I had a couple of pictures to share today...but, my pic's wouldn't load onto my computer. Of course it may of had something to do with the fact that my battery was dead!
The snow is flying here in Mid Michigan. Something we haven't been blessed with much this year. Or should I say, cursed much with! The weather guy says upwards of 10-12" by tomorrow night. High winds, with gusts of 50mph are suppose to pick up later tonight. Which will cause some major drifting. YUCK!
My tickle in my throat is so much better. Funny what a few days of antibiotics will do for ya! Only problem now...my head is POUNDING!
Carly is so much better. If you follow me on Facebook, you likely saw her picture. She was sitting on her "perch" (counter top) as we call it. She sits there often. We started placing her on the counter during her chemo. Now, it's her favorite hang out spot while I'm busy in the kitchen.
Ahhh, the kitchen. A place I haven't been able to organize in the last few days. It's driving me nuts. But, honestly, who is going to stop by when everyone knows we've had the sickies??!!
As far as Carly and her sickies...she is doing so much better. Up and playing. Into EVERYTHING. Keeping my house a constant mess! One would think we had an army of 8 year olds in this house. I'm not really complaining...much! Honestly, I love the fact that she's a mover and groover. It reassures me that, over all, she's feeling pretty good. Except for the terrible cough she has. I did finally get some cough med into her last night. I gave her Delsym. Normally the cardiologist would frown on giving her cough meds. But, this cough was so awful, her doctor decided a couple of doses wasn't going to hurt. The problem of course, is getting the meds into her. She is terrible about taking meds. The only antibiotic that she takes really well is Omnicef. The taste of Omnicef is similar to that of strawberry milk. The Delsym is grape flavored and tastes equally as good as the Omnicef. Well, except that it's grape flavored!
This poor house has been so neglected since last Thursday. Guess I had better get busy, 'cuz you know, it's just another, One of those days!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
All tired out.
That title pretty much sums it up. We are all tired out at our house. Carly started with a yucky nose last weekend. She felt bad last Sunday and pretty much just laid around all day. I sent her to school on Monday, because I figure a yucky nose can be dealt with. Besides, at that point a runny nose was all she was dealing with. She does really well when using tissue's, so I wasn't worried much about sending her to school.
Next comes Tuesday. She's is still dealing with a runny nose, but not as bad as I was expecting. Again, I let her go to school. I hate keeping her home from school for only a runny nose. I knew eventually, she would be missing school at some point during this week.
Wednesday as we were heading to the bus, Carly coughed a couple of times. I knew that we'd be at the doctor by Thursday. Wednesday night Carly was coughing some rather deep sounding coughs as she lay sleeping. She fell asleep on the couch about 9pm. I figured I would just sleep in the living room with her, and not disturb her by getting her up and into bed. For some reason, I couldn't sleep. It was 12:45 when I decided we were going in to bed. I propped up a couple of pillows for Carly to help avoid some coughing. I put her in bed. When I looked at the clock it was 12:56.
2am. That's when all Hell broke loose. Mind you, this Hell didn't last much more than about 15seconds. Still, it was 15seconds too long. Carly was laying between Paul and I. Yes...she does sleep in our bed a majority of the time. At 2, I had just turned over. I looked at the clock thinking it would surely read 6am, time to get up. Well, it wasn't 6am, but it was time to wake up. Carly had sat up, as she often does and leaned her head on my side. She remains in sitting position and just leans her head on my side. I did as I always do, lifted her off my side and laid her back down. Except this time things went a bit hairy. She was laying on her back, head on her pillow when she started to cry. Or so I thought. I leaned over her and realized she isn't crying. She had a look on her face of shear terror. She was yelling "ooooooooohhhhhhh". At that time noticed she had her fists clenched. I can't really describe what she was doing with her fists.. It was as if she was shaking her fists at someone. Her arms were bent at the elbows and her fists were clenched. Of course I had no idea what was going on. I started talking to her, asking her what was wrong. At that point, Paul woke up. I told him to reach over and turn on the light. Just after he did, Carly looked over at him and gave him a sign that I'm not proud of at all. Yes..she gave her dad the finger! I have no idea what the heck that whole episode was. I told Paul I thought she may have just had a seizure. He said he thought she seemed to have had a nightmare. Whatever the case, I never slept another wink the rest of the night.
