Does anybody know how to cut a cast off? Cause I may just do it myself. Seriously. It's starting to smell bad, which is going to happen. I think they put something in the cast to make it heavier over time. Priya is tough to read cause in one breath she'll be screaming at you, and in the next breath telling you how much she loves you. She's like a drunk friend that can't walk and needs to be carried around.
When I come home the girls like to get down on the floor and have me tickle them. I love doing it because I've been away from them all day, and then I can get down on their level and talk to them about their day. Lately Priya has asked to be tickled, and then gets mad when I tickle her. Then she gets mad when I tickle Mirinda. So I find myself talking in a would be calm voice a lot around her.
It's hard to blame her. I can't imagine having to be carried around constantly for the last four weeks, but there are definitely some habits she's picked up from this that we'll have to break when this is all over. We're down to 11 days! I was thinking about looking up how to remove a cast on youtube, but the temptation would be too great. Plus I don't think doctors like it when you do that kind of stuff. Prideful, prideful doctors.
We did go to the South Jordan Summerfest yesterday and ate some horribly unhealthy delicious food. I like the South Jordan Summerfest and not just because there's a good chance you'll be critically injured on the rides. I just like the atmosphere, and I have a deep abiding respect for carnies. Plus the likelihood you'll be shot isn't as high as it is at Westfest. Pluses all around.
We had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend. Visited some graves and had fun at Lagoon. We did a BBQ Sunday night, and I smoked some chickens. Holy crap they were good. This may sound completely prideful but man I'm a good cook. Is that over the top?
We visited my dad's next door neighbors as well. My dad passed away about 4 years ago, and we haven't seen them since he passed. It was a great experience to see them again, and to hear so many great things said about him. Man I miss him.
I got a new car this last weekend. We lease both our cars, and the lease was up on one of them. I decided to go with a Mazda 3 for the gas mileage, and man that car is sexy. I wanted a red one, but they didn't have a red one in what I wanted so I went with a silver one. The girls were excited and kept saying daddy was going to get a baby car because the car we were trading in was a SUV. Mirinda went with me to get the car because she's my little helper. She likes that it sparkles in the sun, and started calling it my baby sparkly car. There's nothing more emasculating than your daughter asking if we're going to drive the baby sparkly car. Not to mention they're starting to call me daddy poopy for some reason. My theory is they're playing a dangerous psychological game, and right now they're winning.
There's a big temptation to take the girls to Disneyland once Priya gets her cast off. But we're not sure how well she's going to be able to walk and the Star Wars Land opening will mean it's packed and we were just there in January, but man it's tempting. I think mostly because everyone you see at Disneyland is celebrating some sort of victory to be there, and giving her a hip and helping her through this time would definitely be a victory.
As always thanks for reading! I haven't given any food recommendations lately cause I'm saving them for the podcast. I will say don't waste your time with Roll With It Creamery.
Friday, May 31, 2019
Friday, May 24, 2019
The countdown begins
Holy crap I'm tired of this cast thing. Priya is super tired of it too. She has been very clear about that. I don't blame her. It's a tough line to walk because you should be sympathetic. She is a very small child dealing with some very large issues. The issue is she has taken to ordering everyone around and screaming when anyone is talking but her. I can see why. She can't do or get what she wants to do or get anymore, and that causes anger and frustration which comes out in yelling and tantrums. Not to mention the ridiculous spring that keeps raining and freezing on us. I do worry about how she's going to act after the cast comes off, but I suppose we'll have to deal with that when we come to it. My mom made her a countdown chain to when the cast comes off. Each night she gets to tear off another piece of the chain, and Mirinda and Priya both get a piece of chocolate when they do that. I told them it was like the advent calendar at Christmas time, and now they're convinced Santa Clause is coming at the end of this thing.
We did take Priya to Lagoon on Saturday which I was a little worried about. She can only ride the train and the carousel, but in true Priya fashion she handled it like a champ. I think she was just happy to be somewhere.
The good news is Priya can lay down on the ground now, and can even crawl around. This means that all those two weirdos want me to do is lay on the ground and tickle them, which I'm happy to do. It is good to see the two of them be able to play more. Mirinda definitely misses that. She has really been so amazing during this time. It's amazing to see how much she defines herself as a big sister. She'll tell me that she can have some chocolate milk because she's a big sister. It's flawless logic, really.
