Year 6, January 4th-7th, 2020: Scans? ER? Surgery? What Will This Week Hold?

 Well, folks, it's been a day. Jared got back his bloodwork results this morning while he was at the grocery store. The PCP was concerned enough to tell him to check himself into the ER. So, after coming home, shaving, and then being told his mother would drop him off, Jared walked himself into the ER for the third time in this life. The first two times were for his broken right forearm (3 1/2 years apart). Actually, I think the 2nd one's initial stats showed up on his ER report today from March, 2010! I know it was his second break because I remember being in winter. The first break was in August 2006, because Justin was not even one yet and I remember putting him in my front pack and walking down to the ER (it was actually at the end of our street!) to collect Jared's bike that he had just tumbled over. And the 2nd break was when the ladder slipped because it was icy and he was clearing snow and ice out of the gutter. We've kept that ladder, took it to Canada and back, with the dent in it from where he had fallen on it, and just now replaced it! But good old St Francis, now Franciscan Health. The hospital we used back in 2006 and 2010 has seen been demolished. But the one he went to today was where all 3 older kids were born. He even got to here the chime over the intercom of a couple more babies being born while he waited for his scans.

All that to say, Jared went to the ER today. His bilirubin was higher than normal. He had an ultrasound and something else done. Liver was fine. The gallbladder, has a slightly thickened lining, and several gallstones. So, he's to check in with the doctor at his office at 9am tomorrow morning to discuss options. I can't go to the appointment because the office is attached to the hospital and they don't allow extra people unless for some very specific reasons, just as I had suspected. That's why I didn't go with him to the ER. Plus, I don't have time to sit for 5 hrs through all that process. I have much better things to do with my time. He wasn't dying right then and there. We agreed I'd stay home and I decided to make sure everything was caught up and extra school lessons were prepared for whatever happens next. If he does have surgery, it will probably be one of those things where I have to wait in the car or something. Covid-19 restrictions are a pain in the rear, I tell ya. But at the same time, I don't have to feel awkward inside either, so we all win. We don't know if he'll have surgery or another treatment.

The awesome thing is, we know the doctor and Gary has known him for 25+ years! It's the same doctor that did Gary's gallbladder removal surgery at the same hospital! I guess this guy was a Jew for many, many years and finally became a Christian and was baptized by Gary this past September. Gary texted him directly and Dr. Jon Mandelbaum immediately started overseeing the case. He wasn't the attending in the ER but the case was referred to him. That does put my mind at ease a ton. Some kind of procedure will be done this week I think and I hope. So, now, we wait and see. Again.

I hadn't told many people because I didn't want to go around having to update everybody. Gary told the e2 board and staff. I told my sister and a good friend (wife of a board member) and the IAHE team. But for once, I didn't blast it on social media. I haven't felt like posting much on social media lately. I guess I got tired of feeling like a fool out there. Or, I really have disengaged with the real world and real people. And I'm just tired in general. I've been sleeping on the couch because Jared is waking up every hour on the hour. I'm trying out this new medication for my possible ADD diagnosis. And I'm emotionally drained from all of this unknown back and forth, although externally I seem to handling it a bit better, minus the intense moment or two I've had. I'm fading really fast tonight and I don't have anything really pressing tonight.

We did manage to do a full day of school and more today! Yippee! And I set up some lessons for them for the rest of the week, including a full literature study on a couple of books they can work on independently. Abishai wasn't impressed that we were going to do school today, but he made it through with flying colors! He remembered everything we had learned last semester with just a tiny bit of coaching. He got really into the read aloud book I did with him about the Americans putting lanterns in trees to fool the British warships that were coming to destroy the village in 1813. He was very concerned about the boy getting back to his family. He also answered questions about history, as we went over Brazil becoming a nation and then talking about some of the animals there. His wheels were turning a lot today. At least Daddy got to come home and put him to bed tonight. Abishai's bedtime routine can be a long one and I've been having to do it most nights. 

