Stat update

So both kids have been to the doctor this week - Sam for his one year appointment and Gabby for her Kindergarten physical. Gabby weighs in at 41.8 pounds and measures 44 3/4 inches. She checked out on everything and got four shots. She's ready to start school in the fall!
Sam weighs in at 23.69 pounds and is 31 inches tall. He checked out on everything and got three shots and a blood draw for the lead test and another CBC to check him all out one more time.
His iron levels were low when he was sick so she wanted to see if they had come up and that everything else had returned to normal. Most everything has returned to normal but a few things were still a little high or low, but nothing alarming. That's ok considering a virus can stay with you for two months or more. And she suggested we keep giving him the vitamins to help with the iron, which was also a little low.
Gabby thinks she won because she got four shots and Sam only got three. She isn't counting the blood draw, however, because she hasn't had it done since she was a year old and they did the lead test on her. But everyone's doing good and growing well.

T-ball

Gabby finished up T-ball two weeks ago. She had a good time playing and made big improvements on the game. Here she is hamming it up during her last at-bat and getting her trophy from her coach.

Royals Game

Amongst all the sickness, we did do some other things in the last three weeks. I will try to catch up on some pictures and happenings now that everyone is better.

Last night we went to a Royals game with Gabby's T-ball team. They broke their losing streak since we were there to cheer them on. Not sure any of the team watched any of the game but we had a good time and it was a nice evening. Gabby and Sam both were at their first MLB game. We tailgated a little before the game and then took the team's picture at the George Brett statue outside the park (Gabby's in the middle in the blue pants and hat). Inside, a big group of kids had treats galore and lots of fun. Yes, that's Sam with cotton candy. You have to know Daddy gave it to him.

Last update on Sam

We finally got a call back on the blood test Sam took on Tuesday. Everything on it has returned to normal, which is exactly what we wanted to hear, of course. He hasn't had fever all week and appears to be all better. Gabby's pinkeye has gotten better as well. We may finally be on the mend.

Update on everyone

Well, we all appear to be doing better. Not long after I posted the previous message last Friday, Sam's temperature shot up again to around 104. Robert packed him up and took him back to Children's Mercy since it was Friday evening. They checked him over and rechecked his labs and decided that since his fever had been gone for two days, he must have picked up something else. They did check his infected ear very well and said it had healed up nicely (the eardrum had likely burst last week). He had a small bit of fever on Saturday afternoon but has not had any since then. He appears to be getting better. We did take him to have blood drawn yesterday but still haven't heard from that.

Sunday Gabby developed the gunky eye and after another trip to the ER, she has pinkeye. It was most likely caused by the same virus Sam had. It is getting better also.

In five and half years we have had a child, we have taken Gabby to the ER once for an ear infection over the weekend in Montana. In ten days here, we went four times. I am ready to be done with the sickness! It does appear to be making its rounds here. I have heard about at least two other kids with the same stuff as Sam. I am washing, wiping, spraying, cleaning, boiling, bleaching, etc. everything we have had our hands on. Hopefully we can get it out of our house anyway. And with school out and PWOC over, we will be home for a few days.

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for Sam and all of us. His sickness did take turns for the better the doctors cannot explain. And it could have been much worse for all of us. We are grateful for your concern and also thankful to God for getting us through it all.

A Very Bad Week

We've had a very bad week around here. Samuel has been very sick. It started last Wed night. He was acting as if he had gas and couldn't get comfy and sleep. I held him on the couch until about 3 AM, at which point he threw up. Then the fever came upon him. He had fever on Thurs and by Friday morning, we decided he might have an ear infection. We took him to the doctor on-post and when they took his temp, it was 104.8. It went up to 104.9 and they sent us out to the emergency room.

We spent all afternoon in the ER, where they took blood twice, urine and chest x-rays. They did determine that he had an ear infection but maybe more than that. The chest x-rays and urine were clear. His white blood cell count was elevated - 40,000. They gave him an antibiotic IV and sent us home with ear drops.

Saturday morning we went back so they could test his blood again. His WBC count was at 27,000. Elevated but down from Fri. They gave him an antibiotic shot and we came home.

Mon morning, we went back to do one more shot and test, thinking we would be done then. He was feeling much better and the fever was down. BUT, his WBC count was back up to 48,900! He had already gotten his third antibiotic shot before the test results came back and we had come home. So they called us back and we discussed what it could be. Ultimately, they sent us out to Children's Mercy in KC.

We got there around 1:30 PM on Monday. They re-did the blood tests and chest x-rays. The WBC count was now down to 16,000. The chest x-ray was negative. They looked at the WBC cell types and they were all normal. The pathologist found no abnormal cells. Nothing. But the fever was coming back up and his WBC count was still higher than normal. So they did a spinal tap to rule out partially treated meningitis (since he had so many antibiotics at this point). That was a truly horrible experience. The tap came back negative. So we have done all these terrible tests on my baby and they found nothing. We left Mercy that night with no medication, no treatment, no diagnosis except a guess of adenovirus. And instructions to follow up on Wed.

Tues he was doing great. Playing, getting into trouble, no fever, eating. Wed morning, the same. We returned on post for a check. They took blood and looked him over. WBC count - 19,000. Still high. This time it also showed high lymphocytes, which indicate a virus as the Mercy doctor thought. But he seemed to be well.

Thursday morning through today - the fever has returned a little to a low grade version. He still seems pretty much ok.

In the midst of all the trauma of Sam's illness, my dear grandfather passed away. That was Sunday. His funeral was Tuesday and I was not able to be there. We kept trying to get there, but Sam just couldn't get well so we could go.

Keep Samuel in your prayers, as well as my mother's family.

Funny Mother's Day Video

Ok, I thought this was funny:

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=7769005