They finished up preschool for the year, and their teachers said they're going to be going through withdrawals without seeing those two each week. They are pretty hilarious. In the fall Mirinda will be going to kindergarten, and I'm really kind of depressed for her. It's not that I'm against education, I just really didn't like school. I love to learn, and I think education is extremely important, just not 50 percent of the crap I learned in school. I understand the need to be well rounded, but seriously Algebra II. Who gives a crap. I realize there are people that use algebra II in their daily lives and I can appreciate that, but I am so not one of those people.
So I'm excited for her to learn new things and experience new things, but I'm depressed for her that she'll have to sit in a classroom all day, then have homework. It's a weird mixed feeling. I'm supremely happy to be out of school. I liked high school, but mostly because I had only one academic class by the time I hit senior year.
Mirinda is very excited though, and I'm trying not to let my bitterness come through on education. I'm not great at it yet, but I will be.
I haven't done a recommendation in a while, so here is one. It's memorial day this weekend. Go visit some graves and bring some flowers. If you aren't in the habit of doing that, it's an extremely therapeutic experience, especially for those you were close to. It's not always an easy thing, but give it a shot. You won't be sorry.
Thanks for reading!
We did take Priya to Lagoon on Saturday which I was a little worried about. She can only ride the train and the carousel, but in true Priya fashion she handled it like a champ. I think she was just happy to be somewhere.
The good news is Priya can lay down on the ground now, and can even crawl around. This means that all those two weirdos want me to do is lay on the ground and tickle them, which I'm happy to do. It is good to see the two of them be able to play more. Mirinda definitely misses that. She has really been so amazing during this time. It's amazing to see how much she defines herself as a big sister. She'll tell me that she can have some chocolate milk because she's a big sister. It's flawless logic, really.
They finished up preschool for the year, and their teachers said they're going to be going through withdrawals without seeing those two each week. They are pretty hilarious. In the fall Mirinda will be going to kindergarten, and I'm really kind of depressed for her. It's not that I'm against education, I just really didn't like school. I love to learn, and I think education is extremely important, just not 50 percent of the crap I learned in school. I understand the need to be well rounded, but seriously Algebra II. Who gives a crap. I realize there are people that use algebra II in their daily lives and I can appreciate that, but I am so not one of those people.
So I'm excited for her to learn new things and experience new things, but I'm depressed for her that she'll have to sit in a classroom all day, then have homework. It's a weird mixed feeling. I'm supremely happy to be out of school. I liked high school, but mostly because I had only one academic class by the time I hit senior year.
Mirinda is very excited though, and I'm trying not to let my bitterness come through on education. I'm not great at it yet, but I will be.
I haven't done a recommendation in a while, so here is one. It's memorial day this weekend. Go visit some graves and bring some flowers. If you aren't in the habit of doing that, it's an extremely therapeutic experience, especially for those you were close to. It's not always an easy thing, but give it a shot. You won't be sorry.
Thanks for reading!
Friday, May 17, 2019
Thank you so much
Wow what a week. I didn't write last week because it was all very new, Priya was upset and in pain, and I was keeping an eye on Mirinda, so I'll write this week. Thank you for all the love and support you've given our family during this time. We have definitely felt it!
Priya is doing incredibly well. I'm constantly amazed by that kid. Last Wednesday I woke up with Mirinda, and Priya and Amy had already gone to the hospital to do some tests. The first thing Mirinda said to me was "Let's go see Priya" and I said OK. A few minutes later Priya called us and said she wanted us to come up.
We got up there and they had given Priya some Valium to help calm her down, so she was pretty loopy, which made it pretty hilarious to talk to her. She wanted to come home so badly, and it's a horrible feeling as a parent to know what you're child is about to go through, know why they need to do it, and want to take her out of the hospital right then. The doctor came in to consult with us, told us everything they would be doing, and made a point I will never forget. She said we do have the option to not do the surgery, but her gait will get worse and worse as she gets older and as she grows. I've never thought of it that way. Literally she might have gotten to the point that she really couldn't walk. As horrible of an experience as it is, there's perspective in that. It's a very encouraging thought.
