Q&A #105

GI Issues:
Confused...why would she say Miralax for diarrhea when that is a laxative?
Also, if you would like to take advice of the above person and just take a stool sample in for kicks...I have a kit here at the house they gave me for Patrick "just in case", but I can get another really easily.
I answered that in my last Q&A, but basically it was because Dr. A believes it was really because Kennedy's constipated... which is stupid... for reasons that I listed below. I have kits here too. I'm still waiting on J. Trying to be patient. We'll see what happens this week. Thanks though! :)

Ummm let me see if I've got this right. You saw Dr. M who had a plan. Then they tried to shuffle you back to Dr. A who is clueless. Then they are telling you you can have whoever you want for your doctor. And now they are telling you to see Dr. W for him to form another plan different from what Dr. M suggested, but then he won't be following through on that plan? Lets just pass the buck onto everyone else. How did you get into Dr. M to begin with? Has anyone talked to Dr. M to see if how he feels about seeing Kennedy again? Are these people living in this world? Ugh, I hope you can get this figured out for Kennedy. Seriously I think you need to speak directly with Dr. M about this since he's the only one who seemed helpful there.
Yep that sounds about right!! I got to Dr. M through a nurse from a different clinic. She called and made the appointment specifically with him. The GI clinic is now saying that was an accident. NO it wasn't. I'm not sure if anyone has talked to Dr. M or not...

Renee, have you tried giving Kennedy probiotics? It may be something that she could benefit from. I started giving Ralphie probiotics after he had a scary bout with rotavirus. Of course I didn't ask the Dr. first, (I do what I feel is best and ask questions later!) but she said they would probably help when I told her about them.
That's actually part of Dr. M's plan, so yes, we're going to start her on those. We tried them before (during her 9 month stint) but even though I was giving her how much Dr. A recommended, Dr. M said I probably wasn't giving her enough) SO I'm really hoping they will help!

Random question- How does Tricare work in all of this?
Tricare covers ALL of Kennedy's medical expenses, thankfully!! We have had VERY little problem with them. I've had a couple battles over her therapies, but overall it's been pretty smooth sailing, I have to say. I just have to remember to get pre-authorized for all her appointments (which her pediatrician is great at helping me with). We do pay a co-pay for her prescriptions but only because I use an off post pharmacy, and that's my choice. (Meaning I COULD go to Post and get them for free, but it's far enough away that by the time I spent the gas money, I may as well just pay the $3 or $9 LOL.)

I needed this! Can I use this on my blogs????
Absolutely! Please do! :)

Kennedy's face in that first picture is the same face you had when I brought you into that field haha!
*Ahem* Yes well, at least I know what I looked like now! hahaha

I'm so glad everything went well! Did Kitty come through okay, too? Kennedy's a very brave little girl.
LOL Yes, Kitty survived the ordeal! They even let her keep her jammies!

I'm glad to hear everything went well with the tubes! I thought T-tubes and Titanium tubes were the same thing, but Kayla's last ENT told me they were different. Her last set put in are T-tubes and I kpet saying to the ENT "I thought you put T-tubes in last time?" and he said "No they were Titanium last time" He told me T-tubes have longer phalanges (sp?) and are supposed to hold in better - I hope so! But now I'm confused on if T-tubes and Titanium are the same! LOL
Well shoot! That may be MY mistake!!! I know for sure that Kennedy got T-tubes... and I just assumed that was short for titanium tubes because he had talked about those briefly in the consult appointment in his office as a possibility... soooo maybe they ARE different. LOL

Certainly glad to hear that all went well. You are putting more miles on I-24 than I am. I'll be in town on Wed. to check on my mom.
"on the road again..."
Oh gosh, you're not kidding!!! We did Vandy on Monday and Friday and Franklin on Wednesday and Saturday this week!! I'm beat! Drive safely!! :)

Okay I am Surprised they let you take your camera into the concert! I had to borrow my sister's little digital for Justin Timberlake and then stuffed it into my pants to sneak it in!! Our Arena's do searches for cameras, lol.
You know, you're the second person to say that! EVERYONE there had cameras! There was a lady a couple rows ahead of us who was video taping even! Maybe it's the policy of the arena?! When we went to see HSM in Little Rock we were not allowed to use our cameras.

