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The Blue Screen of Death

Posted on May 6, 2009 7:17 am by TheAngelForever

Oy! You know it is bad when you see THAT blue screen on your computer. THAT blue screen came to my poor laptop yesterday afternoon. I turned on my computer and everything locked up, so I pushed the button to reboot. When it rebooted the evil blue screen of death appeared. I was not able to boot my computer in safe mode, nada worked.

When JL came home from work he was able to get my computer to boot with a rescue disk into Linux. Eventually he found the Windows Rescue disk and spent the entire evening doing two scan of the drives. Corrupt files from whatever happened were deleted.

This morning everything was complete. My computer now boots into Windows, but things are not working just right. I am sort of able to use the internet (man was I twitching from not having access last night) and Twirl can kind of work. Problem, the windows task bar is not visible and the drag and dropping does not work with anything on the screen. Wait, add copy and paste to the not working list.

I think JL may be taking my computer in to see if anyone at work has some ideas. Not sure what we are going to do if this computer has kicked the dust. I guess that will be figured out later. *sigh*

C’est Moi

Categories:
bad news losing my mind vent

I do not want to go

Posted on April 27, 2009 8:27 am by TheAngelForever

A little less than a year ago I made a decision to make a switch, a switch of medical practices that is. For years I had been unhappy with several of the doctors in my OB/GYN group (I have written about this before – especially after JSL’s birth). Still I stayed. Why? Well, when I was pregnant with NHL a new doctor came into the practice. This doctor was young, fresh, a woman and also pregnant herself. She actually sat, listened to me and did not rush from the room. In addition to her, I loved the staff at the office. I stayed out of pure laziness and knowing what I was in for at this practice.

What finally put me over the edge was what happened when I was pregnant with JSL. Numerous times the other doctors were uncaring, got nasty and turned their ear the other way which landed me in surgery. When I went to make an appointment with the doctor I loved for my follow up exam last year, I was told she would only be in the far away office. Very odd.

Lucky for me, when we were at a craft event for kids one weekend, I heard a familiar voice. I looked up and there was the doctor that I really liked. She asked if I had heard the news. After five years, she was moving to a new practice because she could not tolerate what the other three doctors were doing to the practice. I was stunned. I got the information about the new practice and waited a few weeks to call. The new practice had a policy that I had to be seen even if it was not time for my annual visit. So in the early fall I went in and chatted with my doctor in her new office. When I switched my files over I was able to read through them and had some questions for her. She agreed that there were several instances that indicated nobody listened after JSL’s birth. Signs were there on the placenta that it may not be intact. Yet, for weeks they allowed me to bleed and never once looked at the report right in my chart. It sealed the deal that I had made the right decision. Clearly the other doctors had become too busy with things to take a patient who knew something was wrong seriously.

About a month ago, I finally had my annual GYN visit scheduled at the new office. To say that I am not a fan of the nurse the takes you back would be an understatement. I truly do miss the ladies from my old office that did these things. After that I went back to the waiting room. 45 minutes later I was called to the desk. I was told that my doctor was off at a delivery, even though she was not on call. I was offered to see one of the other doctors, but I declined. That’s the beauty of not being pregnant, I can wait and see the person I want to and nobody can say boo.

Last week, I had to cancel the make up appointment on Tuesday. Thank goodness I did since JSL’s temeprature spiked to 104 Monday evening. Today I am supposed to go again. My grandmother is watching JSL, so he will not have to endure waiting with me at the office during his typical nap time. The problem, I just do not want to go. I want to call and cancel. I do not want to deal with the witchy nurse or any of the rest of this.

These are the days that men should be happy they are not a woman and do not have to think about this "fun" event.

Categories:
decisions doctor looking back me moments vent

Scary moments

Posted on March 26, 2009 11:07 pm by TheAngelForever

It has been a very tough week here at Chez Angel. If you had told me last Friday that I would soon witness my little guy have two febrile seizures in less than 30 hours, I never would have believed you. Most of the week has gone by in slow motion as we have battled a high fever in hopes of avoiding yet another seizure.

Over the week, TechyDad and I have had a lot of time to think about things. TechyDad sat down and actually wrote about the scariest moments (thus far) in his life. Many people may not understand how we are able to sit and type these out, but it truly is therapeutic. I know that last February, and again this week it helped me to get my fears out in the open, to face the facts. Did I cry? Did I have nightmares of seeing my blue and lifeless son in my arms? Of course I did, but blogging helped immensely.

So my question for this week:

What is the scariest moment of your life so far? If you are a parent, does it have something to do with your children?

My answer this week would have to be the same as what TechyDad wrote.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the Mr. Linky there if you are participating.