Finally the time for the surgery came. Watching someone take your daughter away while they cry is also a horrible experience.
I took Mirinda to City Creek to go to the Disney store to buy Priya a present. Mirinda ended up getting some presents too. She deserved them too. That kid was so good in a rough situation. I'm immensely proud of both my girls. They both got pajamas (Priya got Rapunzel, and Mirinda got Fancy Nancy, though we had a talk again about not acting like Fancy Nancy) and they got some American flag Minnie Mouse shirts. After lunch I took Mirinda to the zoo (holy crap they gouge you on the price), and planned on staying there the rest of the afternoon. They said it would be 4-6 hour surgery. It was 3 hours and 15 minutes. I couldn't believe it. Once they got in there they said it wasn't nearly as bad off as they thought it was, and it was very quick. We had only been at the zoo for about an hour, but I've never been so happy to waste money. We came back to the hospital, and able to see her wake up. They had her in the SCU, and I was extremely grateful for that.
Shriner's hospital is a really different place. The staff is so incredible. It also puts in perspective how many kids have problems similar to Priya, and worse then Priya. The parents all realize we're in similar boats. There is a wonderful feeling there. I've never experienced anything quite like it.
Priya was in the hospital until Friday, and she was pissed about it. I don't blame her. She was sassy as ever. Each time the nurses came in she told them to give her medicine or she'd spank their bums. They started taking turns because they loved hearing her say that so much.
Finally on Friday we were able to take her home. The first couple days were rough, I'm not going to lie. Saturday I was having a pity party for myself because of everything that needed to be done, but I got over that. The girls are what matter.
Over the last week I've seen Priya improve dramatically. She is mad that she is in the cast, and honestly I would be too. But we keep reminding her that she'll be able to run and play in the water and do everything she wants to do very soon. It was amazing to see the X-Ray of what her bone looked like before and what it looks like now. Literally her bone jutted out at a 90 degree angle and then came down. I'm amazed she got around as well as she did. Now it goes straight down like a leg should. She's going to love it!
She's doing great with the pain control. They did give her some pretty heavy pain meds which we used for the first week, and now she's on just tylenol and ibuprofen. She can now lay on her stomach and lift herself up with her hands. I wouldn't be surprised if she started crawling around soon.
June 11 is the next appointment. 3 weeks from Tuesday. It's given me a new found respect for people who have to deal with this type of thing permanently. It is much harder to do everything, but we know it's for a limited time. Mad respect to parents that deal with these type of things all the time.
If you would like to visit you are welcome. She is doing so well we let her go to school this week and are taking her out of the house more. We're trying to help her feel like she's not missing out on anything.
On another note, I wrote a few months ago about a podcast my friend Jim Bob and I are going to be starting. We've bought the equipment, and we'll be recording soon. It's going to be called Snooty and Slack Jaw's Food Review. I'm a food snob and Jim Bob is a slack jawed yokel (when it comes to food) so we'll be reviewing local places in Utah, and some chains that I really don't like, because it's fun for me. So, please be watching for that and support us!
Again, thank you to everyone for the prayers and good vibes sent our way. We have felt them, and are grateful.
Priya is doing incredibly well. I'm constantly amazed by that kid. Last Wednesday I woke up with Mirinda, and Priya and Amy had already gone to the hospital to do some tests. The first thing Mirinda said to me was "Let's go see Priya" and I said OK. A few minutes later Priya called us and said she wanted us to come up.
We got up there and they had given Priya some Valium to help calm her down, so she was pretty loopy, which made it pretty hilarious to talk to her. She wanted to come home so badly, and it's a horrible feeling as a parent to know what you're child is about to go through, know why they need to do it, and want to take her out of the hospital right then. The doctor came in to consult with us, told us everything they would be doing, and made a point I will never forget. She said we do have the option to not do the surgery, but her gait will get worse and worse as she gets older and as she grows. I've never thought of it that way. Literally she might have gotten to the point that she really couldn't walk. As horrible of an experience as it is, there's perspective in that. It's a very encouraging thought.
