Where, oh where is Cara?

Judy just shared a scary story about almost losing her son. This made me remember a fearful incident that happened with our family this past week. While not nearly as life-threatening as Judy's account, I'll share it nonetheless.

We had received a call, while our stimulating the economy by buying summer clothes, that Cara's glasses were ready to be picked up (the original pair mysteriously disappeared into the vault called our house), so we rushed over to get them. Poor Cara had been without glasses for about a month, so we were anxious to have her wear them again.

Anyway...we arrive at the vision center, Cara tries on the glasses, and then they are taken back for adjustments. While that is going on, the girls go off to play in a little play area that they have in the office. I asked Caitlin to keep an eye on Cara for me so that I could fill out the paperwork. I glanced over a few times and all was well, Cara was playing with toys and Caitlin was watching a movie. So, I carried on.

The glasses are done, put on Cara, and all I need to do is pay for them. Again, I check on the girls, same as before. Minutes later, everything was finished, I was handed a cute little bag with Cara's case and receipt, and was ready to go. Quick walk over to the play area located Caitlin, sitting peacefully watching Bee Movie, but, as I glanced around, Cara was nowhere to be found!

I ran around the office looking for her but she wasn't there. Caitlin & I then began to search the lobby area of the building, again, not finding her. Then, I hear someone call out to me. I look up and from the walkway on the 2nd floor, a very nice lady is holding Cara. Once she sees me, she starts crying, wanting Mommy. I run up the stairs to her, tears running down my cheeks, so thankful to have found her safe!

Turns out that Cara made a clean getaway from the office and crawled up a flight of stairs! She does crawl fast but, oh my gosh! Boy, did I ever feel like a bad mommy. I never thought I'd join the ranks of other parents who have left kids behind, lost them in malls, etc. I guess that I'm human after all. Crud, time to turn in the halo!

Lollipop, lollipop, oh lolli, lollipop!

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Lil' Scrappy's Day

(that is what Ben calls Cara)

Cara had her ear tube and adenoid removal surgery today. We arrived at 8:45am to go to pre-op and go through the paperwork. We were informed that Dr. Werle was running ahead of schedule, so Cara would be going in about 15 minutes earlier than we expected. I got to go into the OR with her and sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" as she was put to sleep for the surgery. It was nice to be able to see her off, even if I did look ridiculous in the "bunny suit" (white jumpsuit). She was down and out in less than a minute. The procedure (ear tubes, adenoid removal and ABR--hearing test) took about an hour, then Cara was brought to PICU to recover. I was allowed back within minutes of her arriving from the OR. She & I cuddled as she woke up from sedation and was then given morphine and Tylenol with codeine for her discomfort. She slept again for awhile, on an oxygen mist, waking and ready to go home around 1pm. A quick detour to pick up two prescriptions from Target along with popsicles and apple juice, and we were home. Cara ate some banana and drank a bit of apple juice before visiting the sandman again. As I write this, she and Ben are snoozing on our bed. A very cute picture.
Again, we stand amazed at how well she coped with another surgery. She's a tough one, our Cara. Aside from some discomfort, she should be back to normal tomorrow.

Results of the surgery/ABR:
-Cara's adenoids were HUGE and partially blocking her nasal passage, thus making it hard for her to breathe (hence the suspicion of asthma) and causing her to snort/snore.
-The ABR hearing test results concluded that Cara's hearing is spot on, no deficiencies at all! Woo hoo!
-No problems at all with the ear tube installation, just expect tenderness for a few days and we cannot allow her ears to get wet & soapy. Obviously, the ear tubes did their job is clearing up the hearing problem.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of my "mommy" readers. I hope that you have a wonderful day celebrating with your loved ones--especialy those that call you Mom or Grandma.

I believe (have the Kleenex handy)

I Believe... That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do love each other.

I Believe... That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I Believe... That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe... That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I Believe... That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I Believe... That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I Believe... That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe... That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe... That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe... That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe... That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe... That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe... That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I Believe... That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe... That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe... That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe... That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others. sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe... That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe... That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but, we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe... That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life Forever.

I Believe... Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I Believe... That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I Believe... That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I Believe... That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe... That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

Better than a crystal ball

Why bother paying a psychic when Google will predict your needs for free?! Right on!
Here's what I (and Ben) need , according to the mighty search engine---

Laura needs a home. Gee, how did they know we've been looking at houses?

Laura needs to get out more. Oh gosh, so true. Being a SAHM mom means just that, most days, staying at home. I need a life.

Laura needs a clue. Don't we all...I'm just floating around accidental like.

Laura needs $500 for new legs. Sweet deal! I'd like thin, fit ones without visible veins please!

And finally...

Laura needs a hobby. Great insight, yes I do. Is blogging a hobby though?

Here is what Google says my husband needs---

Ben needs a nap. Totally right on there! Any guy who works 80+ hours/week deserved one LONG nap!

Ben needs a laptop for college. He would love a laptop and going to college would be a good excuse for us getting him one.

Ben needs help. Uhh, duh! He needs to clone himself!

Ben needs $5K. That would be nice! We wouldn't have to worry about medical debt collections.

What do YOU need?

Eyes & Ears & Mouth & Nose...

Off to the ENT she goes! (hey, it rhymes)
Cara had her follow-up visit with her ENT doctor today. First, we had a comprehensive hearing screening down with a pediatric audiologist. She stated that Cara has really narrow ear canals, some of the narrowest that she's ever seen. She had a heck of a time getting the little ear pieces to fit in Cara's ear, she had to use a newborn size! Cara tolerated the probes, responded to her name being whispered to her and glanced right & left at bears lighting up and playing the drums. The conclusion at the end of the battery of tests was that there was significant fluid behind the eardrum on her right ear, which is the side of her head where her VP shunt was placed. This is a very common occurrence with children who have hydrocephalus as the drainage tube for her shunt runs right behind her ear. I'm not sure how the two are related, but they seem to be. This fluid explained why no active vibration could be obtained from that eardrum. Her right ear also showed a moderate deficiency in certain frequencies...again, a result, we hope of the fluid.
After the hearing test, we had a visit with Dr. Werle. He discussed the results of the screening in more depth and then talked about what he felt needed to be done to alleviate the fluid and deal with the deficiency in her right ear. He recommended ear tubes to drain the fluid, then a hearing test done under sedation called an MER. It conducts a hearing screening by measuring the brain's response to sound stimulus. It is the most comprehensive screening out there. He will conduct the test after the tubes have been put into place to see if having the tubes gets rid of the deficiency. If not, we may be looking at hearing aids, down the line. After the MER, he will remove her adenoids to help with her breathing and hopefully, get rid of the snoring and snorting that she has a tendency to do. All three procedures will take no more than an hour. Cara will be under sedation briefly but will be able to go home the same day. She will just have a mild sore throat from having her adenoids removed and should have no pain associated with the ear tubes. Her ENT showed me both diagrams of where the ear tubes go and an actual ear tube. The darn this is no bigger than a bead! The miracles of modern science!
We do not know when the surgery will be scheduled yet as I am awaiting a phone call from the scheduler as she had to check with the hospital to coordinate a time. Hopefully soon! Dr. Werle feels that if it is indeed the fluid that is causing the hearing problems, that the tubes will help and hopefully, Cara's speech will improve. He thinks that part of her reason for her lack of speech is because things sound somewhat "muffled" to her, especially on the right side.

Only time will tell. That said, please keep Cara in your thoughts as she goes through yet another surgery.