Up But Not Over

Nathan started exhibiting a fine new skill a few weeks ago. He goes thorough all of the steps we have taught him in physical therapy to get from his belly to his bottom...on his own. Check it out!

Push up from his belly to his hands.

On to his hands and knees.

Begin to shift weight to his right side.

Tuck the right leg.

Use arms to back himself up to his bottom and...

Yeh, he did it! Wooo Hooo!

Now on to other things. Nathan has never rolled from his back to his stomach on his own. Many have theories on why he is not doing this. Some say it hurts to roll over on his tube, others say he doesn't have the correct patterning, and others say he just doesn't want to. I say it a combination of all of them. With out Nathan being able to tell us, who really knows. I do know I work with him every day on it and it doesn't seem that he can get all of the way over once he is on his side. It takes A TON OF STRENGTH and the correct patterning to get all of the way over. And...since he has been through 4 surgeries and 7 (or 8) hospitalizations in his short little life he is lacking strength. So here are a couple pics on how rolling from his back to his stomach is going.

We will keep at it!

Wordless Wednesday

Past Due!

No, I'm not expecting again...

These pictures are just way past due but too cute not to post. Enjoy Miss Bee and Mr. Penguin (and their pumpkins)!

"Hey everyone, here's my pumpkin."

"My mommy thinks pumpkin guts make for good texture therapy. I disagree. This feels kind of gross."

"Mmm...it sure tastes good though."

Back to Life...

Dare I say he's healthy again? I would officially call Sunday the 1st day Nathan has been absent of sickness since September 23. It's glorious. Some how, some way, he developed some new gross motor tricks while he was ill.

All of the sudden, he can get from his stomach, to all fours, and into the sitting position. Completely textbook. His therapists will be proud. He maneuvers around the living room with some crazy sort of scoot and pull method (not so textbook). It's not terribly fast, but he can get around short distances. I am so proud of him! He is interested in pulling himself up on furniture and tries to grab on to things, but he's not got enough strength yet. Poor little guy lost over two pounds while he was sick and I think it will take a while for him to get his full strength back.

His nutritionist put him on a calorie booster called DuoCal to help get weight back on. Boy oh boy has it worked. We just mix it into his food and he doesn't even know it's there. The main ingredients are coconut and palm oils. Nathans diet is over 50% fat right now. Crazy! The weight looks good and is helping him to grow back into his clothes (he got back down to where 6-9 month pants were falling off of his already flat bottom). I wonder if his nutritionist could hook me up with a "less calorie" formula that would allow me to eat whatever I want but cut the calories in half. Somehow every time Nathan gets sick or is in the hospital, I tend to put my nutrition on the back burner and I gain weight. With four surgeries and seven hospitalizations...I'll leave it at that.

I must say that this course of sickness has taken a toll on our family. We are absolutely PARANOID of germs now. I go through tons of antibacterial wipes a day. Nathan goes nowhere. I am even scared to take him to therapy but I will because he needs it. Poor Bella gets quarantined too because if she gets sick, Nathan gets sick.

I also want to say thank you to all of our family and friends that have helped out in one way or another over the past five weeks. You certainly helped ease our burden .

In addition, I want to thank all of my RTS blogging friends who have sent emails, comments, and text messages of encouragement. You know what I am going through and your support means so much!

Stay tuned for some cute pics...they are coming.

Sick Update

Well, dare I say we are starting to get a little better around our house? We definitely are not completely well, any one of us, but we are better than we were a week ago.

This certainly has been a roller coaster ride that I am ready to get off of and never get on again.

Here is the time line:

Sept. 23 Nathan goes in for T&A surgery. Two weeks prior to that, Bella had a cough.

Sept. 25 Nathan is discharged from hospital. He developed a cough while we were there, but docs felt he was stable enough to send home. They didn't want him to stay and catch another virus (h1n1) while he was there.

Sept 27 Nathan develops fever. Bella's cough worsens. Go to doctor. Bella gets antibiotic for sinus infection. Nathan is put "on watch". Take him home his oxygen sats go into the 80's that night and we put him on oxygen (at home).

Sept 28 Back to the doc. for a recheck. Lungs remain clear, oxygen sats remain low. Continues to stay "on watch".

