Orthotics, Endochrin and a Lesson

We went back to the orthotist for a six-month check-up for Justin's orthotics.  There are three things they check: length, width, and girth.  Girth of your foot, that made me laugh, but that's what was getting tight on Justin.  He hasn't needed new shoes, so I knew that he hadn't grown that much, but I felt like they were getting too tight around.  I pinched his skin once when I put them on and gave him a little blister.  Ouch!  Instead of getting new ones, he gave us a little extra piece to fit in between, where the two pieces meet, which should buy us a couple of months more.  I love resourcefulness!  We will go back in a month or two to get fitted for another set.

And I am proud to announce that we have a walker!  I think it is safe to say that Justin walks more than he crawls.  He is still unsteady, but he wants to be on his feet and he struggles to stay there.  Just what we like to see.  He can do things while standing too.  He can play, push doors closed, climb, grab items off shelves (or Christmas trees...), and tons more.  I think the orthotics have been really helpful for Justin, and he likes wearing them.

Yesterday we went to the endocrinologist for another six-month check-up.  I had to take Travis with me because he is still sick and I cannot leave him to infect anyone.  Justin is sick too, but I figured that would just have to be the way it was.  She checked his measurements and noted that he hadn't grown much since her last visit, except his head.  Not sure about that...  I wasn't surprised since he is still wearing 18-month clothes and I haven't bought him new shoes.  She said that we need to feed him more and I told her that Justin often eats more than Travis.  And all his food goes to his belly, which I am not sure can get much bigger.  We have tried squeezing him to see if we can get some of it down into his legs or out to his arms, but it hasn't worked yet and Justin's not a big fan.  ;)

The same day my mom had her port installed for chemo.  Kind of sounds like she's a construction site or something to have the port "installed".  Anyway, it was surgery, so she needed to be released to someone after she was awake and ready to go.  All the way up four floors where she would then have a chemo treatment that would take another couple of hours at least.  And then Randy would pick her up after work and bring her home.  So really it would only take about 30 minutes to sign her out and drop her off at chemo.  Since I was there already for Justin's appointment, it was agreed that I would drop the boys with Randy for lunch, go transfer my mom, and get the kids and head home.  Well, of course it didn't work out that way.  She was supposed to be there at 8:30 am.  When I got there at noon she had just gone in for surgery.  It took an hour and a half for surgery and for her to wake up to see me.  Then it was another two and a half hours before she was ready to leave post op!  By the time I took her up to chemo it was 4 pm and the boys had been with Randy more than four hours.  Not quite the plan.

My mother was beside herself apologizing and wishing it had gone better.   But the word Randy used to describe the boys was "awesome".  They had moved into a conference room and right after lunch Justin had crawled up in Randy's lap and gone to sleep.  Travis took his school bag with books and papers and told Randy that he had lots of paperwork to do and not to worry about him.  So Randy typed with his left hand and did as much work as he could.  And Travis earned a little spending money unloading the paper boxes and filing the copy machine.  Apparently a less than desirable job for Randy and his co-workers, but more than thrilling for a four-and-a-half year-old.

We didn't get home until after 5 pm and Randy and my mom were out until nearly 10 pm.  When I talked with my mom later she continued to apologize.  I told her that she needed to understand that this is a time that she is going to have to ask for help from family and friends.  And that help might inconvenience them.  And that has to be okay.  A simple "I'm sorry" and it's over.  She cannot continue to fret and worry because that won't solve the problem.  She said that she hoped to learn that lesson quickly.  She said that's what she had prayed for, to be a quick learner.  I thought that would be a good prayer for me too!