Thursday morning we headed to the doctor. I told the doc about what had gone on. He said it didn't really sound like a seizure. Because it lasted no more that 15seconds. And that her body didn't contort. He did say that many times just after someone has a seizure, they wet themselves. Well, Carly did wet the bed. We realized it around 3am. We can't be sure if it happened after the episode or during. I never noticed it until an hour after the whole ordeal. The doctor was leaning more toward a night terror. Me....I think she had a seizure, but being I've never witnessed a seizure, I really can't be sure. One thing I do know....this scared the frigging HELL out of me!
Last night Carly slept fairly well. I woke to her every move. Considering the poor girl has bronchitis, a double ear infection and a nasty looking throat. Which the doc assumed was strep, but wasn't willing to put the swab in Carly's throat. His thoughts were, she's getting antibiotics regardless. Carly was able to get some much needed rest last night. Thank God, she didn't have any more episodes..
The doc told me to keep a close eye on her and if she does have another episode, she will go in for an EEG. Can I just say, I'm so tired of doctors telling me to "keep a close eye on her". That phrase itself freaks me out. And yes. I keep a very close eye on her. That's why I know for a fact, she hasn't ever had any episodes like she had the other night.
Oh, to top it off. I'm sick too. I've had this annoying cough for 2 weeks. It mainly flares up when I've been talking. So, I'm avoiding phone calls as much as possible! Anyway, the doc listened to me and told me that I'm worse sounding than Carly is. He put me on antibiotics too. Good thing he did. I woke up this morning with such a sore throat I could barely swallow.
Guess we have good reason to be all tired out!
Next comes Tuesday. She's is still dealing with a runny nose, but not as bad as I was expecting. Again, I let her go to school. I hate keeping her home from school for only a runny nose. I knew eventually, she would be missing school at some point during this week.
Wednesday as we were heading to the bus, Carly coughed a couple of times. I knew that we'd be at the doctor by Thursday. Wednesday night Carly was coughing some rather deep sounding coughs as she lay sleeping. She fell asleep on the couch about 9pm. I figured I would just sleep in the living room with her, and not disturb her by getting her up and into bed. For some reason, I couldn't sleep. It was 12:45 when I decided we were going in to bed. I propped up a couple of pillows for Carly to help avoid some coughing. I put her in bed. When I looked at the clock it was 12:56.
2am. That's when all Hell broke loose. Mind you, this Hell didn't last much more than about 15seconds. Still, it was 15seconds too long. Carly was laying between Paul and I. Yes...she does sleep in our bed a majority of the time. At 2, I had just turned over. I looked at the clock thinking it would surely read 6am, time to get up. Well, it wasn't 6am, but it was time to wake up. Carly had sat up, as she often does and leaned her head on my side. She remains in sitting position and just leans her head on my side. I did as I always do, lifted her off my side and laid her back down. Except this time things went a bit hairy. She was laying on her back, head on her pillow when she started to cry. Or so I thought. I leaned over her and realized she isn't crying. She had a look on her face of shear terror. She was yelling "ooooooooohhhhhhh". At that time noticed she had her fists clenched. I can't really describe what she was doing with her fists.. It was as if she was shaking her fists at someone. Her arms were bent at the elbows and her fists were clenched. Of course I had no idea what was going on. I started talking to her, asking her what was wrong. At that point, Paul woke up. I told him to reach over and turn on the light. Just after he did, Carly looked over at him and gave him a sign that I'm not proud of at all. Yes..she gave her dad the finger! I have no idea what the heck that whole episode was. I told Paul I thought she may have just had a seizure. He said he thought she seemed to have had a nightmare. Whatever the case, I never slept another wink the rest of the night.
Thursday morning we headed to the doctor. I told the doc about what had gone on. He said it didn't really sound like a seizure. Because it lasted no more that 15seconds. And that her body didn't contort. He did say that many times just after someone has a seizure, they wet themselves. Well, Carly did wet the bed. We realized it around 3am. We can't be sure if it happened after the episode or during. I never noticed it until an hour after the whole ordeal. The doctor was leaning more toward a night terror. Me....I think she had a seizure, but being I've never witnessed a seizure, I really can't be sure. One thing I do know....this scared the frigging HELL out of me!
Last night Carly slept fairly well. I woke to her every move. Considering the poor girl has bronchitis, a double ear infection and a nasty looking throat. Which the doc assumed was strep, but wasn't willing to put the swab in Carly's throat. His thoughts were, she's getting antibiotics regardless. Carly was able to get some much needed rest last night. Thank God, she didn't have any more episodes..