I put stew in the crockpot for dinner and had a shower today, too, so that's another two "wins." And ran a load of dishes in the dishwasher. I'm too tired to run the steam mop I had planned to do tonight. There are muddy dog prints everywhere because it had rained and had gotten warmer for a bit. And now I just want my bed. My emotions, my brain, my body are worn out.

Keturah, Nora, and Everly 10 years ago. So they were 2 1/2, 15 months, and almost 4 years old.

"Mommy, I want pop. It makes me burp. I want to burp." - Abishai, the boyest boy I've ever known!

Abishai wanted to put dill pickles on his grape and strawberry jelly sandwich at lunch today. No peanut butter. Just jelly and pickles. Ew! And he ate the whole thing!

"Mommy, I want to do my math DVD like the big kids. Oh, never mind, I don't understand him." Um, ok, I think it was the introduction lesson anyway. But he tried!

He's so used to listening to the other kids' math DVD's. The lessons are about 10 minutes long, and then the kids will try the workbook on their own. I jump in when they get stuck.

Woot! Woot! Justin is starting his Lego build! Check out all these $70-$120 huge ship builds! We've got Boba Fett's ship, the Razor Crest, the Milliniem Falcon, some Star Wars fighters, the two types of "walkie guys," and a Tie Fighter! Never mind the big Saturn rocket in the back there.

Some of his mini figs. Mostly Mandolorians.

The left side has all the Overwatch sets. We need Benaiah's!

A shout out to the ships in the back and the Minecraft sets!

I may of been stress eating today. I couldn't stomach any more coffee and I needed the caffeine, but I went with peppermint hot chocolate instead. I was actually hungry as I didn't have a whole lot for breakfast or lunch and had already had tea and coffee. It hit the spot very nicely! And this is one of my favorite brands of gluten free snacks!

Daddy put his bandage wrap on Abishai's head! Now he looks like the Karate Kid, the old school movie, that Aaron was actually watching at the cabin!

Baby Grugo found Mando, the Razor Crest, and the silver ball from the Razor Crest. Grugo happy he is. Actually, we don't know if he'll talk like Yoda does. He only whimpers and coos. I made the silver ball from tin foil so I could mold it to stay in his hand.

The beginning of Justin's nightly set up in the garage. How or why he does this still, I don't know. It's so cold and hard sitting on the garage floor!

Tuesday

Long story short, Jared saw Doc M today who said surgery was scheduled for 8am on Wednesday (tomorrow), went for an MRI to check everything, and then at 5:30pm, Doc M said Jared's pancreas is inflamed so they have to wait....until NEXT week! Ugh! I'm so not happy! I had everything ready to go for tomorrow. I tried sleeping with Jared last night to comfort him, and he said I snored and I said he got up too many times and woke me fully awake 4-5 times. Back to the couch tonight, or rather the pull out bed. What people don't understand that is the third time this has happened since August. This isn't some new thing for him. I'm glad it's just the gallbladder, but still. I'm already exhausted. Plus the ultrasound technician for me today was trying to rush through it because she was already behind but then slowed down and poked and prodded way more than other technicians had. This is worrisome because she didn't tell me anything and she didn't put it up on the screen. She printed some things for the doctor, which I found weird. Maybe their computer system is down. She also didn't like that I couldn't empty my bladder all the way. Well, I get shy when I'm nervous and well, I had drank a full cup of coffee. Anyway, that was not good plus they said they would call me. And lately, in that whole office building, them calling me doesn't happen very quickly and I end up calling them. I don't understand it because most of the secretaries were sitting there gabbing. Not cool.

So now I have a headache, I didn't eat enough today because supposedly eating less calories means you'll lose weight, and I don't feel nauseous. I drank too much caffeine, too. I had to unplug my computer fully because Keturah used it and left it in a mess and it was super slow. I got mad at all the clutter I don't know what to do with besides reorganizing it and putting it away properly, which the kids still can't seem to grasp. 3 1/2 yrs we've lived in this house and the toys are supposed to live primarily in the sunroom. But can we put them away when we are done with them? Nope. Sigh. 