Aloha #41

Categories:
Aloha Friday looking back sick kid vent

Spring FEVER update

Posted on March 26, 2009 9:12 am by TheAngelForever

Here is a brief history of what has happened so far with an update:

Just before dinner Saturday night JSL slumped over on the floor. Minutes before this he was playing and chasing after his big brother.
He turned blue, was rigid and had a locked jaw.
Eventually realized he was having a febrile seizure (previously had one 13 months before).
Went via ambulance to what we thought was the best ER for pediatric cases.
In the ER the only things they did was to take his temperature (confirmed it was a fever), gave him motrin, listened to his chest, looked in his ear.
WE had to ask for them to look in his mouth and down his throat to make sure it was not something there (strep/coxsakie virus)
Discharged by the ER quickly with NADA of a cause for the febrile seizure. They never once asked to do a blood test or anything further.
Sunday JSL played in the house and we kept Motrin and Tylenol in him.
I fell asleep next to him that night and woke up at midnight to the little guy thrashing about and frothing from his mouth. Temperature was at least 103.5 and he had his second febrile seizure in less than 30 hours.
Called our doctor at 12:30 at night. Agreed we should combat fever at home and not go back to useless ER.
Monday we took JSL to our doctor. Did strep test (negative) and checked other items.
Finally someone listened to us about the congestion JSL had been having at night for the past week (thought it was teething). Doctor saw his bloody nose, heard about the discolored mucous and said it sounded like a sinus infection.
One ear was blocked by a lot of wax and may have also been hiding an infection.
Given strong antibiotic to give JSL to attack whatever is getting his little body.
Kept alternating fever reducers every two hours for fear of another febrile seizure.
Wednesday morning JSL woke up and seemed cool at first. Within 15 minutes he was VERY warm again. 101 with the thermometer.
Called our doctor to let them know that we were still running a fever on day 2 of 5 with the antibiotic.
Doctor’s office wanted a urine specimen to check that possibility of infection that would not be covered on the antibiotic.
I questioned if a CBC blood test should be run. Sure enough our doctor did not know that it had not been done in the ER and requested one.
Took JSL to another hospital for the blood work. No luck getting blood. The phlebotomist was great, but JSL is a hard stick even without being partially dehydrated.
Last night got some urine to bring to the doctor today and got up every few hours all night to check on temperature.
This morning JSL’s temperature is at about 99 without any medications in him. His normal body temperature is 96, so this is still slightly elevated.
While doing a diaper change I now see a rash all over his tiny body. With new development off to call the doctor again.

This is the little guy yesterday. He climbed up on the couch and immediately took a nap on his own.

Categories:
doctor jsl looking back photos sick kid vent

Two febrile seizures in less than 30 hours

Posted on March 24, 2009 8:29 am by TheAngelForever

Yes, you read the subject line correct. Life here at Chez Angel has been turned upside down since early Saturday evening. When we left the ER Saturday night with no answers and over 24 hours to go before seeing our doctor I was beyond nervous. As the parent of two children that have had febrile seizures, I know that the following 48 hours are the most common for a repeat.

NHL had his febrile seizure when he was 11 months old and is now almost six years old. Finally getting out of the danger zone. When I was little I had three, but none were back-to-back. JL had two as a child and to my knowledge both were seperated by time.

JSL apparently had to be different.

Everything from Sunday night is a blur. I went to sit in bed with my computer and got tired, so I turned off the light. The little guy was next to me to make it easier to medicate him during the night. At 10:30 we opted to let him sleep, rather than wake him for the fever reducers. This decision would soon come to bite us in the you know what.

The next thing I remember is it being midnight and SCREAMING for JL to come quickly. I do not even recall waking up. I just remember pulling JSL to me as he was once again rigid, thrashing/shaking and frothing from the mouth.

After a few seconds (not that I actually timed it), he was done with the seizure. He was burning up. I got Motrin for him and called my parents to come over. I thought that we would be going to the hospital for sure and needed someone to be with NHL. Next I called the doctor at about 12:30 and waited to hear from him. He called back after everyone else was here. He did not want us to go to the ER. Instead our main goal was to give JSL fever reducing medications every two hours the rest of the night.

We did just that and brought him to see the doctor yesterday morning. We believe that he has a sinus infection and may have a hidden ear infection. JSL is now on an antibiotic to try to kick this in the butt. Of course the fever is still hanging in there. Every two hours we are dosing up one fever reducer or another. Here is the little guy after he returned home from seeing the doctor.

To add to the excite, NHL has been on a steroid for his breathing troubles the last three days. He finishes this up today. Then yesterday, his allergist called back with more detailed results of his adenoid/sinus x-rays from Wednesday. The adenoids still look great, but he did not like the way the sinuses looked. Given that he was still very stuffy and actively blowing mucus out of his nose, he is now on an antibiotic as well.

This is medicine chart central and our own personal mini pharmacy.

This morning JSL’s temperature started to go way up again. So, it will be another day of fever reducers every two hours and the second dose of antibiotic later this afternoon. With any luck we can kick this thing and stop worrying about more nightmare moments. Of course you know that I will forever worry given how quickly these last two febrile seizures came out of no where.