Well, I haven't done this for a LONG time, but I am putting a final post here. I'm so done with this blog, I don't know why but I don't like it. Ok, I do know why. But I am going to start a newer better one! The title is strange, but if you want the explanation of the title and why this is discontinued and stuff you are going to have to send me an email because I am going to make it a PRIVATE blog, and my 1st post is going to be explanatory.
The title of it (until I feel like changing it, which might be never) is "Fermenting One Day at a Time" and you can find it at
http://christensengrapes.blogspot.com
And also, send me your home address in the email because I don't believe in sending Christmas cards, we are doing Valentines cards this time. Maybe St. Paddy's if I can't do it fast enough. :) If you are reading this I might have your address somewhere in my stacks of papers I must organize, but send it to me anyway to be sure.
The blog will be better! 3 colomns! White background so I don't get annoyed with seasonally changing it! More pictures! Video! Connected to Twitter and Facebook!
Coming Soon..... I just started it today after brewing it in my brain for a few months. So give me a few days.
Enjoy! And byebye to sillychristensen.blogspot.com, named for my silly baby Lincoln when he was still a baby and I was his silly mama. His mama is less silly now. Slightly.
:s
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
K we are home. Thought I'd inform that Grant's eye seems to be great still, and that is a miracle in and of itself! An eye pressure check for glaucoma will be done whenever he has his heart surgery, which is still unscheduled. Although I keep an exhaustive pace lately of more things to do than I could ever get done daily, I'm having a hard time sleeping lately so I'm gonna go try to fall asleep before sunrise.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Darn that facebook....
I guess I've become infatuated with the ease of 'micro-blogging' on Twitter and especially on facebook lately! Anyways, I'm just gonna micro-blog here that we are going to San Diego tomorrow to have Dr. Brown do an exam (although Grant seems ok and we are keeping up the 8x daily eyedrops), then we are going to Sea World and other touristy things and coming home Wednesday. It'll be fun!
Oh and also Grant's cardiologist did an echo cardiogram Thursday and decided that although one of the holes has closed on its own (ASD) one has not (PDA) and will not without surgery so sometime in the next 3 months Grant will have that done.
With the sedated echo he had Thursday he's been under anesthesia 6 times, and that was the only one that was nonsurgical (although a tear duct probe is very minor). And there was that surgery that was done in Dr. Brown's office the day after cornea transplant attempt #2, where stitches were put into the eyelid while I held him, with just a numbing shot beforehand. That IS a real surgery, but was done that way to avoid putting him under anesthesia AGAIN.
His 1st birthday is next month and that's 6 surgeries before the 1st birthday, and his heart cath procedure will make #7, and we've been told to expect more surgeries on his eye. I am so so SO glad he seems unaware of it all and is such a cheerful little guy. It's only hard on his parents, not much on him and that is great!
I think that's enough complaining from me thankyouverymuch! Yep, I'm past my quota for today. I'll post about the trip soon. Bye!
Oh and also Grant's cardiologist did an echo cardiogram Thursday and decided that although one of the holes has closed on its own (ASD) one has not (PDA) and will not without surgery so sometime in the next 3 months Grant will have that done.
With the sedated echo he had Thursday he's been under anesthesia 6 times, and that was the only one that was nonsurgical (although a tear duct probe is very minor). And there was that surgery that was done in Dr. Brown's office the day after cornea transplant attempt #2, where stitches were put into the eyelid while I held him, with just a numbing shot beforehand. That IS a real surgery, but was done that way to avoid putting him under anesthesia AGAIN.
His 1st birthday is next month and that's 6 surgeries before the 1st birthday, and his heart cath procedure will make #7, and we've been told to expect more surgeries on his eye. I am so so SO glad he seems unaware of it all and is such a cheerful little guy. It's only hard on his parents, not much on him and that is great!
I think that's enough complaining from me thankyouverymuch! Yep, I'm past my quota for today. I'll post about the trip soon. Bye!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
So glad Mason is OK
I admit I may have been thinking of Ben more than the normal daily amount lately because last week when this happened, I thought God was taking another child I love back to Heaven. I wanted Grant and Ben to grow up as close friends, that didn't happen. (However, if he had lived he couldn't have stayed by Grant's side in the operating room during his eye surgeries. And I am certain he was there with Grant, being his friend from the other side of the veil.)
Mason and Lincoln ARE really close friends and when I thought he was going to die I just freaked out! I am so so glad Mason is such a strong resilient miracle child! I love this boy so much.
ksl.com - Provo boy survives 30-foot fall into river
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Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Priorities Shift....
OK I just wanted to write something about this, because I realize that some of you may remember that last August I thought sitting on the couch watching Olympics was a pretty fun activity to do while 8 months pregnant. I'd just gotten my strength back after a nasty stomach flu, had returned from a fun trip to Canada, and lots of things in life seemed to be going well at that time. And I was inexplicably fascinated by the women marathon category that night, and vowed to run in my own marathon within a year of the baby birth.
I am gonna put in some pictures of Ben here, because its pertinent and because it makes me happy to see him.
Another thing falling into place at the time was the well-being of Mike's sweet beloved nephew Ben. He was almost 6 months old at that time, and his life full of medical challenges seemed to be calming down recently. He would have had a life full of surgeries and procedures ahead, but he seemed to be stable for those last several weeks. Also, because of some issues his parents have, Ben was in state custody but his parents had consented to allow an adoption to proceed which would place him in a good home with another relative. His well being was one of the main reasons for my contentment at this time. Everything was working out for Ben and I was so so glad. It made me feel cheery and optimistic and ambitious enough to think,"I could totally do this! I'm gonna run/walk a marathon! If Ben can go through all those surgeries and will have more, I can do a measly marathon! "
5 days later was August 21st, the night Ben died at Primary Children Hospital. Mike and I truly did love him as much as if he were our own child, so it was devastating. I had just begun to think I could move past it and be ok someday, and then Grant was born, "granted" to help us all feel better and deal with our recent loss.
We adore Grant and although I miss Ben daily, Grant has helped us to heal from this loss. However, as if a newborn does not just turn your life upside down enough naturally, there were all Grant's health issues we've dealt with since his birth. Very very minor ones compared to what sweet baby Ben went through and would have gone through but still challenging. Moving to CA for a month, being away from Lincoln and Mike.... well I don't need to rehash all of that. It's been tough but its been settling down into a new kind of normal for us. And we are happy together at home here, and busy and so grateful Grant is still healthy!
With all the stress eating I've had to do to remain functional since then, I've put on some weight and been doing the opposite of what a person doing a marathon would do. However I have been working out lately so I'm not entirely gross and out of shape, just kinda. :) So I'm changing it, I walked a 5K when Grant was 6 weeks old and thought I was gonna die! Before Grant's birthday I'm gonna do another one and not feel like dying. And I'll walk/run a marathon before 30 years old. That gives me a few more years to prepare.
Another goal I've set as my goals have shifted is to do a fitting tribute for my special boy Ben. Actually nothing on this earth could express how much he meant to me, but I have taken on a project nonetheless. Bought a 50% off prelit Christmas tree @Walmart right before I left for Vegas in December. I'm going to decorate it and donate it to Primary Children's Festival of Trees. I haven't gotten far on it yet, but it's gonna be awesome! And take a lot of my time until the beginning of December. It'll be worth it!
So that's what's going on here, busyness and reprioritizing. And here don't say I never take/post pictures of my cute boys because these are from the beginning of May and now here they are on my blog. So there! ;)
I am gonna put in some pictures of Ben here, because its pertinent and because it makes me happy to see him.