The doc told me to keep a close eye on her and if she does have another episode, she will go in for an EEG. Can I just say, I'm so tired of doctors telling me to "keep a close eye on her". That phrase itself freaks me out. And yes. I keep a very close eye on her. That's why I know for a fact, she hasn't ever had any episodes like she had the other night.
Oh, to top it off. I'm sick too. I've had this annoying cough for 2 weeks. It mainly flares up when I've been talking. So, I'm avoiding phone calls as much as possible! Anyway, the doc listened to me and told me that I'm worse sounding than Carly is. He put me on antibiotics too. Good thing he did. I woke up this morning with such a sore throat I could barely swallow.
Guess we have good reason to be all tired out!
Monday, February 1, 2010
My Menu Plan.
Kicking off another week of menu planning. Last week Paul worked some crazy hours, causing a bump in my menu planning. That's the reason the potato burgers are on this weeks menu too!
By the time this posts, we will have already eaten our yummy meal for today!
Monday: chicken fried chicken w/country gravy, mashed potatoes, rolls and veggies
Tuesday: potato burgers w/shredded hash browns, veggies and rolls
Wednesday: Spaghetti w/meatballs, broccoli w/cheese sauce, garlic toast
Thursday: Oven baked pork chops, wild grain rice and veggies
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: left overs
Sunday: Chili and corn cake casserole.
Chicken Fried Chicken
Today, I'm sharing my very easy version of Chicken fried chicken. It's so good and so easy. I get my chicken patties from Aldi's. The best, in my opinion. But, you can use whatever you want. You can even make them homemade - I have, but this is quicker. At any rate, they are a breaded boneless chicken breast. I make homemade country gravy. Or you can buy it in a package. This week, mine is coming from a package!!
Take thawed chicken patties and place in skillet with about 2T of oil (I use Olive oil) and cook until crisp on each side. Now, you could bake these if you want. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Mix gravy, or make it yourself..(I don't' follow an actual recipe for the homemade stuff, I mix milk, flour, a bit of margarine and some sort of fat drippings or in this case it would be chicken stock..it's for flavor) . Guess I normally do this step first. Oops! Boil up a pan of potatoes (or you could use instant potatoes. We don't' care for the instant ones tho) Once potatoes are tender, drain and mash. We place our chicken patties and potatoes on our plates and spoon our country gravy over top of each. Every bit as good as Cracker Barrel and much more inexpensive. Plus, it's quick and easy!
By the time this posts, we will have already eaten our yummy meal for today!
Monday: chicken fried chicken w/country gravy, mashed potatoes, rolls and veggies
Tuesday: potato burgers w/shredded hash browns, veggies and rolls
Wednesday: Spaghetti w/meatballs, broccoli w/cheese sauce, garlic toast
Thursday: Oven baked pork chops, wild grain rice and veggies
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: left overs
Sunday: Chili and corn cake casserole.
Chicken Fried Chicken
Today, I'm sharing my very easy version of Chicken fried chicken. It's so good and so easy. I get my chicken patties from Aldi's. The best, in my opinion. But, you can use whatever you want. You can even make them homemade - I have, but this is quicker. At any rate, they are a breaded boneless chicken breast. I make homemade country gravy. Or you can buy it in a package. This week, mine is coming from a package!!
Take thawed chicken patties and place in skillet with about 2T of oil (I use Olive oil) and cook until crisp on each side. Now, you could bake these if you want. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Mix gravy, or make it yourself..(I don't' follow an actual recipe for the homemade stuff, I mix milk, flour, a bit of margarine and some sort of fat drippings or in this case it would be chicken stock..it's for flavor) . Guess I normally do this step first. Oops! Boil up a pan of potatoes (or you could use instant potatoes. We don't' care for the instant ones tho) Once potatoes are tender, drain and mash. We place our chicken patties and potatoes on our plates and spoon our country gravy over top of each. Every bit as good as Cracker Barrel and much more inexpensive. Plus, it's quick and easy!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Life is precious.
I've been MIA over the weekend. So much going on. I've been on Facebook chatting with old friends. I was saddened to learn of the death of a fellow classmate. Actually, this classmate was a year older than me, but when you go to a rather small school. The class above you and the class below you are so blended as friends..it's like you're all in the same class.