I was all set to do all my errands tomorrow while Jared was in surgery. Now I have to convince myself to leave the house at some point to do them. And I'll feel guilty because I should be home doing schoolwork. Plus my book wasn't dropped off again today! I need that for school! Dudes! Amazon! USPS! Get your act together!  It's been nearly a monthly since I sent my sister their gifts. It's still stuck on a truck between PA and NH. Urgh!

And I can't regulate my body temperature. One minute I'm hot. One minute I'm freezing. Apparently that's a side effect of the ADD medication. I'll just have to wait that one out until I get used to it. But my friend said that she also experienced that and that nausea since she's been on it, so I'm not alone. I'm just tired of being in limbo with all these medical things. Can we please move on from them? Oh, I guess not.

So there's that.

I didn't get as much school done today. Or a to do list. Keturah wanted to whine about an assignment. Abishai played hard at lots of things. Justin did alright. Jared is feeling a tad better, or at least knows what to do to make the best of his condition at the moment. I'm just uptight, exhausted and emotional. Maybe it's not the right time to try to go back to Bible study. Sigh. I'm just wrong for everyone. So I'll just go hide again. Tomorrow is a new day I guess.

Hmph, I forget what he was made about, but he went into the pantry, shut the door, and hoarded his hidden stash of fruit snacks. I say hidden because I didn't realize we still had a bucketful.

Abishai was briefly allowed to set up all of Justin's mini figures into an epic battle, 5 bad guys to about 20 or more good guys. The good guys one because the Overwatch guys helped them, he said. He did do all the standing up of the guys himself.

He didn't want to do school, so we pretended it was Grogu who was learning. Abishai spoke in a little voice as he read. Grogu did a great job!

The only thing Grogu wasn't allowed to do was the regular handwriting paper. But Abishai did fine with that on his own.

Epic "scare the kid who is singing and talking to himself in the bathroom!"  Watch the video to see Abishai jump so high! It was awesome! I don't know why I get a thrill out of this, but all the kids now know how to do it. I was the one who suggested it this time.

GRRRRRR, big brother!!!!!! Don't scare me!

Abishai watched more of Mr. Demme today while he was playing. I always forget that I should be watching the videos with them. That's how the curriculum was designed to be done. We've gotten away with me not doing that though. But today, I learned, that the -ty at the end of words like sixty and ninety means 10! Who knew?! And Mr. Demme is great at engaging the kids and making it a big more fun than I can. It's great review for little guy.

Figuring out which car is faster and at what angle.

Cars and math, great combo!

Keturah said she put the box there to prop up the tablet, but it definitely works well!

Where the Legos are, you'll find a child of mine. These are the mixed up Legos and Abishai's sets. They have to be kept separate from Justin's display at all times.

12 years ago at the cabin in Kentucky. That's Justin and Everly! Shauna said we should recreate this.

Wednesday - Oh good grief. What day is it again? I have to continue to repeat that to myself often. With Jared being home these last three weeks, I'm so confused! He's managing ok, but decided to start on a small dose of ibuprofen now that he knows he doesn't have an ulcer, so that he can help the inflammation in his pancreas go down. Meanwhile, I'm just trying to muddle through, work around him, and get some of these leftover to do list items checked off, like getting groceries (we haven't gotten a big load of groceries since before vacation) and taking the recycling to the bin at Kroger. We had a LOT of cardboard that needed broken down but I was waiting until the bins were emptied from everyone else using them the last couple of weeks. Justin helped me break down the boxes (with much protesting) and load up the van while the backseat was still out of it. I'll take it to Kroger hopefully tomorrow. We also got rid of some spoiled milk cartons in the garage fridge into the trash bag and in the trash bin for tomorrow's trash day. I had a chiropracter appointment near our favorite Aldi's, so I went grocery shopping by myself. I tried to hurry but I was SO SLOW trying to bag the groceries myself. I think at least 5 people (with very small loads) were checked out while I was standing there taking care of my own groceries. Sigh. The cart wasn't overflowing but I certainly spent the usual amount. Oh well, the fridge is again full of colorful fruit and veggies, eat the rainbow they say. I tend to not eat fruits and veggies at all, especially if we are low on them. And I got a lot of meat and a bunch of K cups that were interesting flavors. I am almost out of coffee, so I needed something. And of course lots of snack stuff for Abishai, which he proudly helped put away.

