The Linville Family

Long overdue update

2012-01-25T15:10:00.002-08:00

What's going on?? I'm feeling a little more creative and mouthy these days so guess it's time to blog a little!

1) Leaving Friday - on a jet plane - New Orleans/Jamaica/Grand Cayman/Mexico. Jealous? After this crazy Washington weather - ready for some sun!!!

2) Still working too much. 40 hours for the state - and my beloved Zumba job.

3) 2011 #1 instructor at the Valley Athletic Club = moi. Hello!!! Very proud - and surprised because I'm not a hard body like the rest of the instructors there. They are all super fabulous and I wish my body looked a little more like theirs - it's obvious that a body is NOT what brings in the peeps. It's about heart, energy, smile and attitude. No doubt.

4) Paid off both cars now. BIG Dave Ramsey advocate. Have faltered slightly in the last few months - boat purchase, previously mentioned vacation purchase - however - no car payments!! :)

5) Mom is doing fabulous. Cancer free - getting checked every 3 months! Love living in every moment.

6) The kiddos are awesome. My heart for them grows bigger and bigger every day.

7) Considering buying a home here in Olympia. However - Lyndon is not done with school and I don't want to work here at the State forever. BUT I love my Zumba/Valley job so not sure I can ever give that up. I could - but it's not the right time yet. Maybe once he finishes school, we could find something else. But really....we have great people here.

Nothing else to share. Will get back to posting some more pictures soon. Maybe after the vaca??

Love to anyone to still checks in on us. I will talk about Isaac and his progress/where he's at soon. I honestly don't love to talk about it much anymore. Causes too much anxiety.

XO
Rebecca

One of my biggest fears

2011-07-20T15:45:00.006-07:00

Today (and for awhile now) I keep thinking I may be making decisions in my life that I later will regret. Random thought, I know....although not totally random. Check out this link where a nurse reveals the top 5 regrets people make on their deathbed.

Job, location, time with kids..... realizing money isn't the most important think but it sure makes things more manageable. I know pretty soon I'm going to have to make a big step towards happiness.

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my family, my marriage, etc. We are happy and healthy. That by far is the most important thing. I'm talking about the outside extremeties of that......I want it all.

Blogging at work (from my iPhone) is probably not a great way to spend my time but just had to get it out there! I think I might need a Life Coach. Isn't that what people do these days?? Or some might suggest I find my way back to church. . . .

Vacation Countdown!

2011-06-30T21:43:00.002-07:00

We are on the short countdown to our first vacation in a VERY long time! Since we moved back to Washington, we have taken a day here or there but most of our vacation/leave time has been consumed by Isaac's accident and surgery. Finally we have accumulated enough to take some much needed R&R. Our family and my parents are headed to Lake Chelan for a week. Can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this. Hoping it renews and refreshes my spirit and my love for Washington. We are bringing the boat, the tubes and the fishing poles! I promise there will be pictures!!

Good News about my mom!

2011-06-24T19:16:00.002-07:00

Yesterday my mom was tested - first time since her breast cancer diagnosis back in September. All tests came out clear. She and I had dinner downtown last night and she ordered a celebratory dry martini. Her first drink since September!

So for another three months, we can breathe easily!

Restless

2011-06-23T12:51:00.002-07:00

That's it - I confess. I'm completely restless! For six years, I couldn't wait to find a home base and settle down. Well here we are, here we have the capability of settling down, making the Pacific NW our permanent home but now all I can think about is the next adventure.

In a way I'm disappointed in myself that I just can't be happy where I am, but then I'm happy that I have dreams and set my sights on bigger things. I'm thankful my family (mom and dad) gave me both roots and wings. There is a huge world out there and I have loved experiencing so much of it so far. Just not sure I'm quite done yet.

I definitely miss the south - mostly the weather. We were so active there. And I do miss my stay-at-home mom roll just a little bit as well. Are there greener pastures elsewhere?

So stay tuned. I'm getting antsy.

Return of the Blog?

2011-05-27T07:04:00.002-07:00

Hmmmmmm. The blog. One of those things that I wish I had more time for because anyone who knows me knows I love to talk and share my opinion on a bunch of random things.

It's Friday morning and I've taken a few hours off work this morning to prepare for our Memorial Day camping trip. Don't you think I'm making a great use of this extra time? Not.

Time. Something I think about quite a bit these days. I don't have a lot of it. Well I guess I have as much as the rest of you but my time is spent 9 hours a day at a job where I where my hat as an accountant, I somehow fit in a workout during most days and the rest of the time I spend with my family and sometimes my friends. It doesn't seem like a lot but it really is. Which is why I am constantly pondering what I can do to get and give more time to my family and something more meaningful in my eyes. A stay-at-home full-time mom? Not really ideal for me. But a home-based business? A part-time job? Something along those lines - I know it will eventually come up. So I just keep waking up and trying to make the most of each and every day. I've at least learned in the past couple of years to do that much!

One of my other hats is my part-time job as a Zumba instructor at the Tumwater Valley Athletic Club. Filling a huge passion of mine. Helping and instructing others. Plus I get paid to work out. Not bad and my classes have been pretty darn packed and successful this year!

Ten random thoughts from me this morning:

1. If I could take the summer off, I would spend 2 weeks in Maine and 2 weeks in North Carolina. Home to some wonderful friends.

2. Sometimes I regret moving back to the Pacific NW. Remember those awesome beach blogs from about three years ago? Ya, me too. Just wish I could have moved my people to me - I do love seeing family and friends much more. BUT - I miss sun, hot and warm beaches.

3. I'm really happy I don't live in a state where tornadoes occur. However, earthquakes scare me just as much. If not more. No warnings.

4. Sometimes who I want to be is different from who I really am. Accepting that can be hard.

5. Women who don't find value in maintaining close friendships with other women frighten me. I stay away from them.

6. Our lives have been much improved by taking Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University course. Normal is broke people!!

7. I really want to move into a different house. Where, I don't know. But I want a master bath and a nice kitchen with a pantry. On a cul-de-sac. And a bigger yard. Hot tub would be a bonus!

I'm going to end with seven. That's all I really have time for.

Til next time......and I hope it's less than three months before I find/make the time!

KOMO News' Kathi Goertzen

2011-02-01T20:47:00.002-08:00

It's been a long time since I posted two days in a row!!! Check out this story about local news anchor Kathi Goertzen. I honestly must say my heart sank when I heard parts of her story. She seems ashamed of her face. Granted her career is to be in front of people and share her face with others.....but she says there are days she doesn't want to get out of bed. It makes me nervous about the feelings that Isaac may have in the future.

I personally still think she's beautiful - for pete's sake we grew up with her!!

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/115068939.html

Upcoming Chemo

2011-01-31T09:30:00.001-08:00

How is it that these next three chemotherapy sessions for my mom work out like this:

January 31st (today) - Justin's Birthday

February 14th - Valentine's Day

February 28th - Mom and Dad's Anniversary

And of course her very first chemo treatment was on my birthday, December 6th. No fair!

Thanks for keeping my mom and our family in your thoughts and prayers.

My 2011 New Years Prayer

2011-01-21T10:20:00.002-08:00

Dear God,

For 2011, I pray for a fat bank account and a skinny body. Please don't mix these up like you did last year.

Amen.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-26T21:16:00.003-08:00

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!!

I'm probably writing to a blank audience since it's been so long! However, I'll give you a quick update regardless.

First, my mom. She had had a mastectomy and her lymph nodes removed. She had her first round of chemotherapy on December 6th, had her second one on December 20th and is doing OK! She usually gets to feeling pretty crummy about 24 hours after the chemo and it lasts for about another 48 hours. It's pretty weird to see her not at 100% - but we definitely feel she's handling it better than some.

As for other things, Lyndon started a new job this past Monday. He left his position at as a Quality Assurance Lab Tech for an aviation company to go to work for the FAA as a Management and Program Analyst the Air Traffic Organization. It is such a wonderful opportunity for him and he gets back his 11 years he had while in the Navy! We are so very thankful this has happened! He still has the dreaded commute up to Renton but it is working for now!

I ran my first 1/2 marathon on my 34th Birthday! That was hard!!! I trained for it since about mid-September and probably could've used a little more training but I finished and was pleased that I did it!

I took a break from teaching Zumba when I found out about my mom - and am glad I did. It gave me one thing less to worry about so I could focus strictly on family outside of my day job. I am starting another class though in January and am looking forward to it.....I've missed it!

The kids are doing great. Sydney is doing wonderfully during her first year of Kindergarten. She is in the beginning stages of reading and just loves recess. So would I! She really enjoys her friends and the rings....

Isaac is quite the little man at daycare. He always gives every single classmate a hug before he leaves. What a love.

We are looking forward to a New Year for sure! By the end of December, we've had our fill of food and parties and are ready for a slower January!

One More Thing

2010-10-18T16:05:00.001-07:00

The bone scan came back good!!!

Surgery Wednesday and more.....

2010-10-17T21:01:00.003-07:00

Update on Mom:

Wednesday Mom is having a second surgery. This time to remove her lymph nodes. It will be an outpatient surgery but we're told this one could be a more difficult recovery - the pain under her arm and then the concern of lymphedema which can be managed. On Thursday she had a bone scan and on Friday, a PET scan. We learned early yesterday that the PET scan showed her organs looked good. YEAH! We were very concerned that because the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, it could have possibly spread to her organs. We have yet to receive the results of the bone scan. Keep sending the positive thoughts and prayers!

About three weeks after surgery, she will start chemo. For two months she will have Adriamycin and Cytoxan (AC) - which is very strong. The doctor told her it is during this time she should expect to lose her hair. After the AC, she'll move to Taxol for three months.

We are not sure what to expect as all patients respond differently to the treatments so we are just going to wait and see. However we are encouraged knowing how healthy and strong my mom is. She will get through this and it will be a good feeling when she is actually actively fighting this disease.

In other news.....my dear cousin Kari, lost her husband Mark this morning suddenly. He was just 46 and together they have a daughter, Chandler. Please keep them in your prayers. We stopped and saw them this afternoon and as Kari said, it just seems so surreal.

Our lives: We are spending as much time with mom as possible these days. The 1.5 hour drive between is really hard - I would prefer to see her daily. When I see her, laughing, enjoying the kids, playing with them, living a relatively normal life, it's really reassuring.

Sydney is in full swing at Kindergarten. She loves her teacher, is making friends and recently lost her first tooth! We are so proud of her as she is such a sharp girl who is starting to learn to read. We just love building these awesome family memories.

Isaac had an appointment a couple of weeks ago and he is doing very well. His face is looking better and better. Although his smile is not being lifted by his cheek, it is very obvious the surgery has worked as when he smiles, there are dimples all around his mouth. There is noticeably more tone on the left side of his face so it's more symmetrical - it had really been drooping much more before all of this.

One of his doctors talked about a procedure we may want to consider in the future for him. It is a bone anchored hearing aid. It would require two surgeries but would restore the hearing in his left ear. However it's not quite your normal hearing aid, it would be a small box placed a bit behind his ear. Here's a picture.......

Hoping they come up with something else in the next few years!!! The FDA hasn't approved this surgery until a patient is 5 so we have a couple of years. In the meantime, Isaac's hearing loss causes him to scream practically everything. Although we think that could be coupled with the fact that he's a very active 3 year old boy!

We are enjoying the season. Fall is my favorite. I love fall decorating, pumpkin smelling candles and crisp, cool days!

Update

2010-10-03T06:55:00.002-07:00

Mom's surgery went well on Tuesday. They started about 7:30 a.m. and were done about 10:30 a.m. My dad was waiting and the doctor came out and told him that the sentinel node they biopsied did not show the tumor had metastasized. Great news! The sentinel nodes are where the first place the cancer would go when it starts to spread. He did say that there was one more final pathology report that would be more in depth that they needed to see the results of but that things were looking good at that point.

Unfortunately the final pathology report came back and showed that the cancer has spread to 2 of the 3 sentinel nodes. This is not good news. What this means is mom needs to have a second surgery - preliminarily the doctor thought the week of October 11th. He'll be removing her lymph nodes in her armpit. We understand this to be a much more painful surgery than the mastectomy - but it has to be done.