Another thing falling into place at the time was the well-being of Mike's sweet beloved nephew Ben. He was almost 6 months old at that time, and his life full of medical challenges seemed to be calming down recently. He would have had a life full of surgeries and procedures ahead, but he seemed to be stable for those last several weeks. Also, because of some issues his parents have, Ben was in state custody but his parents had consented to allow an adoption to proceed which would place him in a good home with another relative. His well being was one of the main reasons for my contentment at this time. Everything was working out for Ben and I was so so glad. It made me feel cheery and optimistic and ambitious enough to think,"I could totally do this! I'm gonna run/walk a marathon! If Ben can go through all those surgeries and will have more, I can do a measly marathon! "
5 days later was August 21st, the night Ben died at Primary Children Hospital. Mike and I truly did love him as much as if he were our own child, so it was devastating. I had just begun to think I could move past it and be ok someday, and then Grant was born, "granted" to help us all feel better and deal with our recent loss.
We adore Grant and although I miss Ben daily, Grant has helped us to heal from this loss. However, as if a newborn does not just turn your life upside down enough naturally, there were all Grant's health issues we've dealt with since his birth. Very very minor ones compared to what sweet baby Ben went through and would have gone through but still challenging. Moving to CA for a month, being away from Lincoln and Mike.... well I don't need to rehash all of that. It's been tough but its been settling down into a new kind of normal for us. And we are happy together at home here, and busy and so grateful Grant is still healthy!
With all the stress eating I've had to do to remain functional since then, I've put on some weight and been doing the opposite of what a person doing a marathon would do. However I have been working out lately so I'm not entirely gross and out of shape, just kinda. :) So I'm changing it, I walked a 5K when Grant was 6 weeks old and thought I was gonna die! Before Grant's birthday I'm gonna do another one and not feel like dying. And I'll walk/run a marathon before 30 years old. That gives me a few more years to prepare.
Another goal I've set as my goals have shifted is to do a fitting tribute for my special boy Ben. Actually nothing on this earth could express how much he meant to me, but I have taken on a project nonetheless. Bought a 50% off prelit Christmas tree @Walmart right before I left for Vegas in December. I'm going to decorate it and donate it to Primary Children's Festival of Trees. I haven't gotten far on it yet, but it's gonna be awesome! And take a lot of my time until the beginning of December. It'll be worth it!
So that's what's going on here, busyness and reprioritizing. And here don't say I never take/post pictures of my cute boys because these are from the beginning of May and now here they are on my blog. So there! ;)
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Lucky #7
Today is our 7th wedding anniversary! Last night we went to cheesecake factory with NO KIDS. A rare treat! And I just don't know why any of us eat any other food than what we shared for dessert. It was the chocolate peanut butter cookie dough cheesecake. We should all just eat that for every meal and nothing else, trust me it was that awesome. The fact that we split it showed that we love each other, because I really wouldn't share it with somebody I didn't adore as much as I do Mike.
Oh and for a few hours before that we had the house to ourselves for a while, could actually hear each other talk without the distractions of the boys needs... It was a nice evening! We have known each other ten years, been married 70% of that time, and we usually still love each other! Just being able to honestly say that is a big success in today's disposable marriages, 50% divorce rate world culture. We've been through a lot, things have been especially hard for us the last 1 1/2 or 2 years but we've also been very blessed and are still so much in love, I hope he knows that because I try to remember to let him know every day. At the top of my playlist on the right, click on the top song, that's how we feel about each other. That song makes me smile. I loved the Juno soundtrack!
Oh and just because I seriously can't go 5 minutes without mentioning the boys, I should say that Linc gave the scripture in Primary today and also bore his testimony in sacrament meeting! He's a great kid. Of course for both of those he just talked into the mic repeating what I was whispering into his ear. But that's still really good for a boy who isn't quite 4 years old, I'm so proud of him.
That's all for now! Bye!
Oh and for a few hours before that we had the house to ourselves for a while, could actually hear each other talk without the distractions of the boys needs... It was a nice evening! We have known each other ten years, been married 70% of that time, and we usually still love each other! Just being able to honestly say that is a big success in today's disposable marriages, 50% divorce rate world culture. We've been through a lot, things have been especially hard for us the last 1 1/2 or 2 years but we've also been very blessed and are still so much in love, I hope he knows that because I try to remember to let him know every day. At the top of my playlist on the right, click on the top song, that's how we feel about each other. That song makes me smile. I loved the Juno soundtrack!
Oh and just because I seriously can't go 5 minutes without mentioning the boys, I should say that Linc gave the scripture in Primary today and also bore his testimony in sacrament meeting! He's a great kid. Of course for both of those he just talked into the mic repeating what I was whispering into his ear. But that's still really good for a boy who isn't quite 4 years old, I'm so proud of him.
That's all for now! Bye!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
What's your favorite bad movies everyone?
This is mine, best cheese ever. What can I say, I love musicals! It's even cheesier than Grease which I didn't think was possible. I saw it for free in a theatre, bought it in the $5 Walmart bin later. It was worth every penny and not one cent more! Especially since I've watched it repeatedly when I need a laugh.
So what's your favorite show that's 'so bad it's so so good?'
You need to leave a comment, don't be embarrassed this is not a place of judgment. How could I judge you at this point after posting that picture?
oh I forgot to mention I'm doing this because I watched it a few nights ago. Lincoln sat on the floor and watched it in mild disinterest and at the end actually sighed in exasperation and yelled at me,"Mama! That was bad!" and insisted I turn on A Bug's Life, which is the continuous repeat of his choice for now. He's a smart boy, that one. :)
Friday, May 29, 2009
Flummoxed! Well maybe that's not the right term exactly...
I wanted to post quick about how I love my ward, and I'll put pictures of the new basement on too.
I guess me and Mike would be happy anywhere as long as we are together with our sons and all doing well. We have lived in 5 wards since we've been married, 6 different residences (thats a big part of why I don't want to move again for a long LONG time) and have really liked all the wards we've attended, just because we decided the church is true everywhere and you can either choose to enjoy the people you live by and be happy or you can nitpick and be a grouchy neighbor. We've had some neighbor problems and landlord problems in those places, but the spirit of any congregation is the same in our experience. And in our current home.... well, I just love it more every day. If we ever move I might be tempted to just lift this house off the foundation and drag it to a new location and simply build a few more rooms on the back of it as needed because I don't want to repaint a new place in the colors I like and then there's carpet and drapes and everything and spend endless hours deciding where to put things AGAIN. Yep, I realize a bunch of my attachment is to the people living here with me but still....
This house is where we've lived the longest and became a family, 4 years of our almost 7 year marriage. Where we went from 'Mike and very pregnant Juliet' to Lincoln, Grant and parents, and a few pets have come and gone in the meantime as well. Lincoln has spent endless hours with the 8-10 kids from next door and 2 doors down, they all just filter into each others homes and yards all summer long and they are welcome almost all day long in any of those 3 places.
We've both done church callings given talks and tried to be good neighbors. Still I am shocked by how sweet our fellow ward members can be sometimes when it seems we don't do as much to help them.
I have a friend a few blocks away with breast cancer. If anyone in this world is gonna beat it, it's her. Not only because of her strength and optimism through this, but because she really really needs to.
She has 4 sweet little boys. The oldest is ten.