We did a full day of school today. Abishai got done earlier than normal, about 10:30. Then I organized what library books I had gotten and realized it's only for two weeks' worth of lessons. Uh oh! I need to get back on the website and order more! Eek! I did borrow like 10 picture books of Harriet Tubman, so we probably won't read them all, but I never know what I want until I have it in hand. I just figure that I'm helping to circulate the books on the library shelves whether we read them or not. The ones that come from school libraries go back to those libraries, but typically the normal books just get put back on whatever branch of the library I drop them off at, which is typically our Franklin Rd branch. Circulation is great! But we did our history lesson, our Constitutional amendments lessons, and started on our Abraham Lincoln book that finally arrived at 10 am this morning! Yeah! It was supposed to arrive the day after Christmas. Whoops. I can't wait to read it! 

So, we made it through another day. I just want Jared's surgery to be done. I'm a horrible helper. And as I reflected on the last month, wow, it's been crazy with quarantining because of Benaiah's Covid positive test, then Christmas, then Tennessee, then Jared's gallbladder, no wonder I'm a mess emotionally and physically. I feel better after seeing the chiropractor and knowing my spine is at it's best. My extra weight is causing my lower back to hurt a lot more than it used to. My neck and shoulders are reasonable. I'm never without some kind of pain. That's how fibromyalgia works. You just get used to always being a 5 out of 1-10 pain scale with 10 being the worst. So, I know Jared is pain, but that's the kind of pain I'm in on a very bad fibro day. I haven't had one of those for a long time, thank goodness, because I know when to stop working so hard so I don't flare up. Plus with my diet, supplements and medication, is all "under control." The fibro is. The rest of me, not so much. I asked a local FB group for psychiatrists in the area that will work with ADD diagnosis for children and adults and got some great names to follow up on. I'm hopeful I'll find someone that will work with me. Meanwhile, my current next medication has several side affects, including heart palpitations, so I'm monitoring myself closely. The side effect list is very long and I have several of them. Sigh. You have to give medication a full month before deciding if it's effective or not. The only time you suddenly stop taking medication is if you have a major reaction like I did with hives when I tried a brand new anti anxiety medication Savella. Most doctors haven't heard of it when I ask them to put in my chart. It's not widely known or used. I've never had an allergic reaction like that before. I remember the hives all over my body, and it was pretty itchy and painful. I would lay on the couch and Benaiah would try to manage putting peanut butter and jelly sandwiches together for Justin. I think Keturah was maybe 2, or maybe it was before she was born because I had gone in for postpartum anxiety after Justin. Point is, Benaiah was 7 or 8 having to help out a ton. It wasn't pretty. 