We are also possibly expecting that they will be doing a pet scan to see if and where the cancer has spread in her body. It is possible it's just made it to the nodes and hasn't metastasized to any other organs. That is our hope.

This roller coaster ride of news we've been riding is really horrible. The peaks and valleys bring such emotion it's really hard. We are clinging to good news and feel abused by the bad. So today is a bad day as we just were told yesterday afternoon by my mom that the news has turned south again. It's just rotten. But we have to remain hopeful - and people beat this! My mom is incredibly strong and if anyone can fight like hell, she can.

My aunt Kathie (her sister) flew out from NYC on Tuesday and is staying until Sunday October 10th so it's nice my mom has her company, help and support. Please keep my mom and our family in your thoughts and prayers!

My Mom

2010-09-27T21:09:00.002-07:00

Please keep my mom, Gretchen, in your prayers. She has been diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer and is undergoing a mastectomy tomorrow. We have known for a couple of weeks now. She has not been told what stage she is at - they are waiting to get in and look around some more. It appears the tumor is small. The other crucial piece is doctors are still unsure as to if it has or hasn't metastasized. More to come but our family is definitely in need of prayers and support.

Sydney's Question.....

2010-08-30T20:46:00.002-07:00

I took Sydney with me to the dry cleaner where they had a bowl of candy. She pulled out a tootsie roll and asked the clerk what it was. The gal told her it was a tootsie roll.....she had a little bit of an accent. Sydney asked her if the "toot"sie roll would make her toot. Hilarious!

Crazy Busy

2010-08-25T22:26:00.006-07:00

Life has been crazy lately! Weekdays and weekends!

This past weekend we were in Silvana, WA at my mom's sides family reunion. We went up on Friday night and spent the night before. My cousin Joel and his family have a beautiful home on beautiful property up there and we intended on camping outdoors. Well it was really cold that night so we decided to set up camp in the dining room which worked perfectly. As is always the case withthe "Edmonds" family (my mom's maiden name coincidentally), it's all about the food. Well we always joke that the topics always hit are food, politics and religion. Hot topics! Anyway, the meal being served at 1pm the next day means that the briskets went on the smoker at midnight, the full pig at 3am and the brined turkeys at 9am. All this means that someone has to be up with the smoker starting at midnight.....so the fellas take shifts. Luckily Lyndon was the odd man out of taking a shift but my cousins all took turns staying up with the meat. We had my aunt and uncle in from NYC, aunts and uncles in from Portland and then from all over the puget sound area. My mom is one of 6 so there are a lot of us! It was a great day!

We spent that night at my mom's and the next day were able to spend some more QT with my relatives from NYC and others.....

I can't remember if I blogged about it earlier (probably have) but Lyndon is going to school to get his Bachelors. So proud of him (now remembering I've blogged about this before). Although completely worth it, it's made our lives just that much more crazy. He currently has class on Mondays and Wednesday nights from 5 to 8pm in Renton - so single mom nights! But of course it will be totally worth it.....those pieces of paper although so much work to obtain, can really pay off. At least that's what we're hoping!

Monday and Tuesday were relatively uneventful and here we are and it's Wednesday. Oddly enough I feel so stressed out with things to do but yet here I am. Interesting. Oh well.....tonight I taught Zumba which was fun - and my class has been growing during the summer which is superb!

Tonight was the start of busy/craziness with my life as a "single" mom and then tomorrow night I'm making the trek to Seattle for a good girlfriends baby shower (Annie) and Friday we are going to a fundraiser/gala for the Olympia Children's Museum and then we're having a BD party for Isaac on Saturday. Phew. Just thinking about the next few days makes my heart race and my blood pressure raise! Yet they are all fun events so I'm just managing the chaos and weathering the storm with a smile!

We discussed today where we were a year ago and remember the days - that seemed like years.....literally. I often describe the period of when Isaac came out of the coma to when he was discharged was like living the first two years of his life on fast forward. When he came out of his coma it was like he was an infant. He couldn't focus, didn't recognize our voices, had a very blank look, then started focusing, then started smiling, then a word, or two or three, then managing his balance, sitting up, being spoon fed, playing while sitting, trying to stand, then walking and talking. All this in less than two weeks. It was crazy!

We are doing well and just chugging along. Wanted to share what's been going on because it truly is always eventful! These pics are from a recent camping trip in Sunlakes with our dear friends The Carter's. It was so hot and so much fun. We love being boat owners! Here are some pics!

Another trip to the Fire Station!

2010-08-19T23:59:00.003-07:00

No pictures this time but Lyndon and the kids went back to the fire station today because the medic yesterday said the other two paramedics who responded would be there.

Again, they totally remembered him. A gal and a guy. I wish I knew their names. Darn it....but we'll be back again soon. Isaac feels at home there.

But anyway, it was a similar visit to yesterdays - both paramedics remembered him. They remembered everything! We were told that Isaac remained in the ambulance for so long after we arrived at the Olympia airport because he was having continuous seizures. Apparently, after they put him in the ambulance, he would seize, then recover, then seize, then recover........and it continued......which makes a lot of sens of sense to me because when I was riding in the ambulance to the airport, I would hear Isaac cry and I would constantly cry out to him while he was crying. And then he would go quiet and I could hear them say "Isaac, Isaac, buddy, buddy, come on. Wake up. Stay with me". I'm sure it sounds silly to you but it is a vivid memory for me. At the time I had no idea what was happening but now I know.

Another amazing day.

And in other news.....Isaac is potty trained! Pre-3 - which is great! We're happy and he loves to pee and poop all over. Kidding. Kind of. He usually does it in the toilet but when we're in the great outdoors (camping)....it's game on!

A Year Later

2010-08-18T21:55:00.003-07:00

Today marks one year since the horrific accident that almost took our son's life. And after we learned his life would be spared, we were prepared to have our hands full with a very mentally handicapped little boy. But here we are and we are so thankful.

Today was hard. Harder than I expected. I contemplated taking a mental health day but I am slammed at work so I decided I couldn't take the day off. But really I just wanted to hold my baby (who's not so much a baby anymore). As I read the first post and the ones after, I remembered how hard it was to not be able to hold Isaac for the first four days he was in the hospital. In fact at first they didn't want us to touch him - to keep the stimulation to a minimum. Man did it feel amazing when I was able to hold him again.

The feelings of a year ago kept coming back today as time ticked on. First the 9 o'clock hour rolled by - and I got the call from my friend somewhere in that first hour. Then in the 10 o'clock hour I had rushed to her house, hopped in the ambulance and made way to the Olympia airport. There, I waited and waited and waited for them to bring Isaac out and put him on the helicopter - just to give him a kiss before he got on. Then my friend drove me up to Mary Bridge where I met Lyndon and some friends, then my mom and Justin came but my dad was in Alaska already trying to hop a flight back. And then the news just got worse and worse. First the swollen brain, then the puncture lung, the fractures, the imminent brain damage. All between noon and about 3pm. Lyndon and I stepped out for a breath of fresh air in the stifling heat and we held our heads and cried. We didn't understand what had just happened or why. And today I remembered a complete stranger that approached us and asked if he could wrap his arms around us and we prayed. More friends kept pouring into offer their love and support that afternoon/evening. Wow....we are blessed.

So when I thought about mourning today, my friend pointed out it's a time to look forward and not back and that is how I picked myself up from the dumps I found myself in as the day wore on.

Lyndon picked Isaac up early from school today and took him to the park to play. Then when I got off work, we decided to head to the fire station that responded to the 911 call and see if any of the medics that responded were there. And one was! He remembered everything about that day. They were at the station when they got the call and he said that while they were working on him, he was seizing (I did not know this). He described some of what they were doing in the ambulance for so long. I had wondered all along if perhaps they had lost him for a bit in there but he said no. His heart had never stopped beating. They were so pleased we came by and showed him everything on that fire engine (the ambulance was gone). The kids both thoroughly enjoyed their time and I'm so glad we did it!

Here are a few pictures from the visit.

All in all, I'm glad this day is over and we will continue to look forward!

Memory Lane

2010-08-16T13:50:00.001-07:00

It is the beginning of the week that Isaac was injured and we're trying to decide what to do to celebrate Isaac's life. The anxiety has been building as this day approaches. As we remember, here's a link to the first blog after Isaac's accident:

http://linvillefamilyfour.blogspot.com/2009/08/our-baby-boy.html

Dimples

2010-08-04T05:30:00.002-07:00

The dimples on the left side of Isaac's face have started to appear. The one big dimple in his cheek is pretty much permanently there and around his mouth, there is some involuntary dimpling as well.

I called the doctor and they want to see him.....but can't get him in until October. Which really is OK. Hopefully there will be more happening! There is no sign that the muscle in his cheek is working yet but we are optimistic! At least this seems to be a sign that the graft worked. The muscle seems to be a separate issue.

I hate that I don't keep up with the blog much anymore. Life has been very busy for us. Lyndon is in school full time, works full time and commutes an hour each way (getting really old!) and between working, spending QT with the kids and trying to take care of myself, there seems to be little time left at the end of the day!

Love and Loss

2010-07-01T17:59:00.002-07:00

A friend of a friend here in Olympia has suffered a horrible, tragic loss. It's gripping me in ways I never imagined. Amanda is a good friend of my friend, Brooke. Although I have only met her once, I gathered from that meeting that she was a sweet, good person and above all, an amazing mom.

On Sunday, her middle daughter, Charley (6), was suffering from a fever and temperature. Thinking it was a flu or bug, they treated her with OTC medicines until she it seemed to be possibly something more and they took to to the ER. The ER recommended she see a specialist at Mary Bridge and they drove her there where at that moment, she went into septic shock. All of her organs began to fail and within hours, they lost their dear, sweet, beautiful daughter.

It hits close to home as a mother more than anything. I cannot imagine the pain she is feeling. Please keep the Beers family in your thoughts and prayers. If you are on facebook, search "Charley Beers - we love you!"

Toothpaste

2010-06-16T17:56:00.001-07:00

Sydney just brought me my tube of toothpaste (Colgate) and said: "Here mom, you should use this every day. It fights germs for twelve hours."

Bwahahaha

Is Summer Finally Here??

2010-06-13T07:43:00.004-07:00

What's with all the rain?? Not going to lie . . . we've asked ourselves numerous times lately "Why did we move back from Florida?" The weather sure can be a downer! But yesterday - finally warm and sunshine!

Sydney is now fully registered for full day kindergarten. We had a sneak peek at what things are going to be like and she is SO excited! She's been growing leaps and bounds as of late . . . both physically and mentally. She is the tallest in her class which is no wonder giving the height on both sides of Lyndon's and my families. Her thoughts crack us up daily.

Isaac is doing wonderfully. He's being tested by his speech therapist to see if therapy is even necessary at this point. He is really doing well shaping his mouth around his vowels although I think he's going to struggle a little with a lisp as a result of his paralysis. Nothing we can't work through I'm sure and it's super cute at this point!

We are still looking for any signs of movement on the left side of his face but it's still early yet. The doctor's said it would be at least six months and we're just at three and a half.

We always make the most of our weekends, have been camping a couple of times already and are always finding something fun to do! Memorial Day weekend we went to Willapa Bay with my parents. Luckily we rented a small trailer because it was a rain out weekend! However we made the most of the dry times and hit the beach two mornings to rake for steamer clams. We all maxed out and enjoyed delicious clams for dinner!

Last Saturday Lyndon and a few of his buddies headed out to Gray's Harbor for some crabbing. It wasn't extra plentiful but they caught eight.....enough for everyone to eat that night! His buddies and their wives all came to our house that night for some delicious BBQ'd Copper River Salmon, steamed clams, dungeness crab and hop skip and go naked's (my mom's yummy drink recipe). It was a fun evening.

Yesterday we took advantage of the warm sunshine and headed out on the boat. We had a great time, tried a little fishing and just soaked up some sun. We may be going out today as well. We will see!

Just pics

2010-05-19T18:22:00.002-07:00

Apparently I'm in the blogging mood lately.....

Another One....