On Wed. she had another round of chemo, her..... 4th of her every other week treatment I think she said. The side affects of the chemo affect her pretty mildly compared to how it does to others, so she just lays low at home with family and rests through the weekend after a "chemo Wednesday week". But this morning she called me to check on me and make sure my eye operation last week went well and I wasn't in pain. I was just bowled over that she would think of me at this time! What an angel.
For people like that (and actually there are lots of other ward members who'd do the same. Great people.) we can put up with the graffiti periodically put on fences around the corner from us, and the crimes sometimes on the news that are within a few miles. Wouldn't you put up with a lot too? I mean my goodness that left me flabbergasted.
After that beautiful story, here's my beautiful home. The Before and After pictures.
Before we moved in, some pictures Mike's mom took of the house. It was a rental property before it was sold to us.
Many improvements and decoratings were done with my Aunt Hollie's help right after we bought it, and then some improvements over the years including the recent putting up a wall in the basement downstairs so Linc has his own room, and here it is now.
I guess me and Mike would be happy anywhere as long as we are together with our sons and all doing well. We have lived in 5 wards since we've been married, 6 different residences (thats a big part of why I don't want to move again for a long LONG time) and have really liked all the wards we've attended, just because we decided the church is true everywhere and you can either choose to enjoy the people you live by and be happy or you can nitpick and be a grouchy neighbor. We've had some neighbor problems and landlord problems in those places, but the spirit of any congregation is the same in our experience. And in our current home.... well, I just love it more every day. If we ever move I might be tempted to just lift this house off the foundation and drag it to a new location and simply build a few more rooms on the back of it as needed because I don't want to repaint a new place in the colors I like and then there's carpet and drapes and everything and spend endless hours deciding where to put things AGAIN. Yep, I realize a bunch of my attachment is to the people living here with me but still....
This house is where we've lived the longest and became a family, 4 years of our almost 7 year marriage. Where we went from 'Mike and very pregnant Juliet' to Lincoln, Grant and parents, and a few pets have come and gone in the meantime as well. Lincoln has spent endless hours with the 8-10 kids from next door and 2 doors down, they all just filter into each others homes and yards all summer long and they are welcome almost all day long in any of those 3 places.
We've both done church callings given talks and tried to be good neighbors. Still I am shocked by how sweet our fellow ward members can be sometimes when it seems we don't do as much to help them.
I have a friend a few blocks away with breast cancer. If anyone in this world is gonna beat it, it's her. Not only because of her strength and optimism through this, but because she really really needs to.
She has 4 sweet little boys. The oldest is ten.
On Wed. she had another round of chemo, her..... 4th of her every other week treatment I think she said. The side affects of the chemo affect her pretty mildly compared to how it does to others, so she just lays low at home with family and rests through the weekend after a "chemo Wednesday week". But this morning she called me to check on me and make sure my eye operation last week went well and I wasn't in pain. I was just bowled over that she would think of me at this time! What an angel.
For people like that (and actually there are lots of other ward members who'd do the same. Great people.) we can put up with the graffiti periodically put on fences around the corner from us, and the crimes sometimes on the news that are within a few miles. Wouldn't you put up with a lot too? I mean my goodness that left me flabbergasted.
After that beautiful story, here's my beautiful home. The Before and After pictures.
Before we moved in, some pictures Mike's mom took of the house. It was a rental property before it was sold to us.
Many improvements and decoratings were done with my Aunt Hollie's help right after we bought it, and then some improvements over the years including the recent putting up a wall in the basement downstairs so Linc has his own room, and here it is now.
I vow today....
... I'm gonna participate in facebook only with my Blackberry. Because its much slower and dosen't show all the features, and I'm more inclined to say,"Eh, why bother?"
I will get Grant's closet reorganized.
And I'll find a place for Linc to take swim lessons and get him signed up if possible.
Oh and I'll do a blogger post about something.
It's my last day of being a non driver, and I want to get lots done.
The to-do-list makes it more likely these things will actually happen.
Be back!
I will get Grant's closet reorganized.
And I'll find a place for Linc to take swim lessons and get him signed up if possible.
Oh and I'll do a blogger post about something.
It's my last day of being a non driver, and I want to get lots done.
The to-do-list makes it more likely these things will actually happen.
Be back!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Look at these pictures!
In case you haven't noticed, I don't like pictures really I hardly ever post them.... or take them actually. But this time, here's some pictures! From the family party a while back, so relatives have already seen these.
Oh and surgery went fine. Painful but getting better. And most importantly, my eyes are pretty much lined up now! Success! I'm gonna spare you all a picture of it though because my right eye is gonna be all swollen and red for about a month or 2. It is aligned, but does not look pretty or normal yet. So I'm going to try to avoid pictures for a few months of myself. :)
Which pretty much chinches the decision we'd already made to not go to the reunion this Friday. No way I'd go like this! I'm doin the Facebook thing instead.
bye! Juliet
Friday, May 22, 2009
Surgery today
I have my blogspot (office) back together! And the downstairs is completed, Lincoln loves his new room! Pictures soon really because it turns out for the next week I'll have nothing but time here at home or within walking (strollering) distances. I'm going in for eye surgery today and can't drive for a week afterwards. Hopefully me and the little boys don't go too stir crazy here at home.
I have a case of adult strabismus. I've had it for who knows how long, a couple years I think. It's actually leftover from trying to surgically correct it in my early years, but I suppose it came back at some point. It does not really effect my vision, and I think it fluctuates and gets worse when I'm really tired or stressed. My left eye looks straight forward as it's supposed to, and my right eye looks outward. They do move together but don't point the same direction, it's called extropia strabismus. Like 1% of the adult population has it and can usually correct it with prism glasses or sometimes injections into the eye. I am sure glad that's not an option for me, can you imagine a needle going straight into your eye??!! (That would still be lots more minor than what my poor baby Grant has been through. Little sweetheart.)
This is a good recent photo example of me facing the camera. Remember I am stressed and tired here because I hurriedly took the boys to this ward Halloween party, and I'd just been on our 1st trip out to California that week. So it's pretty obvious in this one.
The only option for me is a surgery wherein the dr. will look at the muscles around and under the eyelids while I am sedated and either make them a little bigger or a little smaller. The Dr doing it has been Lincoln's pediatric ophthalmologist since he was an infant, and he also specializes in this surgery which is not really very complex. I go in a couple hours and will be home by tonight, it's outpatient and recovery shouldn't be so bad.
Compared to Grant's cornea transplant this is absolutely a cake walk. I had an eye exam in early December where the pediatric ophthalmologist told me the only way to fix it would be him doing this surgery, and he said I should either get it done in the next few days when he had some OR times free, or wait until Grant is much more stable post-op. And Grant is doing awesome!
Doing this right before Christmas would have been stupid. I still might be crazy to get this non urgent surgery done while I have a baby in diapers and a loud 3 year old. But I have a awesome husband, and he said he can handle the 10x a day eyedrops and the boys and all that for 3 days to a week, so he encouraged me to get it done now. So that's the plan for today. Wish us luck.
I have a case of adult strabismus. I've had it for who knows how long, a couple years I think. It's actually leftover from trying to surgically correct it in my early years, but I suppose it came back at some point. It does not really effect my vision, and I think it fluctuates and gets worse when I'm really tired or stressed. My left eye looks straight forward as it's supposed to, and my right eye looks outward. They do move together but don't point the same direction, it's called extropia strabismus. Like 1% of the adult population has it and can usually correct it with prism glasses or sometimes injections into the eye. I am sure glad that's not an option for me, can you imagine a needle going straight into your eye??!! (That would still be lots more minor than what my poor baby Grant has been through. Little sweetheart.)