Learning of the sudden passing of an old friend is never easy. Especially when he leaves behind 2 kids. Grown kids, but still. This passing was senseless, to say the least. Caused by depression and alcoholism. Suicide. How very sad. Life is just to precious.
May you finally find your peace Mike.
I can admit, that briefly. Only briefly I thought about hurling myself out of a 5 story window. A window that I sat in while Carly laid in ICU fighting to survive the ECMO machine. I thought just briefly about it. Thankfully, I quickly realized that 1)how selfish of me. I had a 3 month old fighting with all her might to survive. 2)I couldn't get the faces of my kids out of my head. 3) it would be very painful and possibly not do me in. My thoughts were gone, as quickly as they came. That was that. I've never had thoughts like that prior to Carly or since that one late night pity party I threw myself.
Life is too precious.
Learning of the sudden passing of an old friend is never easy. Especially when he leaves behind 2 kids. Grown kids, but still. This passing was senseless, to say the least. Caused by depression and alcoholism. Suicide. How very sad. Life is just to precious.
May you finally find your peace Mike.
I can admit, that briefly. Only briefly I thought about hurling myself out of a 5 story window. A window that I sat in while Carly laid in ICU fighting to survive the ECMO machine. I thought just briefly about it. Thankfully, I quickly realized that 1)how selfish of me. I had a 3 month old fighting with all her might to survive. 2)I couldn't get the faces of my kids out of my head. 3) it would be very painful and possibly not do me in. My thoughts were gone, as quickly as they came. That was that. I've never had thoughts like that prior to Carly or since that one late night pity party I threw myself.
Life is too precious.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Questions answered!
So, , , I've been getting some questions in my comments and in my email. Thought I would take a minute to answer a few.
Why not seek a second opinion regarding Carly's platelet count?
Carly's Oncologist has done every single test possible to try and get to the bottom of Carly and her platelet issue. The last test being the Ultra Sound of her spleen and liver function. Which both checked out A-okay! There are no more tests to do. As I said, we know it is not cancer. It is not due due damaged organs; such as the liver and spleen..which would have been caused by the chemo. And it has nothing to do with the functioning of the liver and spleen. ** Carly's other blood work is perfect.. well, perfect for her!**
What is ITP?
The best I can do to answer that question, since I don't really get it yet myself..is to let you read up on it yourselves. Click here. You'll likely be overloaded with information that really doesn't explain the, "why".
Aren't you a nervous wreck that her platelets will bottom out suddenly?
Well, yes I am. But, our Oncologists has told me she doubts that will happen. It could, but she doesn't expect it to. And, I know the signs to watch for. Such as Petechiae, nose bleeds, bruising - where you wouldn't typically see it on a child. Such as buttocks, upper arms, lower arms, neck, face, torso...etc. In other words, those on the knees and shins are more typical bruises for kids.
Is there any treatment for ITP?
From what I have learned thus far, yes. Mainly it is used for adults. Not in children. If her platelets did suddenly drop. Like to 10,000. She would need a platelet transfusion. Trust me, I'm still learning about this.
How did this happen (low platelets)?
Tough question. No one really knows the answer to this one. We all suspect it was due to a viral bug that Carly developed last May. It lasted for 12 days. And I mean 12 straight days, of diarrhea. Carly ended up losing just a bit over 4lbs during that bug. That's when her platelets really took a nose dive. They haven't been normal since. However, her platelets would dip down to around 107,000 & 115,000 during the months of last February '09 and November of '08. Each time, she had just been sick. So that was the doc's reasoning to both those lower than normal counts.
Will she ever recover with her platelet disorder?
Yes, she can recover her platelet disorder. Will she? We don't know. But, it is very possible. Per the Oncologist. I have read that kids do, often times get over this condition. Only time will tell. Prayers wouldn't hurt either!
Can her low platelet condition turn into cancer again?
Believe me, I asked this very question. The answer is NO! I was told that leukemia leads to low platelets. Low platelets do not lead to leukemia. We already have ruled out leukemia. Back in June when Carly had to be check via a bone marrow aspirate. The results were: 100% cancer free!
Is there anything that you need to change in your lives with this newest diagnosis?
No. We go about living life. The only real thing we need to do, is be careful with giving Carly Motrin and Advil. Although, she can have it occasionally, per the Oncologist. Otherwise. We go about our merry way. Myself..well, I need to find a bit more peace of mind with this. Other than that. Life will continue marching forward!