2010-05-18T20:25:00.003-07:00

I had a rough day today. In every way I had a hard time seeing the good in things. Don't have those days often but sometimes the walls just come tumbling down. So I was sad when I got home - pretty much fell apart when I walked in the door and all in front of the kids. Not good! I'm better now and here's part of the reason why.....

Sydney: "Mommy, why are you so sad?"

Mom: "I just had a bad day."

Sydney: "Oh, it's OK mom, don't cry. Here, let me pour you a nice warm glass of wine and it'll make it all better"

P.S. Don't judge!!!!!

I don't know

2010-05-17T21:19:00.003-07:00

This afternoon the kids and I were outside. I was pulling weeds and they were playing. A month or so ago we planted some vegetables in our yard but some (maybe most) aren't doing so well. I don't really know what I'm supposed to do with them and actually my mom planted them. So Sydney said "Oh no Mom, the vegetables are dying. Why did God make them die?"

Sometimes the questions can be so off the wall, take me completely off guard and I have no idea how to answer them. Just sometimes.

Some memorable pictures

2010-05-10T21:09:00.002-07:00

Where does time go

2010-05-07T19:46:00.006-07:00

It's May!!! May!!!! I just can't believe it. Our spring has been busy so I'm not even sure where to start. I'll give it a go:

** Sydney's registered for Kindergarten! Can't believe it. She's very excited and although we didn't get a full day slot as we had hoped (lottery system) she'll still be a.m. kindergarten and in before and after school care where she's been going.

** Isaac is awesome. Pretty much sums it up. He's a talking machine and although we're still struggling through night time, he's doing very well overall. He's begun the potty training process and we're quite excited about that but still in no rush. Sydney was such a challenge and it totally stressed me out. Right now there's no reason to rush him (besides saving oodles on diapers) so we'll see how it goes.

** The camping season has begun! Last week we went to Ocean City with our friends The La Fave's, and had such an awesome time. They have a pop-up tent trailer and we used our tent. It was typical Washington camping - some rain, some sun, clouds....a mixed bag but it was still great. The kids had a fabulous time and our friends have kids the same age so it was pure fun! While we were there, we went razor clamming for the first time. That was an adventure and not as easy as it looks! We caught the low tide around 8:00 a.m. and it was crazy! The coast was lined with people - for as far as the eyes could see. Wall to wall people. When you got out there, you had space but it was nuts to see upon arrival. And all the cars driving on the beach (didn't know that was legal), was crazy! So we just tried to find the holes of clams and dig. We were pretty unsuccessful. I caught two thanks to the help of some older clamming veterans. The boys caught none (***slightly bragging). So we were not too happy - max was 15 and other folks were quite successful. The next morning though, was better! The boys went out first and Lyndon had some success, then I came and with the help of some more clamming veterans, came away with a few and then Lyndon and Brian hit the mother load. It was awesome. So 20 caught between the three of us. I made clam linguine and fried up some fritters. Good stuff! Looking forward to more camping this summer!

** Lyndon's going to get his bachelor's degree. He's registered to start in June at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and is pursuing a degree in Professional Aeronautics. So proud of him!!!

** We celebrated my Dad's 65th Birthday. We went out to Seabrook, WA and it was so nice. Anyone who hasn't been there, must go! A nice vacation resort, home rental community that is a great getaway. I went back in December with some girlfriends....highly recommend it for a family reunion type of thing or a weekend away with another family/families or some girlfriends!

** I have a Zumba gig! I'm teaching Friday nights at 5:30 p.m. at The Valley Athletic Club. Having a great time and although occasionally I want to be rushing into my weekend on Friday afternoons/evenings, love the members who come and end up leaving feeling so fulfilled and happy I have the opportunity to do what I really enjoy! For those who don't know what Zumba is.....it's a fusion of Latin and International music that gives you a GREAT workout! Some dances we do....merengue, salsa, reggaeton, calypso and some hip hop. You dance, have fun and at the end of the class you realize you just had a great workout!

We will be spending Mother's Day with my mom! Heading up to Edmonds Saturday night and looking forward to celebrating the wonderful woman who raised me and my brother. For those who don't know my family, my mom is simply amazing. She has been such a role model to me as a mother, friend and wife and I absolutely adore her. Although she is my mother, she is most definitely my friend and I feel so blessed to be her daughter.

Sorry there are no pics....I will try to post some very soon!!! They are on another computer.....so it may happen tonight......check back!
To all you Mommy's out there, Happy Mother's Day!!!

Rough Week

2010-03-19T22:47:00.006-07:00

What a rough week! I had Monday off because Isaac's post-op appointment occurred that day (which I will address in a future post). But it's Friday night and I just feel defeated, worn out and unsettled.

Maybe some of you mom's who work can understand the torn feelings. I love being with my kids. I don't always feel like I'm the best person for the job and some of my stay-at-home mom friends feel the same way. But because of decisions we've made, here we are. Quite honestly, things changed when Isaac was injured as far as my working was concerned. I don't want to leave this child's side. But isn't that what life is all about? Leaving your child's side? Giving them their own independence? Wait. Stop. But these are the GOLDEN YEARS. Laying down the foundation for your children, who they're going to be, etc. I get it!

But here I am and so I do.

I returned to work on Tuesday and it was hard. Setting the alarm for 5:30 A.M., getting the kids dressed, separating at daycare....all so hard. Then I get to work and I forget how much of my brain my job required. I'm an accountant, I have to think all day long, produce reports and process information all day long. It's draining. Can't I go back to the kid level again?......

So I'm struggling to get back into the groove and it's hard, but possible. So I start grooving. Grooving is second nature to me.

Thursday rolls around and it screws everything up. My boss gets let go. It's done in a bizarre fashion with security and us being hid in a meeting and everything. It is surreal. And it takes a lot to process, figuring out the plan in a state of shock, planning for the future. But the day goes on.....

Friday rolls around and not so good. I'm sad for my boss. I'm sad because I really liked her and for lots of reasons. No one is perfect but she was really great. And genuinely I would love to have this woman as my friend. So it sucked.

But tonight was awesome. We went to a friends house with another couple, kids all the same age, had great conversation and the kids had a great time. So now it's time to unwind, regroup, and live in the moment.

Although this week has been tough, it seems like a daily ritual. Unwind, regroup, and live in the moment.

Sleep Issues

2010-03-06T07:59:00.000-08:00

Oh man. We are so tired....

Isaac has been a pretty rotten sleeper his entire life but since his accident, things have gone far south and they were kind of improving but the surgery has put us back to stage one!

After the accident, one of the first things the psychologists told us that parents came to regret were the post-accident sleep issues. Having such a traumatic incident made it easy for parents to become lax on the whole sleeping in your own bed thing with your child. Immediately after returning home, falling asleep became much worse so the neurologist prescribed melatonin - a natural aide to help kids/people calm down for a restful nights sleep. It worked to get him down easily but didn't help at all with sleeping through the night.

The rule at our house has been to always start in your own bed....and if they wake up, then fine....snuggle up. That was working alright for us we thought, but honestly we aren't getting restful nights of sleep. We work so hard to get Isaac just to fall asleep in his own bed. Like it takes an hour. We read a book then rub his back, or hold his hand or cuddle as much as we can and if he falls asleep, then great. However an hour or two later, he's up again and we put him back and try to get him to sleep and we repeat the whole rub his bad, hold his hand or cuddle thing.

Well, after the accident, things changed....obviously. Hearing Isaac cry has taken on a whole new meaning. We simply can't do it. Can't let him wail in his bedroom. We have tried everything and we do what we can to survive. The whole tough love thing just doesn't fly here anymore. Anyone ever read Baby Wise??? I did. It worked with the first, but not the second. So we adapt. We do what we feel most comfortable with.

Since the accident he definitely has not gone a full night in his own bed. And lately, Sydney's an issue too. She wakes up and comes in bed. I work full time and waking up and dealing with their sleep issues truly makes me so tired the next day. So I've been scooting over and making room in our king size bed. But it's wearing on me. There's not enough room and I know it's best for us all to get a good nights sleep in our own bed. But Isaac just will not sleep. He wakes up multiple times during the night if he's in his own bed but if he's in our bed, it's less work. Selfish...I know.

So now we're figuring out that something has to be done. What, I don't know. We have a king size bed so can't go up there, crying out just isn't an option for us. Maybe it's medical? Do they make an ambien for kids? Well we're going to have to find out for sure!! I hate to do it medically and of course we'll see what the doctors say but if anyone has any advice....I'm all ears!

Muscle Atrophy

2010-03-01T21:34:00.003-08:00

Today was our first "normal" day with Lyndon being back to work, Sydney going to school and Isaac and I home together. It went pretty well but Isaac seems to be in a bit of pain. He has this new very sad cry that makes me want to cry. He doesn't tell me that he hurts and actually says no when I ask if he's in pain but his cry just sounds like he's so very sad - like frustrated and upset and everything wrapped into this whimper.

Tonight I'm trying to google to find out how long it takes for a muscle to die and I'm having a heck of a time! Finding the right word combo can be so frustrating. "Facial paralysis muscle atrophy", "Facial paralysis muscle died". I just want to be very prepared and educated for our post-op visit to understand everything a little bit better.

I think I may be giving up soon and heading for bed!

There's a Tear in my Beer

2010-03-01T07:59:00.002-08:00

Pity party officially over! Isaac and I are going to have a chill day at home. Hopefully I can prevent him from hurting his fragile little cheeks. That's my job for the next two weeks!

What did I do?

2010-02-28T22:31:00.002-08:00

I'm sorry for posting again....but I just can't help but think. What did I do? Continuing my pity party....

What did I do???????

Why am I being dealt these cards? I am going back in my life, in my teens...when we all did stupid stuff. When I was not nice to certain people, when I did those bad things that teens sometimes do, when I was mean to my parents, a jerk to my brother, broke a boyfriends heart, etc. Apparently all those things are coming back to me now.

I have realized and acknowledged all these things earlier but I have been such a good person in my adult years. I love. I love those around me, thought of all those who have I have wronged and those who have wronged me as growing experiences and regret but correct those actions. Yet I apparently will be penalized. How do I not think like this???

Syd

2010-02-28T21:25:00.003-08:00

Not to forget about our dear little princess. Today she attended a friends BD party....she's so grown up. Here's a pic of she and two of her good girlfriends from school, Samantha and Zoey. Happy Birthday Zoey!

Pics

2010-02-28T21:07:00.004-08:00

Pre-op...had no clue what was about to happen

Post-op oatmeal with grandpa

So it goes

2010-02-28T17:43:00.002-08:00

Not really enjoying much about life today and I just have all these questions. Hundreds of questions....like why didn't we push to do this surgery sooner if the muscle dying was an issue, why didn't they notice the lack of muscle when they stimulated his nerve a month ago, why didn't they just grab the muscle and continue with the surgery yesterday?

Trying so hard to be happy and grateful for what we have but am still just so discouraged and in the why me/pity party stage. Isn't that horrible? It's like the USA men's hockey team today. They did awesome...silver - but still, they looked so bummed today when receiving their medals. How ungrateful. That's how I feel.

We came home yesterday (Saturday) so just one night in the hospital because Isaac progressed so well yesterday. Walking, talking, eating, etc. So it is definitely nice to be in the comfort of our own home.

Lyndon goes to work tomorrow and I will be home with Isaac. His incisions are still bloody and we can't give him a wash yet for a couple of days. He's got his energy back but is limping due to the leg incisions and his face is really swollen (think chipmunk). Actually, I'll probably post some pictures as soon as I can.

Discouraged

2010-02-26T21:56:00.002-08:00

We were called about 7pm and were told the surgery was finished. The surgeons came in and reported that he did very well.....however......when they went to stimulate the nerves before connecting to them, they could not get a response from his muscles. What this means is that it is possible that the muscles in his face have already died - which once dead, they will not come back. If this is truly the case then the graft they did today will not have an impact on the paralysis. In order for it to have an impact, they would need to go back in, take a muscle from his leg and put in his face/cheek. If they need to replace the muscle, this is something they would do approximately when he turns 5 years old.

Due to the lack of response in the muscle, they did not stick to the original plan (which was to attach the grafted nerve to as many branches as possible), they just attached it to the middle trunk. This trunk would enable him to blink, move his cheek and smile but will not allow his brow to move or his lower lip.