This is a good recent photo example of me facing the camera. Remember I am stressed and tired here because I hurriedly took the boys to this ward Halloween party, and I'd just been on our 1st trip out to California that week. So it's pretty obvious in this one.
The only option for me is a surgery wherein the dr. will look at the muscles around and under the eyelids while I am sedated and either make them a little bigger or a little smaller. The Dr doing it has been Lincoln's pediatric ophthalmologist since he was an infant, and he also specializes in this surgery which is not really very complex. I go in a couple hours and will be home by tonight, it's outpatient and recovery shouldn't be so bad.
Compared to Grant's cornea transplant this is absolutely a cake walk. I had an eye exam in early December where the pediatric ophthalmologist told me the only way to fix it would be him doing this surgery, and he said I should either get it done in the next few days when he had some OR times free, or wait until Grant is much more stable post-op. And Grant is doing awesome!
Doing this right before Christmas would have been stupid. I still might be crazy to get this non urgent surgery done while I have a baby in diapers and a loud 3 year old. But I have a awesome husband, and he said he can handle the 10x a day eyedrops and the boys and all that for 3 days to a week, so he encouraged me to get it done now. So that's the plan for today. Wish us luck.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Grant talks too!
I almost forgot to mention that Grant has been talking too! About a month ago his baby cooing and babbles were distinctly more 'ah-ma ah-ma' when I was holding him. Then on mothers day while mike was handing me a baby very eager to be fed, grant clearly said "Mama!". It was awesome. Between that and mike giving me some gifts and lincolns talk, I think nobody ever had such a superb mothers day! I am quite blessed. Since than, grant now calls out "mamamamamamama" when he wants me. I love it that linc was such a daddy's boy but grant is clearly mine.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Lincoln's Talk!
Sunday Lincoln gave a talk in Primary and he was so so so cute! He was so excited to get picked to do this. His daddy gave a sacrament meeting talk a few weeks ago and Lincoln had a hard time listening to it (even more than normally for a 3 year old in sacrament meeting) because as soon as Mike got up Lincoln started telling me,"Hey, that's Daddy. Daddy talking in church. I wanna talk in church! Me talk in church now. I talk in church..." So I told him if they ask me he can take my turn. hee hee. Maybe in the next few months I'll help him "bear his testimony" sometime. Anyway, so when he was picked for Primary he was excited, showed me the card after church and said,"I'm gonna talk about prayers!" When asked what he wants to say about prayers, he'd start saying one.
So Lincoln and I that week(I did it mostly) wrote down what he was gonna say, and in sharing time he got to sit at the front, then I whispered in his ear what to say and he repeated it into the mic. He talked loud enough to be heard and did very very well!
Linc's talk
I am learning at home to say my prayers. You say a prayer before you eat, before you go to bed, at church, or just any time you want to talk to Heavenly Father. Prayers should start with 'Dear Heavenly Father....', then I say thank you for my food and family and toys and other things. Then I ask for things like help being a good boy, to sleep good all night, and sometimes I ask for more toys. I like to say my prayers sometimes by myself, with no help from anybody. I like to say prayers! In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
I am so proud of my cute little boy.
My downstairs is coming back together after an extended perioud of drywalling, baseboards, painting and carpeting. This weekend I should have the office room put back as it should be, and once I have my 'blogspot' (Desk and computer and chair) back to normal I can do more to this blogspot.
(Oh yeah Joy no fair doing a giveaway when my computer is in a closet!)
Bye! Juliet
So Lincoln and I that week(I did it mostly) wrote down what he was gonna say, and in sharing time he got to sit at the front, then I whispered in his ear what to say and he repeated it into the mic. He talked loud enough to be heard and did very very well!
Linc's talk
I am learning at home to say my prayers. You say a prayer before you eat, before you go to bed, at church, or just any time you want to talk to Heavenly Father. Prayers should start with 'Dear Heavenly Father....', then I say thank you for my food and family and toys and other things. Then I ask for things like help being a good boy, to sleep good all night, and sometimes I ask for more toys. I like to say my prayers sometimes by myself, with no help from anybody. I like to say prayers! In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
I am so proud of my cute little boy.
My downstairs is coming back together after an extended perioud of drywalling, baseboards, painting and carpeting. This weekend I should have the office room put back as it should be, and once I have my 'blogspot' (Desk and computer and chair) back to normal I can do more to this blogspot.
(Oh yeah Joy no fair doing a giveaway when my computer is in a closet!)
Bye! Juliet
Friday, April 24, 2009
Reunion?
Jeez. Mike and I went to Alta High School together, graduated Class of '99 together (WOOT!!!) and it doesn't seem like very long ago but ALREADY the reunion is next month. Jeez, we are so so old! :)
Just asking for opinions now though. It's at a swanky new reception center, and it's $60 a couple and that doesn't even include the price of a sitter or gas to drive over so adding that on also...... and then there's the point of that of the HS friends we had, we are still somewhat in touch with lots of them. Or at least in touch with them by hearing what they're doing through another friend they've kept in contact with, so kinda aware what's going on with them. Then add in the factor of a bunch of my HS friends graduated Class of 1998 and 2000, so they wouldn't be there anyway. I think our $60 is better spent at this time on Grant's eyedrops and office visit copays. Maybe we'll make it to the 15 or 20 year reunion.
On the other hand I kinda feel obligated since we are both graduates of that class who married each other and that doesn't happen often.
So what do you think?
Just asking for opinions now though. It's at a swanky new reception center, and it's $60 a couple and that doesn't even include the price of a sitter or gas to drive over so adding that on also...... and then there's the point of that of the HS friends we had, we are still somewhat in touch with lots of them. Or at least in touch with them by hearing what they're doing through another friend they've kept in contact with, so kinda aware what's going on with them. Then add in the factor of a bunch of my HS friends graduated Class of 1998 and 2000, so they wouldn't be there anyway. I think our $60 is better spent at this time on Grant's eyedrops and office visit copays. Maybe we'll make it to the 15 or 20 year reunion.
On the other hand I kinda feel obligated since we are both graduates of that class who married each other and that doesn't happen often.
So what do you think?
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
This will work better.
That youtube video link I put in my last post of 2 drs. conversing? Nevermind that link, I more effectively posted it via the twitter and it actually works so click on it that way instead and if you don't want to watch the whole thing of 2 opthalmologists endlessly discussing many aspects of eye surgeries..... well, I really don't blame you. But at about 7 minutes in is the part about infant cornea transplants and it's really interesting and then there's like 20 min. of blah blah blah cataracts LASIK other such things but near the end Dr. Brown discusses the possibility of someday maybe stem cell medical treatments being able to grow corneas..... we are very intrigued by that part also. Hopeful. Anyways you could check out that in the last few minutes also. I like the whole video but like I said I don't blame ya if you don't find it fascinating like we did.
Gosh. I am way too technologically challenged to blog correctly. I've been at it like a year and a half, too. Bleh. Sorry.
Gosh. I am way too technologically challenged to blog correctly. I've been at it like a year and a half, too. Bleh. Sorry.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Lighten Up!
I've slightly brightened up the blog format and fonts (without making it flowery and girly. I am seriously outnumbered by boys here at home ya know.) and have decided I need to post on this more. I have not been doing it because it seems like I complain too much and who wants to hear that? Nobody wants to hear me complain about my woes when they've got their own to deal with. I can go down the list of people/families represented on the links on the left- well, the right side of the screen now that the formatting has changed on this blog. I can go through the list and like a checklist say,"Oh, in the last year or 2 that family had this and this happen. That one had _____. That one....." and on and on, and why should I think our issues are any more important? Thus, the silent reluctance to blog anything.
