Thursday, June 12, 2014

Messy Miracles in the Making. . .: Just a little update

Messy Miracles in the Making. . .: Just a little update: So much happens in such a short time, it's hard to keep up with it all via this blog.  I guess I should do it more often.  So here'...

Just a little update

So much happens in such a short time, it's hard to keep up with it all via this blog.  I guess I should do it more often.  So here's a synopsis of where the CurkGang is right now. . . knowing this may all change by tonight.  LOL

Today I have Cody and Marriela home.  Marriela is highly agitated that she was "given" a cold and that I should be able to "take" it away as easily as it was given.  Not sure how to explain the epidemiology and transmission of viruses to my daughter, and if it doesn't end with "sit down and I'll take the stuffy nose away" it's all for naught anyways.   So I conceded that she's not a "fun" sick person.  Cody on the other hand, as long as his fever is down, is very fun.  Already beat him at a game of Battleship and now he's dueling it out with a virtual friend on Call of Duty while his antibiotics go to work.  Other than the continuing noisy wheezing you can hear from a room away, he seems just fine now.

Peter is on his way to Elmira.  They have created an end of the year award for athletes: The Peter Curkendall Male Athlete of the Year Award.  How cool is that?  This is the awards first year so he's going down to present it.  His dad is also in the ER again, second time in 2 days, and only 3 days out of rehab for 5 weeks.  It's very hard to watch our parents age and see them struggle with things.  It occurred to me that I am now the same age as my mom was when I married Peter.  How amazing is that?   It's wonderful and scary.  So please pray that we can find the means and way for Peter's dad to be independent AND safe.

The rest of the gang is well.  Trayvon is growing like a weed.  Size 14 feet (Lord I hope he doesn't grow into those feet!!) and officially "almost" as tall as I am (5'9") he just keeps looking more and more like a man every day. My sweet little boy who struggled to grow at all from 2 - 5 years old is now a growing machine (and an eating one).  Joshua, though done growing up, seems to still have room to grow "out".  We gave a trial off of his Adderall.  Due to his seizures and the inability to just "go out" anytime he would like, physical activity is difficult.  In addition, his Traumatic Brain Injury creates a chronic fatigue that the Adderall clearly was helping with.  Off of it, he is always hungry and slept all the time.  So he's back on it and as of today he was happy with only one bowl of cereal!  LOL  That was a learning curve I'm happy we've jumped off of!  Seizure wise, it seems he's having another increase.  He's needing his ativan about once a week or so.  But, this tends to cycle, so we'll see how it goes.

Sergio is holding his own.  The IV medication that has helped him stay free of ear and lung infections, may be the culprit in his monthly admissions. It seems that after every infusion he has a severe inflammatory response that results in fever and admission.  We are withholding this month's dose to see if our suspicions play out.  If they do, we're going to try a "sub Q" version, in which we place several small infusion needles in his tummy and infuse a smaller amount over a few hours weekly, rather than the one large dose monthly in his IV.  There seems to be a history of fewer reactions to this method so we pray that holds true for Sergio as well.

Nettie is doing well.  She has unfortunately begun to experience a "treatment failure" in that she is having side effects of her HIV medications as well as  small bump in the amount of virus found in her blood.  Because of the two issues, she has now been changed to a whole new medication regime. The first change in over 13 years!!  That's unheard of, so I guess I can't really complain.  It's amazingly wonderful that we actually have all new meds for her to go on because, only 5 years ago, she had taken them all at one point or another so if this had happened then, there were few choices to work with.  Today that is not true.  Even MORE amazing is that the three new meds are combined into one pill she only has to take one time daily!!  That means she goes from taking 9 pills a day to only one! She loves that.  The side effect she was having from her old meds is neuropathy of her feet.  Her toes are burning and painful, which is compounded by her need to wear foot/leg braces and use a walker. She has said that the burning isn't as bad since changing the meds so we are praying it's all reversible.  Otherwise, she is doing fantastic!

Peter and I are chugging along with school.  I have actually graduated with my M.Ed. in Education Administration.  Once I take my exams I'll be certified as a school building leader (principal).  Peter is within a semester of starting his 3000 hours of internship and is researching local options.  We are so close to finishing!  I am just going a bit longer to get my School District Leader Certificate so I can work as a Special Ed director or other district leadership position.  These credits will apply to my doctoral degree, eventually I will complete that as well in the future.

That's us in a nutshell.  Have a wonderful day.
Love,
Renee