However, they did mention that children are resilient and often miraculous (as we can attest to). So even though the muscle appears to have died, we were told by the surgeons they are optimistic.

Recovery was pretty rough as he's vomited a few times and was very upset when he first woke up. He's now resting comfortably thanks to a good dose of morphine.

So as we are most definitely discouraged, we remind ourselves where we were six months ago, how lucky we are to have our sweet boy and that there is still hope for improvement.

We plan on being here for two to three days and I will update again tomorrow.

Today's the Day

2010-02-26T09:43:00.000-08:00

We are on our way to Seattle for the big operation! It has been so different to be able to prepare emotionally for this. Obviously it is much less traumatic - thank goodness! We are so positive that everything will go well today but we will not be seeing results for 6 months to 2 years....so it will be hard to wait! As I understand it, all, some, or none of these nerve connections can work. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst type of thing.

At his pre-op appointment on Monday, we were told the surgery will last approximately 4 hours. It starts at noon. Which means he hasn't been able to eat all morning. We thought this was going to be a huge challenge but it actually hasn't been that bad!

So we anticipate to get small updates while the surgery is going on, then once he's recovered from the anestesia we will be able to see him and be transferred to a regular room.

My parents, brother and a couple friends will be with us at various times throughout the day and my Unce Richard will be meeting us there to pray before he goes back. We are so very grateful for the love and support we have - knowing so many are keeping us in their thoughts and prayers today is truly a source of strength for us!

Will keep you posted!

Cross Facial Nerve Graft Surgery...February 26th

2010-02-12T22:34:00.007-08:00

It has been awhile since I've blogged about Isaac's recovery and where we go from here. At the end of January, we had three tests done at Children's Hospital in Seattle. We had a consultation there in December with the Craniofacial clinic - specifically with facial reanimation surgeons who specialize in things such as permanent facial paralysis. They ordered these tests which included a BEARS hearing test to determine Isaac's current hearing situation in his left ear, an EMG which shocked the facial nerves to see if a really strong shock would be felt by his brain and another MRI to attempt to get a better look at one of the fractures that they believe would've severed his facial nerves.

Immediately we got results from the audiologist that Isaac's hearing has declined since tests were last run in September and they have determined that his hearing has almost been completely lost in that left ear. The results of the other two tests, we had to wait a week to hear the results of those but as a result of the hearing results were prepared for the worst....thank goodness (usually I'm a glass half-full kinda gal).

We had a followup appointment with them and they determined as a result of those tests that the probability that the nerve was in fact severed by that fracture was nearly certain. The EMG showed that his brain did not react to any of the very strong shocks they imposed on the nerve. And although the MRI proved difficult to read, it showed the fracture of the skull near where the cochlea is (where the hearing, facial nerves and balance nerves run through) was in fact severed. Severed nerves do not repair themselves.

P.S. I know you shouldn't start sentences with "and" but it works for me....

So in the same appointment, we met with a facial reanimation surgeon and a micro-surgeon and they both recommend Isaac have a cross-facial nerve graft. We believe that given the result of tests, this is the best option we have for Isaac to regain full control again of the left side of his face.

What they will do in this surgery is actually take a nerve from his leg - a nerve that gives feeling to the outside of one of his feet - they will take it and make incisions on both sides of his face. They will use that nerve to connect the right side nerves of his face (the good side) to the left side of his face. This would mean that the right side would control the left side.

Some detailed information to exactly what the lack of the facial nerve inhibits....

* Isaac's brow does not furrow.
* Isaac's eye will not blink.
* Isaac's nose does not crinkle.
* Isaac cannot smile on the left side of his face.

As you can see in the image below, the left eye always remains wide open and his lips on the left side can not curve into a smile, which as you will see, results in a droop.

A successful surgery will mean he regains full function on the entire left side of his face but it will mimic his right....so no winking (who cares). He will smile and most importantly blink his eye. Right now because his lid does not fully close we have to continually put false tear drops in it and a lubricant at night. He does not sleep with one eye open as gravity pulls it down but more often than not, it does not fully close.

Of course there are risks associated with the surgery and we will be fully aware of those risks very soon. As I understand via research we have done online and what the surgeons have told us thus far, he could suffer dyskenesis or synkenesis which is where all the fibres fire at once so that indivual control of mouth, eyes, forehead etc. can be difficult but could be altered with physical therapy. Another risk could be that movement of the "good/right" side could be impacted.

However, we are focusing on the positive which is that in this situation, there are potential solutions to his current medical condition.

His cross-facial nerve graft surgery is scheduled for February 26th. Results of the surgery may not be known until as early as 6 months and as late as 2 years. However, we are just so thankful that there is something that can be done. The surgeons were anxious to schedule for as soon as possible as results are best as close to the accident as possible.

We of course, are hoping for an amazing outcome. Below you will see a facial nerve graft image. It shows the track of the nerves and how they will be connected (through lifting of his face and under his nose). This is a very serious surgery and we appreciate prayers and well wishes for the success of this surgery and the swift recovery of our sweet boy.

Countries We've Visited

2010-02-12T22:03:00.004-08:00

As we're watching the Winter Olympics opening ceremonies, Lyndon and I are counting the number of countries we've visited. Individually, Lyndon has been to 23 countries and I have been to 17 countries. As he says, Thank you US Navy...and I say thank you mom and dad, plus a cushy job as an au pair in Germany. Between the two of us, we have visited the following countries:

1) Scotland, 2) Ireland, 3) England, 4) Canada, 5) Japan, 6) South Korea, 7) Thailand, 8) Philippines, 9) Singapore, 10) Qatar, 11) Oman, 12) Bahrain, 13) Iraq, 14) Afghanastan, 15) Pakistan, 16) Portugal, 17) Greece, 18) Italy, 19) Spain, 20) UAE, 21) Egypt, 22) Mexico, 23) Cyprus, 24) France, 25) Germany, 26) Denmark, 27) Belgium, 28) Holland, 29) Hungry, 30) Liechtenstein, 31) Switzerland, 32) Austria, 33) Czech Republic

Sydney is 5 today!

2010-01-22T05:48:00.002-08:00

Happy Birthday to my dear, sweet Sydney! I am so proud to call her my daughter. Sydney is so caring and polite and has a love for all things princess. We will be celebrating by going out to dinner tonight with my folks and brother, then on Sunday she is having a Dancing Princesses party at a dance studio in town . How quickly five years flies by!

Working on it!

2010-01-13T22:37:00.002-08:00

So my new side job....Zumba instructor. I took the certification course back in 2008 when we were living in Florida and have done nothing with it...until now. Both potential teaching jobs sort of fell into my lap. The Valley (where I workout) is just getting a program started and is looking to add instructors....hello! Additionally, at my work we have a wellness program that usually offers just yoga courses but wants to add some Zumba. Luckily I'm good friends with the wellness director - that helped.

It will be nice to get a little extra money while working out. As usual, my New Year's resolution is to drop a few (or 40) pounds. One step closer!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-03T12:07:00.003-08:00

Happy New Year! We're quite relieved to be done with 2009. It was quite a difficult year for us - but as my brother pointed out, the bonds with friends and family grew so much stronger and we learned what is really important in life.

The holidays found us busy busy! We hosted a fun Christmas party that brought everyone together dressed to the 9's...

We had my family down for Christmas Eve and Lyndon's family plus my aunt Barb and uncle Ken for Christmas day festivities....

Although December was so fun and exciting, we are somewhat relieved the month has ended and the new year has begun!

We look forward to seeing what the doctors say about Isaac's face. He was to have had tests on Monday the 28th but because he had a pretty raspy cough and the tests require him to be under general anesthesia, we had to reschedule for January 25th.

Yesterday we took the kids up to Snoqualmie Pass for some sledding. It was loads of fun!

We are excited to see what January brings. Our good friends Olivia and Tim are expecting their second boy and our Sydney is turning 5!! Can't believe how time flies. Last night we were just viewing home videos from when Sydney was so little. I can't imagine what it will be like to look at these videos in 10, 15 years!

We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! Many blessings!

It's been awhile...

2009-12-23T22:56:00.003-08:00

So I won't write it all at once. Here's the skinny.....

1) Thanksgiving left me speechless. I have so much to be thankful for, most importantly a healthy family. I am so thankful Isaac is here - #1 on our list this year. I'm thankful we have two adorable, loving children. I'm thankful I have an awesome, supportive husband who doesn't think I have to do all the cooking, cleaning and laundry. Go Team Linville! I'm thankful for my parents. My parents taught me to be a good, loving person and to remember what we have and not what we don't have. To look forward and not back. They also taught me not to go through life thinking of just myself. For that, I am so grateful. I'm thankful for my brother - he's been a huge source of support for us. He's a catch (all ya single ladies). I'm thankful that in these tough times, both Lyndon and I are employed and secure. I'm so thankful for my friends....day in and day out, they have been there. Living in Maine, Florida, Washington, wherever, I can count on them. And last (but not least), I'm thankful for new friends who love us, support us and who we love and support. Life is good!

2) I turned 29! Again!

3) We have been having multiple appointments for Isaac. He was seen at Children's at the Cranio Facial Clinic which specializes in reanimation. As there is still no movement, we felt we needed to explore some options. They are going to be running a few tests on Monday that will pretty much tell us what's going on in Isaac's head as far as his nerves are concerned. He's having a BEARS hearing test, an EMG and another CT Scan. If we learn his nerve is permanently damaged, there are some options so we will be looking at these closely in the weeks/months to come. I will "try" to keep up on the blog.

4) I am on the road to being an employed Zumba instructor. I "auditioned" last week and it went well! This evening I shadowed another instructor on the stage and next week will actually teach a few songs during her class. I'm so excited - it's an exercise I completely love...so fun!

5) MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOURS!!!!

CST

2009-11-21T07:45:00.002-08:00

Well we tried to do the cranial sacral therapy (CST) but it didn't go too well. Isaac was pretty uncomfortable being in another new office and just wouldn't calm down. The therapist was awesome though - she said there is no rush to get him going on this and making sure he's comfortable is the most important. We stayed and chatted for about 20 minutes and then left.

We still can't get his pediatrician to write a referral for it but we're going to proceed and pay for it anyway. I'm going to keep working on it. I think it's a whole Eastern vs. Western medicine thing.

Can't believe the holidays are already upon us. Lyndon's folks are down this weekend and I'm making an early Thanksgiving tonight. Next week we are going to my cousins for the holiday and then spending the weekend in Portland. Excited about that and it's been years since we've been down there. Then....Poof....it's December. Yowzers!

What to do what to do

2009-11-13T10:27:00.004-08:00

My mom was on her commute home over a week ago and was chitchatting with a guy whose nephew had a tumor in his neck and when it was removed, had nerve damage to his face. He went to a nerve and paralysis center in Houston and had a surgery performed that helped the damage.

Ever since that conversation, I've been investigating more and more the options we have as far as Isaac's face is concerned. See the ENT we saw at Mary Bridge said just give it a year and then you'll have what you have. However, it's so hard to just sit back and see what's going to happen. Since then, I've spoken with the craniofacial program at Children's Hospital in Seattle as well as the doctor in Houston who does nerve surgeries. We see the doctors at Children's on December 11th. What I learned from the doctor in Houston is so so interesting so I'll try to explain it as best as I can. I believe that the craniofacial program in Seattle will have similar suggestions.

He said that what he would recommend for Isaac would be to have a surgery where he would cut just in front of his ear (like a plastic surgery cut) and would go in, first would shock the nerve with like 1200 amps (I believe that's the number he used) and if his face twitches, then they would know that the movement should come back. However, if there was no movement, they would proceed to take his facial nerve and reroute it/connect it to nerve #5 which is the nerve that allows you to chew, moves your jaw up and down. The result of this surgery would be that Isaac could move his jaw in a certain way and it would enable that side of his face to smile. It would basically move that muscle for him.

The paralysis can be seen pretty drastically in a few areas of his face. He can't crinkle his forehead, his can't close his eye, he can scrunch up his nose and he can't smile. So basically he has lost the animation in that side of his face.