I decided if I was gonna get back to this blog thing I'd lighten up the navy blue backdrop and do a post on what I'm grateful for, no complaining allowed. So here's the "Lighten Up" post. Mike, Grant and I are going back to San Diego Monday for a checkup. Just fly in Monday morning and back to UT Monday night. I'm gonna make a top 10 list of what I love about San Diego. With pictures whenever possible.
(Not in order, just as they occur to me.)
#1: San Diego Temple!
BIG picture of a BIG temple!!
Last time I went to a session it was in January at this temple. I love them all, but this one is exceptionally gorgeous. Fortunately, the Shiley Eye Center is only a few minutes away from this magnificent building so its hard to miss at least doing a drive-by of it while in town. Unfortunately Dr Brown only does regular appointments/clinic hours on Mondays and all LDS temples are closed Sundays and Mondays. Not condusive to Mike and Grant and I flying in, going to an appointment, one of us going into a temple session then flying out all in one day. Oh well!
#2: Dr Stuart Brown
Infant cornea transplantation is not a commonly attempted surgery (and, thank goodness, infants are only rarely born needing it. Most are born with completely functional healthy eyes.) and is known as a risky and difficult procedure for an opthalmologist to perform. Then there's all the complications and typically low success rate for infants, it makes it a thankless and rarely rewarding endeavor. But he did the first successful one ever, in the 70's. He's done about 200 on infants with about a 70-80% success rate. Only does one or 2 a year at this point though. As is evident from the picture, he's not a young man but still works really hard running the Shiley Eye Center, his charity 4Sight4Children, professor and head of the opthalmology department at UCSD, travels a lot and stays really busy. Still made time to do 2 transplants on Grant in January and a couple weeks of post-op care and suture removal, even dealing with overanxious parents (Mike) and gave me the # of an auto body shop in San Diego when I needed it after the accident. With his age and how busy he stays in this demanding job, I can't really fault him for... well sometimes acting like Dr. House from the show House. We are grateful to him anyways so very much for helping God perform a miracle.
2b: Monya
No pictures of this girl, but his assistant just can't go unmentioned! She is such a sweetheart. Made arrangements for Grant and I to stay at Bannister House for January, has helped arrange an zillion office visit times, relays messages.... on and on. Dr Brown may be one of the best surgeons in the world for this, but it seems she is the legs he stands on at times. In the month of January her office # is on my cell phone records more than anybody else for ingoing and outgoing calls, and she's called me from home before and over holiday weekends and everything. She's awesome!
#3: In N' Out
I love this food. Did you know one will be in Draper in a few months? Until that sweet day, Vegas has the closest locations of this. OK so its just burgers fries and simple stuff but I like it OK?
#4: Ratner Children's Eye Center
This is right next to the Shiley Eye Center. There's a long story behind it you can google it up if you're interested. Short version is Dr. Brown and others thought it unfortunate that there's a bunch of vision problems adults have that could have been fixed in infancy/childhood but after a few years of life and visual development are irreversable. (Yes, Grant's corneas are fall in that category.) So Dr. Brown founded this center, Dr. Granet runs it. I've never really been in there before, besides the times I've ducked in the back entrance to use their bathroom with a changing table in it. I've done that A LOT of times. But Monday will be Grant's 1st appointment at that building. He's having some unique testing there to measure infant visual acuity and how he can see colors and contrasts.... something like that. It should be interesting. Then we meet with Dr. Granet, then with Dr. Brown. Then back home!
Here's a video of those 2 doctors doing an interview, it's really cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR4VyUcJiEg&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.uctv.tv%2Fsearch-details.aspx%3FshowID%3D12320&feature=player_embedded
Ocean and Beach
Do I really need to post a pic? You know what it looks like. I love the ocean and the beach. Unfortunately Grant should stay away from sand and salty water. Probably forever. So it's fortunate I don't live closer to a coastline, or I'd be tempted to spend lots of time away from my baby! We will admire it from afar.
#6: Sea World
That place really is fun. Expensive, but my mom bought a year long pass for me and Lincoln in case we get to go again on a trip to CA. It was the same price as a day pass. Lincoln esp. loves it and babbles on and on about Dory and Nemo while we are there (even more than he already does).
#7: Bannister House
It's not a 4 star resort or anything but it's nicer than I thought it would be, a great place for people to stay together while their family members are going through something. Also was good to remind me not to complain, some (most) people there had family members in real medical crisis. Whining about zillions of eyedrops and post-op care of a baby who is otherwise healthy and happy seemed very petty in a place like that. Now is not the time yet, but someday I am gonna do something nice for that facility in return.
#8: Tiffany's!
Isn't that just breathtaking? For $85,000, it had better be! I tried that on one day, with Grant sleeping obliviously in a stroller beside me. Just like a man, can't appreciate how incredible it was to have that on my dry tired unmanicured dirty mama hands.
I really thought the only location of this was in NYC. No, there's just none in Utah. It's an amazing store. I could spend hours there trying on things I will never get to wear outside of those walls. Ahhh...
#9: Sephora
Its like a candy store! But it's all makeup and skin care. You can try a sample of ANYTHING! Don't have this in UT either, I don't know why not. Oh, because I'd set up a sleeping bag in the back and they don't want that? Yeah that's probably it.....
#10: Steve and Lori
I don't have a picture of them? Weird, I'm gonna have to tell her to email me some. Anyways, that's my dad's cousin and her husband. Just so helpful to a lonely weary mother while I was there. They're out of town (In Utah. Strange. We are switching states for a day.)Monday so I will have to see them next time I'm in CA.
That's 10! And I could put out a few more if needed, and that's not even at home. At home I'm grateful for lots more things. Millions. With that much to be happy about, I should not get sad.
So I'll keep tweeting and even do a real post next week about the trip. And bye!
Juliet
I decided if I was gonna get back to this blog thing I'd lighten up the navy blue backdrop and do a post on what I'm grateful for, no complaining allowed. So here's the "Lighten Up" post. Mike, Grant and I are going back to San Diego Monday for a checkup. Just fly in Monday morning and back to UT Monday night. I'm gonna make a top 10 list of what I love about San Diego. With pictures whenever possible.
(Not in order, just as they occur to me.)
#1: San Diego Temple!
BIG picture of a BIG temple!!
Last time I went to a session it was in January at this temple. I love them all, but this one is exceptionally gorgeous. Fortunately, the Shiley Eye Center is only a few minutes away from this magnificent building so its hard to miss at least doing a drive-by of it while in town. Unfortunately Dr Brown only does regular appointments/clinic hours on Mondays and all LDS temples are closed Sundays and Mondays. Not condusive to Mike and Grant and I flying in, going to an appointment, one of us going into a temple session then flying out all in one day. Oh well!
#2: Dr Stuart Brown
Infant cornea transplantation is not a commonly attempted surgery (and, thank goodness, infants are only rarely born needing it. Most are born with completely functional healthy eyes.) and is known as a risky and difficult procedure for an opthalmologist to perform. Then there's all the complications and typically low success rate for infants, it makes it a thankless and rarely rewarding endeavor. But he did the first successful one ever, in the 70's. He's done about 200 on infants with about a 70-80% success rate. Only does one or 2 a year at this point though. As is evident from the picture, he's not a young man but still works really hard running the Shiley Eye Center, his charity 4Sight4Children, professor and head of the opthalmology department at UCSD, travels a lot and stays really busy. Still made time to do 2 transplants on Grant in January and a couple weeks of post-op care and suture removal, even dealing with overanxious parents (Mike) and gave me the # of an auto body shop in San Diego when I needed it after the accident. With his age and how busy he stays in this demanding job, I can't really fault him for... well sometimes acting like Dr. House from the show House. We are grateful to him anyways so very much for helping God perform a miracle.
