Saturday, November 13, 2010

A Tribute to Our Vets

This Veteran's Day Kevin and I spent the morning and lunch time together at home, then loaded up Nicholas to head to the girls school. The third graders had a special program planned for this special day to honor our Vets! To start the program off, they sang the National Anthem, then went on to say the Pledge of Allegiance as well as the Pledge to the Texas Flag. Following that was a moment of silence, then a few words were shared by a couple Vietnam Vets. The student council then presented Certificate of Appreciation to the vets that were there. Kevin received one, of course, when his name was called him and Nicholas had just walked outside. Kev was trying to get Nic to calm down from where he was acting like a typical three year old with no nap. With that being said, when Kevin's name was called, I had to walk up and receive his award. Not the way it was supposed to go at all! Following this, the third graders sang a few more songs then everyone was released since it was almost 3pm. Caitlin was able to sit with us during this program since Kev was able to attend and is a vet.

Happy Veteran's Day to all that have served and are currently serving! May your selfless acts and sacrifices never go unnoticed!






Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Stabbing of The Orange Soda

You know, I love my son dearly and could not imagine my life without him.... But what is wrong with this child? So over the weekend he for some reason felt the need to get one of the sharp corn holder things out of the drawer and stab one of my orange sodas. Yes, you read correctly. He stabbed it! Kevin and I walked into the kitchen when I noticed some orange drink on the counter. I cleaned it up then moved the sodas and low and behold, one started leaking all over me. Right beside the soda sat a yellow corn holder... What in his right mind made him do this? This kid is nuts! I totally understand that kids may get hungry in the middle of the night and want something to eat. The girls would normally either go back to sleep or come wake us up. Not Nicholas. No, he grabs the three slices of bread that are left and takes it to his room to eat it. Or, tortillas. Any wild guesses on what we have done in order to prevent this? Okay, well let me just tell you all. I had to take the door knob off of his door and switch it with the one on the pantry. Yes, I have to LOCK our pantry every night in order to keep this mischief child out of it! Not even cool! Glad I am quick on my toes when it comes to these kids. Now, if only I could figure out a way to keep the refrigerator locked at night.... Any suggestions? I am open to all ideas! Nic sure knows how to keep us on our toes and always a step ahead! He is "napping" as I write this.... Other than that, I would not have the time to be on the computer just to share what mess he has made or the days of our chaotic life. So, in the end, when people tell you boys are different than girls. Take it and further educate yourself! No matter what you do, you can never be prepared for a little boy! Lol. The picture included in this is not of the same messy drink. We had to act quick and pour it into a cup. But, it is the same type of bottle next to the corn holder thing that Nic decided to use as he stabbed it!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

A Re-cap of Britt's Hospital Stay

First, thank you to everyone for all the prayers, emails, text messages, and phone calls! I am sorry to the ones I have yet to respond to. I tried my hardest while in the hospital to respond, but honestly, I was in a lot of pain and quite uncomfortable. So, in between the visits from Kev and our kids, I mainly slept. They had me on Demerol and phenergan  every four hours.

So, onto what all happened.....

We celebrated Bre's ninth birthday on October 30 with our friends and her friends out here in El Paso. Which turned out to be a big hit and Bre had a blast! Thank you to those that made it out, called, sent her cards and gifts! She appreciates it all! Kev and I did buy her a cell phone and added her to our family plan. Contact me if you would like her number! She has a "cool" baby pink phone with a full keyboard and let me just tell you... she LOVES being able to text message everyone. So if you have texting on your phone, be prepared! : )

Around midnight I went into the bathroom, feeling totally normal. I came out doubled over and screaming because the pain was so intense. As the night went on I got worse. None of this was a gradual come on, it was all sudden. Yes, everyone had already left at this point. For about six hours I slept off and on. When I wasn't sleeping I was vomiting and screaming in pain. The pain continued to get worse. Kevin tried everything to help make the pain stop. I kept telling him I was scared because the pain felt like it did when I went into kidney failure a little over two months ago. So, at this point when nothing was easing the pain, I couldn't stand up on my own, I was crawling on the floor, I was once again unable to urinate on my own, I was shaking uncontrollably from the pain, we decided it was time to make that much dreaded trip to Providence's ER. Thankfully Justin and Lauren had stayed over so they helped us out by staying with the kids. So, off to Providence we went. When we arrived Kev rushed into the ER to get me a wheelchair, then came out to get me, which they took me straight back. It took four or fivev nurses to finally find a spot in my arm in order to get blood and push the fluids through.  Which of course as soon as I got upstairs, another nurse had to place a new catheter in a different spot for all that was being pushed through me. (I am still real bruised on my right arm). After hours of testing, around 230 they came in to my triage area to announce that I was going to be admitted due to kidney stones, an infection in my colon, and severe dehydration (which was caused from six hours of vomiting). Kev went ahead and headed home at this point in order to relive Justin and Lauren, get the kids, go to Wal-Mart, come by the hospital with some of my things, then go home and get the kids ready for trick-or-treating and take them out. Talk about a crazy and hectic Sunday in the Biddle house! I was finally taken to my room around 4 or so that afternoon. I am beginning to think they should just make me a permanent room! Haha, just a joke!

Once in my room, they started pumping me full of the meds and more antibiotics. I was told I should be able to go home the following day.... That of course, didn't happen. I was not discharged until Friday afternoon. It was an insane and intense week full of testing, labs and so much more. There was more going on that we originally thought. Come to find out I went into kidney failure once again on Monday at some point. By Thursday they finally had my kidneys up and at functioning properly. I was under the care of a primary doctor as well as four specialists. I underwent a few procedures and lab work three times a day. On Friday all the docs came by to sign off on my discharge papers and to update me on all that was going on. Turns out I did have kidney stones, a few that I passed through the  catheter, still have one that will remain in my kidney until the meds break it up and it dissolves,  not only did I have an infection in my colon (colitis) but I also was bleeding outside of my colon. To this point we are still not sure what caused this. From all of this I started vomiting uncontrollably, which played a part in me falling back into kidney failure. I am also anemic again and Vit D deficient. From this point on I stand very high chances of more kidney stones forming and am at a risk of kidney failure occurring more times in the future. I was told that if I start vomiting and within one hour am not able to hold anything down I have to now report straight to the ER for an immediate IV in hopes to reduce my chance of kidney failure, as well as watching the meds, drinks, and food that I take in. This is for the rest of my life. Needless to say, many things have now changed. All things that I can change up with a smile on my face because I am still here, breathing and living my life. Yes, it does stand in the way of certain things, like me being able to work right now. I can no longer go meet up with the girls for a drink or enjoy a couple of drinks out with my husband. I cannot take certain medications anymore. I can't go without having something to drink almost at all times. I have to limit the amount of food and drinks that acidic. There is so much more, but as I said, I am just forever grateful to still be here with my kids, husband, family and friends. There is no other place that I would rather be than sitting here in my bed right now writing this.

Thank you to everyone that has stood beside us and thank you even more for all the prayers! I know I/we have a long road ahead of us with all that my health has to go through, but it is another obstacle that we will fight and come through on top! I am determined not to let this keep me down. As you all know, I have other health issues that I have been facing daily for many years now. This just adds to it all, but I am here and with my family. God is keeping me here for a reason and I plan on living and enjoying my life every single day! As for now, we are just living day to day and not stressing nor planning anything too far in the future. Life is too short to not live for today! I am sure we all know this and have learned it over the last few years. I could not be anymore blessed than I am to have the amazing family and extended family and friends that I do have. I love you all!