If we don't go for this surgery (which should be done in the next few months before the muscles in Isaac's face just die) then there is another option which would be to wait and see for a couple of years. Then if he doesn't regain the movement, they could perform a surgery that would take muscle from one of his legs, put it in his face and then do some reanimation/nerve moving. So that is how I understand it.

It's not purely cosmetic - it's also because his facial droop will affect his speech, his eating, etc.

As far as his eye is concerned, this is another huge worry because he is at risk for scratching his cornea as his eye doesn't get the tears and remains a little open (even when he sleeps) at all times. Right now we are putting drops in his eye every two hours and at night a gel (which he hates) but there's an option of putting a weight in his eye which will allow it to close and he can learn how to manage that as he grows up. I'm not sure when they would want to do such a surgery - at what age would be best, etc.

This is just some of the stuff going on in our household these days. Making lots of calls, trying to get all the information we can. I will be needing to take more time off from work in order to make these appointments. I will absolutely fly to Houston if needed but am hoping the same thing can be done in Seattle.

It's been really difficult to get Isaac's pediatrician to be open to discussing these options. I'm honestly so shocked that none of the providers we've seen have pointed us in this direction - it's had to be on our own initiative. I've requested another referral for some "energy work" called craniosacral therapy which my massage therapist thinks could be very helpful but have been turned down for that. Maybe because it's not medicinal? I think we'll be going ahead with it anyway - just because I want to try everything possible to get my son whatever care would be helpful. Here is the official description of what craniosacral therapy is:

A craniosacral therapy session involves the therapist placing their hands on the patient, which they say allows them to tune into what they call the craniosacral system.^[1] The practitioner gently works with the spine and the skull and its cranial sutures, diaphragms, and fascia. In this way, the restrictions of nerve passages are said to be eased, the movement of cerebrospinal fluid through the spinal cord is said to be optimized, and misaligned bones are said to be restored to their proper position. Craniosacral therapists use the therapy to treat mental stress, neck and back pain, migraines, TMJ Syndrome, and for chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia.^[2]^[3]^[4] Several studies have reported that there is little scientific support for major elements of the underlying theoretical model, which has not been rigorously analyzed.^[5]

I figure it's worth a try!

A lot to report

2009-11-12T06:05:00.001-08:00

I really have so much to say and so much to report...I simply don't have the time lately so please stay tuned.

Halloween Pics

2009-11-01T10:03:00.002-08:00

Just a few from Halloween. We had a pretty mellow night - took the kids out with our friends Shaun and Cliff and their son Caden. Sydney was supergirl, Isaac was Woody and Caden was a ninja. They scored some major loot. Now if I can just stay away from it.....

They Stare

2009-10-26T19:17:00.003-07:00

OK, it's starting to wear on me. People who stare at Isaac...trying to figure out what's wrong. I know I've done it to others just out of curiosity but now I'm on the receiving end. I want to walk up to them and just tell them what happened. So they can stop staring. But that would take a lot of time and be emotionally draining so I try to ignore it. But it gets to me. So I'm saying it to you all (just to get it off my chest)... Please don't stare at my little boy!

Happy Birthday Lyndon

2009-10-24T07:06:00.006-07:00

Happy 34th Birthday Lyndon!

We spent a nice evening with some friends from Olympia. Some had to cancel as the flu and bug is running rampant around here but we still had a nice time. Oddly enough, yesterday was the one year anniversary of us being back in Washington. On Lyndon's Birthday last year, we woke up in Montanta, had cupcakes in Idaho and made it to my parents by the evening. We are still so happy about being back!

This evening we're having some more friends and my parents down for another fun evening. Should be fun and we're hoping the weekend weather starts to shape up!

Countdown

2009-10-13T06:48:00.004-07:00

In two more days, I go back to work full time and Isaac goes back to daycare full time. It's overwhelming to think about. Lately, I've been so anxious when it comes to anything and everything Isaac. Like when I talk about him to friends, I feel my blood pressure rise, I talk faster, I stumble on my words because I just can't get over the fears I have yet. Maybe it's to be expected - almost like post traumatic stress but it's not a great feeling. Having the reduced hours has been great - it means that Isaac is only at daycare for about three hours before he naps and shortly after he wakes up from nap, I pick him up. Now he will be dropped off at 7 a.m. - he naps at 12:30 p.m. so that's a long stretch of play. Anyway, it's going to be like bringing him for the first time again for me I think...

Isaac had three falls last week. First he fell off a stool at my mom's house - right onto his head. We were freaked. We called the pediatrician and once we finally spoke with our doctor, were told that he would be telling us exactly what he would tell any parent of a "normal" two year old. Because Isaac's fractures were most likely healed by now. Later in the week he took a tumble down our stairs and bonked his head and on Friday he fell out of a chair at daycare...onto his head. Maybe this has helped contribute to my increased anxiousness lately. Anyhow, I finally called his pediatrician in a panic on Friday. I want another CT scan - I want to know that his fractures have healed - that falling on his head hasn't re-injured anything, etc. He said no. He doesn't feel he needs one because there are no signs that there have been any damage. To the brain or the skull. Again, he feels he's a normal two year old. So hard to grasp....even now.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-11T18:18:00.005-07:00

Today we had a great time at the pumpkin patch with my parents and our friends The Brooks. The Brooks are friends of ours who lived in FL while we did and recently moved back to Washington too. The kids get along so well - they have two sweet sweet boys.

Conversations

2009-10-11T10:32:00.003-07:00

So lately, this is how it goes when I'm chatting with people I've never met. We start chit chatting about kids and inevitably, what's happened to Isaac comes out and I say something along the lines of "ya, having a boy has been a real eye opener. My boy is rather adventurous and rambunctious ... in fact, we just had a very scary incident etc." Almost immediately the person says "Oh my gosh, are you Isaac's mom?". Yep, that's me. Isaac's mom and oh so proud to be!

I continue to be amazed at how many people have been following Isaac's progress and how may people have been praying and keeping our family close to their hearts. We are so touched and blessed. Thank you.

All is Well

2009-10-09T06:36:00.002-07:00

It's been some time since I've posted. Lately I just don't feel like I have anything good to say and life has been pretty busy for us again.

Isaac has been doing pretty well. His crazy pace has slowed somewhat and he is now in part time daycare. That's been going pretty well. Drop offs are hard - he clings to me until they peel him off...so hard as a mom to walk away from your crying babies! Right now I'm just back to work from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and that schedule has been working well. The fractures should be nice and healed by 8 weeks which is next week. I can't believe it's been so long since the accident. 8 weeks is when I'm expected to be back at work full time.

Doctor visits are still happening pretty regularly. Speech is going pretty well - she thought she detected more movement in his mouth but I really don't see it. The doctor we saw yesterday (the rehab doc) said that he's really surprised the ENT (aka Nerve Guru) didn't order some testing to see what kind of response they get from Isaac's nerves. He said he was going to look into it. He did look up the ENT's notes from our appointment back in September and read to me that the doctor does not expect that Isaac will ever see movement in that side of his face again. I have to remind myself daily to count my blessings but it's so easy to get sad about the loss.

Sydney has been doing awesome. She's such a sweet girl and it's a joy watching her transition from toddler to a little girl. Although I got my first "I don't like you mom" this morning - that was hard and a bit early for that I think!

Last weekend Lyndon and I went to the Mariners with a big group of people celebrating our friends birthday and then I spent the weekend in Edmonds. My brother is coaching pee wee football so we watched one of his team's games and then hung put with my family. It's been a long long time since we've spent time up there!

I haven't taken any new pics as I need to switch out my battery but am hoping to have some new ones this weekend!

Weekend

2009-09-28T07:40:00.007-07:00

We had a really nice, relaxing weekend at home with not too much going on. On Saturday we went to the local cider mill and it was a blast. There was cheap, delicious local produce and lots and lots of animals for the kids to pet and feed.

Later Sydney and I went to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. It was OK. There was this one part about the girl character having once been a nerd wearing her hair in a ponytail and having glasses. I look next to me and my beautiful daughter has her hair in a pony and has glasses. I hate stereotypes and name calling like that! Besides that, the movie was pretty good and Sydney didn't catch the whole nerd/glasses thing anyway. However I'm sure we may have to deal with that at some point.

Yesterday we were disappointed by the Seahawks loss. Hope Hasselbeck is on the mend as well as Tatupu. Sydney put together her own game day outfit. What do you think?

Daycare

2009-09-25T21:58:00.002-07:00

Just a quick note before calling it a night. Today Isaac did really well at daycare. He was a little sad when I left but through the window I could see he stopped crying quickly. When we picked him up, we were told that at nap time, Isaac got up after all the kids had laid down and went to each one of them, kissed them and said "night night", then laid down and took a nap. Isaac has been super affectionate since the accident - like he goes up to total strangers and gives them hugs. I'm not exactly sure how to handle these situations...I just apologize because although some think it's sweet, some are a bit grumpy and confused. My dad and I were talking tonight and we think that Isaac knows where he was, how far he's come and he's just grateful to be here.

Baby Nikoletta

2009-09-24T08:01:00.002-07:00

On Sunday I was able to spend the day with my good friend Sarah while she labored almost all day with her second baby. It was amazing and she was a rock star! Her epidural ended up taking only on one side so she was feeling a bit of pain. In one push, Nikoletta Jennifer Mollas was born. She is beautiful! 7lb. 10oz. she is perfect and they are both doing awesome. It is the first time I have been int he state for any of my friends' babies. I can't wait for the next one (Olivia!).

Back to Work

2009-09-24T07:41:00.003-07:00

One of the reasons I haven't been blogging too much lately is that I returned to work on Tuesday. Just part time for now. The past five weeks have probably been the busiest at my work as we're gearing up for our audit starting this coming Monday. They've been pretty good about my absence but I've been feeling the pressure to return for sure. I have been waiting to return until the doctors give a thumbs up for Isaac to be back in a daycare setting. He will be starting a new daycare (the one where Sydney goes) and he has to be watched a little more closely than the other children. The concern is 1. His fractures. We need to make sure there are no hard falls. The helmet helps with that. 2. He doesn't quite have the stamina to get through a full day of playing. He is still going at max speed and so he runs out fairly quickly. The neuro psychs said he would need to start part time and work up.

So here we are. Actually Tuesday and Wednesday my mom came down and stayed with him so I could go into work. Today he goes to see his pediatrician for a follow up and his 2 year check up where I hope to get the thumbs up for him to return to daycare. If we get the thumbs up, he'll start on Friday. I'm excited our life is returning to normal!

Isaac had an ophthalmologist appointment on Monday. He pointed out that when Isaac looks to either direction he has to tilt his head. He said that this is perhaps because he has some damage to nerve #4 that controls the movement of the eye and he wants to watch him. He said it's good that Isaac is tilting his head because he's compensating for the eye issue.

Tomorrow Isaac goes to speech therapy and we'll be learning how often he'll need this therapy. The reason they want him to have this is because of his facial droop in connection to the facial nerve damage. When he talks, it sounds like half of his mouth is full of marshmallows. So they'll be working on the way he forms his words.

We are looking forward to a relaxing weekend at home.

Quiet

2009-09-19T20:46:00.002-07:00

Tonight I am at home....alone. It's eerie. We had planned on going to Oak Harbor to visit Lyndon's parents but one of my best friends is being induced in the morning. I have been far far away for all of my friends' births so I decided to stay and Lyndon took the kids...by himself. Scary! Actually he is a really great father and will be just fine. But for me...it's weird. Especially with all that has gone on, I'm not sure that I was really ready to be away from Isaac. I worry about him and the bond that we've recreated in the last 4+ weeks is very strong and although I know he'll be fine, I still worry. But I am tired, very tired....so I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep and will try to sleep through the night and forget about the rest....just for tonight.

Today we had Isaac's ENT appointment (aka the "nerve guru"). I must say I was quite disappointed. I was anticipating he would be very optimistic because of the hearing test that was done that showed he still had hearing in the ear. I thought the loss was minimal but he said it was pretty significant (no high pitch or quiet noises). So he offered no hope to us that the movement in his face would return. There are no tests they can or will do...only time will tell. And it could take up to a year. At the year mark, we have what we have. We just have to remember where we came from. This is when I should go back to my first posts because it really could be so much worse.