Finally the time for the surgery came. Watching someone take your daughter away while they cry is also a horrible experience.
I took Mirinda to City Creek to go to the Disney store to buy Priya a present. Mirinda ended up getting some presents too. She deserved them too. That kid was so good in a rough situation. I'm immensely proud of both my girls. They both got pajamas (Priya got Rapunzel, and Mirinda got Fancy Nancy, though we had a talk again about not acting like Fancy Nancy) and they got some American flag Minnie Mouse shirts. After lunch I took Mirinda to the zoo (holy crap they gouge you on the price), and planned on staying there the rest of the afternoon. They said it would be 4-6 hour surgery. It was 3 hours and 15 minutes. I couldn't believe it. Once they got in there they said it wasn't nearly as bad off as they thought it was, and it was very quick. We had only been at the zoo for about an hour, but I've never been so happy to waste money. We came back to the hospital, and able to see her wake up. They had her in the SCU, and I was extremely grateful for that.
Shriner's hospital is a really different place. The staff is so incredible. It also puts in perspective how many kids have problems similar to Priya, and worse then Priya. The parents all realize we're in similar boats. There is a wonderful feeling there. I've never experienced anything quite like it.
Priya was in the hospital until Friday, and she was pissed about it. I don't blame her. She was sassy as ever. Each time the nurses came in she told them to give her medicine or she'd spank their bums. They started taking turns because they loved hearing her say that so much.
Finally on Friday we were able to take her home. The first couple days were rough, I'm not going to lie. Saturday I was having a pity party for myself because of everything that needed to be done, but I got over that. The girls are what matter.
Over the last week I've seen Priya improve dramatically. She is mad that she is in the cast, and honestly I would be too. But we keep reminding her that she'll be able to run and play in the water and do everything she wants to do very soon. It was amazing to see the X-Ray of what her bone looked like before and what it looks like now. Literally her bone jutted out at a 90 degree angle and then came down. I'm amazed she got around as well as she did. Now it goes straight down like a leg should. She's going to love it!
She's doing great with the pain control. They did give her some pretty heavy pain meds which we used for the first week, and now she's on just tylenol and ibuprofen. She can now lay on her stomach and lift herself up with her hands. I wouldn't be surprised if she started crawling around soon.
June 11 is the next appointment. 3 weeks from Tuesday. It's given me a new found respect for people who have to deal with this type of thing permanently. It is much harder to do everything, but we know it's for a limited time. Mad respect to parents that deal with these type of things all the time.
If you would like to visit you are welcome. She is doing so well we let her go to school this week and are taking her out of the house more. We're trying to help her feel like she's not missing out on anything.
On another note, I wrote a few months ago about a podcast my friend Jim Bob and I are going to be starting. We've bought the equipment, and we'll be recording soon. It's going to be called Snooty and Slack Jaw's Food Review. I'm a food snob and Jim Bob is a slack jawed yokel (when it comes to food) so we'll be reviewing local places in Utah, and some chains that I really don't like, because it's fun for me. So, please be watching for that and support us!
Again, thank you to everyone for the prayers and good vibes sent our way. We have felt them, and are grateful.
Friday, May 3, 2019
Prayers for Priya
I was really proud of my girls because I thought they had stopped watching Super Monsters. They had switched to Fancy Nancy, which brought it's own problems. The books are cute, but the cartoon is a little different. Every time they watch it I have to pause it and say please don't act like Fancy Nancy or your husbands will kill you. She is the most high maintenance cartoon character in existence, and everything is a freak out. So I do a little PSA every time they watch it. I'm not sure if they're listening or not. Every time I tell them they get a glazed look in their eye as if to say "Dear man, we like to watch this girl have a nervous break down every episode".
As I said before, I thought the Super Monsters obsession was done, but then they did an Easter episode kind of. I think it's strange to do an Easter episode considering half of them are undead. I've realized the blue zombie girl does the Thriller dance each time they dance, and I'm like don't you dare. You go out and eat some brains, and then come back and do the Thriller dance. You're no zombie, just some blue creation that likes to paint and can walk through walls for some reason.