Why not seek a second opinion regarding Carly's platelet count?
Carly's Oncologist has done every single test possible to try and get to the bottom of Carly and her platelet issue. The last test being the Ultra Sound of her spleen and liver function. Which both checked out A-okay! There are no more tests to do. As I said, we know it is not cancer. It is not due due damaged organs; such as the liver and spleen..which would have been caused by the chemo. And it has nothing to do with the functioning of the liver and spleen. ** Carly's other blood work is perfect.. well, perfect for her!**
What is ITP?
The best I can do to answer that question, since I don't really get it yet myself..is to let you read up on it yourselves. Click here. You'll likely be overloaded with information that really doesn't explain the, "why".
Aren't you a nervous wreck that her platelets will bottom out suddenly?
Well, yes I am. But, our Oncologists has told me she doubts that will happen. It could, but she doesn't expect it to. And, I know the signs to watch for. Such as Petechiae, nose bleeds, bruising - where you wouldn't typically see it on a child. Such as buttocks, upper arms, lower arms, neck, face, torso...etc. In other words, those on the knees and shins are more typical bruises for kids.
Is there any treatment for ITP?
From what I have learned thus far, yes. Mainly it is used for adults. Not in children. If her platelets did suddenly drop. Like to 10,000. She would need a platelet transfusion. Trust me, I'm still learning about this.
How did this happen (low platelets)?
Tough question. No one really knows the answer to this one. We all suspect it was due to a viral bug that Carly developed last May. It lasted for 12 days. And I mean 12 straight days, of diarrhea. Carly ended up losing just a bit over 4lbs during that bug. That's when her platelets really took a nose dive. They haven't been normal since. However, her platelets would dip down to around 107,000 & 115,000 during the months of last February '09 and November of '08. Each time, she had just been sick. So that was the doc's reasoning to both those lower than normal counts.
Will she ever recover with her platelet disorder?
Yes, she can recover her platelet disorder. Will she? We don't know. But, it is very possible. Per the Oncologist. I have read that kids do, often times get over this condition. Only time will tell. Prayers wouldn't hurt either!
Can her low platelet condition turn into cancer again?
Believe me, I asked this very question. The answer is NO! I was told that leukemia leads to low platelets. Low platelets do not lead to leukemia. We already have ruled out leukemia. Back in June when Carly had to be check via a bone marrow aspirate. The results were: 100% cancer free!
Is there anything that you need to change in your lives with this newest diagnosis?
No. We go about living life. The only real thing we need to do, is be careful with giving Carly Motrin and Advil. Although, she can have it occasionally, per the Oncologist. Otherwise. We go about our merry way. Myself..well, I need to find a bit more peace of mind with this. Other than that. Life will continue marching forward!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
OUCH!
Today, at 3:15 I went out to Carly off the bus. She was all bundled up. Looked pretty much like she did when I sent her on her way this morning. We headed to the house. We fought the dog...who thinks he's human and just can not stand this very cold weather we're having. After winning the battle with the dog, we proceeded to get Carly's layers, upon layers of clothing off of her. She headed to the living room to watch her new favorite TV show. The Wizard's of Waverly Place. All the while, telling me she was hungry. I headed to the kitchen with her back back.
After getting her squared away with her homemade veggie soup ~ that I had just made this afternoon. I went back to the kitchen to go through her backpack. Each day, (only since Jan 1) the school/teacher has been sending me a binder home in Carly's backpack. I'm told what has taken place throughout the day. What goals, if any were met. I also see comments from the other staff who work with Carly. Such as SLP, OT, PT and the resource teacher. It's proven to be quite helpful. So happy they started doing this. Anyway, I opened the binder up today and found this:
Okay, so. This is EXACTLY what I told the school would happen if Carly were outside during winter time recesses. She has such poor balance. Coupled with winter clothing; snow pants, snow boots, bulky coat, mittens, scarves and hats.... the poor kid can't walk very well through snow. She does try. Makes me a nervous wreck, but she tries. And that's important. The problem is, her balance issues. She knows she needs to be careful of the other kids. They make her nervous. They tear around like wildcats! I have no doubt that this was nothing but an accident, but it's one that I told them would happen if she were outside during winter recess.
