Today I was in the car listening to the ‘golden oldies’ station, and found myself singing along to a song by The Police.
I stopped.
The Police? On the GOLDEN OLDIES station?
That station used to be my guide in gauging when someone could be considered a ‘golden oldie’. If a popular song from your young life showed up on that particular station (which station was self proclaimed as ‘oldies’) then dat dat daa! That had to make you a classic as well.
Not long ago I was teasing Mom that I had heard The Who and Pink Floyd on the station. And now. Sigh.
I didn’t think this day would come for another 20 years.
Obviously I need a new litmus test. The ‘golden oldies’ station is clearly stream-lining.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Epinephrine, anaphylactic shock, and other unpleasantries
Every once in a while when I was a kid, my mother would get an 'instant headache'. This usually happened when things were stressful and we were being noisy. Mom would afterward need some quiet because instant headaches were never pleasant.
Yesterday Amelia's allergist's nurse called and told us that we could start giving Amelia cooked milk (meaning dairy products cooked into something) and cheese. Cheese? I was surprised and somewhat apprehensive. For those of you who don't know, Amelia has multiple severe food allergies, and although she is still technically allergic to milk, she has clinically outgrown this allergy and is slowly working her way into trying different levels of dairy products which began with baked milk (i.e. in egg-less cakes).
Today while at the store, I picked up some string cheese, as this had been recommended. Matt was with us, and because we were running behind, upon returning home he ended up taking the car to work. (Our only car, we sold the other). After he left I got out the string cheese, said a prayer, and gave Amelia a little bite.
She loved it. And then her throat started to itch. I immediately gave her a dose of benedryl, and called her doctor but couldn't get through. Ellie started shrieking, and then I saw Amelia itching her throat. I got an instant headache.
I went in and got her medicine bag with her epi-pens. (Actually, they're twinjects. I like them better because there are 2 doses in each pen and it doesn't take as much force to inject them). Amelia noticed and starting running through the house, anywhere she could, to get away. I went and got an alcohol wipe and some bandages.
I watched her a little more, she told me her stomach hurt and I noticed she was wheezing with a slight cough. I wasn't sure if this was because of her running around trying to escape, or because she was in anaphylactic shock. I decided not to take any chances, a mistake could be deadly.
I caught her, gave her a toy, pinned her down, and while talking calmly to her gave her the shot. Epinephrine shots are no joke. You have to pinch little kids' skin so the needle doesn't hit the bone, jab the shot into the thigh, and then hold it in for 10 seconds. Try doing this to a poor, terrified little precious 4 year old daughter. I was worried she'd kick and the needle would come out too soon, or worse, rip, but it didn't. I was surprisingly calm and giving the actual shot wasn't so bad.
I called Matt, told him this was an emergency, and to come home immediately to take Amelia to the hospital. She didn't have any major symptoms, so I didn't call 911. I then called her doctor and got through, and she had Matt sit outside the emergency room with Amelia for a few hours.
Things are fine now, but I'll still go in and check on my sleeping angel. What a traumatic evening. No matter how difficult and hectic life becomes, some things can make your head spin and still stop everything else in a flash.
And when there's a moment of peace, I kneel down and thank my Heavenly Father for my precious blessings.
Yesterday Amelia's allergist's nurse called and told us that we could start giving Amelia cooked milk (meaning dairy products cooked into something) and cheese. Cheese? I was surprised and somewhat apprehensive. For those of you who don't know, Amelia has multiple severe food allergies, and although she is still technically allergic to milk, she has clinically outgrown this allergy and is slowly working her way into trying different levels of dairy products which began with baked milk (i.e. in egg-less cakes).
Today while at the store, I picked up some string cheese, as this had been recommended. Matt was with us, and because we were running behind, upon returning home he ended up taking the car to work. (Our only car, we sold the other). After he left I got out the string cheese, said a prayer, and gave Amelia a little bite.
She loved it. And then her throat started to itch. I immediately gave her a dose of benedryl, and called her doctor but couldn't get through. Ellie started shrieking, and then I saw Amelia itching her throat. I got an instant headache.
I went in and got her medicine bag with her epi-pens. (Actually, they're twinjects. I like them better because there are 2 doses in each pen and it doesn't take as much force to inject them). Amelia noticed and starting running through the house, anywhere she could, to get away. I went and got an alcohol wipe and some bandages.
I watched her a little more, she told me her stomach hurt and I noticed she was wheezing with a slight cough. I wasn't sure if this was because of her running around trying to escape, or because she was in anaphylactic shock. I decided not to take any chances, a mistake could be deadly.