Anyway, it's late and I was doing a million things at once. I was helping someone on the IAHE Marketplace. I was working through emails. I'm not as tired as I thought I would be, so maybe the sleep I got last night was decent. I did have a lot of strange dreams, some included John Crist of all people, and supporting him through his recovery and starting up his comedy shows again. I hate sleeping on the couch bed and it feels strange, but it's still helpful. The pull out couch was much more comfortable than the couch itself though. I used one blanket under me and one on top. I hate that I snore a lot, too, now. My mom and dad both snored and ended up sleeping apart since they were in their 40's. I plan of course to go back to our bed, but what's most important is our individual sleep so Jared can heal and I can have energy to execute more than I normally do. Things will be calmer soon. I'm not sure what all this year will hold yet. We aren't really involved in any outside activities. Church youth group is starting up again, so that will get the kids out and about at least. I'm just not ready to join anything and "be busy" again. I'm got too much to do at home. I haven't thought about goals or resolutions. I just have these projects in front of me like Justin and I's ADD, getting through the Civil War before the end of the school year. Of course making sure the kids finish their science, math, and language arts books, getting Abishai as far as I can with his reading by being consistent. I don't have any long range goals really. I have no idea what we are doing for his birthday either. I'm totally at a loss there. It's sad really that I don't know any kids his age that I could invite. He hasn't had time to make friends in Sunday School because they haven't really been together. I don't know other families with kids his age even in the homeschooling world, not ones that are close to us. And that's my fault for staying at home even before Covid. I'm not sure what to do at all and he's expecting some big thing. Sigh.

What to do, what to do. - Winnie the Pooh

Oh! This is what I was looking for! It's not "North and South." This movie IS 4 hours long though so it seems like a mini series. And there might have been a TV series on the History Channel that I watched back in the day. I know there's got to be other great Civil War movies out there, too. We'll get to some of them!

Chocolate for breakfast and spaghetti for mid morning snack. Look at that chocolatey mouth!

Big helper putting his own snacks away. And he put all the veggies and fruit in the garage fridge. This was one my genius hacks to create these snack drawers for him. Independence!

My dinner because after grocery shopping, I didn't feel like leftovers and I wanted to try out the new things I found. Unfortunately, the oatmilk does say "had traces of wheat" so we'll see how I feel later, but it tasted yummy! I love oats, so I don't mind. It was rich and creamy and no sugar was added. The granola does have cane sugar and all that in it, but it was delicious!

My bed. Sigh. It's hard when you have to sleep separate from your husband, but it's only for a short while. We both need our best rest right now. Usually I sleep on the couch when I'm super mad at him, but I'm not this time and it just feels weird....and wrong.

Abishai finished another one of this reading books today! We were reading only two pages a day, but he was excited about the story and wanted to finish it! Yeah! Progress!

I'm using the Abeka Books graduated reader program that I used with all the kids. I can trust it's scope and sequence, even when I'm not using the actual curriculum book. We just do a couple of pages here, and then one side of penmanship, one side of the language arts book, and a math lesson. Oh, and I read him a picture book. That's it! The rest he can listen in on and glean from the history lessons with the older kids. He has Bible and memory work to recite with me, too. Easy and simple. Science is just everywhere, so we talk about whatever is going on. Like what does an MRI machine look like or an image from an MRI look like of the stomach. Pretty gross actually. And yesterday he was zooming cars down his track at different angles. That's totally science experimentation!

Abishai giggled about the pup being in the box.

Aww, what a great little story! On to the next reader!

Finally! I get to me in my own little warm bubble at my computer where my toes and fingers can fully thaw out. It's 73 according to the thermostat throughout the house, but in the extremities of the house, it's cooler than that. My fingers and toes literally hurt when they are thawing out. I know it's not good. My circulation is poor. I blame my weight, my fibro, and possibility my medication. But finally, I'm fully warm from head to toe to fingers!

Emotions, that is what this week has been all about. Thursday started early because I went to bed later than planned. I was so totally ready to go to bed at 12:15am and THEN I started reading and watching what actually happened earlier in the day. Oh my wow it was bad. So bad, I was nearly in tears. We had just read about the 12th Amendment yesterday and at that very moment we were finishing it, the Congress was trying to accept the electoral votes, which is what thee 12th Amendment is about. Except, that it was being stalled by objections from mostly the Republican side. Who had incited these objections? President Trump himself, who had earlier in the day at a rally on one side of the area in front of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. (or maybe it was the White House, you can fact check me, but it really doesn't matter, except it WASN'T the same protestors that turned into a mob.) had told the crowd, "We will NOT concede this election!" He was inciting the protestors far and wide. And when wind of those statements got to the mob outside the Capitol Building, they started to act violently. They smashed windows and  pushed right past security, who, scurried out of the way, so who knows how much they were part of the mob and why there wasn't more man power because there was some warning this was going to happen. They literally mobbed and stormed through the very hallways that our legislators and executive branch leaders pass through every day. The same hallways that my family and I walked through two summers ago on our tour. We saw, and I probably have a photo of the Nancy Pelosi sign that was above the hallway to her office suite that the mob tore down and destroyed. Four people were KILLED, many were wounded. And for what purpose? Didn't they do everything they could legally? Maybe, but the courts decided to say no, there was not enough evidence of voter fraud in 62 cases that the President and his people tried to present to them.

