Aug. 24, 2007 - Tales from a Tonsillectomy
This past Tuesday, my 11 dd had her tonsils and adenoids removed. The way the surgery came to pass was a little off the wall. When she participated in swim team at the beginning of the summer, she ended up with an ear infection. We took her to our family doctor, who routinely checked her ears and then her throat. He turned to look at me and asked if we had ever had her tonsils looked at by a specialist. I said no that we did not know of any reason to see an ear, nose, and throat specialist.
He then mentioned that she had very large tonsils, and they weren't swollen. He said there is a possibility that due to the large size, she may need to have them removed. The doctor left the room, and my daughter began to get a little misty-eyed. She did not want to have surgery! (Total surprise to me as we went in for an ear infection.) I consoled her and said there was no reason to get upset, that we should "not worry about tomorrow, as today has enough worries of its own". We didn't know what the specialist would say.
A few weeks later, and we were in the office of the ear, nose, and throat specialist. He was very friendly and apologized profusely for having us sit in the examination room for 20 minutes. I don't know about you, but I have never been apologized to by a doctor for waiting 20 minutes. On the rare occasions we have any type of doctor's appointment, we always wait a minimum of 30 minutes just to be seen, and that doesn't even count the wait in the waiting room. Needless to say, I was immediately impressed with the way he ran his practice! :O)
He promptly sat down, his assistant at her computer, and started checking her ears, nose, and then the throat. He rattled off +3.5, then some long word I have never heard. He swiftly spun around his chair and said, "Ok, Mom, let me tell you what that means! We judge tonsil size based on a number system. +4.0 means that your tonsils are touching in your throat and your airway is blocked. She has a +3.5, so your doctor rightly concluded that you needed to see me." He then proceeded to tell me that he understands that I only met him 5 minutes ago, but he wanted to be sure that I knew he was very conservative when recommending surgery. He then said that she needed to have her tonsils and adenoids removed, as it was a danger if she ever had swollen tonsils, she may not be able to breathe. He also said that it would improve her daily life, as she breathes, sleeps, and plays sports. She has not been receiving the amount of oxygen she needs.
It was as if a light bulb clicked in my head. She has always breathed loudly, snored, and had trouble catching her breath while participating in soccer and basketball. It wasn't ever a situation where I thought anything was overly wrong. But as he discussed the matter with me, I knew things were just not right.
So, we waited many weeks, as the surgery had to be scheduled at our local Children's Hospital, as I specifically went to him since he had privileges there. My daughter had some anxieties, as the anticipation was too much for her. We took her to the hospital tour offered for kids and families who were scheduled for surgery. She was able to go into a room, check out all the equipment they would use, stand in the operating room, see the masks they use for putting the kids to sleep, as well as finding out how they could choose a flavor for the air. She was able to go into the recovery room and see what would be happening there, too. This eliminated about 90% of her anxiety.
Monday night, before the surgery, we planned a fun night of pizza and ice cream at a few of her favorite spots. We then came home, and were all exhausted, knowing that 5:30 would roll around early the next morning.
As we lay in bed that night, she couldn't sleep. I talked to her and tried to answer her questions. I realized as the night went on that I was powerless without the Word of God. It was amazing as she mentioned that her devotion that morning had to do with fear! It was after midnight, and I hopped out of bed. I went into her room and grabbed her devotion booklet. As I read over the section for that day, I was reminded of other verses that dealt with fear and anxiety. I started flipping through my Bible reading her those verses, and praying them over her. I went and got a pen and some index cards and wrote 3 of her favorites on the cards. (We had already shut down the computer for the night, or I would have printed them off! LOL!) I hole-punched the corners, and tied them together with some tie-dyed yarn. We threw those in the bag ready for the hospital and she was finally able to fall asleep. (Close to 1 AM now.) I should mention here that I am a night owl, so the late night did not bother me; it was the need to wake before 6 AM that was hard on my brain.
I woke early to grab myself a quick bowl of Raisin Bran, since she couldn't eat, I didn't want to eat in front of her. I also have low blood sugar, so my husband and I knew that I had to eat, or the day would have truly been more emotional than necessary. She woke up, pretty nervous, but ready to go on.
We arrived at the hospital, quickly checked in, and she had to give them a urine sample. She was mortified. At 11 years old, it was routine for them to do a pregnancy test. Actually, any girl over 10 was required to have one. It was very humorous to me to have to stand outside the bathroom stall and coach my 11-year-old daughter on how to go in a cup! :O)
All in all, I have to say the worst part of the entire process so far was when they came in the room to draw a blood sample. She has never had that done before, and we really weren't prepared for it. No one told us it was coming, and even though I should have known better, I didn't. The only crying that has happened all week came when the gal had to take that sample. There I was, trying to calm my dd down, giving her a "tight hug" (aka holding her down on the bed) as she cried that she wanted to watch! UGH! Why? I kept telling her not to watch, but she insisted. So, there we were, both of us watching, dd crying and Mom trying not to, as the gal drew her blood. Another side note, I hate blood and needles, but God is good as he allowed me to handle that split instance where I had to buckle down for my daughter.
The nurses came in 20 minutes before her scheduled time and said that they were ready to take her back! She tensed up, started slight tears as everyone hugged and kissed her. She grabbed on to me, as if she didn't want to let me go. They started wheeling her bed out; she instantly sat up and started talking to one of the nurses about school. She is such a trooper!
Surgery went well. No trouble at all! The doctor said that when he laid her back to perform the "ectomy" her tonsils fell back and closed her airway. He was very happy that we had decided to go ahead with the surgery.