Our appointment on Friday was with the neurological surgeon and all is good there. His brain works perfect. It's still a little "shocked" so some behaviors are a little odd but all in all, he is who he was - which is awesome!

So tonight I will have a glass (or two) of wine, go to bed and wake up in the morning and remember just how blessed we are.

Trucking Along

2009-09-16T14:15:00.002-07:00

All has been well here at the Linville household. Isaac continues to amaze me with his humor and speed! He has truly been going 100 MPH lately. We had an appointment yesterday with a neurological psychiatrist. I had no idea what one of those was either until yesterday. Turns out they specialize in the developments after a head injury and focus on how the children are adjusting emotionally and behaviorally.

As I mentioned, Isaac has been going 100 MPH and although he's two and has always been on the go, at times it's been a little over the top compared to where he was before the accident (i.e. running in circles for an hour, no napping). It was reassuring to hear from the neuro psych that this is very common. Why, they don't exactly know but apparently it should subside a little at some point. In addition to the daytime energy, he's also a bear to get down and keep down at night. Like after running on high all day, by 9pm he is still not ready to crash (even after not napping)! Well this too is not uncommon and so they recommended giving him melatonin to help mellow him out at night. I am just hoping and praying that this will give us all a little more rest.

The psych also reassured me that I should not be concerned about the Fragile Child Syndrome that I mentioned in an earlier post. He needs to be watched, I should be concerned and none of that is going over the top at all. I'm so glad she said what she did because although I continued to be on his every move, felt I was obsessing. Four more weeks until we can be fairly confident that the fractures have healed but she also told me Isaac will always be a helmet child. For those Mariners fans it's like John Olerud - he suffered a brain injury and wears a helmet even in the field. Same would be for skiing, snowboarding, white water kayaking, etc. Not that I anticipate Isaac to partake in all that fun during his lifetime - but it's good to know if he wants to, he can - extra protection just would be required.

Later this week we see the neurological surgeon and on Saturday the ENT. I am really anxious about the ENT appointment. He's the nerve guru! I will surely be reporting after these visits!

The rest of our family is doing fabulous!

Thanks to all those who still follow and pray for our family!

Go Seahawks!

2009-09-13T08:40:00.002-07:00

Our friends Tim and Olivia invited us to the opening game today. We are so excited! Go Hawks!

Fragile Child Syndrome

2009-09-09T12:55:00.002-07:00

We went to see Isaac's pediatrician today as a follow-up and so he's on page with all that has happened in the last three weeks. He has been a source of support for us too while in the hospital, called to check-in and sent a stuffed animal and balloon. He was devastated by the news when he first heard as well.

The follow-up went well. The concern of keeping Isaac's head protected is what we're moving forward with here. And of course the paralysis on the left side of his face. I'm seeing it become more pronounced which is hard.

Anyway, he said one of the big concerns and what we need to be careful of is going forward as parents with Fragile Child Syndrome. I did some research and haven't actually found this to be an actual medical diagnosis but our doctor said it's similar to post traumatic stress disorder. It's just us going forward and working on not treating Isaac like every bump and bruise is the end of the world. Obviously right now we are very over protective. It's just that way. You would be too. But as the fractures heal, the need to be over protective is going to decrease and it might be hard as a parent to let that go. I totally get it and I admit that it may be hard for awhile to let it not affect how we treat Isaac. . . but we'll always try to do what's best for him. And sometimes, as the doctor pointed out, what's best for him may be different from what's best for us. Ya follow?

He recommends I stay home with Isaac for awhile longer to give him the 1:1 attention he needs right now and just take it day by day, week by week. His daycare is working with us and when we drop Sydney off in the mornings, I let him play a little with me supervising so he gets used to it. Actually a nice transition for him!

We have appointments upon appointments for a little while. Followups mostly. We still are not sure if he'll need some rehab. I think a lot depends on what happens with his face. His speech is sometimes difficult to understand. Like he's had some dental work done if that makes sense....

Nap times have been a challenge. I can't leave him alone in his room. I can't or I won't - not sure really. Obviously the best to err on the side of caution in my opinion! So we've changed out his crib and put a mattress on the floor. It's not really working. Nap times and bed times are a pain and he needs good sleep. So I just keep trying. I'm counting on we'll find what works best right before he goes back to daycare and has to acclimate again!

Home Sweet Home

2009-09-06T11:23:00.005-07:00

It feels so good to be home!! I could absolutely care less that it's a dreary, rainy weekend. Thank goodness we aren't camping at Lake Wenatchee like were supposed to be!

Being home is perfect. We have been playing and playing and playing. Isaac wears his helmet intermittently. It should take 8 total weeks for the fractures to heal. Slowly life will return to normal. I will go back to work, Isaac will start his new daycare and we will be happy to move forward.

Helmet

2009-09-04T14:00:00.002-07:00

Homeward Bound

2009-09-04T11:13:00.002-07:00

Thanks to all those who helped me in my "Please don't drip" chant. It worked!!! We are going home today!!!

I can't quite believe what we've gone through in the last 2 1/2 weeks and I don't think anyone thought we would be where we are now. Our child has come out of this with a small hearing loss and paralysis on the left side of his face. No inpatient rehab and possibly no outpatient rehab - at least on the PT side. He is running, jumping and dancing. Just like that. Miracles Happen is right!!! Thank God for answering our prayers!

They are looking into ordering a helmet as it will take 6 more weeks for the fractures to heal. During that time, he'll need to be closely watched. Some rehab will be needed - like speech and possibly some OT (occupational therapy).

I wish I could find my camera cords but again, I can't. I'll have to share pictures later.

Uneventful Update

2009-09-03T22:18:00.002-07:00

So now we're waiting...for the drip to stop! It's slowed WAY down - maybe 6 drips today. Tomorrow the neurological surgeon comes to evaluate and actually try to get it to drip. If it drips, we stay all weekend, if it doesn't, we go HOME!!!

Please don't drip. Please don't drip. My friends tonight brought up the idea of sticking something up there so it won't (as a joke of course).

So if it drips, we reevaluate on Monday. If it's still dripping, then they do a ct scan to figure out exactly where the drip is coming from and surgically fix it. This would be a bummer!!! Of course we just want what's best for Isaac. The concern with the leak is not really that it's leaking but that if something is leaking out, then bacteria could get in. Huge infection risk.

It has been determined that he will do outpatient rehab down in Olympia. Wahoo! Not sure what the frequency will be yet. In a way I'm scared to go home. Then his care is all up to me and he's moving a lot. I will need to be on top of his every move. Another bonk on his head would be awful. As time passes, we'll get a better idea of how long 1:1 care will be required...

Hearing Test Results

2009-09-02T21:01:00.002-07:00

I was fully prepared to be told that Isaac's hearing was completely lost in his left ear but IT'S NOT!!! He has partial hearing - it's not perfect but we will take it. This is good in more ways than one. It means his hearing nerve was not severed and since the hearing nerve is in very close association with the facial nerve, means the paralysis in his face could recover. Isn't it amazing?? I am so incredibly happy!! Keeping the faith and staying positive works!!

We weren't given specific results of the cat scan yet but we do know that we have four days for this drip to stop or surgery may be required. It has slowed down quite a bit so hopefully it dries up soon!

Also, the rehab doctor came today and saw Isaac walking...yes walking - and he was amazed. I mean truly this boy is a MIRACLE!! Anyway, he said that because of his impressive progress, outpatient rehab could be all that he requires. At first I really wanted inpatient - as it would be so all-encompassing and would definitely propel him in the right direction but looking at Isaac's progress now, I'm not sure he needs it! Outpatient rehab would require a few appointments per week to work on a few issues that do still need a bit of work.

We are definitely looking forward to normality again - however it may be. I picked Sydney up at daycare this afternoon and we went to the end of the summer party, then she came up to the hospital. When I had to say goodbye to her, it was devastating. For both of us. She wants to come home and be with us - it's hard to have to tell your daughter that right now, Isaac needs us more than she does. Very hard. I keep reinforcing that this will all come to an end soon and we miss her very much but every day that goes by makes it tougher. Not quite sure how I'm going to make this up to her.

Not Much To Report Today

2009-09-01T13:59:00.002-07:00

No news is good news I guess! It's been a pretty slow day. I had the morning by myself (well with Isaac of course) but no dad to hang out with Isaac while I showered, got coffee, etc. so it was a bit of a challenge. Luckily, I survived!

Isaac wakes up ready to play. He sees his cars and trucks and wants to get going. PT had a good session with him, the challenge is still balance. His muscles are a little weak also - I've noticed his thighs are a little less chunky and his pants a little baggy. Not surprising after being in a coma for five days and being fed by a tube for three.

Medically he's still waiting for the CT scan but they've put that off to tomorrow so they don't have to sedate him twice. So 11am tomorrow is the hearing test and either before or after is the CT scan. Then we are counting on the move to Children's. I honestly could see them putting it off until Thursday but the pediatrician saw no reason to put it off. Time will tell...

This hospital is starting to feel very small....I really just want to go home and get back to our "normal" life.

Mary Bridge for a few more days...

2009-08-31T16:43:00.004-07:00

They are going to do a CT scan on Isaac's face to get a better look at the facial fractures. They are guessing the fractures, leakage of spinal fluid and dipping oxygen levels are all connected. They tried to do a CT scan about an hour ago and he wouldn't stay still so they either need to do it when he's super sleepy or is sedated. We're still awaiting the hearing test on Wednesday so they may have to wait until then and kill two birds with one stone.

We aren't too happy with this news and just hope the CT scan shows some small fractures that will correct on their own. Worst case scenario would be that there is a large fracture that would need to be corrected surgically. Best case scenario is it's a small fracture that will close on it's own. I would think that a large fracture would've been visible on his original CT scan so we're staying positive!

Isaac is on a sugar high from his BD cupcakes and is playing hard!

2009-08-31T16:43:00.001-07:00

Spinal Fluid

2009-08-31T11:02:00.002-07:00

So Isaac's nose has been pretty runny....like not normal snotty runny but watery. Well the doctor saw it and is concerned it's spinal fluid. He tested it for sugar (if it was spinal fluid, it would have sugar) and it was positive. So we are now waiting for the neurological surgeon. I'm guessing we aren't going to Children's today....

The doc made it seem like it may not even be a big deal - that fluid is leaking through one or some of the fractures and sometimes it'll come out the nose or the ears in which case it would stop when the fractures healed. Just hoping it's nothing!!!

P.S. Happy 2nd Birthday Isaac!!!

Found the Camera Cord!

2009-08-30T22:50:00.001-07:00

A Few Things

2009-08-30T21:45:00.003-07:00

This weekend has gone really well. Isaac continues to progress which is so amazing and such a blessing. It's like we've been watching the last two years of his life on fast forward. Blurry vision to focusing, learning to grasp, popping bubbles, saying some words and now crawling a bit. And yes, we get just as excited as the first time it happened!

We're still hoping to move to Children's tomorrow. The following could, however, prevent the move: 1) they don't have the space or 2) they won't take him because he still requires oxygen at night. His levels still dip into the 80s so the nurse has instructed me to get him to cough every time they start to dip. It could be a LONG night! But I will get through it.

We moved into a bigger room today because we anticipated a few more visitors than normal because TOMORROW ISAAC TURNS 2!!!! We had a little party with family and he got a few more cars, trucks, balls and Thomas goodies!

One thing that has really bothered me since we got here that I wanted to bring to everyone's attention... some babies/young kids are here and have no one with them. Meaning their parents just drop them off and leave. Don't spend the night with them, don't visit, nothing. It hit closer to home today because there is a little girl next to us....little....I would guess 9 months and she is all alone in her little crib. A few times a day a volunteer comes to hold her but other than that, she is alone. The nurse shared with me that her mother called yesterday to check on her. Can you imagine??? We don't go to the bathroom without someone else watching Isaac. I know that may be a little over the top but it's just the way we are. It's so sad. Please keep these little angels in your thoughts and prayers. If I could volunteer to be one of the holders, I would!

