Kate Stowell

So I am very proud of myself today…I think we did 4 loads of laundry, 3 loads of dishes, lunch and dinner for ourselves and the boys, 1 shopping trip to Petco to get supplies for the classroom guinea pig, cleaned said guinea pig, shook out all the rugs, cleaned floors, folded laundry, put two little boys to bed, plus all sorts of various other miscellaneous things and it is only 9pm! I’ve always known just how much work my mom has  been doing around the house but it really hit home today. It makes such a difference when both Todd and I are working full time.

I also did quite a bit of gardening today. I planted bulbs and mulched two more big sections along the fence line. I think we need to go to Costco one more time to buy bulbs. I’m hoping I can get some in on Friday when I am off again. I want the backyard to look as nice as it can before we leave.

Tomorrow my mom is going home after being here for almost 6 months…it’s definitely going to take some getting used to. She has been such a big help when Daniel was little and colicky and more recently when I was recovering from surgery. It’s made me so happy that Ethan has truly gotten to know his grandmother and spend time with her. I know he will miss her when he she is gone. Daniel will be too little to remember, but I know it’s already made a big difference in his life to be able to stay home longer with grandma instead of having to go off to full time daycare at 6 weeks old.

Please also keep my cousin Tiffany and her husband and two year old son Loghan in your prayers. She hasn’t felt very well for several months, and she found out this weekend that she has a large tumor growing behind her heart. The doctors think it might be a lymphoma.

…and finally one small happy thing. We have a “borrowed” pet for the weekend. Ethan’s class at daycare just got a guinea pig named Scamper. I had a couple growing up and I LOVE them. They’re so much fun and so social. Today the guinea pig was running around her cage and “talking” to my mom’s dog Shadow. *sigh* I would love to have more pets but with how busy Todd and I are, how small the boys are, and how much moving we will likely be doing it just isn’t a good idea right now.

My latest thoughts on a job for next year is the pediatric clinic. I know, I thought I would never want to do peds, but I’m not sure I’d be much happier doing adult medicine. I’m going to ask for a departmental transfer this winter so I can get some experience at the peds clinic here in hopes of increasing my chances at Beaufort.

I need to schedule Daniel’s 6 month well baby tomorrow. I can’t believe he is 6  months already! He now sits with minimal assistance, rolls over both ways, “talks” constantly, and attempts to play with everything within his reach. When he is officially 6 months we will start the cereal. Because I had a huge store of milk he is still getting breast milk and I think I have enough to maybe make it to 7 months. Of that I am extremely proud because it took SO much effort to pump all that milk. I am so happy all my work is paying off.

I got to do some patient care today because we were busy. My assignment was actually great…I took care of a former 34 week preemie who developed enterobacter meningitis. Because it is shed for 6 weeks he has to be on contact precautions with 1:1 nursing. I gave him a bath this morning, fed him, and then chatted with mom and did discharge teaching when she came in. She also had another preemie in 2007 at our hospital and she recognized me from before. Luckily her first son was not that sick so I don’t really remember him, but it was fun to talk with her :).

Two more days until Todd comes home from California…I told him to take a picture of the True Blood set when he is out there. *Sigh* Sunday nights are not the same now that the season is over. Off to bed so I can get up early and go to the gym!

Just in case anyone who wanders onto the blog is newly diagnosed and panicking trying to find a doctor, I have two great resources I thought I would put out there (I found these on the thyca website):

American Thyroid Association

American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists

I was happy when I checked that my doctor is members of both societies…not a guarantee that they are any good, but at least they are interested enough to keep up on the literature!

In other medical news I am learning tons about the ins and outs of Tricare. I will definitely be a better nurse and a better consumer after all the education in discharge planning and insurance!

Because nights are so busy around here (big surprise with two little kids) I’m trying to switch my work out routine to mornings. I set out everything ahead of time last night and it worked out pretty well. I was up at 4:45 and immediately out the door and on the elliptical by 5am. It’s not convenient but I think it’s the only way to be somewhat consistent.

I saw the psychiatrist today to talk about the Celexa I’m taking. I think it must be helping because my mood is pretty good most days and the only side effect I have is some insomnia. She suggested I start taking it in the morning versus at night before bed. I hope this works, because I do love my sleep and it’s especially sad to be up when I don’t want to when I’m tired and fatigued from the hypothyroidism.

Tomorrow is head and neck cancer clinic with Dr. Sorensen. It always makes me nervous having appointments that have anything to do with cancer, even though I know he’ll have no news to tell me and everything surgically looks great. I do intend to ask him about what thyroid cancer services are available in the Beaufort area. I know the VA down there has endocrinology.

