Exhaustedly Optimistic

I didn't get much sleep last night between the migraine, justin cranking up the heat and him accidentally smacking me and kneeing me in his sleep. But I was able to get 2 hours sleep after taking a back up tramadol and I feel so much better. I'm even in a good mood. That was the best 2 hours sleep I've had in years. Today I head down to Bakersfield to see a neurologist. He's apparently a neuro surgeon and I'm praying he will have some answers and maybe even solutions to my pain and headaches. I would love to be pain free. I haven't been pain free for years or headache-less in about 5 years and have forgotten what it feels like to feel that way. I don't expect miracles. My goals are realistic. I just want the pain and fatigue to ebb enough so that I can have the energy to play tea party and dolls with Lanie and chase Liam around the house laughing. I want it to ebb enough to where I can sleep again and not have to fight my body just to take care of Liam's medical needs. I shouldn't have to barter and bargain with my body to do these things. It would be nice to not have the simplest things drain me. Today I'm feeling optimistic. There's more to life than pain and it's time I got to experience that. 

Uninvited Visitor

So again our house has been bombarded with an uninvited visitor. I am 99% sure this one is only here to visit LanieBug. Her allergies have been acting up since wensday and as of last night I am positive its turned into an ear infection and possible sinus infection. I am grateful that it cannot be shared to Liam but hate seeing my baby girl sick. Last night she was running a low grade fever. I checked her temp throughout the night and thankfully it stayed away after some Tylenol. However this morning it was back until she took another dose of Tylenol. I ran to the store and got her orange juice, animal crackers (she said she was nauseous), chicken noodle soup, Popsicles, bananas, more Benedril, cough and cold (just on case), a doodle board (to see her smile), and flentones multivitamins. In retrospect, I should have started her on vitamins when Liam was born so she wouldn't get sick as often and spread it to her brother. Knowing that she's getting ready to start kindergarten with alot of other kids its for sure that she's going to catch some buggies and bring them home with her to share. I'm hoping to strengthen her immune system to that it happens less. I also started giving Liam the same multivitamin because his immune system needs assistance even more that big sister. This situation brings to mind several tips for those of you with CDHers or other chronically ill young children with older school age kids:

1) When your school age child gets home from school make it a rule that they must immediately change their clothes into clean "play clothes" and put their school clothes in the laundry room. This will help the germ from spreading to everything they touch or sit on. 

2) Make your school age child wash or sanitize their hands when they come home before touching anything. I' have them wash, change, then sanitize to be safe. 

3) Shoes carry alot more germs than most people realize so keeping them out of reach of your young baby or chronically ill child is a smart idea. 

*Lanie tends to touch the soles of her shoes for some odd reason so I'm always having to explain why she shouldn't and make her wash her hands. 

*Remeber if you have a toddler that walks that their shoes are also dirty so they aren't safe to play with. I know it can take some adjusting to remember that its not cute when baby plays with his shoes anymore because he's been walking around in them. It's something that I frequently forget with Liam being a new walker. 

4) If one of your kiddos does get sick, keep them away from everyone else. Germs spread fast. Trust me I know how hard that can be. Liam loves to be with Lanie all the time and so they both end up suffering when one gets sick. 

* Keep masks in the house so when one does get sick they have to wear one to keep their germs to themselves. They sell them at Walmart, any drugstore and the dollar tree. We keep them on hand at all times. You can always let them color on the mask to make it fun for then to wear. That's been a huge hit in the past at my house. 

5) When someone gets sick start pushing orange juice and anything with vitamin C to the whole family. Vitamin C can help prevent healthy kids from getting sick and can help sick kids fight off the germs. 

6) Use Lysol disinfecting air spray to keep the bugs from spreading. We spray the house down atleast once a day because of Liam. We also use the disinfecting wipes on everything: counters, door handles, cell phones. I clean my phone at the least once a week. 

I hope these tips help cut down on buggies in your home and if you have a tip Id love to hear it!