August Was Moving Month

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It's been a while since I have put up a blog post. I also haven't been very active on Faith's Mom's Facebook page. That's because the month of August was dedicated to moving!  About 4 years ago, Faith and I moved from the apartment she grew up in, to a different one in northeast Bismarck. The primary reason for the move was to have underground parking so that getting her loaded into the van by myself during our cold, snowy winters would be less of a challenge. We also needed to find a place in which the elevator didn't break down on a regular basis!  One of our last sunsets at our old apartment  That place served us well, but the drive to her day program, which is located across the river in Mandan was time consuming, not to mention, expensive. I drove about 45 miles a day and used up a tank of gas a week!  Searching for a New Place  Before our lease ended, I began praying about finding somewhere else to live. A condo would have been nice, but surprisingly not a...
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No Decision Yet Regarding the Baclofen Pump

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Faith recently went to see a surgeon regarding the placement of a baclofen pump. At our last appointment with her specialist who oversees all of her therapy we were shown x-rays that showed her left hip was about 40% out of its socket. For this reason, we set up a consult with a surgeon and were looking at getting the baclofen pump sooner rather than later.

I was surprised to find out that the surgeon has some reservations about inserting the baclofen pump. The main reason for his reluctance is that Faith is still pretty small. They normally won't put the hockey-puck-sized pump in a child that is less than 45 pounds, which is pretty much what Faith weighs. 

There is extra concern with Faith because there is even less room in and around her abdomen due to her mic-key button. When Rob mentioned maybe waiting a year until Faith grew more, the surgeon said that was probably wise.

But still, there is her hip to think about. I really don't think her other doctor is going to be very happy that she's not getting a baclofen pump right now. We could still go ahead with the surgery, but it might cause complications because it would be sort of squished in there and too close to her pelvis bone and be very uncomfortable for her. The pump then might cause more harm than good.


I feel like we are stuck between two doctor's opinions. One is very concerned about her hip, the other more concerned about her size. We are going to have Faith see her pediatrician soon. I was a little surprised she only weighed 45 pounds because at one time she weighed closer to 50. 

Last year we had decreased her feedings because her pediatrician thought she was getting too much Pediasure, which was causing some stomach problems. So now we want to make sure she is getting enough Pediasure during her feedings and want to know what her ideal weight should be. We will also ask him what his opinion is regarding getting the baclofen pump.

In the end, though, it is still our decision. We truly pray for God's wisdom and continue to also pray for supernatural healing for Faith's hip.

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August Was Moving Month

-
Image
It's been a while since I have put up a blog post. I also haven't been very active on Faith's Mom's Facebook page. That's because the month of August was dedicated to moving!  About 4 years ago, Faith and I moved from the apartment she grew up in, to a different one in northeast Bismarck. The primary reason for the move was to have underground parking so that getting her loaded into the van by myself during our cold, snowy winters would be less of a challenge. We also needed to find a place in which the elevator didn't break down on a regular basis!  One of our last sunsets at our old apartment  That place served us well, but the drive to her day program, which is located across the river in Mandan was time consuming, not to mention, expensive. I drove about 45 miles a day and used up a tank of gas a week!  Searching for a New Place  Before our lease ended, I began praying about finding somewhere else to live. A condo would have been nice, but surprisingly not a...
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Cari's Cardiology Update

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Normally, Faith is the one with all of the appointments but this week it has been my turn. On Monday I had my annual echocardiogram. On Tuesday I had my pacemaker device check and appointment with the cardiologist who comes to Bismarck from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.  The doctors who come are pediatric cardiologists who also specialize in adults with congenital heart defects (CHD). This saves anyone in the area who has a CHD from having to travel to Rochester each year. It is very convenient! (I do travel to Rochester to get my pacemaker changed, though!)  The Bible verse that has kept me going all these years! When I saw the doctor, we mainly discussed two things: my Fontan and my pacemaker. But first, a little background. I was born with double outlet right ventricle (DORV). Basically, this means both my aorta and pulmonary artery stem from my right ventricle. Because of this, my left ventricle does not really do anything, which is why this CHD is referred to as a sin...
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My Tetanus Shot Ordeal: A Real Pain in the Arm

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Last Wednesday I had my yearly doctor exam and when she said I should get my tetanus shot updated, I didn't think twice about it. The nurse said my arm would be sore for a couple of days, gave me a handout and stuck the needle in my arm.  The next day my arm was sore and although I found it a little harder to pick up and carry Faith, I was glad the pain wasn't going to last long. Boy was I wrong! But not only was my arm sore, my whole body was. I felt achy and extremely tired. According to a medical site on the Internet, these were mild side effects of the Tetanus shot. If these were only mild side effects, I would really hate to have them at a moderate or severe level. My arm is still red and sore on day 2 after my tetanus shot. On Friday, two days after getting the shot I felt so tired that I took a four-hour nap after getting Faith off to school. Then on Saturday I took a three-hour nap up until 7 o'clock, but still felt tired and was able to go back to sleep around 10. ...
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Singing Along at Barney's Birthday Bash

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This page contains affiliate links and Faith's Mom may earn a commission if you use them. As an Amazon Associate, Faith's Mom earns from qualifying purchases.  Learn more.   Had it not been for the one fateful day that I had a craving for Little Caesar's pizza, I might not ever have known that Barney was coming to town. But there I was at the counter waiting for my medium pepperoni pizza when I noticed a flyer with a picture of the big purple dinosaur. He was coming live to Bismarck with his friends, BJ, Baby Bop and Riff - I couldn't wait to tell Faith. Barney and friends appear live at the Bismarck Civic Center I don't know how old Faith was when she saw Barney for the first time. A receptionist at pediatric therapy gave us a Barney VCR tape and Faith loved it. I started letting her watch Barney on PBS and then we started collecting the DVDs .  All the while, I couldn't believe I was letting my daughter watch Barney - me and my friends made so much fun...
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