Home Resting:)

I made it home last evening.   It feels so good to be a family once again.  To be in my own bed with my own pillow.  Not having to be woke up for my vitals to be taken or hear someone in the other room with their TV blaring.  I love hearing the kids playing with each other and them laughing.  I love that one of my kiddos gave me a foot massage for about 15 minutes and talked with me.  I love hearing the sound of Matthew's race car set that Daddy and him are playing with.  To hear the sound of their footsteps as they come into my room.  I love the hugs and kisses they give to me.  The smile they show for me being home.  God is so good to me! :)

Just been resting last night and also today.  Woke up this morning throwing up but since then just been dry heaving.  So glad that my anti-nausea medications are through the hickman now.  I am also on an acid reducer for the gastritis and it's given thru the hickman also.  I wasn't sure how to do it since it's a powder and you mix it with a syringe of saline, so I waited till this morning to take a dose so I knew how to do it.  The medications make me very tired so I do sleep a lot.

Only a few more days till we head to Cleveland.  Need to start getting some clothes ready for myself and all my medical supplies.  That should keep me pretty busy on Monday.   I was wanting to have all my Christmas
decor down before leaving but with all that I have gone thru the past week I think I'll be waiting for a week or two after we get back home to do it.  The kids are super excited about the trip.  Glad they are able to go with us this time.  Hopefully the weather is decent on the way there and back home.  :)

Thank you for all your prayers, love, and emails.
Love-
Jamie

Still in room 430

Still reporting from the hospital. I am hoping to be HOME by tomorrow. I think they are trying to get approval for phenergan and zofran in IV form.. I am feeling a little better but must stay on the anti-nausea meds to at least function a smidge. Thank you for those who have either called, visited, sent cards, or most importantly prayed.

I pray that all of you had a wonderful Christmas with family. Christmas morning, my sweet honey brought a small decorated tree along with some of the kids small gifts. I was able to watch the excitement on their faces. It felt so good to be a family once again. They left for a while back to Princeton, then came back that evening. Then they had to turn around and go back to Princeton because he forgot to bring my TPN. I felt so bad for him. I know he had to be worn out with all the running back and forth. We made it a good Christmas despite the fact that it was one spent in the hospital. Sometimes you just make the best of what you have, and that's what we did. :)

There is a sweet X-Ray tech that saw my name on the hospital list Monday and while she was working Tuesday, she came in the room and surprised me with a beautiful card and some wonderful smelling bath wash and body lotion. I had another surprise from a cousin that made me THE BEST Christmas card. It had pictures of her Mom and my Grandma on it along with pictures of the kids with them.

We will leave Tuesday for Cleveland Clinic. We are making it a fun trip for the kids. We wanted to take them to Shipsiwanna for dinner and a play but the whole town is closed January 1 for New Year's Day. Maybe on the way home we can stop.

I don't know the agenda once we get there for my appointment on January 3. We'll just wait and see. I do want it to be a special trip for the kids though. :)

Love to each of you

Jamie

Posting from room 430

Yes... I am back into the hospital. Not where I planned on celebrating Christmas, but I'll make the best of it. I'll be surrounded by my wonderful husband and 3 beautiful children.

Tonight, I will just focus on getting some much needed rest. I have been unable to keep even bile in my stomach without throwing up and last night it was blood. I called my GI doctor locally and he wanted me to contact Cleveland and let them know and go to the ER. I contacted Cleveland and they wanted me to the ER immediately. I got ready and Shane took me.

I had some meds in the ER which helped a little but not enough to make it home on and not have to come right back.

So here I am enjoying the view of the parking lot and the refection of Christmas lights in the window.:) Thankful that they take the time to put lights up in the trees and neighbors decorate with lights outside-I am able to still feel a bit at home. :)

I was able to enjoy a beautiful candlelight service at church last night. The service was just beautiful from beginning to the end. It felt so good just to be in the presence of God. I read a little saying-The magic of Christmas is not about presents but HIS presence. Oh, how very true!! I want to always be in HIS presence.

I pray that you all have a wonderful Christmas with your family. May you always keep the true meaning of Christmas in your heart and not forget the one who we are celebrating. :)

Thank you for all your prayers, encouragement, and love!

Love and Prayers-
Jamie

This and That :)

I am sorry for not updating the blog earlier, for those of you who have been waiting.

On Wednesday, I went and had my tubes both changed out.  The balloon that held them both in place was completely black on both of the tubes. YUCK!!  The doctor wants to start changing them both out every 4 months and scheduled it for April. :) Hopefully that will help keep away any surprise tubes coming out too!  While he was in there he noticed I had severe gastritis.  Just another bump in the road.

