Out of the house
last update: 08/23 @ 18:53
Robert is doing much better now after 10 days or so and we took advantage of the cool(ish) morning to visit a new park. Well, the Winkler Botanic Preserve has been around since the ’70s, but it was new to us. There are a few more photos in the vacations section.

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Better but resting
last update: 08/18 @ 12:20

Perhaps, at last, maybe Robert is feeling a bit better? We went out this morning, watched some construction workers on the Avenue for a bit, strolled to the library and changed out a few books. He’s still down a quart or two food and drink wise but I reckon he’ll pick it all back up again once his throat heals. (I remember how fast that peach and blueberry pie went last year.) He found some make-believe clothes, donned them and went upstairs for the first time today to watch a little Mythbusters. I think he’ll rest for a while now. -SZap

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A little bit better
last update: 08/17 @ 22:53

FYI: Robert is feeling a little bit better. No ER visits, nothing too untoward, just him feeling very very under the weather.

We did make it out to Barnes and Noble for a special book buying treat and will hope to make it to the library for some more reading time tomorrow. (One excursion tuckered him out today.) As his Mom I wish it didn’t hurt at all, and also as him Mom, I’m glad all that snoring and sleep apnea seems to be improved already. By next week I hope all this will be a distant memory.

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Tonsillectomy Reaction
last update: 08/15 @ 14:48

It has been a bit of a blur for me: We took Robert to the surgery center Wednesday morning and brought him home after lunch. We got some medicine into him that afternoon and he had a good nap.

He was really upset after his nap to realize he missed breakfast and lunch. He was also really confused about waking up the same day. But we managed to get more medicine into him and and some food and liquids as well.

We woke him up twice (every four hours, like the RX said) during the night for pain killers and he mostly took them OK. The next day Sarah said he was mostly lying around the house and relaxing; generally doing OK. Medicine that night, Thursday, was a little harder to coax down and I don’t think we managed a full dose at 3:30am. By 7:30am Friday it was clear we were not able to coax in a full dose — really barely anything. And Sarah said he had some bloody vomit that probably brought up whatever medication was in his stomach.

Sarah talked with the surgery center folks, they prescribed a different pain killer and I came home to keep an eye on an uncomfortably sleeping Robert while Sarah went to the drug store. Unfortunately, things were pretty confused there.

By the time Sarah came back, without any new meds because of the confusion over what had already been prescribed, I had woken Robert up twice to try to get him to drink a sip of anything. We were talking with the pediatrician’s office about secrets to getting a 5 year old to take medicine he doesn’t like (there aren’t any) and what to look for when dehydration sets in (listlessness and 8 - 10 hours without urination). I was convinced we’d be heading the ER by midnight for IV fluids and pain meds.

The pediatrician’s office mentioned Tylenol suppositories as something which might work better since he didn’t need to swallow them. And I called to the pharmacy to see what all the confusion was. The pharmacist said the new meds had just been called in and she strongly recommended we go ahead and the get anti-nausea RX filled, even though it was optional.

Sarah headed off again and I started to contemplate the ER at midnight on a Friday. However, after the anti-nausea and Tylenol were “on-board,” Robert literally bounced back. He was out of bed, hopping around a bit and now is OK with taking the new pain meds, drinking a reasonable amount and eating enough to keep something in his stomach to pad the medications.

So we avoided the ER (so far) and he seems to be doing much better today. I’ve heard 3 days or so for recovery is not unheard of, but I’ve also heard days 7- 10 are normally the hardest. I’m really hoping Robert falls into the former camp.

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Recovering
last update: 08/12 @ 22:10

So far (with good coverage from the pain meds perhaps), Robert’s appetite has not suffered. He was asleep in the car on the way home and we had to wake him up for his first round of medicine. But that got him up.

