Rant & Ear Wax!!

I don't usually get on my soap box or rant about things...but when it comes to the health of my child I just can't hold back.

For 7 years we have used Southeastern Peds. For the most part we have been satisfied with the care they have given our boys. However, there has been 2 insistences (with one certain doctor) that has just made me very angry and quite frankly TICKED me off!!!

Thankfully our boys have not been very sick these last few years. And if they came down with a cold or cough that wouldn't go away we would take them to Allsouth. We always see Dr. Weber (Dr. Merrill one time). He is always super nice and listens to us. He is the one that referred me to an ENT doctor when I had strep throat and it wouldn't go away.

Last week, Lo came down with a cough and a low grade fever. I had planned to take him to Allsouth but we were also concerned about his right ear. His daddy had noticed some wax in it. Our sis-n-law recommended using Debrox to clean it out. We followed the directions for 3 days and rinsed it out on the 3rd day...NOTHING came out! So instead of taking him to Allsouth, I loaded him up and took him to Southeastern Peds...to the walk-in clinic. My rationale was that they being pediatricians they would do something about his ear.

Let me stop and remind everyone that this is NOT a rant about Southeastern Peds...my rant only concerns one doctor in that clinic.

We were called back shortly. We were placed in one of Dr. Ashley's rooms. (this was the same man that wanted to send Lo home a day early from the hospital when he had croup--when he was still having trouble breathing!) I try not to hold grudges...thinking ok...this time he will be more observant to all the details.

I told him I was concerned about his cough and fever and that I was worried about his right ear. I told him that we tried to clean it out and nothing would come out. I also told him that Lo said he couldn't hear out of that ear...he proceeded to check him over. He looked in his right ear and said that he had a lot of wax in it ...listened to him breathe...then proceeded to say that "we are going to treat this as if it is bronchitis "

Hello?! This is flu season! Wouldn't the first thing you do is check for the flu and then move on to other possibilities?

I told him I was concerned that it might be the flu and he very hastily said "well we can test him" and stomped out the room. Thankfully he tested negative for the flu. So then we did treat him for bronchitis ..I'm fine with that...but he left us with our check out papers and did not say anything else about his ear....

The next day, Lo calls me on the phone from my granny's house....he can't hear anything I'm saying! (After the conversation ..I find out that he had the phone up to his right ear to begin with) I tell him to switch ears and all of a sudden he can hear me. At that moment I knew there was something wrong with his hearing. If you have every met this child...you may know that sometimes its difficult to know when he does a have real problem because he is sooooo dramatic about everything.

I called the ENT that we used when Au had his tonsils and adenoids taken out...

We went today for his appointment. Dr. Gannon looked in his right ear...he said that wax was very far down in the ear canal and COMPLETELY covering his ear drum!!!!!!! He was ever so careful as he scarped the wax from Lo's ear...but it was VERY traumatic  He cried/SCREAMED that it hurt....Dr. Gannon got chunks of wax from Lo's ear. He said that he was able to get about 90% of it out...and that if Lo continued to say he couldn't hear by next week then he would need to come in for a hearing test. He said that that much wax could be the reason he couldn't hear.

Now for my rant: Dr. Ashley looked in his right ear... acknowledged that it had a lot of wax in it...why didn't he get it out then? Or if wasn't comfortable doing that why didn't he refer us to an ENT doctor?!

I am thankful, that I did have previous experience with an ENT doctor and knew that's who Lo needed to see. But what if I didn't? What if I had just thought "well if the doc doesn't think its a big deal then it must not be a big deal."

You may be reading this and totally disagree with me and think he is the best thing....but from my experience I do not care for him!! If I can help it...I will never let Dr. Ashley treat my children...this is the 2nd time that his carelessness has affected the health of my child!

Ok..I'm done now....thank you for listening...

Determined

2 years ago Jennifer and I surprised our hubbies  with tickets to go on a cruise for their 30th birthdays. Of course that meant that we had to get our butts into shape. So we worked out 3 to 4 times a week after school, ate tuna at lunch and I cut out sodas (she didn't have to worry about the soda thing cause she cut them out a long time ago). Any how...by the time the ship left port I was "in shape" enough that I felt good/ok in a bikini...I never weighted myself but I do know I dropped at least 2 sizes.