Have a great night!

It’s getting to be that time of year to start thinking about Christmas gifts. Last night Todd and I went out to dinner at one of my favorite Thai restaurants in the Rockville Town Square and then wandered around looking at some of the shops. They have this great toy store called Toy Kingdom and we started checking out stuff for the boys. I can’t WAIT until they are both old enough to get some of the cool science kits they have like crystal making, and solar observation. I used to love that stuff as a kid.

Practically, because Daniel is still little and toys need to be safe for both boys I think we should get them some of those big wooden building blocks and maybe some fake food. Ethan loves the fake food in the kitchen they have at day care and he constantly plays with the shopping cart uncle Tom got for him.

Because I am so hard to shop for this year I am actually trying to make a reasonable Christmas wish list. This is what I’ve come up with so far:

A new Vera Bradley purse in Caffe Latte or Java Blue

True Blood Merlotte’s mug

Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks gift cards

A subscription to the National Association of Neonatal Nurses journal

…and of course my number one wish, a cancer free 2010!

What’s on your Christmas wish list?

Out for a dinner date with my husband!

After a long, exhausting week it’s finally Friday. Work was actually quiet today so I was able to get some collaterals done, including putting in paperwork to take my RNC exam. When I was doing the research I found out that the testing centers are at H&R Block. Kind of odd, but ok.

I’m really hoping that doing discharge planning next month will lead to more LT type positions. I really don’t want to get to Beaufort and be put back on the floor with every other ensign, and I already found out that another JG from the NICU who is going to Beaufort this fall will be doing just that.

The boys were good today and Ethan got his flu shot. Daniel is finally sounding better like he is getting over his cold. I am just hoping that neither boy gets the flu this winter, especially since they are both in day care. Todd, Ethan, and I are all vaccinated against the seasonal flu and next month Daniel can get his first dose but will not be fully vaccinated until mid-way through the flu season.

Tomorrow I am really going to try and get to the gym when the boys are sleeping…I can’t begin to tell you how much I am looking forward to sleeping in past 5am! Have a great night.

Almost a week with no posts and now two in one day! I finally got home on time today after two days of insanity. The sad thing was another baby died today. It was the 23 weeker I took care of on Monday. I was orienting to discharge planner again and during rounds I was watching the little guy have a desat and then get suctioned…when the nurse started clearing the catheter I saw a long stream of blood go through. This is now the 4th pulmonary hemorrhage I’ve seen and every time I’ve seen blood come up it’s been a herald sign for disaster. He also had a huge pneumo. The only good thing was the parents were able to watch the code and then hold him when we took him off of support. Every code I have seen the parents say it gives them so much more comfort to see that everything was done for their baby than to wonder what their last minutes were like.

In happier news my parathyroid function is back! I got results from the test last Friday and the level is up to 22 (above 13 is normal). No more massive caclium pills 3x per day. The next test I’ll have is retaking the urine iodine to see if it is still in the 100′s. I think my endocrinologist said it needs to be below 50 to do the RAI.

I know it’s been awhile since I posted but it has been BUSY! Saturday in the morning we rented a rototiller and put in tons of compost and dirt to amend the soil on the fenceline. The reason? I now have a mini-blueberry farm in the city! We also bought a bunch of bulbs and a barberry bush to replace some of the azalea bushes we’ve been pulling out.

That night one of my Dad’s former gastroenterology fellows stopped by to visit with his wife and two year old. It was fun for Ethan to have another little person for the evening. We also celebrated my dad’s 61st birthday that night. My mom actually managed to get 61 candles on the cake. By the time he blew them out there was wax all over the cake :).

Sunday my dad went home, and Monday when I walked into work it was CRAZY. I’m supposed to be orienting to the discharge planner role but it was just too busy so I ended up working on the floor and taking a 23 weeker. I guess they got 23 week twins, a 23 week singleton, a little trisomy 18 girl who went to surgery for a TE fistula repair, and a gastroschisis baby plus all the other kids we had. I didn’t end up getting home until 8:30 that night.

Yesterday I was at a STABLE instructor class. I actually got to meet two “superstars” in the neonataology world- Kris Karlesen (www.stableprogram.com) and Dr. Burt Bunnell, the creator of the Jet Ventilator (http://www.bunl.com/jet.html). Only neonatology nerds will think this is cool, but it really was :).

And now off to work. Have a great day!