Health and Life Update Day 34 of FEVER!

It is hard to believe we are heading in to the 4th of July weekend soon.  I have gotten a bit behind on blogging.  I will soon be caught up with the photo posts from the last couple of weeks, but I wanted to give you a real time update on our family's health stuff.

Safer at Home felt a lot like Groundhog's Day.  I could never quite keep track of the days and everything ran together.  I feel like we are now in part two of Groundhog's Day with M's fevers.  It is almost incomprehensible that M could STILL have a fever.  He feels like no one has ever had a fever this long, and yet here we are still tracking fevers on day 34.

For those who have not read previous posts, M started having fevers on May 27th and has had a fever every single day since then.  T also has fevers and has been having them for 19 days.  T's started on June 8th, but she had three fever free days when we thought things were over and then the fever came back.  As a background summary, we took M to urgent care on June 1st and ran blood work.  He was given antibiotics.  He has tested negative for COVID twice.  We have 5 thermometers where we check temps and he has had a temp at urgent care and Children's.  I say the last sentence in case you all are wondering about the effectiveness of our thermometer.

Overall, the fevers hover around 100, though they have both gotten into 101 territory recently.  101.8 is the highest.  Thankfully nothing has been in the dangerous range, but the never ending nature of the fevers has us stumped.  Sometimes they feel so hot against my body that I am sure they are running in the 102's, but so far we haven't recorded any.

Last week we were finally able to get into Infectious Disease at Children's.  They ran MANY tests and nothing too wild was found. He does not have Mono or Lyme.  He does have some levels out of the normal range, but all can be explained by a virus and lowered immune system.  It is so strange that it won't go away.  On Friday afternoon I was able to chat with the Infectious Disease Dr and he recommended we do another blood panel for M in two weeks and that we also bring T in for a full eval at the same time.  Our primary Dr. has to send a referral to Children's (it sent first thing this morning) and then tomorrow I will be able to call for an appointment.  I am hoping to get an appointment for next Tuesday (the 7th) even though that is one day shy of two weeks, maybe they would even let us get an appointment on Monday.  Can you tell I want to get to the bottom of this?

As you can imagine, morale has been really low.  M has had to miss several weeks of youth group.  Today was the first day of Summer Park and they both had to miss.  They were so sad to miss and angry as the process the reality that we might just opt out of Park all summer with their tricky health situation.

Besides the missed local summer fun, we had to postpone our annual 4th of July road trip as well.  This was/is heartbreaking for us all.  We are still hopeful that we will travel to see both of our extended families this summer. We have to make sure we are not traveling with a contagious illness.

Brandon has continued to struggle with light sensitivity after his second surgery.  We took him to a Dr's appointment today and the Dr. was happy with his recovery overall.  There is a lot of pressure in his eye so he was given three new eye drops and we will need to go back to the Dr next week for a recheck.  His eye appointments are a bit brutal for the kids as we all have to go (almost an hour drive each way) and wait in the car.  Today we waited in 85 degree temps for 2 hours.  Thankfully we were in the shade with a breeze and had things to listen to, games to play, and snacks to eat.

Beyond all of the health issues our family is dealing with, we are very aware that our country is still dealing with this coronavirus in HUGE ways.  Locally, the cases trickle slowly up.  We have had 29 cases in our community and 223 in our county.  I know this is a very small amount compared to so much of our country or even compared to county south of us which has 11,000 more cases than our county!

I have not shared stats for weeks and weeks, but as a little update I will share that our state currently has 27,743 cases and 777 deaths.  The US has 2,564,163 cases and 125,928 deaths.  The world has 10,199,798 cases and 502,947 deaths.  These stats are staggering.  It is heartbreaking to see our country go from flattening the curve to seeing the curve rise sharply in the majority of the states.  I am very passionate about wearing masks and continue to believe that the pathway to freedom in activities and fun will come through masks.  I live in a state that has zero mask restrictions and that is pretty alarming to me.

I thought it would be interesting to see some of the stats from May 21st, the last time I posted COVID stats.  On a local level we had 21 cases in our community and 131 cases in our county. There were 13,885 (didn't record state deaths) cases in our state, 1,577,140 cases (94,701 deaths) in the US, and 5,101,967 cases (332,900 deaths) in the world.   Most of the numbers have skyrocketed, but our county and community numbers are rising slowly.  I am very thankful for this.

Summer Vacation Week One!

I have decided to make the blogging title transition from "Safer at Home" to "Summer Vacation."  We had 12 weeks of Safer at Home/ Virtual home schooling and we made it!  It was wild to think that we now had the whole day to do whatever we wanted.  It was a bit daunting actually.  While school was tricky, it did provide structure and an orderly schedule we had come to know and appreciate.  