The biggest issue in this episode is Frankie, who is the son of Frankenstein's monster. The whole family has a uni-brow for some reason. The mom does too, but her's is orange. The thing about Frankie is he's got a lobotomy scar, which means Dr Frankenstein dug this kid up and put a new brain in him, and now he's at preschool. In this episode all of the super monsters get to connect with a pet, and when they do it enhances their powers for some reason. Frankie sings a song cause he's sad that he's not connecting with an animal, and then he connects with a jackelope that can shrink and grow for some reason. So now this undead kid with a lobotomy scar who can make the earth shake with his feet can grown really, really big. No one in the town seems alarmed by this. And the Dracula kid named Drac has a snaggle tooth when he's not a vampire. This is my life right now. I figure it's time to show them Ghostbusters.
On Monday I came home from work and Priya said she wanted to go swimming, so we went swimming. It was a proud father night. I love to swim, it's one of my favorite things to do. The next place we move is going to have a pool. Mirinda took a while to be comfortable with swimming, but now she loves it and is learning how to move around on her own. Priya started swimming, but her bum and legs are so tiny she was very top heavy, so when she wore a life jacket her head would just fall in the water. As a result, she always had to be held. Now she's grown enough that she can wear a life jacket and swim around on her own. She was so pleased with herself. It was amazing to watch her swim around, and I was amazed at how instinctive it was for her. I do think she's going to be a swimmer. Every once in a while she would swallow some water and cough, so I'd hold her until she stopped coughing, and she would get so mad at me that I stopped her from swimming. It was a great night for those two weirdos.
Priya's surgery is next Wednesday, and I don't think I've ever had something I wanted to do less. It's going to be OK, and she's going to be better off for it, but I wish more than anything she didn't have to go through this.
A lot of people have asked what they can do to help, and we really do appreciate it. Right now we don't know how she's going to react or what it's going to be like, so it's hard to say. However, if you'd like to come visit that would be really helpful. Priya loves visitors, and so does Mirinda. Just text us or message us if you'd like to do that. If Priya's having a rough time we're going to tell you that, and we'll reschedule another time.
I am asking for help with one thing though. It's been on my mind a lot lately that she doesn't necessarily need to go through the surgeries that are planned for down the road. This hip surgery needs to happen, and she'll be able to move a lot better with it, but when she's 7 or 8 she'll need to do a leg lengthening surgery. They'll actually break her femur, and then stretch it over time. It sounds absolutely horrible. That's the one I really, really don't want her to have to go through.
I'm asking for your faith and prayers that everything will go well with the surgery, that her recovery will be quick, and that it will cause that leg to begin to grow. We're fasting for that this weekend, and I'd invite you to join with us in that.
I realize there are a lot of different beliefs, and I can respect all of that. Whatever your faith or belief is please join that faith to ours. My faith is in Jesus Christ. I believe He has the ability to heal us. When He was on the earth He healed those that could not be healed, because of their faith. I realize that it may not be His will that Priya's leg starts to grow, but I don't see any reason not to ask.
One of my favorite books is the Chronicles of Narnia. In The Magician's Nephew, Polly and Diggory set out to find a tree that will help protect Narnia from the White Witch. They are sent on this quest by the great lion, Aslan. They fly on the back of a winged horse named Fledge. At the end of their first days journey they stop to rest for the night, and the children are extremely hungry. The horse starts to eat grass, and tells them to dig in. The children explain they can't eat grass, and Fledge tells them he's not quite sure what they'll do. Diggory says, "You'd think someone would have arranged our meals." To which Fledge replied, "I'm sure Aslan would have if you had asked. I have a funny feeling he likes to be asked."
That's the way I feel right now. The Savior performed miracles when He was on the earth, and after that. He has performed miracles in my life and in the life of my family, and I do believe He can perform a miracle in Priya's life. So please, join with me in fasting and prayer based on your beliefs to help Priya. I'm so grateful to so many family and friends who are concerned about our sweet little girls and everything they have gone through in their short lives.
As I said before, I thought the Super Monsters obsession was done, but then they did an Easter episode kind of. I think it's strange to do an Easter episode considering half of them are undead. I've realized the blue zombie girl does the Thriller dance each time they dance, and I'm like don't you dare. You go out and eat some brains, and then come back and do the Thriller dance. You're no zombie, just some blue creation that likes to paint and can walk through walls for some reason.
