Hello everyone! Happy midweek! Why do I feel like I have already lived an entire week already and it is only Wednesday morning? I must be tired this morning!
So if you caught my posts last week about Wyatt, you know we were in the hospital and kiddo had numerous tests due to some unexplained vomiting he was having. For Wyatt the biggest symptom he has when his shunt is malfunctioning is throwing up, so if he vomits more than once, we need to go to the ER. That all happened last week, and then even after being home this past week he has continued to have mornings where he throws up. I realized that there is a pattern, and it is always around the same time. It appears that on mornings Wyatt doesn’t eat enough for breakfast, his morning meds are making him sick. But it is super hard to convince a 9 year old to eat when they don’t want to, and while I explain to him why it is so important, I can only do so much. If anyone has any experience with medication and nausea, and has any other tips besides holding my child down and force feeding him (joke obviously) I would love to hear them! Right now we are having moderate success and it is interfering with school and therapy, not to mention I just hate him being sick.
However, there have been good moments! For one, I got to see the Northern Lights when they came far enough south on a cloudless night last Friday. It has always been one of my top bucket list items and I am so thankful to have seen them. The sky was a gorgeous shade of pink, and while I couldn’t see them perfectly due to light pollution I could see them better with the night mode camera setting on my phone (thanks Michigan Storm Chasers for this tip!) I didn’t get the most dramatic pictures but I could see them, and felt rather blessed to have been able to do so, even just a little.
Mother’s Day was a simple day but a very nice one. I slept in and Billy got up with Wyatt (who gets up with the dawn, I am not kidding lol) I had a tasty blueberry muffin for breakfast, and my guys gave me my gifts – a new copy of Watership Down for my collection and the cutest little custom made Lego, made to look like Wyatt. I love how this Lego Wyatt has a paintbrush in his hand with green paint – my favorite color and Wyatt’s favorite activity! There is a little wheelchair that is still on the way too. It is just the cutest little gift from Wyatt.
We met up with my own mom and my brother and his family, and my SIL’s mother for ice cream later that afternoon. It was a gorgeous day out! My brother and I took our mom for a drive while Billy and Wyatt went to Billy’s mom’s house. I just had Devin drop me off there after we dropped off our mom. The three of us had a nice drive. I had a delicious Cobb Salad for dinner, and we called it a night. Simple day, lovely day.
I have also been rolling along with getting our Cub Scout pack up and running. Billy and I had a meeting last night with the Executive Director and the Special Needs Coordinator over dinner and while I feel absolutely submerged in information, I can see it all coming together and I am very excited. And nervous, to be quite honest! I really want this to work out for Wyatt’s sake and for the other kids, and is a huge project on my heart right now.
We are also getting ready to take a month long break from school. We have already slowed down quite a bit, and then we will be taking all of June off. Wyatt has RicStar Music Camp in June, as well as a 48 hour EEG, and Billy will be working on the wheelchair ramp as well. It is just going to be a very busy month and it seems like a great place to take a break. We will pick up again after the 4th of July, school for about 6 weeks, then have a bit of a break at the end of August until the beginning of September – which is also when I am planning on actually starting our Scouts pack officially.
So that is where we are now in our lives. How are things with you?
(and now just some random photos from the camera roll)
Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.. 
Those Northern Lights! Beautiful.
I wish I had tips for overcoming the nausea problem. I hope others who have faced the situation themselves can offer some suggestions.
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Thank you! And thanks Deb.
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You did better than I on the sky. I don’t have a night filter on my camera. I need a new camera! So, all we saw was black sky. Sigh. But your pix are great!
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Michigan Storm Chasers suggested going out right after the sun went down on the Friday night so I did that, and I could see the pink/purple with my eyes, but then when I used my phone I got a few more colors. It was really neat! Hopefully we get another chance to see them this summer!
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June is going to be so busy but exciting! I can’t wait to see how it goes with the scout group. And the ramp. It’s all cool!
And I’m jealous of the northern lights but I love that you got to see them.
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Thanks Lisa! I am so excited but so nervous about all of it. LOL.
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You got this!
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Is there a possibility he could have his breakfast in increments…like a little now, a little more in 10 minutes or so? Maybe even include something that’s a real treat (like ice cream) in between getting all of the real breakfast down? I obviously do not have any problems with eating!
Your Mother’s Day sounded absolutely perfect. I heard from all three kids, and my youngest went plant shopping with me. He was going to help me plant, but I got impatient and got it done the day before.
I am so jealous you saw the Northern Lights. I went out every night, but I think there was just too much light pollution from Indianapolis.
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
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You know, that is a thought. I will try that! Thank you!
Aww I love the sound of your Mother’s Day as well!! I am glad you heard from all your children, and that you got to go plant shopping!!!
It was not easy. I read a tip to look at the sky using the night setting on your camera on your phone, and I could see a lot more. It must filter some of the light pollution. Hopefully they come back!
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Nausea is nothing to mess around with and I feel your pain on trying to get a kid who feels sick to eat. I’m not sure what medicines he can take but we had okay luck giving zofran about 30 minutes before Will would take his nausea causing meds. St. Jude also uses benadryl to fight nausea and that worked much better for him. Treating nausea before it happens is much easier. Other than that salty food is easier to stomach than sweet or bland foods so there were some mornings Will would have potato chips for breakfast just to have something in his stomach before chemo because you tend to not get as nauseous on an empty stomach. Lots of positive vibes and luck. Hopefully he will adapt to the meds soon so he won’t be as nausous.
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Ugh it is so hard!! I will ask about the benedryl, thank you! And thank you for the tip about salty foods too. I will try that. I am currently sitting next to him, trying to urge him to eat without pushing too hard – because you know once you do that it is game over, or at least it is with Wyatt. He can be so stubborn! Lol. I am hoping that he adapts pretty soon too, and that this is not a permanent thing with the meds. Thanks Katherine.
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Yay Northern Lights! We saw them very faintly here but there should be more soon apparently.
The breakfast thing is difficult. The increments idea is good, or maybe finding the most stomach-lining thing to have (does Wyatt drink milk?). Or just saying he can have whatever he wants (within reason!) for breakfast. Is he able to make the association between feeling bad and the breakfast thing? Not to patronise him – I know a good few adult runners who are terrible at eating after running then say they feel unwell, repeatedly!
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We could see them very faintly as well. I was so excited to see them!
The increments idea is a good one. I feel like I am always pushing him now to eat, eat, eat. and it makes him frustrated and more stubborn. (why is he so much like me?? lol) I did try the whatever he wants thing – I even let him eat cookies the other day even though I was horrified at myself.
He kind of does. I just think that he also is associating what he is eating now with throwing up. Like now he won’t eat toast, bagels, Club crackers… anything that has come back up. We see his doctor in person in a week so hopefully we get a better plan.
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