Our first week of summer vacation was a bit unique.  M had a fever the entire time. 

On Monday I did the grocery run and the kids went fishing (see previous post.) T started running a fever that night. 

This is how M carried the ranch to the table on Monday afternoon. 

After a long day of shopping the kids and I had some great cuddle time reading books at bedtime. 

It wasn't long before the cuddles began!

Sunshine:  Don't leave me out!  I work hard in T's room!

One Tuesday I took the kids fishing (see previous post.) On Tuesday night I started running a fever, but felt OK overall. 

Brandon sent me this pic of very relaxed cats while we were fishing.  I am sure they enjoyed the house to themselves!

On Wednesday Brandon had a follow up eye appointment in the morning and we had a parent meeting with a brain mapping person (for the kid's therapy) in the afternoon.  Wednesday night was supposed to be M's very first youth group.  Because of his fever, he had to miss.  He was so sad about this.  He and I sat down and wrote a letter to his Dr. on MyChart. 

Wednesday night cuteness!

On Thursday I started to feel the sickness more.  The chills and aches and sore throat were setting in. We heard back from M's Dr and he suggested that M and I both get a COVID test.  He was concerned that more people in our family were sick.  We were told to quarantine until we got the results.  We were not allowed to take pictures this time around.  We don't think our tests went as far back in the nose at Brandon's did before surgery, but it was much farther back than the tickle feeling that M had in his first test.  In case you are keeping track, this means our family has been tested for the coronavirus a total of four times, two for M, one for me, and one for Brandon pre-procedural.  We sure do like to keep things interesting at our house! 

M wanted me to record a video of him and I accidentally took a picture.  He looked so grown up I just had to post the accidental pic. 

How is he almost 11? 

T had Art therapy in the afternoon and she made many creations.  This is just a small sampling of her work. Yes, my house is very glitter laden.  I keep hiding it and she keeps finding it!

T: Do you love them?  I do!

On Friday morning I woke up and walked like normal, but as the walk progressed I started to feel more sick.  I skipped the hills and headed home to shower.  After showering, Bible time and breakfast I was done.  I was so weary I was laying on the kitchen floor while the kids ate breakfast.  They played outside and our dear neighbor let T play in their yard quite a bit.  I played many rounds of Yahtzee and some trivia game with them.  I tired to engage, but it was hard. I just laid on the couch, unable to get up, even if I wanted a drink.  I felt like a weight was forcing me onto the couch.  My chest/breathing felt heavy, like I was hiking in the Mts.  On Friday evening I started coughing, a lot!  At this point I thought, this is it... I have COVID.  It was a bit of a scary feeling.  I decided to sleep on the couch because I didn't want to ultra expose Brandon or keep him up coughing all night.  This wasn't the best idea as I barely slept on the couch.  

My Friday view!

I did manage to get off of the couch Friday evening to snap a picture of Brandon mowing our new grass for the first time!  How exciting.  Our rainy spring was great for growing think and wonderful grass.

Planted on April 22nd.  First mowing on June 12th.  

On Saturday my biggest accomplishment was taking a shower.  I did as little as possible, but as the day went on I could tell I was starting to feel a bit better!  On Saturday evening we learned that M and I both tested negative for COVID-19.   Brandon gave M his second at home haircut.  It turned out great.  At the beginning they decided to see what it would look like longer on the top shorter on the sides.  They weren't planning to keep it that way, but you can get an idea of the style.  I think give M a very grown up look, but could be harder to maintain.  He likes it nice and short in the summer. 

M: I will consider this for the future. 

T created a nest for the cats with some shoe boxes.  They actually love her homemade nests. 

This is a bonus Say What? to give you all a chuckle.  On Friday morning I managed to put a round steak in the crockpot to make some sort of carnitas.  I left the bone on the counter and T had the best explanation for what it was!  I guess she looked at it and said, "Oh yeah, that was the neck of the chicken."  HAHAHA  Later she told me.  "I know what it is.  It is a 'Dog Deliciousy' (Delicacy) I have seen them at One Wag (a pet store)."

What do you think it is?  A chicken neck or a dog deliciousy?!?!

Two days on the couch leads to more chaos in the living room.

This was my view on Saturday!

On Sunday I woke up feeling great.  I didn't go for a walk, but I felt like I had energy again.  I also no longer had a fever.  It was another chilly Sunday with temps right around 50 all day, pretty wild for June 14th.  In between online church and parking lot church I started laundry, began thawing things for dinner, and even did some unpacking of the quarantined nonperishables.  Parking lot church went well. I learned a valuable lesson (that I have been forgetting every day), when I put my head down to pray, I cough and can't stop.  It sure is a good thing we were outside, because I was coughing a lot and I think everyone was glad to be a safe distance away from me.  