You know, I was admiring the fact that you could keep up with her carepage AND your blog! You crazy woman!! It'll be nice to have it all together here!! Good luck with the transfer!!
Well... I'm not actually transferring her carepage... just her caringbridge page which came first! LOL I'll think about carepages later. I have about 3 years of caringbridge to get through and I only got one month done! haha

Sounds like a fun project. My daughter Tammy is in the 4th grade and shes already got a project too. Hers is do do a poster board of her life in a time line. She needs at least 5 events. So we did like 20, LOL! We pulled the baby books out and did her 1st stuff like, walk, tooth, roll over and then we did her heart surgery and few others. It was really a fun project and good way to spend time with her.
Awww Kassidy did that last year in 3rd grade!!! We had so much fun with it!!! Here was hers.

Wow my sister is actually making a teepee right now too. Shes in 5th grade. We are not having the best time with it. Any tips?
Frank found a bunch of stuff at Hobby Lobby (an arts and crafts store here... if you don't have it where you are, you might have a Michael's which is similar). He bought little plastic Indians, bought pieces of suede for Kass to make the tee pees, a project board to put everything on. We got sticks from our yard. He bought modeling clay and Kassidy made little bowls. Kassidy decorated the suede with little designs from the tribe which she looked up on the internet. Frank bought sand... not sure what it was actually called, but it was this sand looking stuff and this white moss stuff for the animal's hay. Kassidy looked up on the internet which animals would be there, what Indians would be correct (for example the tribe she is doing wears full head-dress so some of the Indians in the tube he bought would be inappropriate so she had to pick the right ones). Frank helped her glue everything down (spray glue works best but probably not safe for young kids to use alone). He helped her form a fire pit from some of the sticks and today they are going to create a fire from red saran wrap and smoke from separated cotton balls. Hope that helps some!!

I'll never understand why parents "help" kids with their projects. It is the childs job to do these things..... It is a school project. Why allow a parent to do something that is the child's responsibility? What does the child learn? How does it help.
It is so frustrating to see these "perfect" projects where the parents "just helped"
if your kid can't find the time to do a project on their own(it is their school and grade after all) then you need to find the time so they can. Its so sad when a kid says "oh i don't have to worry about finishing that project...dad will help."
where is the honesty?
WOW Brenda! I'll never understand how people can be so judgmental when they don't even know what they're talking about! KASSIDY did the research. KASSIDY did the drawing. KASSIDY decided where everything should go and what should go on the board. KASSIDY can tell you all about her tribe and why the Teepees have open holes in the top and why the extra pole comes off the side so they can close that hole for warmth in the winter. I didn't know this until KASSIDY told me because KASSIDY looked it up. Frank won't be there when KASSIDY goes into class and presents the project that SHE did. And guess what? Her DAD helped! Heaven forbid she has a parent who is involved in her school life and wants to help her succeed! NO he didn't DO her project! SHE made the bowls. SHE drew the designs. SHE made the decisions. Did he glue things on for her? Yep! Did he cut the suede for her? Yep! Because it was expensive and we had one shot to get it right. BUT guess who cut the paper template? Yep! KASSIDY did! And guess who's going to have the fun memories of this project? Kassidy and Frank! And he was really excited to be home for this one because for all of her 5th grade projects he'll be in Afghanistan and won't GET to help. And in a few years our daughter may not WANT our help anymore in ANY area of her life, so for now we will cherish any time we can spend with her. We will take pictures and we will love every moment. Frank didn't do this because she didn't have enough time. He did it because he WANTED to spend time with his daughter. And KASSIDY did the work and can probably tell you more about her Indian tribe that you'll ever know. So before you judge someone why don't you get your facts straight. How's that for honesty?