Happy Happy Joy Joy

We were at the LAX Marriott this weekend for the St. Ambrose Feis put on by the Cleary School of Irish Dance. Kendra was excited to wear her new wig. I was just as excited that it stayed on. I've become a pro at putting on a bun cover but this was my first "wigging". Both kids did really well in all of their dances. They brought home a total of nine medals. Kendra-5 & Kyle-4

Kyle's disclaimer: "Girls dance one more dance (slip jig) than boys. Kendra is not better than me!"
Practicing outside the ballrooms.

He's Back..

The Old Soul is getting his groove (or hop) back. Kieran has gone to school three days with his crutches. The wheel chair is now parked in front of the bird feeder window and Elsa quite enjoys it. He's also back to building with his beloved K'Nex. The mark in the middle of his forehead is a rug burn. Maybe a little too much time on his hands and knees (and apparently forehead) building.

Happy Dance

He's going to school tomorrow! Yippee for Mommy!

Well, Kieran had a quiet night. He slept without any pain meds and he's finally made it down stairs.

Recovery Time

Kieran's surgery went very well. It took less time than the Dr. thought it would. The only problem is that it takes him so long to recover from the anesthetic that we were at the hospital from 6:30 am until about 3:00 pm. Every time he sits up he turns green and gets clammy. The nurse gave him an extra dose of an anti-nausea med which promptly put him back to sleep. I had forgotten that when he had the last surgery, his brain reverts to some type of very basic comforting mode. He "nurses" while he sleeps. It kept me up all night after the last surgery but I guess I was just too tired last night for it to bother me. It's really kind of sweet that he goes back to the most basic thing that Mommy gave him for comfort. He is on the mend today. Last night was a little rough. He's in a little more pain this time because he had a bone graft taken from his hip to put in the ankle. That is bothering him more than the ankle.

We put his mattress on the floor next to my side (of course) of the bed again. For the first few days I like him next to me so I can hear him if he needs anything during the night. He really likes taking over my bed all day though.



The King.






Yes, it's a bra on the corner of the bed. whatever!
Edit: 9:40 pm My bed is full of pretzel crumbs!!!

If I could not walk far and fast....

....I think I should just explode and perish. ~Charles Dickens

Kieran has one more day of walking. He has to repeat the ankle surgery he had in 1st grade. He has non-traumatic AVN of both talus (ankle) bones. He'll have core decompression surgery again and maybe a bone graft this time. One ankle at a time this go 'round so he doesn't have to be in a wheelchair. We are trying to get a knee walker so he doesn't have to use crutches. He'll have 6 weeks of no weight bearing on his right foot. I planned it so he should be healed by his big sister's wedding and Halloween.

We have to be at Children's Hospital at 6:30 am. No eating past midnight. This is the worst part because he doesn't come out of anesthesia well and when he finally does wake up he's a ravenous animal.

Bling

We had fun this weekend at the Hidden Valley Feis. Kendra wasn't being loved by the judges. She started practicing as soon as we got home. She's determined to "bring home the gold" at the next feis. Kyle brought home a second, fourth and fifth.

Hidden Valley Feis

The kids have a Irish Dance competition this weekend. It's the first time for both of them doing a hard shoe dance. They both have been practicing a lot. I need ear plugs.


It's here in San Diego so not a lot of driving this time. Yeah for Mom.

Tip for the Day

Don't stand in front of the fan with your open container of Bare Minerals.

Funny.

"You know what the difference is between a hockey mom and a pit bull?"
Lipstick.
~Sarah Palin

This one's funny too.

An email from Ireland to all of their brethren in the States...a point to ponder despite your political affiliation:
We, in Ireland, can't figure out why you people are even bothering to hold an election in the United States. On one side, you had a pants wearing female lawyer, married to another lawyer who can't seem to keep his pants on, who just lost a long and heated primary against a lawyer, who goes to the wrong church, who is married to yet another lawyer, who doesn't even like the country her husband wants to run!

Now...On the other side, you have a nice old war hero whose name starts with the appropriate 'Mc' terminology, married to a good looking younger woman who owns a beer distributorship!!

What in God's name are ya lads thinkin' over in the colonies!

Not what I expected....

...to be going through drug withdrawals.




I've been taking Effexor for at least two years now for my fibromyalgia. Although it's usually prescribed for depression and anxiety disorders it also relieves fibromyalgia symptoms. It is thought that perhaps the medicine blocks nerve pain signals in the spinal cord or brain.

At the last appointment with my Rheumatologist, he bumped me up to the max dose. He said, "If this doesn't help we'll have to try something else". Well, it didn't help any more than the previous lower dose. I figured I'd try to go without the meds. I started weaning myself off slowly. I could only get down to my old 75mg dose every other day before having horrible withdrawal symptoms. How white trash is that? "Mommas not feelin' well, she's comin' off of the meds." I started researching a little more about Effexor and decided I really want off this drug.


This should be fun. I'll take the pain any day over the withdrawals and side effects.