I got home that night and ran a fever no sooner than I got into my bed.  It was up to 101.7.  I took some meds immediately having been down this road with the first tube changes back in May.  I rested and continued to take meds and by 4 pm I called the office and the doctor wanted to put me on an antibiotic for 3 days with the bacteria that can be stirred around in doing all he did.  I am fever free and just a tad bit sore at times, but doing well with the new tubes, for the most part.:)

On Thursday, I went to the Hematologist and he said my blood work is still low and he thought by now I would be much higher and in the range it should be.  He said one infusion of iron is like having 5 units of packed red blood cells.  We are going to see how my body responds in 3 weeks do another blood test, rest another 3 weeks and do some other blood work, then see him again to discuss it all.  He still isn't sure on it all and said he may end up possibly having to do a bone marrow biopsy to check things out.

Some very exciting news- I am 111 lbs!!!  YEAH!  And since I'm still unable to tolerate anything by mouth, TPN has made the difference!.  THANK YOU, LORD!!!:)

On Thursday evening, we went to Dixon to watch the United States Air Force Band.  I really wanted to go and knew it would tire me but I wanted to do something as a family and so we went and sat up in the balcony and enjoyed hearing them perform.  WOW!  If you ever get the chance to go to one, it is one amazing and touching concert!  They did Christmas songs for the night.  It was a free concert and I thought the place would be packed but it wasn't , sad not many our age were there, but it was a lot of the "older" crowd.  It was so fun for the kid also!  I enjoyed watching their faces as they watched some of them play their instruments.  It felt good to do something as a family before Christmas.  Watch out...we might come sing at your door step:)

I have done a little Christmas shopping.  Not stressing out over things like getting the best bargain.  SIMPLE-that is me.  I am enjoying being together and watching the kids enjoy the joys of Christmas.  The true meaning of it all.  They are looking forward to Christmas break and we are trying to get our plans for our trip to Cleveland

Good Night:)  Love-Jamie

An update from room 427

As some of you may already know-yes, I am in the hospital. I went to the ER in Dixon Sunday due to the nausea being so bad. I ended up throwing up twice -sorry if that's too much info for you :/ I had my labs drawn and they looked good, but the blood count is still bordering low. I see the Hematologist on Thursday, so we'll wait in see what he says. I am still not taking anything by mouth. No popsicles, jello, italian icees, or ice chips.

I am having my J-tube placed in Moline on Wednesday by scope and my GI doctor here wants him to change my g-tube out also along with checking my esophagus and stomach.

I did get a hold of Medtronic regarding a programmer to see if possibly my pacemaker got turned off and just needs turned on. Wouldn't that be wonderful if it's that easy?! Looks like tomorrow I'll be heading home:)

There are some days I wish that this was all from being pregnant and at least at the end of the 9 months have something to show for it! But then I would have a little one to be taking care of too! I think God blessed me with 3 beautiful sweet miracles already and I am forever blessed!!! I am so thankful for God's amazing strength he gives. So glad that I am in His hands and know that no matter the storms that come my way, I am anchored in Him and in His everlasting arms.

Love-Jamie

Appointment today

Today, I had an appointment in Moline with the doctor to look at my J-tube.  It has been giving me problems for a month or so, and the past 2 weeks have been a lot worse with it.  It feels like a match is being held under the skin of that area and is very painful.  Well, today we confirmed that my balloon that is holding the tube in place is either burst or leaking and is therefore leaking content out onto my skin.  That is why I have the burning pain.  He is going to try a shorter tube, so he has to order it.  The office will call once they get it in and then we'll set up outpatient surgery to get it done.  I'm just glad they got me in and took a look at it. :)

The weather is so nice here!  Who would ever have dreamed that ILLINOIS would have 60+ degree weather in the beginning of December.  A little bit of that cold ,fluffy, glistening,white stuff would be wonderful for Christmas, but otherwise I can do without it.  These bones are already cold without having the cold winter weather to add to it!:)  Would be great to have weather like this the first week of January to make driving to Cleveland for my appointment is a bit easier.

I have to share a new Matthew funny.  My nurse came from Moline last Thursday to change my dressing to my hickman and the nurse mentioned to the kids about going sledding at a park by his house that has a big hill.  He also talked with them about going ice skating while there and Matthew's eyes were huge and you could see the excitement on his face.  As soon as Shane came home you could hear him from the bedroom telling Shane all about it.  Well before the nurse left he said there is one thing you do need to do-pray for cold weather and snow.  So that was Matthew's prayer that night. The next morning he woke up thinking it had snowed with the frost on the roof outside his window.  He was so disappointed because he was ready to wear his snow boots to school.  I told him not to get disappointed yet.  It will come.

Made me think of how many times we get discouraged and upset  because we prayed and God didn't answer and come through like we expected Him to.  Our times are in his hands and his thoughts and ways are higher than ours.  I want to keep putting my hope and trust in him.  It's all in His times and in His hands.  I know He will see me through.  He is so good and I am so thankful to know Him!  Thankful for His everlasting love and strength for each new day.  Knowing I am not alone, but He is right beside me each step of the way.

Love-
Jamie