Unfortunately, he thought it was morning and he had slept through the night. He got really upset when Sarah mentioned dinner and explained that we forgot to give him lunch first. I think we made it up to him with jello and ice cream topped French toast for “breakfast,” sorbet and flavor ice for “lunch” and ice cream topped french toast for “dinner”. We even managed to sneak a banana in as a snack.

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On the way in; on the way out…
last update: 08/12 @ 22:04

Today was tonsil removal day for Robert. He was genuinely excited about the whole thing. He and Sarah visited the surgical center Monday so he could look forward to the big salt water fish tank and Sarah knew what the place looked like. And we’ve been reading a couple books about tonsillectomy surgery — though most are dated and assume an overnight stay in the hospital.

We were on time, the surgeon was running a little late (par for the course) but Sarah (thrilled in her Ompa Lompa outfit) was able to take Robert back to the operating room at about 10 and the surgeon came to tell us it all went fine at about 10:30.

Robert was predictably groggy in the recovery room, but he came around and ate a popsicle while watching the Sponge Bob marathon through half closed eyes. He came through the surgery like a champ. Now we need to keep up with the pain meds and help him stay hydrated and see how he does for the next couple of weeks.

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One more baseball photo…
last update: 08/09 @ 23:24
Sarah’s great shot of Robert at tonight’s game.

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Robert’s First Baseball Game
last update: 08/09 @ 20:55

Sarah took Robert and me to the ballgame today. She’s an old hand with the new Nationals Stadium having gone to a game with her brother back in May.

It was about 50 degrees warmer today. Fortunately, we managed to stay in the shade most of the time. Robert was interested in the game for several innings but was bummed when the playland was closed due to heat.

And Sarah had time to electronically trash-talk as the Nationals were doing surprisingly well…

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golf balls
last update: 08/08 @ 23:45
Sarah tells the stories much better about the various doctors who have examined Robert’s throat and the different ways they describe his tonsils. Uncle Hank pointed out that at a recent conference he attended one of the speakers talked about how pediatricians no longer advise taking tonsils out so often but that pediatricians don’t see the long term impact of leaving tonsils in since they don’t see the kids once they have grown up. We decided Robert does not need the golf balls in the back of his throat and so we’re stocking up on Jello and non-dairy sorbet.

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Thanks Atlanta Family
last update: 08/04 @ 21:45

Thanks for the final round of birthday parties. It was very festive thanks to Susan’s planning. Two cakes and a couple of renditions of “Happy Birthday to You” were sung to Robert & Uncle in law Chuck (July 22nd), to Steve (July 26th) and Loren (July 31.)

(When I clicked on this pic to make it bigger it seemed so familiar. Probably because it’s “Luncheon of the Boating Party” redeux. (See http:www.phillipscollection.org/collection/boating/index.aspx )

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CANONBALL!!!!!!!
last update: 08/04 @ 21:32

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Birthday parties winding down
last update: 08/02 @ 22:33
We just came back from a lighting fast visit to Atlanta. We were able to help swap permanent furniture in for Smom’s temporary furniture in her new apartment.

And we celebrated all the family July birthdays: Robert, Robert’s uncle-in-law Chuck, Steve and Loren. Loren enjoyed reading Happy Birthday to You by Dr. Suess to Robert (and the rest of us enjoyed listening in). This is the copy that came from David’s Elementary School in Augusta; the same school where Smom worked in the library — that might explain how this library book ended up in the family.

And few things can be as artistically inspiring as a visit to Loren and Susan’s house. Just check out the tomato collection that greeted us on the table when we arrived. That, and the cool art box in “his room” inspired Robert to paint some water colors.

While it was a short trip, we had a chance to catch up with Steve, Helen and Aaron, play in the tree house, eat too much (including two birthday cakes — one dairy and one dairy-free) and had a great afternoon at the pool. The pool party’s high point was Robert’s first (and second, third, fourth…) jump off the diving board in the deep end. Including, by the end of the evening, several cannonballs!!!

Lots of fun to be had by all, especially the quartet of birthday boys.

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