The pink eyed, slimy nosed, three eared monster

Well......there are sick children at our house again! Liam, our two year old, has a double ear infection and pink eye! Liam has already had 3 sets of tubes and adenoids removed then scraped because they grew back. He has also had his tonsils removed and a bilateral ear wax removal. With all this, one would think he would be semi-healthy.....not so much! This double ear infection is after having strep throat two weeks ago. On Friday had Liam just finished the antibiotic to treat strep throat. On Monday Liam's day care called suspecting he had pink eye. We were convinced it may be due to his sinuses draining. His eyes were getting worse and that is what prompted us to take him to the doctor. He is now on antibiotics for a double ear infection and pink eye!

Lainey is also having some issues with sinus drainage. She has had a slimy, green nose and the beginning of an ear infection in her right ear. She was running a fever on Monday, so I called her CF doctor. Of course Lainey is now on the old standby ~ Bactrim! With the combination of the Bactrim and the eye drops she was prescribed, Vigamox, her eyes are looking much better!

I am hoping everyone is well soon because this weekend the boys are going to hang out with their Papa Dan and I am going to my grandparent's house in South Georgia. I will be taking Lainey, but she is really easy to deal with even though she requires numerous meds and CPT. Maybe I will get to relax and actually hang out with adults! I always enjoy visiting with my grandparents. I am very lucky to still have both grandparents on my dad's side as well as my mother's side of the family!

Please pray that everyone is well soon, therefore I can keep my plans of relaxing and hanging out with my grandparents this weekend!

DeAnn

A Buggy Kind of Day

Lainey and I enjoyed playing today while the boys were taking a nap! We needed some girl time since I went to the CF Family Day at Emory in Atlanta Friday night and got home Saturday evening. Sid had to work all weekend and the CF Family Day began at 8:00 am on Saturday, therefore I had to find places for the kids to hang out! Lainey went with Gigi and Papa to Warner Robins, Georgia on Friday and came back Saturday night. Lainey got to go see her Great Grandpa Bob, Great Grandma Lil, Great Pop, and Great Grandma Dorothy while she was visiting in Warner Robins. Liam and Logan went to hang at their Papa Dan's house Friday night until I picked them up on Saturday evening. Liam and Logan got to visit with their Great Grandma Barbara. Although I was told that each kid was very well behaved, each grandparent looked worn out!





Friday night, Jenn and I went to Atlanta to eat (without kids and husbands) and spent the night at Grandmomma's house (Jenn's Grandmother-in-law). Grandmomma lives on the same road as the Cystic Fibrosis Center at Egleston! We had a great time eating at Chili's without someone throwing a fit, someone needing more juice, someone tying to get out of the highchair, and someone having to go to the bathroom! It was nice to have an adult conversation and actually enjoy a meal! Staying at Grandmomma's was also great because we left her house at 7:50 am for the CF Family Day, which began at 8:00 am! This was way better than driving an hour from Gainesville and hoping we got their on time. Thank you for letting us stay at you house Grandmomma!

When we finally found our way to the CF Family Day activities, there was a wonderful spread of breakfast foods. While we ate we walked around to all of the CF related vendors. There were so many vendors with things I had never seen before. Jenn and I had a great time walking around to each vendor. We learned and saw a lot of cool things...we also picked up a lot of FREE goodies! If anyone uses Ultrase, the rep informed me that there will be some new and exciting things the company will be starting soon...but she couldn't tell me about it yet! She said the people using Ultrase, Scandi Shakes, etc. will receive something in the mail around February 16th! I can't wait to find out what is new!

The CF Family Day also included several speakers sharing information about current CF research, nutrition, phase 3 drugs, and the importance of airway clearance. I learned soooo much! To answer Reilly's mom, Cindy's question she once asked, Do CF carriers have symptoms?, YES! The doctors said that many carriers of CF may also have sinus issues, asthma, frequent upper respiratory infections, digestive issues, anemia, vitamin D deficiencies, and more!! Hearing this bit of information gave me some understanding behind many of my personal health issues. I am constantly battling a sinus infection, I have had sinus surgery, each winter/spring I get chronic bronchitis, I have always had digestive issues, I am anemic and vitamin D deficient! Wow....one could think I had a mild case of CF...but my blood work says I am just a carrier of Delta F508!

I learned that 90% of people with CF or people who are carriers of CF, have the gene mutation DF508. Researchers are working on ways to correct the DF508 mutation. It is believed that if at least one of the mutations causing CF can be corrected, then it would be as if the person who once had CF was now just a carrier! Since carriers are typically healthy people, the hope is that would also be the case for those with the repaired mutation. The data and research findings were incredible. A CURE is within reaching distance....I am sure! It was noted that they are having difficulty funding the much needed research due to the economy, so it is up to the people who are affected by CF to spread awareness. It is vital to Lainey's life as well as others affected by CF for the CF Foundation to continue receiving funding for their research. Please donate if you can...you will be saving lives sooner rather than later! Here is the link to Lainey's donation page ~ http://www.cff.org/GiftReg/DeAnnSmithson

There was so much more I learned, but I could never post all of it...not because I can't remember or don't have the energy to talk about it...but because I don't have the time to type it all! Talking is my favorite thing to do....as if most people didn't already know that....so ask me some questions the next time you see me!

Please continue to pray for our family! I think we are all over the stomach virus, but we all still have stuffy and runny noses! We are hoping that Lainey's runny nose goes away or at least continues to stay clear! This week brings many things...inquiring about putting our house on the market, Logan's 5th birthday, doctor appointments, a WIC appointment, Valentine parties, Synagis shots, and I am sure there will be more! Good health and sanity continues to be in my hourly prayers!

Have a blessed week,
DeAnn

PS ~ Lainey is sitting up on her own now!! YEA Lainey! She loves seeing everything from her new view!

Visiting with Grandma Smithson

Grandma Smithson came to visit all the way from Texas! This was her first time seeing Logan since he was 9 months old (Nov. 2004) and the first time ever meeting Liam and Lainey! We had a great time hanging out with her during the Superbowl. It is hard to believe she is 85...she looks wonderful. She plans to stay in Georgia for the month of February. We hope to visit with her many more times while she is here for the month.

Lainey and Grandma Smithson

Logan was excited to see his daddy's Gigi! Logan and Grandma Smithson were best buddies from the minute she walked in the door! Liam was not as sure about her. It usually takes him a while to warm up to people, but when he saw his brother getting some attention, he was all about loving on Grandma! Lainey didn't know what to think about Grandma...Grandma thinks it was her dark hair! After a while Lainey decided to hang out in the same room with Grandma and she even let Grandma hold her. I think it is awesome that my children have so many Great Grandparents who are living (10 total if you count Sid's step-grandparents and my birth grandmothers)! Longevity must be in the family....YEA!

We wish Grandma Smithson lived closer to us, but we also know Texas would miss her! Thank you to Aunt Lisa and Papa Noel for letting her come to Georgia to visit. We know you miss her when she is away. We are taking good care of her while she is here! Hopefully Grandma won't get too homesick! :)

DeAnn