Now...the school says that she didn't cry. Weeeeellllllllll, not sure I believe that one. These pic's don't do this chin any justice. Trust me. It's nasty looking. And She told me it hurt. I know it hurts her, because she keeps rubbing it.
**Please don't look at her dirty face. I really notice it in these pic's. She comes home from school looking like a rag-a-muffin most days. :o(
After getting her squared away with her homemade veggie soup ~ that I had just made this afternoon. I went back to the kitchen to go through her backpack. Each day, (only since Jan 1) the school/teacher has been sending me a binder home in Carly's backpack. I'm told what has taken place throughout the day. What goals, if any were met. I also see comments from the other staff who work with Carly. Such as SLP, OT, PT and the resource teacher. It's proven to be quite helpful. So happy they started doing this. Anyway, I opened the binder up today and found this:
"Carly fell on the playground today. She was playing with a few other girls and got bumped. She got right back up and continued to play as if she wasn't hurt. When she was back in the classroom, we noticed a scrape on her chin. She said it didn't hurt, but we still had her put an ice pack on it."
"(Carly was on the blacktop where it was clear)"
Okay, so. This is EXACTLY what I told the school would happen if Carly were outside during winter time recesses. She has such poor balance. Coupled with winter clothing; snow pants, snow boots, bulky coat, mittens, scarves and hats.... the poor kid can't walk very well through snow. She does try. Makes me a nervous wreck, but she tries. And that's important. The problem is, her balance issues. She knows she needs to be careful of the other kids. They make her nervous. They tear around like wildcats! I have no doubt that this was nothing but an accident, but it's one that I told them would happen if she were outside during winter recess.
Now...the school says that she didn't cry. Weeeeellllllllll, not sure I believe that one. These pic's don't do this chin any justice. Trust me. It's nasty looking. And She told me it hurt. I know it hurts her, because she keeps rubbing it.
I'm not going to make a big huge deal over this. Even thought it ticked me off that she was outside all bundled up..when her IEP clearly states otherwise. (during winter time) Although, I did write a note back to let them know that we may need to re-evaluate her recess time during the winter months. I did that merely to remind them..that they had better pull out her IEP and read up on it!
Another thing that I'm concerned over is the fact that these kids are outside playing on the playground with wind chills of 12. It was bitter cold here today. Tomorrow is suppose to be much colder. It's so cold, our dog can't even deal with it. Note those pink cheeks...likely wind burn. Ugh!
Another thing that I'm concerned over is the fact that these kids are outside playing on the playground with wind chills of 12. It was bitter cold here today. Tomorrow is suppose to be much colder. It's so cold, our dog can't even deal with it. Note those pink cheeks...likely wind burn. Ugh!
**Please don't look at her dirty face. I really notice it in these pic's. She comes home from school looking like a rag-a-muffin most days. :o(
Monday, January 25, 2010
My Menu Plan.
Back at it again this week. Planning for meals makes my life so much easier. Grocery shopping cheaper. If you can believe it! Actually, I make my meal plan out, head to the store and purchase just what I need. Plus some other necessities. Such as, milk, bread, cereal, juice..that type of stuff. Beats the heck out of walking around trying to plan meals while shopping.
This weeks menu:
Monday: Canned beef and noodles with green bean casserole.
Tuesday: Baked herb chicken, rice with a veggie.
Wednesday: Scalloped potatoes w/ham salad and rolls
Thursday: Goulash, fried potatoes w/veggies (didn't end up having this last week)
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: Left overs
Sunday: Potato burgers, shredded hash browns, green beans and rolls
The following recipe is a new one. I haven't even tried it yet. I found it in a magazine and thought it sounded really good.
Baked Herb Chicken:
8 skinless drumsticks
Juice of large lemon
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 T rosemary
2 T thyme
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
Preheat oven to 425. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place drumsticks on baking sheet. Mix juice from lemon, garlic, rosemary, thyme, oil, mustard, salt and pepper in small bowl; pour over drumsticks and toss to coat. Add tomatoes. Cook about 40 minutes, until drumsticks are cooked through & tomatoes are tender. Be sure to turn drumsticks halfway through roasting time.
This weeks menu:
Monday: Canned beef and noodles with green bean casserole.
Tuesday: Baked herb chicken, rice with a veggie.