The biggest issue in this episode is Frankie, who is the son of Frankenstein's monster. The whole family has a uni-brow for some reason. The mom does too, but her's is orange. The thing about Frankie is he's got a lobotomy scar, which means Dr Frankenstein dug this kid up and put a new brain in him, and now he's at preschool. In this episode all of the super monsters get to connect with a pet, and when they do it enhances their powers for some reason. Frankie sings a song cause he's sad that he's not connecting with an animal, and then he connects with a jackelope that can shrink and grow for some reason. So now this undead kid with a lobotomy scar who can make the earth shake with his feet can grown really, really big. No one in the town seems alarmed by this. And the Dracula kid named Drac has a snaggle tooth when he's not a vampire. This is my life right now. I figure it's time to show them Ghostbusters.
On Monday I came home from work and Priya said she wanted to go swimming, so we went swimming. It was a proud father night. I love to swim, it's one of my favorite things to do. The next place we move is going to have a pool. Mirinda took a while to be comfortable with swimming, but now she loves it and is learning how to move around on her own. Priya started swimming, but her bum and legs are so tiny she was very top heavy, so when she wore a life jacket her head would just fall in the water. As a result, she always had to be held. Now she's grown enough that she can wear a life jacket and swim around on her own. She was so pleased with herself. It was amazing to watch her swim around, and I was amazed at how instinctive it was for her. I do think she's going to be a swimmer. Every once in a while she would swallow some water and cough, so I'd hold her until she stopped coughing, and she would get so mad at me that I stopped her from swimming. It was a great night for those two weirdos.
Priya's surgery is next Wednesday, and I don't think I've ever had something I wanted to do less. It's going to be OK, and she's going to be better off for it, but I wish more than anything she didn't have to go through this.
A lot of people have asked what they can do to help, and we really do appreciate it. Right now we don't know how she's going to react or what it's going to be like, so it's hard to say. However, if you'd like to come visit that would be really helpful. Priya loves visitors, and so does Mirinda. Just text us or message us if you'd like to do that. If Priya's having a rough time we're going to tell you that, and we'll reschedule another time.
I am asking for help with one thing though. It's been on my mind a lot lately that she doesn't necessarily need to go through the surgeries that are planned for down the road. This hip surgery needs to happen, and she'll be able to move a lot better with it, but when she's 7 or 8 she'll need to do a leg lengthening surgery. They'll actually break her femur, and then stretch it over time. It sounds absolutely horrible. That's the one I really, really don't want her to have to go through.
I'm asking for your faith and prayers that everything will go well with the surgery, that her recovery will be quick, and that it will cause that leg to begin to grow. We're fasting for that this weekend, and I'd invite you to join with us in that.
I realize there are a lot of different beliefs, and I can respect all of that. Whatever your faith or belief is please join that faith to ours. My faith is in Jesus Christ. I believe He has the ability to heal us. When He was on the earth He healed those that could not be healed, because of their faith. I realize that it may not be His will that Priya's leg starts to grow, but I don't see any reason not to ask.
One of my favorite books is the Chronicles of Narnia. In The Magician's Nephew, Polly and Diggory set out to find a tree that will help protect Narnia from the White Witch. They are sent on this quest by the great lion, Aslan. They fly on the back of a winged horse named Fledge. At the end of their first days journey they stop to rest for the night, and the children are extremely hungry. The horse starts to eat grass, and tells them to dig in. The children explain they can't eat grass, and Fledge tells them he's not quite sure what they'll do. Diggory says, "You'd think someone would have arranged our meals." To which Fledge replied, "I'm sure Aslan would have if you had asked. I have a funny feeling he likes to be asked."
That's the way I feel right now. The Savior performed miracles when He was on the earth, and after that. He has performed miracles in my life and in the life of my family, and I do believe He can perform a miracle in Priya's life. So please, join with me in fasting and prayer based on your beliefs to help Priya. I'm so grateful to so many family and friends who are concerned about our sweet little girls and everything they have gone through in their short lives.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)