I was so upset when I watched a news reporter who was IN the crowd was pushed around like ping pong ball and separated from his camera man. It was from a pretty benign tv group called iTV.  But just seeing that "raw" footage was disturbing enough to me. Seeing it happen when the process I was teaching on was trying to happen was far more upsetting. How am I supposed to teach that our government system has worked in the past when it's not working now?  But you better believe I brought it up as soon as the kids were up today! Oh yes I did, of course I did! How could I not bring in the parallels of studying words like "peacefully assembly.....redress grievances." None of those words indicate violence. I posted on social media, which I hadn't done since the election. I've got a nice group of the usual suspects discussing voter fraud among themselves now. They are the best discussion holders because they are kind and respectful to one another, so I let them be and listen in when I can. After my initial sleep deprived post last night/morning, I wrote another post explaining I was trying to focus on the violence, not whether or not voter fraud had happened or that the 12th amendment process was wrong or not. Or if the electoral college was valid anymore or not. Violence is wrong, no matter what the issue is or who the group is or what side you're on. 

I don't know why I feel so strongly this way, but I feel it is such a disgrace to our founding fathers that people are like this and are uneducated in the ways of government. So, in another post today, I blamed public education, again, for creating such ignorance. And I put a call out to all parents, homeschool or public school, to educate their children properly. Open up the Constitution and read it for yourself. Don't rely on second and third and 10th hand knowledge. It was written for the common man to understand. The days and months that are extremely talented and intelligent (life long learning) founding fathers spent on fine tuning the Constitution are all for naught if we don't read it for ourselves. They fought and fought and fought among themselves. They had fighting matches. They had debates. Nothing there has changed. And that's fine. There's checks and balances and it seems like nothing changes because it's not supposed to easily change. But how disrespectful to march into a historical and working building like that? It's disgraceful. There's many other little issues that are being talked about like VP Pence being a traitor to Trump for allowing the electoral votes to be accepted at 3:41 am today. Yes, the congressmen and women stayed until 3:41 am BECAUSE they had a deadline to meet. A friend of mine corrected me on that point that there has to be two weeks between the acceptance and the inauguration ceremony. It was already crunch time and everyone inside the building knew it. 

Oh, and the violence made it to the viewing balconies as well I think of the House chamber. Yes, the hallways we walked through and constantly had to go through metal detectors and such were full of violence and gun fire. It was hell in there yesterday afternoon. And where were the police? Oh yeah, defunded perhaps? 

So, that was just one reason I went to bed crying. And real quickly, I'll say that the other one was trying to figure out Abishai's birthday. When a friend asked if he has any playdate friends, I felt like I had failed Abishai because we hadn't met anyone. When in fact, 3 of the families I have made efforts with and have had playdates with have moved away. Hunter moved to Alaska. Kaison that he talked about constantly last year, moved out into the countryside. And the new to homeschool family down the street moved out to I think another part of the state. We've tried the neighborhood kids and it's partly my fault, but my kids simply don't get along with them. I've tried randomly inviting kids his age, but last year, he cried in the middle of the party and didn't want to play with them. Today Abishai said, "Well, I'll just invite kids at the park that I meet. I'll get their information so the mommy's can talk." That doesn't help for this year's problem, but I understand. I've relied on the church for too long as our social outlet. Without kids choir, and the parents for me to talk to, without Beginner Bible Bowl, and again, me being involved and getting to know the parents, without MOPS and having access to the birthdays of all the kids, and without Sunday School because of Covid, I know NO ONE his age at church. I don't even have a way to get to know any families. The staff won't give out phone numbers or emails to other parents. And the kids that do come to class, can be so random or inconsistent. The older kids manage ok. But there's no way I can conjure up friends in a snap of my fingers from the church. I'll have to look elsewhere.

