My Day as a Burr

This post is dedicated to my amazing sister Cheryl.

Tuesday we visited the Pediatrician for Rachel and Adam's well checks and shots. The Dr. labeled Adam as failure to thrive, ordering blood tests and referred us to a GI specialist. He did so because Adam has lost weight in the past month, and not been making a nice "curve" of weight gain previous to that. Hopefully it's due to his bought of diarrhea last week. Rachel checked out fine and was so brave for her shots, did not utter even an "Ouch," but after her shots she had a "stress reaction." Her blood vessels clamped down from the trauma of the event and didn't allow blood flow to her brain and she turned blue and gray on the verge of passing out for quite some time. Adam did the same thing at his 3 month appt. The doctor said she must have been a lot more nervous and worried than she let on or maybe even knew herself and this was her body exhibiting the stress though she didn't necessarily express any. While it's not common it does happen and runs in families. I guess she is like her mother, I see an interesting connection that while I don't always express stress vocally or even emotionally even to myself my body will react in a definite way to let me know I'm stressed! We waited there for her to return to normal and to collect a urine sample from Adam. I held Rachel while Sarah battled Adam, he kept escaping down the hallway. It was quite the scene watching him in his little diaper covered in massive bandaids toddling about happy as could be, with his giggling sister trying to keep up with him. Rachel was too weak to walk from the office, so I had to carry her and therefore Sarah carried Adam all the way to the car, which is quite a feat for her.

Once on the road we were all ready to get home and rest from the ordeal, but we got a flat tire on the freeway. I was able to get off at the nearest exit, and make it 4 blocks to a Midas where they were going to put on my spare, except we discovered I didn't have one. So I had to buy a new tire, but they didn't have one my size, so I had to wait while they tried to get the warehouse to deliver one before they closed in 50 minutes. The guy at the store really put the pressure on the tire supply company, because 15 minutes later their regional manager showed up in her brand new 2010 Corvette escorting my new tire to me. 10 minutes later we were on our way home.

That night Adam and Rachel were running fevers, needing baths, medicine, sheets washed, nursing and tender loving care every few hours. Between the two of them I got very little sleep. This morning I was to watch my friends kids for a few hours while she had a doctor appt. of her own. I was overwhelmed at the thought of it when I woke up so tired and sore, but it actually turned out really fun and gave the kids something fun to do to keep their minds off not feeling well.

All in all I feel very stretched. I feel that my little frame is still just shaking. I say it was my day as a Burr, because everything happens to that family! I only got a little taste of it, and I'm exhausted. How do you guys do it!? I have so much love and respect for your family and all who triumph over rough days.

No pictures, too busy surviving.