2b: Monya
No pictures of this girl, but his assistant just can't go unmentioned! She is such a sweetheart. Made arrangements for Grant and I to stay at Bannister House for January, has helped arrange an zillion office visit times, relays messages.... on and on. Dr Brown may be one of the best surgeons in the world for this, but it seems she is the legs he stands on at times. In the month of January her office # is on my cell phone records more than anybody else for ingoing and outgoing calls, and she's called me from home before and over holiday weekends and everything. She's awesome!
#3: In N' Out
I love this food. Did you know one will be in Draper in a few months? Until that sweet day, Vegas has the closest locations of this. OK so its just burgers fries and simple stuff but I like it OK?
#4: Ratner Children's Eye Center
This is right next to the Shiley Eye Center. There's a long story behind it you can google it up if you're interested. Short version is Dr. Brown and others thought it unfortunate that there's a bunch of vision problems adults have that could have been fixed in infancy/childhood but after a few years of life and visual development are irreversable. (Yes, Grant's corneas are fall in that category.) So Dr. Brown founded this center, Dr. Granet runs it. I've never really been in there before, besides the times I've ducked in the back entrance to use their bathroom with a changing table in it. I've done that A LOT of times. But Monday will be Grant's 1st appointment at that building. He's having some unique testing there to measure infant visual acuity and how he can see colors and contrasts.... something like that. It should be interesting. Then we meet with Dr. Granet, then with Dr. Brown. Then back home!
Here's a video of those 2 doctors doing an interview, it's really cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR4VyUcJiEg&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.uctv.tv%2Fsearch-details.aspx%3FshowID%3D12320&feature=player_embedded
Ocean and Beach
Do I really need to post a pic? You know what it looks like. I love the ocean and the beach. Unfortunately Grant should stay away from sand and salty water. Probably forever. So it's fortunate I don't live closer to a coastline, or I'd be tempted to spend lots of time away from my baby! We will admire it from afar.
#6: Sea World
That place really is fun. Expensive, but my mom bought a year long pass for me and Lincoln in case we get to go again on a trip to CA. It was the same price as a day pass. Lincoln esp. loves it and babbles on and on about Dory and Nemo while we are there (even more than he already does).
#7: Bannister House
It's not a 4 star resort or anything but it's nicer than I thought it would be, a great place for people to stay together while their family members are going through something. Also was good to remind me not to complain, some (most) people there had family members in real medical crisis. Whining about zillions of eyedrops and post-op care of a baby who is otherwise healthy and happy seemed very petty in a place like that. Now is not the time yet, but someday I am gonna do something nice for that facility in return.
#8: Tiffany's!
Isn't that just breathtaking? For $85,000, it had better be! I tried that on one day, with Grant sleeping obliviously in a stroller beside me. Just like a man, can't appreciate how incredible it was to have that on my dry tired unmanicured dirty mama hands.
I really thought the only location of this was in NYC. No, there's just none in Utah. It's an amazing store. I could spend hours there trying on things I will never get to wear outside of those walls. Ahhh...
#9: Sephora
Its like a candy store! But it's all makeup and skin care. You can try a sample of ANYTHING! Don't have this in UT either, I don't know why not. Oh, because I'd set up a sleeping bag in the back and they don't want that? Yeah that's probably it.....
#10: Steve and Lori
I don't have a picture of them? Weird, I'm gonna have to tell her to email me some. Anyways, that's my dad's cousin and her husband. Just so helpful to a lonely weary mother while I was there. They're out of town (In Utah. Strange. We are switching states for a day.)Monday so I will have to see them next time I'm in CA.
That's 10! And I could put out a few more if needed, and that's not even at home. At home I'm grateful for lots more things. Millions. With that much to be happy about, I should not get sad.
So I'll keep tweeting and even do a real post next week about the trip. And bye!
Juliet
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Sorry Gayna (my bishop's wife)
(I just sent this email out for my ward bulletin. All I have the ability for right now is copy-paste it onto my blog, hope it's enough of an update for a few more days. This is an update for my ward, anyway. bye!-Juliet)
I almost forgot to email you and I hope it isn't too late to squeeze this in for April issue. If so just put it in next month and sorry!
Hello Brookhaveners! We are the Christensen family. It's "daddy" Michael, "mama" Juliet, and the 2 boys Lincoln and Grant. Michael works over at the Verizon Wireless call center. He loves his job, we are really grateful he has one and that he loves to work so hard there. He also attends school at SLCC to (sloooowly) get a degree, and loves to spend any spare time (What????? Spare? Time? When do those two words ever go together?) playing with his sons, cooking, hanging out with his wife, or looking at cell phone information sites.
Juliet(that's me, I'm writing this) finished her bachelors degree in Music Ed a couple years ago, hung it on the wall and threw herself into full time motherhood of Lincoln and Grant. I also have scarce spare time not consumed by dr appointments and such, but I spend it watching TV (too much probably, I love it so), reading or going to see our family that lives nearby in Sandy. Mike and I went to HS together there, got married after his mission and I suppose this summer will be our 7 year anniversary. Wow we are so old. ;)
Lincoln is a silly 3 year old who loves watching his movies and playing with any wheeled toys. Cars, trains, and trucks consume all of his time. He's a very friendly little boy who loves to play and sing.
Grant is 6 months old and he is gorgeous! He was born with very cloudy eyes and traveled to San Diego with Mama to have an expert surgeon do a cornea transplant on the left eye at 4 months old. The procedure is rarely done on infants and has a small success rate, but so far with prayers and 10x a day eyedrops it is working and his visual development is the way a 2-3 month old would be. Which is just about right! Every day it still works is a daily miracle, and we are so blessed to have this little sweetheart in our home. Oh and his older brother adores him to the point of smothering him. So that's us, thanks for having us in this lovely ward and being our friends and we'll probably be here a long long while and we're so glad!
I almost forgot to email you and I hope it isn't too late to squeeze this in for April issue. If so just put it in next month and sorry!
Hello Brookhaveners! We are the Christensen family. It's "daddy" Michael, "mama" Juliet, and the 2 boys Lincoln and Grant. Michael works over at the Verizon Wireless call center. He loves his job, we are really grateful he has one and that he loves to work so hard there. He also attends school at SLCC to (sloooowly) get a degree, and loves to spend any spare time (What????? Spare? Time? When do those two words ever go together?) playing with his sons, cooking, hanging out with his wife, or looking at cell phone information sites.
Juliet(that's me, I'm writing this) finished her bachelors degree in Music Ed a couple years ago, hung it on the wall and threw herself into full time motherhood of Lincoln and Grant. I also have scarce spare time not consumed by dr appointments and such, but I spend it watching TV (too much probably, I love it so), reading or going to see our family that lives nearby in Sandy. Mike and I went to HS together there, got married after his mission and I suppose this summer will be our 7 year anniversary. Wow we are so old. ;)
Lincoln is a silly 3 year old who loves watching his movies and playing with any wheeled toys. Cars, trains, and trucks consume all of his time. He's a very friendly little boy who loves to play and sing.
