Friday, October 30, 2009

Happy Halloween!

Enjoy this spooky picture I took while trick-or-treating with the girls.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency and the Flu

Grace has come down with the flu, just which virus it is...I don't know.

I'm betting that many parents of children with Alpha-1 have questions about how to treat their children when they have illnesses. Hey Alpha parents out there in cyberspace! Is this a concern of yours?

My oldest baby girl, Gracie, is sick, sick, and more sick right now. Recently, we decided to switch both Grace and Meghan to Dr. Jeffrey Teckman's care. He indicated to us that we should only be using Tylenol to treat run of the mill childhood infections. Upon hearing this, we began following his orders.

But now, Gracie is going on almost day 3 of high fevers. Has anyone else noticed that Tylenol doesn't last as long as ibuprofen?

Since Alpha-1 in children is a genetic disorder of the liver, I also want to be careful of how much Tylenol we give Gracie right now. It is fine line between using Tylenol at correct dosages to treat her fever, but also hard not to imagine accidentally inducing Tylenol toxicity in her liver if we give it to her too often. Perhaps I'm a bit more of a worrier than the next Alpha-1 mom or dad, but these are things I've been mulling over today.

Even though Grace currently has a flu virus, I still want to get her annual influenza vaccination. We were told Grace and Meghan should not have the flu mist because it is live virus. So that is bad news from my kids' perspective as they already detest shots, but the flu shot contains dead virus. When they are both healthy again, I'm taking them in for their shots. I hope to be able to get them the H1N1 vaccine, too.

Anyone else out there consider these issues? Let me know via a comment. Thanks.

Stay healthy!

Friday, October 23, 2009

Hey Grim Reaper! Buzz Off!

To quote my future sister-in-law, Sarah, who so eloquently said, "Hey Grim Reaper! Buzz the he-- off!"

In September, my cousin Diane lost her precious one-year old daughter, Abigail, in a horrific choking accident.

My brother-in-laws' office announced it was closing, and he may need to move my pregnant sister and nieces and nephew to Minnesota next year.

My mom was diagnosed with skin cancer near her collar bone, and the biopsy report came back indicating they weren't able to remove it all with the surgery.

Grandma Lindamood passed away from a heart attack last week.

Today, Uncle Gary was diagnosed with an advanced form of colon cancer, and his prognosis doesn't look too good. Also, Uncle Mike had a stroke, but it appears he may recover with time and patience.

Grim Reaper! Buzz off!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Reunion

Grandma's passing was a sad reason for a reunion, but it was a reunion nonetheless for my mom and her siblings.



Tuesday, October 20, 2009

RIP Grandma



June L. Lindamood, 85, of Decatur died Thursday October 15, 2009 in Decatur Memorial Hospital. June was born on September 26, 1924 the daughter of Ruffus and Irene (Van Meter) Cook. She was a member of Wilmington Chapter No. 176, Order of Eastern Star; Wilmington Court No. 13, Order of Amaranth and was Worthy Matron in 1969. She was co-owner and bookkeeper of Lindamood Sheet Metal Company in Wilmington. During her time in Wilmington She was a member of the First Methodist Church. In her younger days she enjoyed playing golf at the Braidwood Recreation Club. She Graduated from College of Dupage in Glen Ellyn, IL. She also worked as a CNA in Wisconsin. She married Eugene W. Lindamood on July 5, 1943 in Atlanta, GA he preceded her in death on February 3, 1999. She is survived by her sons, Kenneth Wayne Hobbs Sr. of Decatur; Gary Lindamood of Wilmington; David Lindamood and wife Shelia of Macon; daughters, Sherry Childress of Surprise, AZ; Susan Kurzer and husband Robert of Scottsdale, AZ; Joy Lindamood of Decatur; special cousin, Robert Bradley; nineteen grandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren; and her pets, Little Pug, Ellie and Midnight. She was preceded in death by parents, husband, two sons, Marc Lindamood and William Thomas Lindamood II, two brothers and one sister.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Freaky Deaky

"Mom," Meghan whispered as I chatted with my sister on the phone.

I whispered back, "Meghan. Mommy is on the phone. I'll talk to you after I hang up."

"But Mom," she whispered again. "Cole loves me, and I love him."

This caught my attention quickly, but a wide grin emerged across her thin face as she coyly turned to leave the room.

From the girl's room, I could hear Grace yelling. "Meghan! Meghan! Did you tell Mommy who I love? 'Cause you weren't supposed to tell! You weren't supposed to tell!"

As I wrapped up my phone call, I spoke into the air toward the hallway. "No Grace. She didn't tell me that. She said she loves Cole."

"Oh. Okay. Annnyyyywwwwaaaayyyyy, 'cause I love Trevor. He is so cute, and can run really, really fast. I love Trevor. He plays with me on the playground."

Meghan joined in, "I love Cole. He kisses me."

As I walked into their room, I asked, "Where does he kiss you Meghan?"

"At school, on the playground, Mom."

"Uh. I meant where on your body does he kiss you, Meghan?"

"On my cheek, Mom. I love Cole."

Grace added, "Trevor is so cute. I love him."

"Is he in your class again this year, Gracie?"

"Uh huh. He's in my class."

As I rubbed my forehead, I observed, "This is freaky deaky. I can't believe my baby girls are telling me who they love at ages 7 and 5. Freaky deaky!"

Saturday, October 03, 2009

1st Library Cards

Today, the girls proudly obtained their first library cards. I smiled as they each carefully printed their names on the cards. :) Also notice that they each got their hair cut yesterday.