Olivia is in LOVE with the electric wheelchairs and has asked for one many times. But they are really expensive, and since she would only NEED it for a short period of time I doubt we could even get insurance to rent us one. A regular wheelchair is really hard for her because she has limited use of her hands and arms, so she really can't get around it on her own. (which is hard for our little independent girl)
I found a really cool electric chair for sale, but we just could afford it. I emailed the owner and said if he couldn't sell it would he consider donating it to Shriners. Well today he emailed me as he just dropped it off at Shriners and told them that it was for Olivia to use :) I am so excited but haven't told her yet as I want to see her face when she SEES it and can try it. I think I will video it :) It will also be one of those fun things to bring up AFTER her next cast change is completed on the 17th of December. Especially if she has a rough time again. So thank you Ed for making our daughters Christmas :)
Thursday, December 13, 2007
12/10/2007 First Cast Change
Each day since we have been home from the hospital she went longer and longer without pain, Sunday she didn't say she had any pain all day. In fact she was even asking to walk I had to tell her no until we talk to the doctor so she doesn't hurt her feet. She was telling everyone her feet are fixed and they look like Bailey's now. One seems about 1/2 longer, but it is hard to tell with the cast. They look really good though, she looks like she just broke her legs, the feet already look pretty normal. We are so excited for her to get them off, 11 more weeks to go.
Today, one week after her surgery, is her first cast change (we have 11 weeks of this, though we might not need a cast change each and every week... but at minimum will the first few weeks)
We went to the hospital at 10:00am, though she didn't end up going to surgery until noon. Which we were actually happy about since they said it might be as late as 3 or 4:00pm... which would be so hard on her not being able to eat and all. She is not a big breakfast person, so the early morning is not a issue. In fact she didn't even ask for food until 15 minutes before the surgery. Because they got her in surgery so quickly she was not able to get her verced, so I was a little nervous how she would do going back to the operating room. They let them pick their FLAVOR for the gas. So she picked bubblegum, and they put it on the mask and let them play with it a while before surgery. She puts it on her face and smells it. I think that it would really traumatic to just push the mask on her face. Letting her play with it and get comfortable with it, I think are really helpful. They start to take her back to the room for the operation and she didn't cry at all... or really even act scared. I was so relieved and happy. It just goes to show how much she trusts the doctors and nurses.
it was supposed to be a quick procedure, she was only under about 30-45 minutes. But then she was in recovery for over 2 hours. Longer then any of her major surgeries.
They said she was having severe pain and her blood pressure was 160/120. Which is REALLY high. She had an epidural, plus they had given her loritab, and valium and finally morphine. She finally was doing better and they let her come to the room, but they were checking her blood pressure every 15 minutes. When she got in the room it was about 138/88 and it slowing dropped to a more normal level... she was finally able to sleep.
We were supposed to be in and out pretty quickly, but I ended up there all day until 9:30pm. They initially thought that she would have to spend the night, but around 7pm, she suddenly turned around. I really think the 6:30pm activity really helped. She got to make a gingerbread house and she loved it and FORGOT about the pain. I was not at all prepared for an overnight as she has always done so well with the surgeries (Anesthesia) and this wasn't really surgery just re-positioning her foot.
She got a red and green cast... for Christmas (her big brother Jordan talked her into that one)
We have another cast change this Monday, so I will go to the hospital more prepared in case we do need to stay the night. I am a little more worried now that she didn't do as well. But no one seemed sure why she had so much pain. In fact both surgeons came in separately to check on her and were surprised that her green (her cast were green on one leg and red on the other) leg was hurting, they said they barely moved that one, that the red one was the one they really pushed harder in position.
They gave her little cast shoes and said if she wanted to walk to let her, it will help stretch things out more.
So keep Olivia in your payers on Monday that she does well and doesn't have a bad recovery again.
Today, one week after her surgery, is her first cast change (we have 11 weeks of this, though we might not need a cast change each and every week... but at minimum will the first few weeks)
We went to the hospital at 10:00am, though she didn't end up going to surgery until noon. Which we were actually happy about since they said it might be as late as 3 or 4:00pm... which would be so hard on her not being able to eat and all. She is not a big breakfast person, so the early morning is not a issue. In fact she didn't even ask for food until 15 minutes before the surgery. Because they got her in surgery so quickly she was not able to get her verced, so I was a little nervous how she would do going back to the operating room. They let them pick their FLAVOR for the gas. So she picked bubblegum, and they put it on the mask and let them play with it a while before surgery. She puts it on her face and smells it. I think that it would really traumatic to just push the mask on her face. Letting her play with it and get comfortable with it, I think are really helpful. They start to take her back to the room for the operation and she didn't cry at all... or really even act scared. I was so relieved and happy. It just goes to show how much she trusts the doctors and nurses.
it was supposed to be a quick procedure, she was only under about 30-45 minutes. But then she was in recovery for over 2 hours. Longer then any of her major surgeries.
They said she was having severe pain and her blood pressure was 160/120. Which is REALLY high. She had an epidural, plus they had given her loritab, and valium and finally morphine. She finally was doing better and they let her come to the room, but they were checking her blood pressure every 15 minutes. When she got in the room it was about 138/88 and it slowing dropped to a more normal level... she was finally able to sleep.