Wednesday: Scalloped potatoes w/ham salad and rolls
Thursday: Goulash, fried potatoes w/veggies (didn't end up having this last week)
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: Left overs
Sunday: Potato burgers, shredded hash browns, green beans and rolls
The following recipe is a new one. I haven't even tried it yet. I found it in a magazine and thought it sounded really good.
Baked Herb Chicken:
8 skinless drumsticks
Juice of large lemon
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 T rosemary
2 T thyme
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
Preheat oven to 425. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place drumsticks on baking sheet. Mix juice from lemon, garlic, rosemary, thyme, oil, mustard, salt and pepper in small bowl; pour over drumsticks and toss to coat. Add tomatoes. Cook about 40 minutes, until drumsticks are cooked through & tomatoes are tender. Be sure to turn drumsticks halfway through roasting time.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Well........
Unbelievable. That's about all I can say right now.
I just received a phone call from our NP @ the cancer center. Carly's ultra sound is completely normal. Her liver and her spleen both function perfectly. So,,,what does this mean? It means we have no real explanation as to the low platelets that Carly has been dealing with since last May. They are labeling her as a child with ITP. Which I can't even pronounce!
The thought was, Carly's spleen was going to be the culprit of this issue. I'm very happy that both organs are functioning normally, but I really wanted some sort of explanation as to why. Not having an answer to this issue is quite frustrating.
Now we try to put this out of our minds..per the doctor's orders! Go on with life as usual. Recheck Carly at the cancer center in 6months. Pray that her platelets suddenly go back to normal. As the doctor says, is very much a possibility.
FYI: I learned that 2 Xanax in one day are way too much for me to handle. Ha! I've been dragging all day today. I should have listened to my friend Heather, she warned me! I really thought that I'd be able to sleep it off last night. Not the case. Live and learn, I suppose!
I just received a phone call from our NP @ the cancer center. Carly's ultra sound is completely normal. Her liver and her spleen both function perfectly. So,,,what does this mean? It means we have no real explanation as to the low platelets that Carly has been dealing with since last May. They are labeling her as a child with ITP. Which I can't even pronounce!
The thought was, Carly's spleen was going to be the culprit of this issue. I'm very happy that both organs are functioning normally, but I really wanted some sort of explanation as to why. Not having an answer to this issue is quite frustrating.
Now we try to put this out of our minds..per the doctor's orders! Go on with life as usual. Recheck Carly at the cancer center in 6months. Pray that her platelets suddenly go back to normal. As the doctor says, is very much a possibility.
FYI: I learned that 2 Xanax in one day are way too much for me to handle. Ha! I've been dragging all day today. I should have listened to my friend Heather, she warned me! I really thought that I'd be able to sleep it off last night. Not the case. Live and learn, I suppose!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Low Plates..Again!
So, I had Carly in Ann Arbor today. She had a return visit scheduled. The visit included a blood draw, physical exam and a chat with our NP and Oncologist. I wasn't very happy to hear the Carly's platelet count is lower this time around than it was back in November.
November counts looked like this:
white count 3.3
hemoglobin 13.3
platelets 85,000 (normal is 150,000 - 400,000)
ANC 1.7
Today's counts:
white count 2.8
hemoglobin 13.6
platelets 67,000
ANC 1.2
I was bummed. I really had hoped that her platelets were up from November. We(I)watch every single bruise this kid gets. She hadn't had a bruise in 3 weeks. Then, she went back to school and apparently bumped her knee. A nice looking bruise appeared. But, it was already going away within a few days. I was convinced her platelets had risen. No such luck.
I asked a lot of questions today. Like, "could these low platelets lead to cancer?" I was told no. It is the opposite. Leukemia leads to low platelets. (I do know that, but you can't imagine what thoughts go through my mind) Since Carly doesn't have leukemia that's not what's going on. I also asked about past patients and reactions with their platelets. I was told that they did have other patients that did this very same thing. Then I got brave and asked both our NP and our Oncologist if they honestly believed that Carly was okay. No cancer looming around and if they thought "it" would pop back up. They both replied told me that, yes she is okay and no, they don't think "it" will pop back up. The last thing I asked was, "is it possible that her platelets will ever return to normal"? The answer was, "YES". Wouldn't that be nice? One thing that may have caused her platelet count to be lower today...Strep throat! She had it for 3 weeks and spent 25 days on antibiotics. She just finished her last course of med's up a week ago.