In anticipation of our move tomorrow, I've packed up the camera cords so although I would love to share some cute pictures from today, I can't. I hope to get a chance to blog tomorrow but with it being the BIG day - I may not be able to.

Definite Progress

2009-08-29T08:56:00.006-07:00

Before I get into the nitty gritty of Isaac's condition and how he's progressing, I must apologize for leaving the nose picking picture as the top post for so long. I'm sure that grossed some of you out!

Isaac is doing remarkably well....all things considered. We are hearing more words, he's recognizing people, he is focusing and his attention span is becoming longer. We are still working with PT every day and they are helping with his coordination, trying to get him to follow direction and assessing his progress. He is playing with his trucks and cars a lot! We have a play mat we put on the floor of his room and try to spend a bit of time down there just having fun.

He's been eating pretty much everything in sight. On Thursday the speech therapist came to assess his swallowing. They did an x-ray while he was swallowing some barium/chocolate concoction and it was found that when he drinks water, milk, juice, he is aspirating into his lungs a little bit. The therapist said they see this often with brain injury patients and it's because their reflex isn't fast enough for the muscle (the epiglottis) to block the airway. This has resulted in him being put on a restrictive diet which includes nectar-thick liquids (yuck) and some other random restrictions. They said this will improve with time.

We are definitely seeing the effects of the nerve damage. Although it has yet to be confirmed that he is unable to hear in his left ear, we are assuming this to be the case. His facial nerve damage is very pronounced now as the left corner of his mouth sort of turns down and his right side is becoming more animated. However - I keep reminding myself this is purely cosmetic and is nothing compared to what we originally thought the long term effects may be! And truly, his half-smile is kinda cute. We have heard of situations where the nerves can rewire and reconnect, however doctors here are definitely pessimistic.

The balance nerves damage is very evident as he is unable to walk or even crawl without tipping. He actually looks like someone who's had WAY too much to drink. We are holding him up and working on this but we're pretty sure this may take some time.

It still sounds as though we will be going to Children's for rehabilitation sometime next week. The medical doctors here want to keep him here at Mary Bridge until he has his hearing test on Wednesday but the rehabilitation specialists think he's in prime learning mode and could benefit from the rehab therapy as soon as possible. There was an inpatient vs. outpatient discussion on Friday and although he's progressing, they think a good intensive treatment program would be best.

We continue to be amazed by this boy. He is truly a miracle!!

The amount of support, love and prayers we have received has been remarkable. It is humbling and we are so grateful. Thank you!

A Sign of Isaac's Personality Coming back

2009-08-26T17:37:00.005-07:00

I promise.....this was NOT staged!!!

Mickey Mouse

2009-08-26T16:20:00.006-07:00

Mickey Mouse.....those were the first words out of Isaac's mouth this morning. We are so encouraged by his progress today. He showed interest in playing with his trucks and cars and he even spewed a few words our direction. A little bit more of his personality was there and he is now off most medications. They did an EEG this morning that OK'd him to stop a medication that prevents seizures.

He unfortunately pulled his feeding tube out of his nose so we are awaiting a swallow test to see if he will start to eat some applesauce or pudding. He's very leery of doctors now and anything coming near his face - no big surprise there because of all the trauma his poor little head has gone through.

We realize big leaps like this may not come daily but today was awesome! The PT and OT gals were so pleased with the improvement from yesterday. We had some visitors who were also relieved to see him progressing so well.

Thank you all for your prayers and support!

Another Day Gone

2009-08-25T21:55:00.003-07:00

As I posted earlier, today was a challenge. Luckily I got a great nap in during the middle of the day and am ready to face another night of laying next to my baby's hospital crib.

We didn't really learn anything new today. The hearing test has been rescheduled for September 2nd. They gave Isaac the sedation medication and he just wouldn't fall asleep. That boy needs an army of meds to slow him down. I was surprised because PT and OT really wore him out today.

Night's are hard. The nurses come in a lot to check on him. He's got a bunch of gunk in his chest that gives him a really raspy breath. It usually requires them waking him up and patting his back and chest in order to get him to cough. Once he coughs, it's good - but that takes awhile. His oxygen levels also continue to dip too low and he requires some through his nose during the night.

The radiologist was able to get the feeding tube into his small intestine but that was a very difficult procedure to watch. They had to strap him down and he screamed the whole time. Heart wrenching. I kept reminding myself that he really needs to get this nutrition. As the day wore on, it was so obvious that on top of it being an "off" day, he was tired and I think just needs some "juice". Getting some vitamins and substance back in him will hopefully give him more alertness tomorrow.

We continue to be humbled and are thankful for the support of our friends, family and even people we don't know. Our friends have put together this incredible website: http://www.friendsofisaac.net/. Please DO NOT feel obligated to donate. We truly know how tough times are right now. Prayers and emotional support are just as important to us!!

A Bit of a Rough Day

2009-08-25T12:01:00.002-07:00

Good News: Isaac high-fived his dad and I this morning.

Besides that, he's been kinda out of it. Still waiting for that click, that smile, that light bulb. I've been singing to him all morning remembering how he so enjoyed singing along, clapping and dancing to music.

Today we saw a speech therapist that is working on eating. He didn't have an interest in the applesauce today like he did yesterday. They have stopped giving him formula to his nose as he keeps vomiting. He's not getting proper nutrition so they are going to push his feeding tube further down into his small intestine so he gets more. Other highlights of our day are to include Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, a neurologist consultation and finally a hearing test that will let us know exactly what's going on with his hearing and possibly confirm he has permanently lost the hearing in his left ear. We are praying for a miracle!!!

Baby Steps

2009-08-24T15:07:00.003-07:00

Just a bit of an update! We have moved from the PICU into a regular room. Although it means he has improved, going from the one on one care to another fish in the sea has been a bit of a rough transition. I am that mom that is worrying and analyzing his condition and progress constantly. Although I'm sure most moms would be this way, I've been told by the doctors not to expect too much (which is exactly what I've been doing). Because his brain has been through major trauma, although their is no "brain damage", there is still a lot to be done as far as getting all of his functions back - if they come back.

Isaac is definitely taking steps forward. For example, his head is becoming much stronger and he's constantly trying to sit up. He also seems to be focusing more today and for longer periods - great steps! However he goes through these times when it seems like he's slipping away - not making eye contact, just kind of this blank slate and that has been nothing short of heartbreaking. The doctors reassure us this is normal when such trauma has happened to the brain and we have to set aside all recovery expectations. Easier said than done.

Meanwhile, Lyndon will have to go back to work sometime this week. He has been with his company under 90 days and has no PTO right now. It's really hard for him to think of leaving Isaac for so long every day but maybe it will be good to get his mind on something else for awhile. Who am I kidding? He's going to be miserable!!!

This has taken me forever to write. Every specialist in the world has been to see Isaac today. They are worried because he's not keeping any food (liquid through a tube in his nose) down, we've seen the neuro psych, a speech therapist and are waiting for the rehabilitation specialist. There is some talk that it could be possible they move us to another facility where he could be in an inpatient rehab program. Again, time will tell!

Update about the specialists! Before I published the post, the rehab specialist came. He said Isaac will probably be moving to an inpatient rehabilitation facility at Children's Hospital in Seattle next Monday. He will be back on Wednesday to reassess. He said patients like Isaac often benefits greatly from such care. Although Seattle is far from home and Sydney, we'll have to just figure it out! We will know more on Wednesday...

Thank you for your prayers and thoughts. Our baby needs them!!

Sitting Up

2009-08-23T07:38:00.002-07:00

Right now we are lucky to have an army of family helping us around the clock. My parents and brother have been staying in the room with us and we all have our shifts. Justin takes the late night shift and is usually relieved by my mom around 2am to 3am. Then I join her usually around 6am and everyone takes turns throughout the day. This morning when I joined my mom around 7am - she was helping Isaac to sit up in his bed. His head is still very wobbly but he was putting his elbows back every time we tried to lay him back down. It was amazing to see and his eyes seem to be focusing much better.

The road may be long and have a few bumps but we are moving forward.

Later today I should have my camera cords and will be able to upload some nice pictures of us holding Isaac and Sydney's reunion with her brother. She is very concerned now and wants to be with him constantly. Last night she sensed by sadness and said "It's OK mommy, the doctors are going to give Isaac some medicine and make it all better". If only.....

It's not all roses

2009-08-22T17:41:00.002-07:00

Doesn't he look better???

This afternoon it seems really hard to focus on the joy we were experiencing yesterday. The doctors allowed us to relish in the news that Isaac's MRI showed that he has no brain damage. On Tuesday we were prepared for a severely brain damaged child, if he were to live through this. What an incredible journey.

Going forward, however, we've learned our boy's brain will be "on it" just as it was but as he slowly wakes from his induced coma, it appears there is some nerve damage.

What does this mean? Well, one of the critical areas impacted by one of Isaac's fractures was at the base of his neck behind his left ear. At first glance, the doctor believed that Isaac's hearing would be completely lost in that ear. Can totally live with that - my dad doesn't have hearing in his right ear. It's really no biggie. However as he wakes today, we're seeing that pretty much the entire left side of Isaac's face has been impacted - including the way his eye dilates and contracts. Again, I need to remind myself that just five days ago, we almost lost our precious little boy. . . .

We are trying to stay positive but I would be lying if I told you that I am a ball of glee today. Things will be different than they were and the doctor told us it could be months before we know exactly how he will be going forward. Please continue to remember Isaac and our family in your thoughts and prayers.

Holla!!

2009-08-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

NO BRAIN DAMAGE!!! A little blood on the brain...will reabsorb. In the process of waking him up. More to come...

Friday Morning

2009-08-21T09:48:00.003-07:00

*******PLEASE BE WARNED AT THE END OF THIS NOTE I HAVE POSTED A PICTURE OF ISAAC FROM YESTERDAY.....IT IS DISTURBING********

Well Isaac hasn't quite woken up yet. Last night the determination was made by the doctors to sedate him enough to let him sleep peacefully through the night. Uncle Justin took the night shift under the assumption that Isaac would be sedated enough he would be konked out. Well, not so much. Our little guy is under 4 - 5 times the normal doses of pain and anxiety medication and is still fighting to move around. What a little fighter. This is a good sign the doctors say. Extremely severe brain injured children would not have to have much pain and anxiety medication.

This morning, they took the brain bolt out of his head. When he was admitted they had drilled a hole the size of a pinkie in his little noggin in order to monitor to measure the swelling of his brain. His levels have remained at a "normal" enough level that the doctor was ready to take it out. They took it out about 9:00 a.m. and he looks so much better with one less large tube coming out of him. The hole has been stapled and should be just one more little scar on his body.

Around noon they will be doing an MRI on him. They will have to give him a paralytic again so he does not move during this. The MRI results are critical. They are going to tell us what kind of damage has been done to his brain. The doctor has prepared us for the worse - which could be major brain damage and even a condition called Diffuse axonal injury which would mean he would remain in a coma for a long amount of time. The chance of this condition is about 10%. Please pray the lasting effects are minimal!!!

We have been amazed by the amount of love, support and prayers that Isaac and we have been receiving. We are SO thankful and feel so blessed to have our friends and family by our side.

The MRI procedure will take about two hours so we are planning on heading to our house to pack some more clothes and just see where things are down there. Some dear friends, Katie and Megan, went to our house and cleaned last night so we aren't worried about walking into a home that is the chaos I normally leave it in the morning. I am a bit worried about walking by Isaac's room, seeing his things, his cars, his airplanes, his trains...I pray I get my little boy back!!! That is the scariest part right now - not knowing if he will be the same - not knowing if we need to teach him to walk again, to talk again, etc. If he will still be excited about every airplane that flies overhead, if he will say thank you every time you do anything for him.....BUT we are so thankful he is ALIVE.

A Dose of Good News

2009-08-20T11:27:00.003-07:00

Isaac has continued to stay pretty much the same overnight and into this morning. His levels are around a 10 and the doctors say that this is good. During the night there was a little bit of trauma when the x-ray technician accidentally knocked out the tube that was draining the air from his chest. How this happened, I don't quite understand. However luckily it ended up being OK. It is during this type of stimulation that his ICP levels will sometimes raise. The doctor said that if his levels (when they spike) stay under 20, he is happy.