I caught her, gave her a toy, pinned her down, and while talking calmly to her gave her the shot. Epinephrine shots are no joke. You have to pinch little kids' skin so the needle doesn't hit the bone, jab the shot into the thigh, and then hold it in for 10 seconds. Try doing this to a poor, terrified little precious 4 year old daughter. I was worried she'd kick and the needle would come out too soon, or worse, rip, but it didn't. I was surprisingly calm and giving the actual shot wasn't so bad.
I called Matt, told him this was an emergency, and to come home immediately to take Amelia to the hospital. She didn't have any major symptoms, so I didn't call 911. I then called her doctor and got through, and she had Matt sit outside the emergency room with Amelia for a few hours.
Things are fine now, but I'll still go in and check on my sleeping angel. What a traumatic evening. No matter how difficult and hectic life becomes, some things can make your head spin and still stop everything else in a flash.
And when there's a moment of peace, I kneel down and thank my Heavenly Father for my precious blessings.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Bringing in the Harvest!
A few weeks ago cousin Em and I helped Gram bring in the peach harvest. Here I am in the top of the tree (stradling branches that I'm not sure won't snap). Amelia and Emily are on ladders. 
We dried them.
Here I am in my harvesting regalia, which I obviously save for special occassion only.
Amelia and Ellie had all the peaches they could eat, and man did I reap the whirlwind in Ellie's diapers the next day. I was reminded of that part in The Grapes of Wrath where they're all working in the orchards...
By the time all was said and done, Gram probably had about a thousand peaches in her utility room.
We took one huge bag home, and that next morning as Amelia said our breakfast prayer she pretty much summed it up, "Dear Heavenly Father, Oh, what are we going to do with all these peaches?"
We dried them.
Yay for Matt
So yesterday I had a moment of economic clarity.
I cancelled our internet service.
We'll see how I survive on Net Zero dial up. ! Plus, we can get service at the library on our lap-top when we go.
I suppose that sometimes I have something to show for my economic degree. My mom laughed and reminded me about my t-shirt fiasco last year.
I had bought some really cute Halloween shirts in November, which were half off. I thought about what a great deal they were, until my economical side popped in for a visit.
"You know, you saved $5 off a $10 t-shirt. But at the interest rate you're getting, if you had left that $5 in the bank it would have earned enough interest to buy that shirt new next year, and you wouldn't have had to store it in the basement for 11 months."
I won't go into the whole cost effectiveness of my decisions. I just got those shirts out a few days ago, washed them, and thought only fleetingly of unpredictable inflationary factors.
Matt's in grad school now. He has his undergrad in biology, and is doing mechanical engineering for his masters. Consequently, he has to take some undergrad courses because he obviously didn't take any engineering classes for his biology degree. So life has been super busy, but he is loving his studies and was able to switch to a different department at work.
Now he works 3 to 9, so we don't see him much with him at school in the mornings, busy at lunch, and at work the rest of the day.
I am reminded through this sudden new schedule about God's love for us, and for the importance of cheerful patience. Lots of cheerful patience.
And, I am grateful for such a hard working husband. Yay for Matt.
I cancelled our internet service.
We'll see how I survive on Net Zero dial up. ! Plus, we can get service at the library on our lap-top when we go.
I suppose that sometimes I have something to show for my economic degree. My mom laughed and reminded me about my t-shirt fiasco last year.
I had bought some really cute Halloween shirts in November, which were half off. I thought about what a great deal they were, until my economical side popped in for a visit.
"You know, you saved $5 off a $10 t-shirt. But at the interest rate you're getting, if you had left that $5 in the bank it would have earned enough interest to buy that shirt new next year, and you wouldn't have had to store it in the basement for 11 months."
I won't go into the whole cost effectiveness of my decisions. I just got those shirts out a few days ago, washed them, and thought only fleetingly of unpredictable inflationary factors.
Matt's in grad school now. He has his undergrad in biology, and is doing mechanical engineering for his masters. Consequently, he has to take some undergrad courses because he obviously didn't take any engineering classes for his biology degree. So life has been super busy, but he is loving his studies and was able to switch to a different department at work.
Now he works 3 to 9, so we don't see him much with him at school in the mornings, busy at lunch, and at work the rest of the day.
I am reminded through this sudden new schedule about God's love for us, and for the importance of cheerful patience. Lots of cheerful patience.
And, I am grateful for such a hard working husband. Yay for Matt.
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