Sept. 29 My body hurts everywhere. I develop fever, difficulties breathing.

Sept. 30 I go to doctor. Diagnosis: Pneumonia. Nathan remains very sick. Fever, cough, vomit.

Oct 2. I go back to doc. Can't breathe sitting or laying down (I never get sick, literally!). Change antibiotics to a broad spectrum one... just in case.

Oct. 3 Nathan improves, but has lost weight. Is having difficulties eating solids. Still coughing.

Oct. 4 Jason gets sick...oh no. Probably bad sushi. I'm still sucking swamp water and coughing up sludge. No sleep is taking place in the Oliver house hold. Nathan's apnea is the worst it has ever been.

Oct. 5 Back to the doc to recheck Nathan. Lungs remain clear and oxygen sats have come back up.

Oct. 6-10 Nathan is clear of sickness and Bella's cough has gone away. I'm still coughing crap out of my lungs and have no energy.

Oct. 11 Bella develops a fever in the evening. My in laws were just over and we had no idea Bella had a fever.

Oct. 12 Brother in law informs us he tested positive for h1n1. Bella's fever is manageable. In laws call and say they have cough and respiratory problems.

Oct. 13 Nathan develops fever. Jason goes to doc for flu symptoms. I demand he get swabbed for h1n1 due to Nathan's health. His doc. doesn't swab him. I'm mad.

Oct. 14 Back to doctor. Bella has 101 fever, Nathan has 102.2. Jason is very sick with fever and cough. I'm still coughing. I demand Jason gets h1n1 swab from doc. Bella's fever gets higher in docs office. She is swabbed for strep. Skin is falling off of her fingers. Diagnosis: presumed h1n1. Nathan is swabbed for h1n1...not positive.

Oct. 15 Both kids remain sick, so does daddy.

Oct. 16 When will this end?

Oct. 17 Nathan develops a barking seal like cough, vomits multiple times, can't catch his breath, and his heart rate is above 190 for over 30 min. We call 911. Ambulance arrives and wont transport us to the children's hospital. I tell them to leave, I will take him. Our local hospital does not know how to care for him, they always have him transported anyway. It is a waste of precious time that Nathan doesn't have. I ask for a police escort up the freeway, they denied us. A few minutes later, we were in the ambulance, on the way to the children's hospital. We arrive at 2:30 a.m.

Oct. 18 In the ER, Nathan vomits green stuff. They fear the worst, malrotation. 5 xrays, two surgical teams, 3 specialist, and 12 hours later, no presumed malrotation. Presumed diagnosis: h1n1, croup, and pneumonia. He's admitted to intermediate care. Jason remains very ill and is not permitted to stay due to fever and cough. He goes home. My sister stays the night.

Oct. 19 Nathan goes down hill. His oxygen saturation is in the 70's and he is on 4 liters of oxygen. We are told that he will likely get worse and may develop staff infection and strep. This is what is happening to the kids on the floor that have h1n1. They explain that they will put him on ECMO only as a last resort.

I honestly didn't think my little buddy was going to make it. I have never seen him so bad.

After 3 visits from respiratory therapy and lots of prayers, Nathan miraculously turned around, he was a new little guy.

Oct. 20 He is out of the woods, but very weak. Official h1n1 came back NEGATIVE!

Oct. 21 We go home.

Oct.22 Cough worsens. What the heck? Oh yes, Jason remains ill and Bella's cough is back with a vengeance.

The rest is all a fog. Nathan is grossly under weight and he is aspirating his food. His SLP thinks that the food may be going up his sinuses. He normally eats 5 oz of food 3 times daily. He now pushes the spoon away and cries after two ounces.

Today Bella's cough is better. I am almost cough free and Jason thinks he just has a cold now.
Nathan's reflux has returned and is bad.

In all of this, Nathan has learned how to sign "happy" and has begun to say "nigh nigh" when it is nap time or bed time. It is the only sound he mimics, but it is beautiful.

I'm not sure which way is up, but I know I have a loving family and am fortunate to have each and every one of them in my life.

I'm ready for this train ride to stop. I'm tired of Holland today.

Again

Wordless Wednesday