Grant is 6 months old and he is gorgeous! He was born with very cloudy eyes and traveled to San Diego with Mama to have an expert surgeon do a cornea transplant on the left eye at 4 months old. The procedure is rarely done on infants and has a small success rate, but so far with prayers and 10x a day eyedrops it is working and his visual development is the way a 2-3 month old would be. Which is just about right! Every day it still works is a daily miracle, and we are so blessed to have this little sweetheart in our home. Oh and his older brother adores him to the point of smothering him. So that's us, thanks for having us in this lovely ward and being our friends and we'll probably be here a long long while and we're so glad!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Who else hates their blog?
I do I do! It's just one more thing to feel bad about not doing. Like I need more of that? NO.
But i really do like checking other peoples sites. I need to take my turn.
Well that's all for now. I'll do a real post today. And I'm so changing the backdrop to something less dark.
But i really do like checking other peoples sites. I need to take my turn.
Well that's all for now. I'll do a real post today. And I'm so changing the backdrop to something less dark.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Not even have the time to Twitter
Well I will take as much time as I can until I'm interrupted again!
We've been back in town 8 busy days now. Stitches were taken out of the cornea Wed. January 28th at 10 AM (that day I forgot my cell and couldn't even twiter about it till the end of the day). For once a childrens hospital O.R. wasn't running behind schedule that early in the day, and Grant went right in as scheduled and it's a darn good thing he did.
By trial and error and many experiences in infant cornea transplantation, the surgeon has determined the stitches need to come out 2 weeks after the transplant. On adult cornea grafts it's about a year, but if you leave them on an infant more than a few weeks it ruins the eye. Grant's were taken out exactly 2 weeks post-transplant. The dr. came out of the operating room shaking his head somberly saying,"I just don't know,Juliet. I sure hope this stays. It was starting to reject so I dumped the maximum amount of medicine into the eye right away, gave him a lot through his IV.... and he'll have no bandages on because I want you to put more in as often as you can."
I put the meds in every 30 minutes the rest of the day until we fell asleep. I tried to keep it up overnight but it ended up being every 90 minutes during the night because I just couldn't do it (Mike was arriving the next day so I was alone). In the morning it was back to every 30 minutes. And at the appointment I sat anxiously as the dr nervously examined the cornea and sighed in relief. "It's still good! Wow, I was nervous about this one yesterday." Then he disclosed to me that another 8 hours and that eye would have been ruined.
Yes, 8 hours. Like if the suture removal time would have been at 4 in the afternoon, and/or if the usual delays of the anistesioligists running late would have happened that day, the whole trip to San Diego and all of it would have been a waste. So if you think your prayers were not helping, you are wrong. They did. Thanks so so much! Continue to pray for Grant and his vision please. Let me explain why.
This is kind of how Mike and I are these days. Balancing a delicate little spec of dust on the stem of a flower we try so hard to take care of meticulously.
As I said before, the top layer is the most vital part of your cornea. Plenty of blind people have problems only with this part of their eye, even with the rest of their cornea and everything else working just fine. It's a really really thin (I think oily and liquidy) layer. Please try this as an experiment. Look down and close your eyes for a few seconds. Then look up, focus your eyes on something nearby,and don't blink for 15 seconds.
It kinda stings, didn't it? That's surface cells dying. Then you blinked a few times and it went away.It renews and moisturizes itself when you blink. You get the same stinging feeling if you are in really dry air or in the wind for very long, or if you get dust or dirt in your eye and it does no harm because you just blink and the cells regenerate.
Grant was not born with the stem cells for that. The top layer from this donor cornea is all he's gonna have always. Expecting his eye to be able to regenerate those cells makes about as much sense as a child born with one arm -who is then given a prosthetic arm- to begin growing an arm out of that shoulder. Uh, no sorry. It didn't develop in utero, so putting something else in there isn't gonna make it start growing. Basically the same thing here.
Speechless? Yeah, that's basically been the reaction of everyone who we've had the time to explain this to. Once they really get how this works, the eyes go wide in horror.
We are trying to be as careful as possible with him. We really need to be careful and protect his eye to retain his sight, for any amount of time. Therein lies the very low success rate for this procedure, esp. for long term. We do our best and hope it will last years and years and years, but are trying to enjoy it while it lasts. Every day and minute and dr appointment where we hear, "Wow, it's still clear." is a miracle.
I'm putting up some pics ASAP to flesh out the last few posts and show off my gorgeous boys. But now I hear my life calling again so see ya again soon computer. bye.
Juliet
edited to add: Did I sound sad or something? I'm really not because Grant can see things today, and another "All clear." at a dr. appt. this morning is great! I am not sad. It's a miracle, it really is. "Eyes go wide in horror." makes it sound like my son has something fatal. Seriously he's doing awesome at the moment and on the advice of the surgeon I just can't ponder on the long term of all this and the "what ifs". One day at a time is the way to go. And today was great! Just wanted to clarify. I'll go get the pictures off the memory card now.
We've been back in town 8 busy days now. Stitches were taken out of the cornea Wed. January 28th at 10 AM (that day I forgot my cell and couldn't even twiter about it till the end of the day). For once a childrens hospital O.R. wasn't running behind schedule that early in the day, and Grant went right in as scheduled and it's a darn good thing he did.
By trial and error and many experiences in infant cornea transplantation, the surgeon has determined the stitches need to come out 2 weeks after the transplant. On adult cornea grafts it's about a year, but if you leave them on an infant more than a few weeks it ruins the eye. Grant's were taken out exactly 2 weeks post-transplant. The dr. came out of the operating room shaking his head somberly saying,"I just don't know,Juliet. I sure hope this stays. It was starting to reject so I dumped the maximum amount of medicine into the eye right away, gave him a lot through his IV.... and he'll have no bandages on because I want you to put more in as often as you can."
I put the meds in every 30 minutes the rest of the day until we fell asleep. I tried to keep it up overnight but it ended up being every 90 minutes during the night because I just couldn't do it (Mike was arriving the next day so I was alone). In the morning it was back to every 30 minutes. And at the appointment I sat anxiously as the dr nervously examined the cornea and sighed in relief. "It's still good! Wow, I was nervous about this one yesterday." Then he disclosed to me that another 8 hours and that eye would have been ruined.
Yes, 8 hours. Like if the suture removal time would have been at 4 in the afternoon, and/or if the usual delays of the anistesioligists running late would have happened that day, the whole trip to San Diego and all of it would have been a waste. So if you think your prayers were not helping, you are wrong. They did. Thanks so so much! Continue to pray for Grant and his vision please. Let me explain why.
This is kind of how Mike and I are these days. Balancing a delicate little spec of dust on the stem of a flower we try so hard to take care of meticulously. As I said before, the top layer is the most vital part of your cornea. Plenty of blind people have problems only with this part of their eye, even with the rest of their cornea and everything else working just fine. It's a really really thin (I think oily and liquidy) layer. Please try this as an experiment. Look down and close your eyes for a few seconds. Then look up, focus your eyes on something nearby,and don't blink for 15 seconds.
It kinda stings, didn't it? That's surface cells dying. Then you blinked a few times and it went away.It renews and moisturizes itself when you blink. You get the same stinging feeling if you are in really dry air or in the wind for very long, or if you get dust or dirt in your eye and it does no harm because you just blink and the cells regenerate.
Grant was not born with the stem cells for that. The top layer from this donor cornea is all he's gonna have always. Expecting his eye to be able to regenerate those cells makes about as much sense as a child born with one arm -who is then given a prosthetic arm- to begin growing an arm out of that shoulder. Uh, no sorry. It didn't develop in utero, so putting something else in there isn't gonna make it start growing. Basically the same thing here.