We were supposed to be in and out pretty quickly, but I ended up there all day until 9:30pm. They initially thought that she would have to spend the night, but around 7pm, she suddenly turned around. I really think the 6:30pm activity really helped. She got to make a gingerbread house and she loved it and FORGOT about the pain. I was not at all prepared for an overnight as she has always done so well with the surgeries (Anesthesia) and this wasn't really surgery just re-positioning her foot.
She got a red and green cast... for Christmas (her big brother Jordan talked her into that one)
We have another cast change this Monday, so I will go to the hospital more prepared in case we do need to stay the night. I am a little more worried now that she didn't do as well. But no one seemed sure why she had so much pain. In fact both surgeons came in separately to check on her and were surprised that her green (her cast were green on one leg and red on the other) leg was hurting, they said they barely moved that one, that the red one was the one they really pushed harder in position.
They gave her little cast shoes and said if she wanted to walk to let her, it will help stretch things out more.
So keep Olivia in your payers on Monday that she does well and doesn't have a bad recovery again.
12/05/2007 Leaving the hospital today :)
Olivia has done great today, she was eating much better, and wanted to "GO HOME". They removed her epidural and catheter. She has to be able to eat, manage her pain, and pee on her own in order to get released. (of course her blood pressure and oxygen saturation also have to be in line)
So we met all those Benchmarks by evening. So we headed home. She was so excited to go home as she kept saying she missed Bennett and Bailey (her siblings). They are so sweet to her and gentle and will sit there and fetch her toys, give her snacks. They are amazingly patient with her considering they are only 3 years old. What amazing me the most is that we are so focused on Olivia with all her needs, and I stay with her 24 hours why she is in the hospital, they never act jealous towards her. Maybe it is being twins, they are used to sharing and being a team... or maybe I just have the sweetest kids ever... :)
Olivia slept awesome her first night home, in fact she slept from 2:00am to 9:00am without evening waking up for pain meds. I actually freaked out a little when I realized she hadn't woke up, I thought I missed her calling me... LOL I thin not having nurses wake you up constantly and just the security of being home.
So we met all those Benchmarks by evening. So we headed home. She was so excited to go home as she kept saying she missed Bennett and Bailey (her siblings). They are so sweet to her and gentle and will sit there and fetch her toys, give her snacks. They are amazingly patient with her considering they are only 3 years old. What amazing me the most is that we are so focused on Olivia with all her needs, and I stay with her 24 hours why she is in the hospital, they never act jealous towards her. Maybe it is being twins, they are used to sharing and being a team... or maybe I just have the sweetest kids ever... :)
Olivia slept awesome her first night home, in fact she slept from 2:00am to 9:00am without evening waking up for pain meds. I actually freaked out a little when I realized she hadn't woke up, I thought I missed her calling me... LOL I thin not having nurses wake you up constantly and just the security of being home.
12/04/2007 2nd day in Hospital
Olivia is doing amazing today since having her cast split on both sides this morning. She is starting to laugh and joke and her humor is coming back. She still needs her pain medication every 4 hours but does well in between, which wasn't the case yesterday.
She loves her pink and purple cast, and I must say having each leg a different color has proved to be very useful. Since Olivia doesn't know her left or right. She will say my pink leg is hurting... LOL It has been great. At first I wasn't big on two different colors as the OCD in me needs things to match. But of course we let her do what ever she wanted with the colors since really that is the only control she has in this whole process.
She loves her pink and purple cast, and I must say having each leg a different color has proved to be very useful. Since Olivia doesn't know her left or right. She will say my pink leg is hurting... LOL It has been great. At first I wasn't big on two different colors as the OCD in me needs things to match. But of course we let her do what ever she wanted with the colors since really that is the only control she has in this whole process.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
12/03/2007 Olivia's Feet surgery (WE LOVE SHRINERS)
Well today was Olivia's surgery on both her feet. She went into the OR at about 11:00am... this time they gave her another drug with the versed, so she didn't cry as she went back, in fact she seemed completely unaware that she was even leaving the room. Which was so nice, it is hard to watch them go into the Operating Room in a complete panic.
She was done around 4:30pm.
They brought her to the room, and she slept for a while. She decided that she wanted one PINK cast and one PURPLE cast. Both casts are just below her knees. Luckily this time they are "walking" casts, and are not connected with a bar. (though the bar makes carrying her easy, it makes underwear, pants, and most skirts and dressing in general next to impossible)
As the evening approached she became increasingly miserable. Despite the epidural in her back to help her manage the pain. We were lucky the entire night if she slept 1 hour straight, and often in was only 15-20 minutes. Luckily having twins prepared me for little spurts of sleep, and going to sleep quickly. (laugh) Though I felt bad for our "roommates" who came the night before and were having surgery the next morning. Since we keep them up all night... though I must say they were VERY gracious about it.
It seemed we were constantly paging the nurse and trying to figure out why she was in constant pain. Unfortunately with her language barrier we were unable to really get a good description of her pain... was it "throbbing" or "piercing", etc.