After church I continued to do laundry and clean up the house.  I prepped a dinner and even made a rhubarb dessert.  It was so wonderful to feel healthy again.  T also was on the mend.  M's fevers continued.  I will do an M health update soon to get everyone caught up with his crazy sickness that is now over three weeks long. 

We uploaded the pics on Saturday, so I will and the Sunday pics to the week two post. 

Our New Rollerblader

As I mentioned in previous posts, T found roller blades during our Saturday garage cleaning.  She has gotten more and more confident each day.  She is now very comfortable trying out all sorts of crazy tricks.  She falls all the time, but that doesn't stop her.  We have knee, elbow, and wrist pads, but they are just confining and not an option.  

T: I wanted to try to skate on the pavers. 

T: Ready to see my trick? 

T: Here I go!

T: Look at that air!

She was up early and skating before breakfast or getting dressed.  She found a bug that she was investigating and also snuck in to the breakfast table!  She sure is a unique girl.

T:  Dad, come here and see my bug. 

She likes to bike.  She likes to skate.  Why not do them together?!

T: This actually didn't work that well.  

Fishing with mom. (Summer Vacation 1)

Last Tuesday (June 9th)I took the kids fishing to the same spot they had fished at the day before.  This was their third day of fishing in a row!  I don't have a fishing license, so they had to do everything on their own.  Being someone who likes to follow the law, I actually made T carry her rod all the way to the car when she had a knot in the line.  I didn't want to touch the rod near the water.  

The kids had MANY nibbles and each caught about five or so fish.  It was an enjoyable late morning. The temps were a bit chilly, but we were comfortable. 

Getting started!

Fishing safely. 

Her first fish. 

His first fish.

It seemed that every time I was running to the car to get something or turning around to talk to M, T was doing something a bit impulsive.  The picture below shows how she was perched when I turned around one time.  Of course I had to take a picture before asking her to get down.

T: This is a very comfortable way to fish.  It is totally safe.  I KNOW I won't fall in!

While I was shopping... (Summer Vacation 1)

June 8th wasn't just a big shopping day for me, it was also an exciting day for my crew at home.  It was the first official week day of summer vacation for the kids.  Brandon was attempting to do a bit of work and to watch the kids.  He wanted to get a couple of things done and then told the kids he would take them fishing. There was much fighting happening about LEGO storage space.  He interceded in fights several times.  Suddenly, while he was trying to work M came in and told Brandon that T had run away.  

Brandon quickly got on shoes and started to follow her.  Thankfully she was on roller blades which she had just discovered two days before and wasn't very good at.  This slowed her down quite a bit and he easily spotted her on our street.  When our hill became too steep she kicked off the roller blades and continued barefoot!  She was carrying a walking stick and a backpack containing a blanket, a shirt, and a glow stick.  

Brandon picked up the roller blades and followed her as she headed downtown.  She wouldn't acknowledge him as she walked, but she didn't run away either.  Poor Brandon was struggling in the sunshine with his extremely sensitive post surgery eyes.  Finally he told her they needed to turn around at the end of the next block.  

He ended up carrying her on his shoulders and holding her bag, roller blades and stick as they headed home uphill!  By the time they got home she was laughing and things were back to normal. He is a great dad.  

Of course I had to give him a bit of a hard time saying, "I go to the store for one morning and this happens..."  haha

She has the runaway fashion down! 

They eventually did head to the lake.  They all had a great time.  This lake has lots of little fish so there is much nibbling happening.

T: I don't mind putting on the worms. 

M: Here is my first fish!

T: I like to touch their fins!

A focused girl. 

A focused boy. 

Nice one!

After the fishing trip Brandon snapped this selfie with T!  She saw what he was wearing that morning and wanted to twin with him.  She might be impulsive, but she is also very endearing! 

Twinning!

The Big Grocery Haul (Summer Vacation 1)

I made a HUGE shopping trip in late March.  It was such a big trip, that besides online shopping and little things here and there, I didn't actually go into stores for big shopping trips for 10 weeks!  Yep, TEN WEEKS!  After that long, we were in deep need of another major haul.  On Monday, June 8th I hit the stores once again. 

You can see from the picture below, the fridge was pretty empty... besides the condiments. 

The fridge was ready for to be restocked.  

When I left for the shopping trip I didn't have a plan to buy crazy big amounts of things again.  I started my shopping time at Trader Joes.  Because it is a distance from our home I generally go to Trader Joes three or maybe four times a year.  My last time there was early January. I stocked up there, but I always stock up there.  I want to note that 98% of the people were wearing masks.  I felt very safe and the store felt very clean.