Speechless? Yeah, that's basically been the reaction of everyone who we've had the time to explain this to. Once they really get how this works, the eyes go wide in horror.
We are trying to be as careful as possible with him. We really need to be careful and protect his eye to retain his sight, for any amount of time. Therein lies the very low success rate for this procedure, esp. for long term. We do our best and hope it will last years and years and years, but are trying to enjoy it while it lasts. Every day and minute and dr appointment where we hear, "Wow, it's still clear." is a miracle.
I'm putting up some pics ASAP to flesh out the last few posts and show off my gorgeous boys. But now I hear my life calling again so see ya again soon computer. bye.
Juliet
edited to add: Did I sound sad or something? I'm really not because Grant can see things today, and another "All clear." at a dr. appt. this morning is great! I am not sad. It's a miracle, it really is. "Eyes go wide in horror." makes it sound like my son has something fatal. Seriously he's doing awesome at the moment and on the advice of the surgeon I just can't ponder on the long term of all this and the "what ifs". One day at a time is the way to go. And today was great! Just wanted to clarify. I'll go get the pictures off the memory card now.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Not trying to jinx it, but......
This WAS "as soon as possible", believe me.
I've been having some touristy fun sometimes here in San Diego. When not busy with other things, I've been with my dad's cousin Lori and her husband Steve. Lori hasn't even seen my dad for years but they grew up together and I was encouraged to get in touch with her. Boy am I glad I did, they've been like my angels here so i don't have to be totally alone. They are so nice! I've been to the temple with them, went to their ward, been at their place a few times, we went to see a movie once. Steve is a born 'n raised San Diegan so he showed me some beaches and sights yesterday, that was way fun. And they helped transport me and Grant to a body shop and car rental shop Wednesday too.
Oh yeah. Did you hear/ or see on the Twitter that I got in a car accident Tuesday? I seriously cannot believe how some people drive down here. I have on a couple of occasions left rubber on the freeways here trying to prevent being in an accident, and seen 2 really expensive cars almost run each other off the road another time. Yet i was still scared and surprised when I was just minding my own buissness Tuesday about to turn right at an intersection and got rear ended HARD. And of course the guys truck? Broken headlight, teeny bit of paint damage. My car? Totally crunched on the drivers side. He was very apologetic, and he better pay for all of it. I will find out this week if my car is totaled, i sure hope not. Well that's just been one more thing to deal with this week. So annoying. Anyways the real event going on lately, what anyone would want me to post on......... here it is.
Last time I did something like this, my post titled "Good so far", I found out very soon afterwards the graft would have to be redone. I hope I'm not jinxing this somehow, but I thought since we're not only 2 days post op, a few more days have passed this time and so I'll do a real non-twitter update. So here I am again at the coffee shop that has computers in it.
The 2nd try at a cornea graft was Wed. January 14th. It's now been 11 days since that surgery and it's still looking good. Shoot I think if I bring a flash card adapter I could share a picture or 2 of this. I will do that after tomorrow's appointment I promise promise. He's so cute, gotta share pictures of him.
I am excited, but trying not to get my hopes up too much yet, something could happen at any time to his delicate little eye that would leave him worse than he started. But it hasn't yet, I'm trying to be as careful as possible, and today it's still fine. I'm still somewhat on "one day at a time" mode, but that's actually a good thing since every day his eye hasn't rejected he's beating some real tough odds and developing his vision. And shouldn't we all think of our kids that way anyway, miracles God has given each day to us?
"Do human beings ever realize life while they live it?--every, every minute?"---- Thornton Wilder, Our Town.
You can sum it up as "cautiously happy and gaurded optimisim". Whatever balance of prayers/fasting/anything else we've managed to collectively do for Grant is working now, so lets keep it up! Stitches come out Wednesday( I know that's not one day at a time, but so what) as long as it's all still clear, and if there are no immediate complications after that I could go home with Grant next weekend maybe and have the opthamologists in Utah help us with the follow up care on the left eye.
And so that's what's going on. Breathing sighs of relief at every dr. visit. Having my mom come with Linc last week was fun! I miss them both. We went to Sea World one day, Lincoln wants to live there. I want to live at the San Diego temple. Wow is that place gorgeous! I never wanted to leave. I hope to go back as soon as possible.
I really shouldn't spend all my $$ on $5.50 an hour internet time so I'm gonna go. bye now!
I've been having some touristy fun sometimes here in San Diego. When not busy with other things, I've been with my dad's cousin Lori and her husband Steve. Lori hasn't even seen my dad for years but they grew up together and I was encouraged to get in touch with her. Boy am I glad I did, they've been like my angels here so i don't have to be totally alone. They are so nice! I've been to the temple with them, went to their ward, been at their place a few times, we went to see a movie once. Steve is a born 'n raised San Diegan so he showed me some beaches and sights yesterday, that was way fun. And they helped transport me and Grant to a body shop and car rental shop Wednesday too.
Oh yeah. Did you hear/ or see on the Twitter that I got in a car accident Tuesday? I seriously cannot believe how some people drive down here. I have on a couple of occasions left rubber on the freeways here trying to prevent being in an accident, and seen 2 really expensive cars almost run each other off the road another time. Yet i was still scared and surprised when I was just minding my own buissness Tuesday about to turn right at an intersection and got rear ended HARD. And of course the guys truck? Broken headlight, teeny bit of paint damage. My car? Totally crunched on the drivers side. He was very apologetic, and he better pay for all of it. I will find out this week if my car is totaled, i sure hope not. Well that's just been one more thing to deal with this week. So annoying. Anyways the real event going on lately, what anyone would want me to post on......... here it is.
Last time I did something like this, my post titled "Good so far", I found out very soon afterwards the graft would have to be redone. I hope I'm not jinxing this somehow, but I thought since we're not only 2 days post op, a few more days have passed this time and so I'll do a real non-twitter update. So here I am again at the coffee shop that has computers in it.
The 2nd try at a cornea graft was Wed. January 14th. It's now been 11 days since that surgery and it's still looking good. Shoot I think if I bring a flash card adapter I could share a picture or 2 of this. I will do that after tomorrow's appointment I promise promise. He's so cute, gotta share pictures of him.
I am excited, but trying not to get my hopes up too much yet, something could happen at any time to his delicate little eye that would leave him worse than he started. But it hasn't yet, I'm trying to be as careful as possible, and today it's still fine. I'm still somewhat on "one day at a time" mode, but that's actually a good thing since every day his eye hasn't rejected he's beating some real tough odds and developing his vision. And shouldn't we all think of our kids that way anyway, miracles God has given each day to us?
"Do human beings ever realize life while they live it?--every, every minute?"---- Thornton Wilder, Our Town.
You can sum it up as "cautiously happy and gaurded optimisim". Whatever balance of prayers/fasting/anything else we've managed to collectively do for Grant is working now, so lets keep it up! Stitches come out Wednesday( I know that's not one day at a time, but so what) as long as it's all still clear, and if there are no immediate complications after that I could go home with Grant next weekend maybe and have the opthamologists in Utah help us with the follow up care on the left eye.
And so that's what's going on. Breathing sighs of relief at every dr. visit. Having my mom come with Linc last week was fun! I miss them both. We went to Sea World one day, Lincoln wants to live there. I want to live at the San Diego temple. Wow is that place gorgeous! I never wanted to leave. I hope to go back as soon as possible.
I really shouldn't spend all my $$ on $5.50 an hour internet time so I'm gonna go. bye now!
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