So that being said, the doctor feels that Isaac is ready to start waking up. As I understand it, they will start to take his body out of it's paralyzed state and then will begin to lighten the medicines keeping him in the coma (he will still have lots of pain meds) and ultimately transition him to start breathing on his own. I am excited and nervous. During this process, if he spikes above a 20, they go back to putting him fully in a coma and paralyzed again. They definitely expect that his levels will go up and he will be moving around quite a lot. We will all be around him trying to calm him and encourage him to rest and stay still but this boy is strong and feisty!

Please pray that Isaac's ICP stays under 20 and that the transition to breathing on his own goes smoothly. This battle is still going on and as the doctor said, we still are unsure what lasting effects there could be. I have been encouraged by countless stories of similar accidents that have happy endings and am praying our story will be the same.

Even at the rate we are going, the doctors predict that Isaac will be hospitalized for at least three weeks. So many have offered to help with Sydney it is awesome. She is still pretty clueless to what has gone on and is having so much fun with sleeping over at her friends house, going to Chuck E Cheese and such I'm starting to fear she's going to be a little sad to leave! Our friends Brooke and Brian LaFave have been her second parents through this. We are so thankful to have such selfless friends that love our children as they do their own.

I will keep you posted.....

Roller Coaster

2009-08-19T16:48:00.000-07:00

Today has absolutely been a roller coaster. Earlier, we learned that Isaac has almost certainly lost his hearing in his left ear. It appears upon second look at his CT that the nerve has been ruptured by one of the fractures.

His numbers were high this morning, too high for me to be comfortable. Then early this afternoon, his numbers went down to 0 or 1 - awesome! However now it's hovering at around an 8. Occasionally the medicine wears off and he starts grabbing for the tubes. We are encouraged at his fighting spirit!

Please continue to pray that his swelling goes down, lift up the doctors that are working on him and pray the damage done is minimal.

I will try to contine to update. I am pretty much staying at his bedside and looking at the numbers fluctuate can be maddening. We SO appreciate all the love, prayers, positive energy and concern.

An Update

2009-08-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

Today has been a bit of a roller coaster. Isaac's levels were up this morning - in the 13 - 14 range. Not good. However they have gone down to 10 which makes us much happier.

I snuck in a nap and that felt good. Usually when I leave for a bit, his numbers improve. Just a coincidence I'm sure.

They are trying to keep the stimulation around him down. He's been moved to a quieter room and we're trying to whisper when near him. Its so hard not to hold him. They told me that it will be at least 5 to 7 days until I get to hold my baby. That's going to be hard.

They are starting to feed him through a tube which is good.

More to come as we know more...

Lungs

2009-08-19T07:04:00.000-07:00

Isaac contines to rest comfortably. An x-ray this morning showed that the impact caused some holes in his lung. Basically one of his lungs blew up like a balloon and it created a few holes. This has caused some air to leak and it was on top of his lungs. Because he has a ventilator breathing for him, this causes additional leakage which would cause his lungs to collapse.

They have put a tube in this chest area that is now draining this air. We are thankful they caught this ahead of time.

Currently, his ICP levels are about the same. The paralyzer started to wear off at one point and our little fiesty guy was trying to pull on his tubes. It has been confirmed by the male nurses here that he is one strong dude.

Our Baby Boy

2009-08-19T03:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, August 18th, Isaac quickly tried to scale a very large TV. He fell to the ground and the TV fell on top of him. He was rushed to the Olympia airport where they airlifted him to Mary Bridge hospital in Tacoma.

He has multiple scull fractures and his brain was very swollen when they did the first CAT scan. This isn't a good sign we are told. They have drilled a hole in his head the size of a pinkie and are monitoring the swelling through that. Swelling can happen during the first 48 hours. This time period is CRITICAL. The "ICP" level we want him to be at is a 1 - 6. We have seen those numbers but are also seeing up to 11. 11 isn't horrible but we don't want it to get higher. As I write this, he's fluctuating between a 9 & 10...sometimes 8. The doctors are "carefully" optimistic as they anticipated this to have gotten worse. However they are quick to point out that things could change momentarily for him. Long term effects are unknown right now. He could have minimal damage, or it could be severe. The doctor even said the "D" word to Lyndon and I tonight.

One of the fractures is near four nerves that run from his brain to his ear. These nerves control: two control balance, one controls the movement of the face and one controls hearing. We can not tell yeat if these have been damaged.

We are staying in some hospital owned apartments. There are two beds so my parents are staying there as well.

I honestly am numb right now. My energetic, fun-loving, adorable child has countless tubes coming out of his body. To keep stimulation to a minimum, we are supposed to not touch him too much. I just want to hold my baby. I want to crawl in bed with him and just hold him.

Please please lift Isaac up in your prayers and thoughts. We specifically need for the swelling to diminish or at least not go any higher than it already is. Also, please peay that the ear nerves have not been damaged.

Sydney is in the car of some dear friends and is pretty oblivious to all that has happened.

I will continue to update though the blog as we progress. I ask you all to hug your babies a little tighter today.

A Fun Summer!

2009-08-16T09:32:00.004-07:00

We have been on the go this summer. I am constantly saying we overbooked ourselves and I'm saying it again but here we are and we finally spent a weekend in our new home! So it's been really nice.

Some of things we've been up to:

Camping weekend at Ocean Shores with the Fishers
A little Seafood soiree at our house with some friends
Family gathering in Stanwood - Aunt and Uncle from NY are visiting

Just a Little Rant

2009-08-07T11:09:00.003-07:00

Becuase I'm home with Sydney today (she's not feeling well), I'm gonna blog about something that annoys me. Actually a few things that annoy me. They're things I wouldn't say to most people and sorry if you hate me for it but these things piss me off.

1) When people pull up in front of retail or grocery stores and drop people off - especially when they're SLOW to get out of the car. I mean really? You can't pull down an aisle and then let someone off?

2) People who drop people off in front of stores and then pull over to the side to wait for them. Lazy lazy lazy. And rude to people who are trying to get around. Get a parking spot jackass.

3) People who drive around looking for a close parking spot. Walk people.

4) It appears anyone and everyone can get a handicap sticker. People are usually in poor physical condition because they haven't taken care of themselves. Obvious exceptions on this one and I'm not going to go into them.

5) People who take the elevator from Floor One to Floor Two. Again, obvious exceptions exist but take note - lazy lazy lazy and RUDE to those of us who have quite a few floors to get up.

6) Checkers who aren't chatty. I'm chatty, say hello, ask me how my day is going, say something interesting.

OK I'm finding that I have to think too hard now so I'll conclude this rant. Sorry if my poor attitude has impacted your day in a negative way.

Be Happy!

Wedding fun

2009-07-20T16:21:00.002-07:00

It seems as though it has been quite awhile since we attended a wedding. 2006 in fact! In our social circle we are in the land of babies! Lots are on #2, some on #1 - it's just our age. BUT this weekend we attended a friend's wedding in Leavenworth. Actually more my friend - from highschool and even pre highschool. Annie and I have some great (and crazy) memories and it was so wonderful to be there. Her hubby was so nice (and cute) and the venue was amazing.

It actually got Lyndon and I thinking a lot about how much we love Eastern WA and the activities there are over there. Lyndon talked quite a bit with the owner of the farm/B&B where the wedding was held and that kind of a business really interests us. So here we are dreaming again, wondering what we're going to be when we grow up...

Moving, fun, pain and more!

2009-07-12T21:30:00.004-07:00

So it's been a really eventful month for us. We have successfully gotten out of our apartment lease and have moved into a new house (new to us). We are renting it and got a stellar deal in a great neighborhood. We have four bedrooms (one extra for guests - come see us!) and the square footage is almost double to our apartment. We needed it. It has a garage for all of Lyndon's guy stuff and just tons of storage room for all the crap we can't seem to part with.

We are really settling into Olympia nicely and love the community here.

Yesterday we left mid-morning as we had a date with Thomas the Train! For those who don't know, he's a cartoon character that our kids just love - especially Isaac. We got tickets for a ride on Thomas and it was pretty much set up for a day of fun. We had a great time although it was so hot - but the kids did awesome!

Last night Lyndon and I took advantage of the babysitting and went on a date. Had a fantastic dinner at The Loft in Downtown Edmonds (a bit spendy but worth it) and then went to see The Proposal. Great date night movie!

This morning WAS going great - I say WAS because poor Isaac had so much energy and he was running around, came into see my mom and I and took a face plant into the corner of their desk. Immediately we could tell from the sound that it was serious. Not just a bump - but a gash. It was awful. Lyndon and I were in the car on our way to the ER in 5 minutes. They saw him immediately and luckily he didn't need stitches - just some glue. He was really a rock star and it helped that I had my camera with me with all the pics of Thomas from the day before - those made him happy. So mom and I had to cancel our planned facials but it was OK. We spent a nice afternoon with the kids, made a great halibut meal and got home just in time for bed - at least for the kids.

I am so thankful for the life we are currently leading. Lyndon has a job, I have a job, we're happy with where we live, we get to see our family almost every weekend somehow someway and we have wonderful, happy children who are the apples of our eyes.

Cheers!

Haircut

2009-06-11T07:03:00.001-07:00

Our cute little man.....

Dress-up Diva

2009-06-11T07:01:00.002-07:00

Sydney was to be in her room resting and she ended up putting on this crazy collaboration!

In a League of her Own!

2009-06-04T21:49:00.003-07:00

Friend: "Sydney, we want you to be a part of our 'club'"
Sydney: "I have my own club, I don't want to be a part of your 'club'"
Friend: "But we want you in OUR club"
Sydney: "I don't want to be in your club!"
Friend: "We're going to throw mud balls at you"
Sydney: "I don't care"

I love her.

Ballet Lessons

2009-05-19T18:08:00.002-07:00

Sydney had her first ballet lesson at her new preschool today. She absolutely loved it and I caught the tail end - so cute! This is "pre-ballet" so they are more learning about their bodies, movement and gracefulness. I'm excited to watch how these skills develop in the weeks to come!

Bath Time Fun!

2009-05-09T08:23:00.002-07:00

These pictures took forever to get - so I'm posting them!

Just Another Saturday Morning!

2009-04-25T09:03:00.003-07:00

Well not really. Very rarely are we at our apartment on Saturday mornings as we stay so busy on the weekends. However this morning we are lounging around, watching cartoons, making a pancake breakfast and just enjoying our time together! Later today we will be driving up to Edmonds to celebrate my dad's 64th Birthday.

The kids are great. We are all great. We are together! Sydney starts a new daycare on Monday that is much closer to where we live and she is excited about the change, as are we! Isaac will still be staying at the same place as he is too young for the new place so we will have to do two drop offs and pick ups but it's just for a short while.

Lyndon is working for an aerospace company up in Renton. It's an hour commute each way but he works from 5:30am to 2:00pm which means he misses the dreaded rush hours so it's OK for now.

Our house in Florida is under contract but because we are short selling, it's taking forever. But at least there is an end in sight and once it's off our hands, we can move forward in finding something more permanent for us. We're afraid as a result of the short sale it may be some time before we can buy, but it's OK. Definitely a sign of the times!

Annie

2009-04-24T06:59:00.002-07:00

This morning Sydney typed "Annie" into google and started playing her youtube clips. I had no idea she new how to spell it! So now she knows how to spell: Sydney, Annie and beer. Lovely.

Weekend

2009-04-04T20:29:00.002-07:00

I am making an effort to try to post more frequently again.....

This weekend we are in Edmonds. We came up early Saturday and spent the afternoon with Lyndon's brother and family, then headed down to my parents house. Oh how I miss Edmonds! The longer we are in WA, the more and more I want to move back to my hometown. If not back here, then at least closer to it!

My job is a little shaky right now. There were supposed to be layoffs but L&I was supposed to be safe. However, it seems as though there may be a few jobs lost in my department. As I am union and the newest kid on the block (oh oh, oh oh oh) it could mean disaster. The good news is that Lyndon starts a new job on Monday. He will be working for an aerospace company in Renton - about an hour north of Olympia. But it is a good job, great hours and may eventually influence us to move further north....who knows!

That is all for now.....