and told Ryan he is going back with her for whatever procedure next time.

So Ryan and I went to find some lunch finally at 2:15 while she got her MRI done. We met up with her when she was done and went to recovery with her. She came out of it very well this time. No flipping in the bed and grumpiness. She ate crackers and apple juice as soon as they gave it to her since she hadn't eaten in 18 hours. Miss Ellie was great for us up until the MRI and great again afterward for the doctors. So overall it was smoothe. Dr. Bautti got us in and out quick since it was the end of the day and there weren't any more patients waiting for him. He told us the good news that the MRI looked great! There were no current concerns we needed to talk to him about so he talked to Ellie a little and then said come back in 3-4 months. So we'll wait for that one to be scheduled.

Then we headed to Dr. Menezes, neurosurgery, and he was finishing up his day also. He had 3 patients waiting for him and it was fast in and out also. He looked at Ellie's scar on her head and it was good so he gave us the go ahead to meet with Dr. Gantz. Dr. Gantz is the Specialist in pediatric Ear, Nose, Throat surgery. He also did Ellie's brain surgery with Dr. Menezes so he is very familiar with her case. We are also waiting for that appointment to be scheduled. Then her next appointment she has is March 4th with genetics somewhere here in Waterloo. I'm not sure when we'll get those results but I'll let you know. Genetics is going to look to see if Ellie has a mutated gene for brain tumors. If she does then the rest of the family will get tested if not then it means she got this tumor for some other reason. Not because of genetics. Lots more questions and answers still to come.

Thank you all for your support again! Love you!

Ellie's MRI

Well tomorrow for us, today for those of you reading this on Wednesday, we are going to be with Ellie at her next 3 month follow-up MRI in Iowa City. She will be going under general anesthesia to put her to sleep then they can do the IVs they need without her fighting them. She has devised a plan with Ms. Struck the counselor at school that she is going to be playing with model magic in her hands while they put the mask on her face to fall asleep. The MRI is at 12:30pm and then we will see the neurosurgeon and the oncologist afterward. I have a feeling we will be getting out of there at dinner time so it should be a long day. Hopefully going smoothly. We also can't feed Ellie all morning because she has to go 12 hours without food and she can have 4 ozs. of clear fluid six hours before hand. Fun times! I'll update everyone by the end of the week about the results! Thanks for your prayers and support!

Thank you to everyone

I wanted to take this off the top of the blog since I am tired of looking at it and maybe you all are also. But I put it in a post just so it's still logged on the site.

Thank You Flyer

Nathan's birthday and snow day

It's been a terribly long time. So here are some pics of Nate's 2nd birthday and other stuff.

MRI date change

Hi, Ellie was going to have her next follow up MRI on Tuesday the 26th, but it isn't going to be Tuesday anymore. The sedation clinic called me for the questions before sedation like they always do and they said they were going to do it the same way as last time. So I said I thought we were just going to give her some oral meds to relax her some and try to not have to do anesthesia since this was a fast 12 minute MRI. So she said it wasn't ordered that way so we had to talk to the doctor to change it. So she talked to the nurse coordinator for pediatric oncology and they read over the reports of the last MRIs and noticed Ellie didn't even take the oral meds well and wouldn't let them do the IV for the anesthesia so they didn't think she'd be cooperative this time around either, so they ordered general anesthesia for her. That means it was cancelled so general anesthesia and the oncologist can be available at the same time to get it done. General anesthesia means she breathes gas through a mask to put her to sleep so they can do the IVs and everything while she's asleep. Trying to decrease the trauma. But all this time, these past three months, we've had Ellie in therapy with the school counselor doing play therapy so she can process all this she's been through and we've been preparing her for oral meds, IV meds and staying awake for a fast MRI. But since plans change from when we leave one doctor to the time they schedule the MRI and meds get ordered differently things get screwed up. So then I question the sedation nurse when she calls and all the prep we've been doing with Ellie goes to the way side. So needless to say they want to continue to use general anesthesia and sedation that way until she gets older and more mature to handle the needles and such. I can see there side because she is so scared of the needles and stuff and she's still young but then don't tell us we can try it one way and not order it that way. It's an emotional roller coaster changing plans the week before it's supposed to happen and now waiting again for the new date.

I'll let you know when it's rescheduled for. Thanks for listening/reading my venting. Sorry.

Hacked!

I just wanted to let everyone know that my yahoo email was hacked and if you got a strange email saying I was mugged in the UK and needed $2700 to help me get back to the US, IT WAS FALSE. I'm sure many of you figured it out and didn't really believe it but still, how annoying and troublesome. SERIOUSLY!! Sorry about that and hopefully it won't happen again. When I get a new email I'll let you all know what it is. For now you can use this gmail account. RAR!!

p.s. thanks to all those who would have helped me if I really needed it. LOVE YOU ALL!

Adios!