May Day! May Day!

I am looking forward to the end of April.

It's been another rough month.

Of course... that first week in May we've got two very important appointments.

May 3rd - I'm seeing a specialist - did I tell you I spent a Sunday in the ER this past month with severe abdominal cramping. I thought for sure it was my appendix. So, it's probably IBS. blah.

May 5th - We're meeting with Quinn's original foot doctor, Dr. Bielski, to talk about the S-word. blah.

I wonder what May will be like...

Sheep Shearing!

Last week we went to the local historical farm and saw some good ol' fashioned sheep shearing! Of course there are pictures.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

That night at dinner Quinn told Mike, "Well, I know what I don't want to be when I grow up. A farmer. I will never shear a sheep. I'm afraid I would hurt it!"

Second Opinions

So - here's the break down:

In April of 2009 Quinn's original foot doctor, Dr. Bielski, recommended a sliding heel osteotomy.

In September of 2009 Dr. Bielski recommended a lateral column lengthening with medial imbrication.

In February of 2010 Dr. Bielski recommended a lateral column lengthening. Both feet at the same time.

In April of 2010 I found a parent whose son has had various surgeries with Dr. Bielski and she LOVES him.

Today I took Quinn to get a second opinion. Dr. Ibrahim took one look at Quinn and basically said, "As soon as you are comfortable with surgery he's ready for surgery. And we cannot correct his feet with orthotics." Dr. Ibrahim recommends a lateral column lengthening AND a sliding heel osteotomy. Dr. Ibrahim prefers to do one foot at a time.

Dr. Bielski prefers doing both at once, because, as he said, "Once Quinn experiences his first surgery he will be much more anxious about the second."

Dr. Ibrahim prefers one at a time so that Quinn will be able to be more independent during the process. He said we could do one foot in early May and the other in October so that the entire summer is not ruined.

Dr. Bielski works out of the University of Chicago and, I'm assuming, only performs surgery out of the Comer Children's Hospital in Chicago.

Dr. Ibrahim performs his surgeries out of Elmhurst Hospital or Good Sam's.

I was really hoping I'd go for a second opinion and the doctor would say, "Why are you here? Dr. Bielski is the best. Trust him and go with him." And well, I'm happy that they both agree, sort of... there's these little differences. And who is the better surgeon? What is the better hospital?

Spring Break 2010 - AKA - Toddler's Gone Wild

So, the plans I had for our spring break didn't really work out. Sure, the weather was fabulous. The best spring break weather I remember in a long time. But with a sinus infection, ear infection, some bronchitis, and allergies coming to visit - we didn't have the energy to go anywhere or do anything. (Those illnesses were shared between three of us.)

Instead, we layed around the house - watching movies... not really doing much of anything. Sure, I'll get an urge to clean up a little - and I focus on one room and then I'm exhausted. Out of the three of us, Liam's been the luckiest. Just an ear infection that we caught early. So, as I've been laying around, almost asleep, he's been, um, having a run of the house, I suppose. Locked doors, lost membership cards that I vaguely remember watching him pretend with, dumped puzzle pieces, kitchen spices taken out of the cabinets, pots, pans, spoons, etc... Oh... and this...


I also vaguely remember the boys thinking it was the funniest thing to run around the house in nothing but their undies. Maybe it was funny...

Drowning in an Ocean

***

I suppose that title could describe how I feel... looking around my house... knowing all the stuff I have to do... but it's not.

Nope.

It's the sensation I feel while using this.

That's right. I'm a user.

But you know what? It works.

****