Every few weeks it’s the same. Ivy gets an ear infection and her ears start to discharge. One of the joys of being immune deficient, I guess. Her ear goop grows all sorts of weird and wonderful things, ranging form your stock standard Staph all the way to various spores and fungii. When your body…
Category Archives: Medications and Treatment Options
Preparing For A Medical Emergency With A Medically Fragile Child…
A very wise NICU nurse once told me, “Sometimes the difference between life and death is in being prepared.” I took those words to heart and they saved my daughters life. More than once. When you have a medically fragile child, it can feel like you barely have time to catch your breath before the…
Meltdown Revelation (revolution).
In February, we went to see Ivy’s immunologist. The best news of the day was that Ivy was approved for more Intragam. Another six months, before we have to present her case again but the immunologist felt that it really would not be an issue. Over the course of the last six months, Ivy’s IgM…
Should you give a child medication he doesn’t really “need”?
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Max’s habit of drooling. Last week, my husband took him for a checkup to the pediatric physiatrist. They got to talking about Max’s drooling, and the doctor prescribed a patch to help that we’d stick behind one of Max’s ears. Dave brought the prescription to our pharmacy….
The Truth About Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome
January is National Migraine awareness month. And while most people have some level of familiarity with migraines, relatively few have ever even heard of cyclic vomiting syndrome, or CVS even though it shares many similarities with migraines. At our home, we know CVS so well that we’re on a first-name basis. It’s a relatively rare…
Not Just for Grown-Ups Anymore
When I say “massage,” what image comes to your mind? Let me guess: you’re thinking a spa, soft music, and a soothing, relaxing treat that most of us don’t get to enjoy often enough (or ever). I used to think that way, too. As a migraine sufferer, I began massage as a course of treatment;…
At least it’s not meth, right?
Guess what I’ve found out about childhood cancer…one of the long term side effects is apparently a raging case of hypochondria. It’s not hard to figure out, but Peyton is addicted to pills. Not in an Amy-Winehouse-Betty-Ford-bound sort of way…but I suppose that’s what happens when you take daily medications for thirty months. Now that…
Got a doctor who’s given you hope about your child?
Greetings, everyone. This is Ellen, mom to Max, 6, and Sabrina, 4. A little background on how I got here: Max had a stroke at birth. Doctors told my husband and I that he might not walk or talk. That he’d have mental retardation. That he could have hearing and seeing problems. Basically, every nightmare…
Days of joy!
For all the worry and anticipation, Peyton got her port out with very little fanfare and no complication. THANK GOD! It was an amazing day for us, emotional beyond belief and full of pure joy at this final huge milestone in her treatment. It doesn’t mean that we are positive cancer is gone from our…
The light at the end of the tunnel keeps getting brighter, yo!
Most people want to start the year with resolutions about losing weight, calling their mother more frequently or keeping their house cleaner. MEH! Our resolution is this: Only one hospital stay this year. Can I get an AMEN?! Because we’re already scheduled for it and if all goes well it makes all further hospital visits…