Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy New Year

Or Happy Samhain. Tonight is New Year's Eve for me, and that means that tomorrow I get a fresh start.

We really have no plans today. I do have to go to the store and get ant baits, but that's about it. I guess I could put Livvie's sea turtle jacket on her to run to the store. We're not doing a costume this year since she doesn't eat candy yet and there's no point to going trick or treating.

We're also going to draw, read, and count again today. She's really digging counting. 

Just in time for Halloween a ghost has moved into the house. Maybe like bugs they're driven inside by cold weather. Who knows. All I know is that I'm having light switch issues. The other day I shut off the kitchen light and turned around to do something. When I turned back around the light was flipped back on. It happened 2 more times that day. Last night there was a bunch of noises coming from the kitchen while Rich and I were in the living room. Both dogs were out cold so it wasn't them. I have no idea what's going on, but it doesn't seem sinister so I don't really care.

It is ass biting cold here this morning. When I got up it was 32. It's supposed to go up to 68 today, and I hope that happens sooner rather than later. We're not leaving the house until it warms up at least a little bit.

Ok, Livvie is sad for some reason so I need to entertain her and make her smile again. Have a great Halloween everyone.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Okee dokee

The lady from the state called today and said that based on Rich's estimated salary we would be in the 20% scale, meaning each therapy visit would be $15. However, she said that factoring in our medical expenses might knock it down to 0%. She's coming out on the 12th of November to go over the financials with me.

Four people were in our house on Monday. I have no idea what the 4th one was. I do know that they were excellent with Livvie and she had a blast with them. They were here for almost 3 hours. They played the whole time.

However, it was based on a standardized test. The only part of the test that Livvie passed was the gross motor skills section. She failed all of speech and fine motor skills. I expected speech, but the fine motor skills was a surprise, given that one day she unscrewed the table legs from the kitchen table, and on Monday morning she unhooked herself from the double locked safety belt in the shopping cart at the grocery store. The things they asked her to do were to put pennies in a bank, which she wouldn't do, kick a ball, which she doesn't know how to do, color, which she doesn't LIKE to do, and sort shapes, which she had already done by putting a puzzle together and she was over the whole shape thing.

So she qualifies for developmental therapy and also speech therapy. I declined the developmental therapy because as far as I'm concerned she doesn't need it. I solved the coloring issue today by attaching a piece of paper to her easel and putting it on the sofa at head level. She made two drawings after I did that. She also adores the chalk board side of it, and will draw with chalk all day if you let her. So whatever. We'll work on ball kicking.

I guess we'll see how much speech therapy helps. I've heard a mixed bag about it. 

Have a great Wednesday!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

We'll see

Tomorrow at 130 some people from the State are coming to the house to evaluate Livvie since she doesn't talk yet. They're sending a psychologist, a speech therapist, and a woman to oversee them.

I really hope that they determine that she qualifies for speech therapy. I also really hope that they won't ask us to pay too much for it if they do. I called the state because we can't afford private speech therapy. Apparently the therapy through the state is based on a sliding scale that takes your salary and other factors into account. They might think Rich makes too much money and charge us the full amount.

The woman who is overseeing came out last week to do some pre-evaluation paperwork and after watching Livvie for awhile and asking me some questions she decided that Livvie might have what's called Sensory Processing Disorder. She determined this because Livvie doesn't cry when she hurts herself, prefers rough play to anything else, loves hard hugs, doesn't stop moving, and likes spicy food. According to the "experts," these things can indicate that Livvie isn't getting as much physicality as she craves. I read a book about it. And while Livvie is described in there, I really think she's basically just a tough kid who we haven't babied from the get go. If they try to talk me into occupational therapy for her based on her limited set of "symptoms" I'll tell them where they can stick it.

We bought Livvie some speech therapy DVDs and she really has no interest in them at all. I can't say that I blame her. They're boring as all get out. A good thing is that Livvie's new most favorite thing is being read to. She currently has 8 favorite books that we read over and over every day. She turns the pages for me while I read. She also pretends to read, and she taps the pages like I do when I tap each word. We read each book several times a day, and when I ask her to get one for me by title she goes and gets it. I love that.

I also love when she pretends to help me fold laundry. 

Well, I'm off to watch the end of Corpse Bride. Hope everyone is well.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Well I was right

I was carrying twins. I had my ultrasound this morning and as the doctor was about to insert the wand I told him that he had to tell me there was only one in there. He inserted the wand and said, "Well, I can't do that."

I saw two sacs. I saw two babies.

Then the doctor said he was concerned.

Apparently one was much smaller than the other and he couldn't detect a heart beat. He told me he wanted the tech to do a more involved scan and had me sit in a waiting area for awhile for her time to free up.

I went in with her and got scanned again. Apparently one of them, the one she labeled Baby B, died 2 weeks ago at 8 weeks gestational age. This is where my cramping and abdominal pain has been coming from.

The remaining twin seems to be healthy. The heart rate was 159 and it was moving around quite a bit.

So apparently now I just wait. I'll either reabsorb the dead fetus or I'll pass it. There's no way to know which will happen or when.

I really have no idea how to feel about this. On the one hand I feel a crushing depression that this happened. On the other hand I felt a small amount of relief because we can neither afford nor have room for twins.

My head is going to be really fucked up for awhile.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

One more reason to be pissed

Two weeks ago on September 30th I had my first appointment at the doctor's office for this pregnancy. I filled out paperwork, peed in a cup, and had blood drawn.

I have felt like shit so far this entire pregnancy. I'm in pain, I'm nauseous, I'm dizzy, and I generally just want to die. I'm not enjoying this at all. I don't have a "glow." I have chin zits that are taking over my face. 

I woke up this morning and felt terrible. More so than of late. I was super dizzy and had some pretty sharp abdominal pains. I also took my phenergan to keep the nausea down, because I figured why compound matters? After a few hours and some googling of my symptoms I decided to call the doctor's office. They put me through to a nurse, who at first informed me that I sounded like I was dehydrated. I informed her that I couldn't be because I'm drinking non stop. She asked me if I had nausea and vomiting and I told her that while I was nauseous I was not in fact vomiting because I had taken my phenergan. She then told me that it was the phenergan that was making me dizzy. She said she'd call in a prescription for Zofran, a different anti-nausea med that they give to chemo patients. I gave her the phone number for the pharmacy and hung up.

A few moments later she called me back. She had some news for me. Turns out she wanted to let me know I'd be getting two prescriptions. She had called in an antibiotic because my lab work from TWO WEEKS AGO came back positive for an e coli infection of the urinary tract. I informed her that I have had no symptoms of a UTI. She told me that can happen, and one might not know until the infection reached the kidneys and caused fever etc.

So my next appointment is tomorrow morning at 910. I am trying to figure out how to control my anger about not being informed that I had a potentially serious infection for TWO WEEKS. The first thing I plan to ask the doctor is why I wasn't informed. The second question for him is, "Can you tell me why I shouldn't find another practice?"

I just can't even believe the incompetence. 

Thursday, October 09, 2008

I'm here

I'm just miserable and have no intention of foisting that off on y'all.

Sorry to have worried anyone.

I promise to post again when I feel better.

Have a great Thursday.