Well, after the ship docked back in Port Carnival..that was the end of "getting in shape." Of course I let myself go until January of last year...then at school we started our own "Biggest Loser" competition. And I was determined to beat Coach Kelly (and I needed to get bathing suit ready for the summer)...I think the competition lasted 3 months...maybe 4...can't really remember...I recruited a new workout buddy--Rhonda (since Jennifer was pregnant with the twins). We worked and sweated almost everyday after school. I lost a total of 20+ pounds!!! I was sooo happy! and I like to say that I did beat Coach Kelly ;) 

 I was within 20 pounds of my goal (pre-pregnancy) weight!!!

But something happened....SUMMER BREAK!! I guess in my mind that meant take a break from all exercising and healthy eating.

Long story short...Rhonda and I picked our exercise routine back up a few weeks ago....we were/are fed up with where we have let ourselves get....

My breaking point was when I got on the scale (in the afternoon...I should have known better!!) and the numbers on the scale where NOT where I wanted them to be! In fact they were where I was right after I had Lo...5 YEARS AGO!!!!!

I can't believe that just last year I was 20 pounds lighter than I am right now...and I just let all that hard work go down the drain....

I am DETERMINED now!! I have to...I must get my body back to healthy.... especially with all the heart disease that runs in my family! If nothing else I must get my BMI down to healthy cause according to that I am over weight! 

My plain of attack: to work hard every day to get this weight off and keep it off  for FOREVER! I am trying to train myself/mind to eat more healthy and look at exercise as a good thing for my body...I don't want to do a "quick fix." I want to get this fat off and keep it off.

Last Monday I took "Before" pictures of myself and measured myself...Of course I'm noting going to tell you what I weight or give you my measurements but I will tell you that I have lost an 1 inch in my bust (which I never thought I would be happy about that but I am!), an 1 inch in my waist, and 1/2 inch in my hips!! I have not got back on the scale and probably won't...I'm going to use my clothes as my weight loss indicators. 

I think I MIGHT show my "before" pictures when I have gone down at least one pant size....most of yall know what I look like...so there's no since in posting a picture until I have something to compare it too :)

I saw a quote on pinterest: "Skinny girls are lucky but those that have to work to be skinny are STRONG!"

That's my motto!!! I am strong!!

If anyone would like to join me on this journey, please let me know. I'm going to create a group on Facebook. So we can help motivate each other and help keep us accountable for exercising and eating healthy ..and of course to congratulate each other when we meet out weight loss goals!

Some logs named Lincoln

The boys brought home some Lincoln Logs from Grandma's a few weeks ago. I've been saying for YEARS that they needed some. They have been the best toy!!

We are so blessed....

Slowly I've been redecorating the house.

Trying to do as as "cheaply" as possible, but still get the "look" I want.

 

My fireplace/mantle has been giving me fits! I just couldn't figure out what I wanted to to with it...I thought it would be my "theme" location and I could decorate for each holiday/season....

 

 Well, tonight I came across this chalkboard canvas at TJ Maxx...its not really a chalkboard but made to look like one. What I loved about it was the saying: "We are blessed in so many beautiful ways...no worries...no regrets." When I saw it I immediately knew that it was going on the mantle with pictures of the boys underneath. As soon as I got in the car I sketched out what I wanted to do on a napkin. I have to write my ideas down...or I'll forget :)

 

Then on a trip to Target I found these fabulous frames (the 2 on the left are new). The one in the middle kind of look likes old barn wood and the one on the far left looks like weathered copper.

I just LOVE them!!

 

 

As soon as I got home tonight I threw the canvas up there. I placed the new picture frames were I wanted them...then realized something was missing...I looked to my left and by the TV was the brown wood picture frame (one on the right) with Au's pictures in it. I did a little rearranging...

I stepped back.....PERFECT!!!

 

And that's when it hit me....3 frames....only 2 children....that one frame....

 

If you've read earlier posts (probably from a year or so) you would remember that we have a baby in Heaven waiting on us....we had a miscarriage in between Au and Lo....I didn't cry when I realized there where 3 frames...but it brought back the feelings that one of our babies is missing....

 

Maybe I will always feel this way, but I feel like our family isn't complete...

that a piece to our puzzle is missing....

 

I know God has an ultimate plan and He is working in our favor...so until I have a picture of that "missing piece" the picture frame with hold a picture of our boys together...and if I have to wait until I walk through Haven's gates to hold the "missing piece"...

 

 I still fully believe that WE ARE BLESSED IN SO MANY BEAUTIFUL WAYS,

 NO WORRIES, NO REGRETS