Something happened when I got to Aldi, and suddenly I had three carts of groceries!!  I have no idea why I started buying so much, but I think I just thought I was there, so I might as well buy.  I won't tell you my total... but I will tell you that the credit card company called Brandon to make sure the card hadn't been stolen!

I decided to skip Walmart this time around, but I did some online ordering of non-perishables.  I did hit up Meijer, Dollar Tree, and Piggly Wiggly, and a local chain to round out my shopping day.

This was the back of the van after Trader Joes and Aldi!!!!

I decided to take an after shot of the fridge.

A bit different than the morning.

Besides the fridge, there was MUCH food stored in the basement!

Produce on the basement floor. 

Non-perishables in quarantine in the basement... yes I am that person!

My Aldi shopping list was as long as a small child! 

So perhaps I won't be doing another shopping run for another couple of months.  It was a HUGE undertaking, but I must say, it does feel quite wonderful to know that I will not have to run errands for a long time. Before COVID I only shopped once a month.  I have heard that many people who shop twice a week are now shopping once a week, so I guess it is natural that I doubled up too!

Safer at home Week 12

The last several posts shared about many many events that happened during week 12!  We had a graduation, two parades, a water fight, outdoor church, trips to the park etc etc.  Scroll back to see all of our exciting adventures.  The pictures below document some of the other moments of the week! 

On June 2nd the temps heated up, even by the Lake!  It truly was 91 degrees here.  This is a very rare happening and deserves a mention, especially since as I type this post it is only 60 degrees!  This area usually has cool springs, but every once in a while we have a hot day.  The temps the rest of the week were a bit cooler than expected, but we tried to enjoy the heat while we had it.  Actually, that isn't totally true.  I enjoyed the heat as much as possible while the kids complained and felt like they could not possibly survive in this hot climate haha.  

We have special COVID treats hidden at our house.  The kids were trilled with I handed them fruit by the foot.  This is a very rare treat around here!

T: I can't believe we are eating this. 

During the final week of school we were able to go to school and drop off all the school materials and pick up school supplies and projects etc.  We brought snacks and expected to have to wait in a long line.  When we arrived we realized there was no line at all.  It was fun to see all of the kids craft projects.  T was very proud of this paper mâché guy that she created!

T: He is very special to me. 

T and Sunshine are so cozy together at bedtime.  T wears very minimal clothes to bed.  Try not to be distracted by the lack of clothes and admire the amazingness of our sweet Sunshine to be totally content with her laying on top of him.  

Best buds!

A Chilly Sunday (Week 12)

Sunday June 7th was an exciting day at our house.  I woke up with a message that we had new info in our MyChart for M.  We were happy to see that his test came back negative and we could stop worrying about that. 

After receiving this news, I went on my walk and Brandon texted me to let me know that I had forgotten that T really wanted to walk with me that day.  Thankfully I was very close to home and she joined me for the last third of the walk.  It was so precious to talk and walk with her.  We held hands the whole time.  

After getting ready for the day we had church part one at home.  We are still having 9:00am church online.  Brandon records the messages on Thursdays and the service premiere on Sundays.  I walked into the family room about 30 seconds before the service started and I saw all three of my favorite people happily reading and waiting. 

I love my readers!!!

After online church we spent time getting ready for outdoor in person parking lot church.  The kids were very excited about being with other people.  In the end, not too many kids were there, but I think they still liked being among other people.

As you can see, we were very distanced, which I liked!

After church we came home and had lunch and relaxed a bit and then headed over to our neighbor's house to watch a very special parade.  This year the Sr. class did a car parade and the community came out and cheered.  It was such a special event.  The cars and trucks were decorated and posters on them stated what the students would be doing post high school.  It was inspiring for the kids.  T had lots of fun cheering for each person by name.  Not every senior chose to be in it, but over 200 were, so it was a nice little parade.  It started and ended with emergency vehicles.

It's starting!

A sample of the parade! 

We stayed at the neighbors for quite a while which gave Brandon a nice chance to have some Brandon time :)  When we came home the kids asked if they could go fishing downtown while I made dinner.  We decided that would be a good idea!

M:  First we tried fishing on the rocks. 

Beautiful view and girl! 

A happy fisherman. 

It was a nice full weekend.  The temps on Sunday were in the low 50's.  Sadly, the cold temps caused us to forget about putting sunscreen on our faces for outdoor church.  We all got a little crispy and learned a valuable lesson about the importance of sunscreen, even when it is cold.