So I had a brainstorm in the shower this morning. What if just he and I joined Classical Conversations next year? There's that group near us that we looked into. His age group would only meet one morning a week and be in the Foundations, so not much extra work to do at home. I already know a good deal of what is taught and how it would supplement what we do at home. We could make some more local friends in his age group. Parents do stay and help and become a community. The commitment time would be low at this stage, and during a time of the day and even a day of the week that I am just putzing around at home anyways. There is a hefty fee, so I've reached out to the contact person for the group to see what that is. But if it's just him? And if you spread that fee out over months? It's like paying for private piano lessons or karate or whatever. And the program is pretty standardized, so it would be consistent, which would help me not to feel so disoriented. There are many co ops that are all over the place or change leadership and curriculum and classes so frequently and I can't mentally handle that right now. I was thinking of putting him into one of those co ops when he was much older and the other two had graduated so I would have more time to commit to it. I just don't have time or energy to put into having playdates or asking random people if they have a 5 or 6 year old son. I have too many doctor appointments that take me away from the house like this week. I barely fit in grocery shopping. And I'm an introvert that has to teach two older students. 

So, at least I've come up with a solution for next year. This year, fine, I'll invite Justin's friends that Abishai considers his friends, too. When the little guy can say "I want Eli (who is 10?) and his sister Lilly (who is 7) and Molly (the mom!), and Caiden." well, you can't ignore that. Yes, Abishai knows Eli's mom's name! I'll just invite the fab 5 families (we are one of the five) that consistently made it to park days this year. And praise God, Brenda hasn't given up hope in finding us a place to meet until the weather warms up again! Hallelujah! I don't have to do the planning! One of the families, the military one, I should try to have a playdate with before the party but after Jared's surgery. So, there's where the party planning is at for the moment and I feel less like a bad mom because I HAVE tried. He's almost old enough for the homeschool soccer league, so that will be something else I'd be willing to try.

And of course, we are still worried about Jared. The kids were going to go back to church on Sunday, but I didn't realize that Jared would be asked to get a negative Covid test tomorrow and quarantine until surgery. So, just to be on the safe side, especially since I have seen multiple doctors this week more than normal, we are all going to self quarantine starting now. After my last appointment today, I made some returns to Kohl's, and picked up more groceries for Jared (and for me since I hadn't been in Meijer for over a month and it's the only place I can find certain things). I was gone for about 3 hrs today. I had to tell myself that it's ok. All the appointments are done. We have food. I can catch up on school and household stuff this weekend. I wasn't expecting to be gone that long, but I have a cool God story to tell to end the week on a very high note.

Today I went to my dermatology appointment for more steroids to be put into my scar to calm it down. I also had a full body exam again. Well, she decided to put some steroid in one of my biopsy sites on my back, which I hadn't put numbing cream on, so that one stung a bit. But as she was getting ready to do my arm and just talking to the nurse that was there to help, the nurse suggested we talk to another doctor who was currently in the office. He typically only does laser treatments only on patients that he has personally done surgery on, because any laser treatment is considered cosmetic and not covered under insurance. But he somehow just puts it together with whatever surgery he's doing. Well, it was the end of the day for them in that office, so this doctor had time. He came waltzing in with a student hot on his heels. He starts explaining all kinds of things to the student, talking really fast. We all nodded and tried to understand. We really just wanted his opinion at this point. THEN GOD HAPPENED and a miracle happened! Having laser treatment would cost anywhere from $500-1000 out of pocket. But my own dermatologist is so sweet and was racking her brain has to how we could get it done for less money because she's just looking out for me. But then, this other doc says, "You know what, I want to show this student what I would do in this particular case if you were my patient, so let's just step over to my surgery suite and have a go, FOR FREE!" My dermatologist and I were almost jumping for joy! She was so excited for me! I was like, "Absolutely! Not only because it was free, but sure, teach a student! I'm all about these teaching moments!" So, boom, less an hour later, I'm walking out of there with the laser treatment doe for free and some more steroids shot into my scar! After bemoaning the fact that medical stuff sometimes takes forever to figure out (we've been talking about laser treatment for a few months, but were doing the steroid shots first), finally, something happens quickly and boom, it's done. Ah! I am so excited! Not because the scar will hopefully look better, but progress was made and someone was incredibly kind.