Unbelievably, she has been in minimal pain so far. She hasn't complained at all, other than a slight sore throat. Now, Mom has kept on top of the pain medicine, so I am trying to keep her from having to feel the pain. I set my alarm to wake up in the middle of the night to keep her meds pretty steady. She is in love with Speedway Coke Freezes, so for the last 3 days, we have been making the trip to the gas station which is down the hill and a block away to grab her a Coke Freeze.
A few days before her surgery, we had bought 8 boxes of popsicle-type treats. She said yesterday that she was getting sick of the junk food and wanted something better. Yes, my jaw dropped open in surprise! So, I took the 100% juice from the fridge, as well as the frozen mixed fruit from the freezer. Picking out the pineapple, I created her some totally healthy and delicious smoothies. I also poured some into our Tupperware popsicle molds, and she has greatly been enjoying those ever since.
What tomorrow holds, I have no idea, but I am completely grateful that things have gone well so far! I just keep asking the Lord to give us what we need to get through the day we are on! :O)
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Aug. 15, 2007 - Lunch Burnout
I try to keep a 2 week rotating lunch menu. However, we are getting burned out on a few items we have listed. I am also trying to improve the "healthiness" of items that we eat. I am searching for any good lunch ideas. I would like for them to be quick and somewhat healthy. We eat out quite a bit in the evenings, so I am looking for lunch ideas that are more on the "homemade" side.
A few of the items that we all like are: grilled cheese & tomato soup, tuna salad on cucumber slices, and homemade pizza roll-ups.
I would love for you to list your favorite lunch items! I am going to compile all the ideas on a set of index cards, and I will send them out, free of charge, to everyone who participates. After you leave your idea here, send me a personal e-mail with your e-mail addy so I can get you the set when it is completed.
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Mar. 22, 2007 - Convention Time!!
Later this afternoon, I am off to the Cincinnati Homeschool convention! I will be there as an attendee, not a vendor. I have been to a few conventions before and have always loved them. But, I get a little overwhelmed and I tend to overbuy. SO, this time, I am going to have a plan.
We have been using A World Of Adventure unit study this year and have stretched it out to cover 2 years. So I am taking the "info sheets" for the remaining units with me to the convention. This way, I know I need to cover certain time periods and certain concepts in science. I am also going to print out my "wish list" of literature books that I want to look at, so I can have a plan in advance. That still will leave me with a few extras I can look at.
The reason I am really excited to go is to hear the speakers. You can go hear speakers for 2 reasons-1. to learn about their products and how to implement them or 2. to receive fresh insight to homeschooling. Since I have a product I am going to stick with, I will try to stick with the speakers that will fulfill reason #2 for me. In the past, I have loved listening to speakers who are selling products that I was interested in. It is such a great way to get to know the product and the people a little better.
If you have an opportunity to go to your local convention, I would say "Go for it!" BUT have a plan! Make a list of things you need, it can be as basic as a list of subjects you are thinking about teaching. It can be as specific as books you want to look into. Be prepared! Look at the speaker list before you go, it is usually offered in advance. You will also be able to tell through the "class description" if a certain vendor is discussing their product or giving insight into homeschool issues. Don't be afraid to ask questions! When you are looking at a product, the vendors want to help you get the most from their products. They are fully prepared to answer your questions. No question is unimportant!
When you are planning your homeschool budget, don't forget to consider a few things. 1. The prices of the conventions you are wishing to attend. Here in Ohio, this can range from free to around $60 for the weekend. 2. Gas money. 3. Most important to me--food money! :O) I have low blood sugar and nothing is worse than becoming exhausted while treking through the convention hungry. Specifically set aside enough money to eat! Take a few snacks along if you can, too. Peanut M&Ms are a great "mini meal" that has a low glycemic index, but will recharge your system. (This is straight from a personal trainer friend of mine. Fun size bags are best.) 4. Take a bag. Have some way to carry all the items you have purchased. They will sell them at the convention, but if you have one at home, that will just mean more book money for you! :O) 5. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. 'Nuff said! It's a long day/weekend.
These are the tips I can think of off the top of my head! I am off to get myself ready for the convention!
If you are interested in learning how to incorporate index cards into your homeschool, drop by http://homeschoolwithindexcards.com They are not just for flashcards anymore! A great supplement to any curriculum.
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Feb. 21, 2007 - Straws as Manipulatives
I have been working with my 3rd grader on the concept of borrowing. This for some reason, has been difficult for him to grasp. Luckily I remembered the straw sets I made several years ago when I taught my daughter borrowing. With one lesson today, it has made a great difference in his comprehension. I should also say that he has been using some other manipulatives, which I love, but he needed a different way to see what borrowing is.
Here is how I use the straws: I took a pack of straws, you need at least 100, preferably 300. Cut them in half. The only thing I could find were bendy straws, they work just as well. Bundle the halves with small rubber bands into sets of 10, leaving at least 20 out to represent the ones. You will use 10 bundles of 10 to make your hundred set. You will want a few of these. The amount of straws you started with will determine the amount of ten and hundred sets you end up with.
Use the straws to set up subtraction problems. You can first start with "regular" problems that don't require borrowing. Once your child is ready to move on, set up some borrowing problems. For instance, if your problem was 33-18, you would place 3 sets of 10s and 3 individual straws on the top. Then place one set of 10 and 8 individual straws below those. When you are looking at taking 8 from 3, you will see that there is not enough. You can then borrow a set of ten from the 10s place, leaving you with 2 sets of 10. Unbundle your borrowed set of 10, so you now have 13 individual ones. Finish the take away problem. After a few tries with only the straws, I placed some numbers on the board and had him set up the problem on the table with the straws. Eventually, he was able to do the problem without the straws.
I hope this was a clear explanation. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me.
