Happy Birthday to my Mom

Happy Birthday to my Mom!!  Today Timmy and I will do our best to spoil and to dote upon her. She, more than anybody else I can think of, deserves to feel appreciated and loved.  

Yesterday I worked throughout the day to cross items off of her list. Somehow, despite my efforts, we only managed to cross off three items. My sore body tells me that the list is misleading because I'm certainly feeling the efforts in my back and shoulders. (Yikes I am really out of shape.)

Her bathroom ceiling has been repainted and the front flower beds have been weeded. I managed to lay down a layer of weed block in the large flower bed, but I ran out of anchors so I had to stop for the evening. I'll go on a supply run soon and hopefully cross a few other things off the list.  

Scott and Robby will be joining us this afternoon. I know that Timmy is eager to see them and is looking forward to having everybody together at Nana's house. Hopefully having a handful of helpers will help to make my Mom's birthday special. 

To-Do List

Timmy's fever has been staying at bay, so yesterday I packed up and we headed to visit with my Mom for a few days. Hamlet was thrilled to see his Nana and to play with his cousins. Because the cousins are going away for the weekend with my sister and won't be around, Robby opted to stay home. 

I saw Robby's excitement and enthusiasm drain from his face when I broke the news that he wouldn't be able to see his cousins for more than a few hours on Wednesday. He has been looking forward to hanging out this weekend for months. He now finds himself struggling with feeling rejected and cast aside, even though his cousins' trip had nothing to do with him, so I agreed with his request to just stay home with his dad. Like me, Robby likes to avoid uncomfortable feelings. 

With Robby still in VA, Timmy has the spotlight of Nana's attention. He is basking in the limelight and being endearing and charming. With the exception of the purple shadows under his eyes, it is hard to believe that he was so sick earlier this week.  

While my mom is playing with and being entertained by Timmy, I'm going to start tackling her two-page to-do list. The weather is supposed to be warm so it will be nice to be outside for a few hours. Somehow, working on somebody else's list is always more fun than tackling my own!

Frustrations

We spent yesterday at home, allowing Timmy more time to fully recover. His low-grade fever finally lifted by midafternoon and we decided to go out for ice cream to celebrate. It was nice getting out of the house again and doing something fun, even if it was only driving down the road a few miles. So far, this Spring Break has been low-key at best.

The quiet days have definitely helped my leg, which has been angry lately. I've been forced to use a too-small liner, causing my leg to develop some bruising and chapping. I am so frustrated with my insurance situation I could cry, but I don't want to give the satisfaction that they might be winning.  With my mobility at stake, quitting is not an option.  

Next week I have an appointment and, hopefully, I will finally be back on the path towards obtaining the necessary supplies. The fact that I have to jump through so many hoops is unconscionable and has only strengthened my resolve to work towards changing the system. We all deserve better!

All-Nighter

As predicted, yesterday was a rough one for little Timmy. His fever rose and fell throughout the day, leaving us both worn out and grumpy. The wild temperature fluctuations wreak havoc on his little body and his spirits.

Last night was long. Wanting to stay close in case he needed me and to monitor his fever, I decided to camp out in Timmy's room. Once Timmy saw the blow-up mattress next to his bunk bed, he immediately crawled in with me. He was restless all night. Between his rolling, kicking and moaning in discomfort, neither of us slept well.  

Thankfully his fever seemed to break around 4 this morning. Right now he is a bundle of energy, happily proclaiming that he "broke the germs to pieces." His color is already returning, and his smile is beginning to overshadow the deep purple shadows under his eyes.  

I'm grateful that this is spring break week. As soon as Scott gets up I'm going back to bed. I am having a rough time functioning after back-to-back all-nighters.

Sick Day- again

My sweet little Hamlet is sick- again. He seems to only have an off and on switch because he went from happy and energetic to miserable with a high fever within two hours. I hate seeing him so sick and weak.

I never appreciated the devastation of autoimmune problems until living the nightmare through Timmy. His disorder has reshaped our entire family. Our nighttime vigils have become far too common.

Last night was a struggle. His fever capped at nearly 104 before we were able to get him cooled. I feel so helpless when he is ill. Today will be spent on the couch, with him sleeping and recovering through the day. Hopefully, this was an isolated night and we won't need to see the doctor. Time will tell.