The process itself wasn't too bad. The doctor explained it pretty quickly, and honestly, I had no idea how a laser works. Basically, they are heating up the liquids (water, blood, etc) to the boiling point and damaging the scar tissue, causing the body to reheal itself. So, if I felt like the pain was getting too intense or hot, I had to tell him to stop because he was literally burning my skin on purpose. I had the numbing cream on so I tried not to hold out too long with the pain each time. I had to wear special goggles like you do when use a tanning bed, so I didn't get to see it done, but they said I did bleed a lot. I had taken ibuprofen earlier in the day. And I'm a bleeder naturally, too. But they managed. And then it was over. Simple. It might be sore but that's it. It's another 2-3 months before full results will be seen of course. So I will have more appointments to check on it. But I'm excited. I do sometimes like being that guinea pig! Now, the resident that did part of my surgery, according to this new doc, didn't do the initial cut the right way. And some of the scarring is from the stitches being too tight. But, based on my other spot, I also have the genetics to develop this keloids. Bummers. I'm happy that I do respond well to the steroids though.

So, I was very chipper when I went shopping. Taking unwanted clothes back to Kohl's was a breeze. Put your Kohl's charge card in and you don't even need your receipts because the computer knows what you bought and for how much and if you used Kohl's cash or whatever. And I made sure to keep all the tags so the clothes were easy to scan and the lady could use the tagging gun to put it back on. I spent too much at Meijer but remembered a few things that I always look for and some other things that had been on my list for months (who sells cream of rice? I need to know! I couldn't find it, but I also didn't look in the gluten free cereals necessarily. I haven't tried Kroger though.) And we ended the day watched 45 minutes of Master and Commander, which is EXACTLY the fictional story that goes along with a section that I read in our history chapter book today! Woot! Woot! This new book mentioned above starts in 1807. The Master and Commander movie is set in 1805. And the English/French battling on the high seas and causing Thomas Jefferson to put an embargo on shipping goods because of it was in our book today. I love it when it happens that way! Abishai was NOT happy when the ship was being blown apart though. Yes, buddy, it's scary when it happens in real life. Watch the news, bud, it's scary.

And that's it. The others had a normal day. Jared is still in pain. Kids did their school work. I read aloud to them. I skipped Abishai's schoolwork today because I was slow to get started and it was hard to get off the topic of yesterday's violence. He was pretty tender and hugged me a lot today. He can sense, like a dog does, when someone needs comfort. So that's what he did. Tomorrow is Bible class via Zoom so we can quarantine and regular school after that. Will we play board games during this "quarantine?" Nope, because Jared and I don't play games like they did on vacation and we are exhausted. There's still plenty to catch up on, too.

The only pic for today. The kids were waiting on me to finish my coffee at lunch and sitting with Jared so we could do our school work. I don't know why they like to cluster up like that. I actually left the couch bed out and laid down to read to them. Abishai played with his Playmobile trucks on the mattress beside me and I was the bridge when my knees was pulled up. A couple of times, he had me keep one leg down as the doorway. Justin just wanted to be done and shower. But you know, I like to read aloud, so I kept going. Until I almost made myself late for my appointment. Whoops!

The End