From that appointment Carly and I headed to radiology. Our doc decided at the last minute, to get an ultra sound today, of Carly's spleen and liver. Just to be sure that neither were damaged during chemo. She doesn't expect they were. Plus, this would give them information on just how the spleen is working. During the test, the tech was very talkative. Almost to talkative. She told me, "oh there are no tumors". Nice...being they weren't looking for tumors! She also showed me Carly's ovaries, uterus, kidney's, gall bladder and of course her liver and spleen. It was weird looking at my 8 year olds ovaries and uterus. The tech also said that Carly's liver and spleen looked pretty good. She thought that possibly the spleen was a tad bit large, but said she'd have to pull her charts out with the radiologist. She did tell me that both organs looked quite healthy. I won't get a final report until tomorrow. Hopefully. Being it's Friday I'm not sure if I'll get a report or not. Although, our doc knows I'm a nut job! I'll bet she calls me.
As for return visits. We go back in 6 months. Which really stinks. We are suppose to be going yearly at this point. Oh well, I'd much rather have them checking her more often. At one point today, the doc said we could get labs in 3 months. Then she changed her mind. She told me that I need to be able to find some kind of peace of mind. And she knows that I will be nothing short of a nervous wreck if we check her in 3 months. I was told to "put this out of your mind for the next 6 months". Yeah, right!
That's about all I have. I'm exhausted tonight. I have a splitting headache to top it all off. I came home and took a Xanax and plopped down on the couch for about an hour. I plan on taking another Xanax before I go to bed tonight.
November counts looked like this:
white count 3.3
hemoglobin 13.3
platelets 85,000 (normal is 150,000 - 400,000)
ANC 1.7
Today's counts:
white count 2.8
hemoglobin 13.6
platelets 67,000
ANC 1.2
I was bummed. I really had hoped that her platelets were up from November. We(I)watch every single bruise this kid gets. She hadn't had a bruise in 3 weeks. Then, she went back to school and apparently bumped her knee. A nice looking bruise appeared. But, it was already going away within a few days. I was convinced her platelets had risen. No such luck.
I asked a lot of questions today. Like, "could these low platelets lead to cancer?" I was told no. It is the opposite. Leukemia leads to low platelets. (I do know that, but you can't imagine what thoughts go through my mind) Since Carly doesn't have leukemia that's not what's going on. I also asked about past patients and reactions with their platelets. I was told that they did have other patients that did this very same thing. Then I got brave and asked both our NP and our Oncologist if they honestly believed that Carly was okay. No cancer looming around and if they thought "it" would pop back up. They both replied told me that, yes she is okay and no, they don't think "it" will pop back up. The last thing I asked was, "is it possible that her platelets will ever return to normal"? The answer was, "YES". Wouldn't that be nice? One thing that may have caused her platelet count to be lower today...Strep throat! She had it for 3 weeks and spent 25 days on antibiotics. She just finished her last course of med's up a week ago.
From that appointment Carly and I headed to radiology. Our doc decided at the last minute, to get an ultra sound today, of Carly's spleen and liver. Just to be sure that neither were damaged during chemo. She doesn't expect they were. Plus, this would give them information on just how the spleen is working. During the test, the tech was very talkative. Almost to talkative. She told me, "oh there are no tumors". Nice...being they weren't looking for tumors! She also showed me Carly's ovaries, uterus, kidney's, gall bladder and of course her liver and spleen. It was weird looking at my 8 year olds ovaries and uterus. The tech also said that Carly's liver and spleen looked pretty good. She thought that possibly the spleen was a tad bit large, but said she'd have to pull her charts out with the radiologist. She did tell me that both organs looked quite healthy. I won't get a final report until tomorrow. Hopefully. Being it's Friday I'm not sure if I'll get a report or not. Although, our doc knows I'm a nut job! I'll bet she calls me.
As for return visits. We go back in 6 months. Which really stinks. We are suppose to be going yearly at this point. Oh well, I'd much rather have them checking her more often. At one point today, the doc said we could get labs in 3 months. Then she changed her mind. She told me that I need to be able to find some kind of peace of mind. And she knows that I will be nothing short of a nervous wreck if we check her in 3 months. I was told to "put this out of your mind for the next 6 months". Yeah, right!
That's about all I have. I'm exhausted tonight. I have a splitting headache to top it all off. I came home and took a Xanax and plopped down on the couch for about an hour. I plan on taking another Xanax before I go to bed tonight.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
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