Check up with Specialist

Every time I go to Miami Children's to see Dr. Grossman  I always feel over emotional. It's so hard hearing what he has to say. Most the time I usually know what he's going to say beforehand and today I knew part of it. Camryn needs more botox. She has tightness under her arm in her muscles there and her peck muscle. This is preventing her from getting over head. Dr. Grossman said she may need three more botox procedures in order to correct the muscles from working the wrong way. She'll probably have it done in the next three weeks. After leaving today I really felt defeated. He said she's regressing a bit because she has grown so much over the past couple of months. It's so hard as a parent who has put so much into Cam's recovery to hear that. I felt completely beaten. For the first time ever he said in black and white that she will never have 100% function in her arm and that this is a lifelong injury and she'll need lifelong therapies and procedures. I guess I have always known that but today it really hit home to hear her doctor say it. It felt so real. Who wants to think their child will never be 100%? Especially, after all the sacrifices my husband and I have made for her and all the hard work we have done. I know, she wouldn't be where she is today if we hadn't but it still hurts.

Some great things that happened today were that they are finally starting a support group for Erb's Palsy at Miami Children's Hospital. Two things, I wish the hospital were closer and I wish this had happened 2 years ago. I'm so thankful that other parents will finally have the support they need. This will be the first type of group in South Florida so it's very exciting. I will try and be a part of it but it's hard with work and it being so far away.

Another thing that is in the works and beginning stages of planning is the start of an annual picnic for South Florida families that see Dr. Grossman. I think it will be so nice to see other families in our area and be able to network and have a good time with them. I can't wait to see how all the children interact with each other too! Maybe Cam will make a lifelong friend :)

That's it for now as I'm completely wiped from chasing a toddler around all day.

Terrible Two's

Camryn has officially started the terrible two's! It's awful and exhausting. She just throws the worst tantrums in the middle of anywhere. Any advice? We ignore the tantrums as much as possible but when we are in public there is only so much ignoring we can do. How long does this phase last?

Dear Parents with Sick Kids

Dear Parents,

 Please stop sending your children to school sick. I know I've thought about it many of times as a parent, but don't. I'm a teacher and a parent and can see both sides of the stick but just don't. Cam went to school perfectly healthy last week, and one sick child who came to school Tuesday spread their entire virus to our entire family. Not only was Cam sick for days but I got sick and so did my husband. If they had just kept their sick child at home and taken a sick day I wouldn't have had to deal with my entire family being sick as well. I get it, you have to work and can't really miss the days. I'm right there with you, I have no sick days left. But, as a parent you make sacrifices and those to me are my sick days. (As a parent you don't get sick days.)  I know staying home with a sick child is no fun but think about all the other kids and families you are sickening when you send your child into school. I don't mean this to offend anyone or to make anyone angry it's just how I feel. I don't have anyone to watch Camryn on a sick day (it's just me) and if it lasts more than a couple of days maybe I can beg my husband to spare an afternoon or morning so I can go into work for a little. But, we don't send her to school sick. It's not medicate and go anyway. My husband and I were seriously out of commission the entire weekend and couldn't ask for help from any family because we were afraid of spreading what we had.

Please, if your child is sick please keep them home and make that sacrifice, for them, and the rest of the families that your children go to school with.

Stomach Bug

Camryn had her first throwing up stomach bug. She was fine all day yesterday and went to bed great. She woke up around 9:45 and there was throw up everywhere. I felt so helpless. We immediately put her in a bath and we were in her room after and she threw up again, this time all over me :( We both went back into the bath. After her third bath of the night we went downstairs and she kept throwing up but had nothing really left in her stomach. It was just awful. Thank goodness my father in law is an MD and he gave us the ok to crush up a zofran and give her some. I think that helped. Of course, we watched Finding Nemo (Cam's new obsession) until around 11:15. She finally went back to bed but awoke again around 1:30 hysterical. I picked her up out of the crib and just sat with her for a while and she fell back asleep. I'm trying to let her sleep but it's now 6:06 and I just heard her stir and cry a bit. I haven't decided if I'm going to work today because I'm waiting to see how Cam feels and if she can go to school. I'm showered and up even though I didn't sleep much.  I hope this ends quickly.

Cam's First Bloody Boo Boo

I feel so guilty, Cam had her first bloody accident today. She tripped, of course she didn't catch herself and her face hit the floor pretty hard. At first I thought she was fine and it wasn't so bad but she started bleeding :( She cut her gums and got a bloody nose. My poor baby, I felt so bad. I gave her an ice pop right away, hopefully it won't swell. She was fine after and laughing and enjoying her bath but it was still bleeding a little. I've never felt so awful.

Cast

This is the cast Camryn wore for 2.5 weeks. She also had a hard neck brace too.