By about 8:00am, we decided to split one side of her cast, in case she was having allot of swelling, which can be a source of intense pain. She we were maxing her on the pain meds, we really couldn't give her more... which is so hard to watch her hurting and not be able to help. Immediately after splitting her cast, she seemed to be fairly pain free... This lasted a few hours, then she started saying that the "split" in her cast was hurting and her foot was "too big". Since she hadn't used those words previously, I was worried that the swelling was continuing and was pushing her skin in the crack, and that is why she said it was hurting. So we called in the nurse and doctor, and decided to split the other side of her cast. She screamed through the entire procedure, even though I don't think it hurt... but she was screaming "I scared, I scared". As soon as the doctor left the room, she stated that the pain was gone. She was finally able to start laughing and smiling again, as asked for some "Soda" and "Fries". (So American) Which was great since she really hadn't had anything of substance to eat since before her surgery. Hopefully we will be able to go home on Wednesday. She is anxious to go home, and I think that it helps keep her mind off the casts and her surgery. Laying in bed and just waiting for the check ups I think stresses her a little. Even though she LOVES Shriners.
Of course there is always Jillian, who has the best job there i think. She is the ENTERTAINMENT person, or as the kids call her the TOY LADY. She give the kids things to do and they always get a small gift. In fact when you come in for your appointments they always have little gifts when you check in, this time they were little dolls with hospital gowns. Then when they go to their room there is a little bag with shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc. with a stuffed animal peaking out. Olivia is always excited to see what PRESENT awaits her. Then there is Jillian who is always checking on the kids to see how happy they are and if they need help. If you need to go eat or leave for a short period of time Jillian will usually come in and play with your child for you. Each night they have activities that all the kids are invited to in the large playroom, if they want to attend. This is a life saver and a GREAT distraction for children that are mostly focusing on their treatment and pain management. The other thing that we LOVE about Shriner's is everyone is so happy. The doctors, the nurses, the cafeteria staff, even the housekeepers. When you talk about your child, it is all about their care, what is best for them. NEVER is money or insurance companies or anything but your child's care every mentioned. I have never been around care like that. Also EVERY child that they CAN treat is accepted, regardless of income or nationality. (There are many people there that don't even speak English)
It is an amazing organization, I wish they could run our health care system... we would all love it :) So remember them if you are ever looking for an organization to donate PLEASE consider them.
She was done around 4:30pm.
They brought her to the room, and she slept for a while. She decided that she wanted one PINK cast and one PURPLE cast. Both casts are just below her knees. Luckily this time they are "walking" casts, and are not connected with a bar. (though the bar makes carrying her easy, it makes underwear, pants, and most skirts and dressing in general next to impossible)
As the evening approached she became increasingly miserable. Despite the epidural in her back to help her manage the pain. We were lucky the entire night if she slept 1 hour straight, and often in was only 15-20 minutes. Luckily having twins prepared me for little spurts of sleep, and going to sleep quickly. (laugh) Though I felt bad for our "roommates" who came the night before and were having surgery the next morning. Since we keep them up all night... though I must say they were VERY gracious about it.
It seemed we were constantly paging the nurse and trying to figure out why she was in constant pain. Unfortunately with her language barrier we were unable to really get a good description of her pain... was it "throbbing" or "piercing", etc.
By about 8:00am, we decided to split one side of her cast, in case she was having allot of swelling, which can be a source of intense pain. She we were maxing her on the pain meds, we really couldn't give her more... which is so hard to watch her hurting and not be able to help. Immediately after splitting her cast, she seemed to be fairly pain free... This lasted a few hours, then she started saying that the "split" in her cast was hurting and her foot was "too big". Since she hadn't used those words previously, I was worried that the swelling was continuing and was pushing her skin in the crack, and that is why she said it was hurting. So we called in the nurse and doctor, and decided to split the other side of her cast. She screamed through the entire procedure, even though I don't think it hurt... but she was screaming "I scared, I scared". As soon as the doctor left the room, she stated that the pain was gone. She was finally able to start laughing and smiling again, as asked for some "Soda" and "Fries". (So American) Which was great since she really hadn't had anything of substance to eat since before her surgery. Hopefully we will be able to go home on Wednesday. She is anxious to go home, and I think that it helps keep her mind off the casts and her surgery. Laying in bed and just waiting for the check ups I think stresses her a little. Even though she LOVES Shriners.
Of course there is always Jillian, who has the best job there i think. She is the ENTERTAINMENT person, or as the kids call her the TOY LADY. She give the kids things to do and they always get a small gift. In fact when you come in for your appointments they always have little gifts when you check in, this time they were little dolls with hospital gowns. Then when they go to their room there is a little bag with shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc. with a stuffed animal peaking out. Olivia is always excited to see what PRESENT awaits her. Then there is Jillian who is always checking on the kids to see how happy they are and if they need help. If you need to go eat or leave for a short period of time Jillian will usually come in and play with your child for you. Each night they have activities that all the kids are invited to in the large playroom, if they want to attend. This is a life saver and a GREAT distraction for children that are mostly focusing on their treatment and pain management. The other thing that we LOVE about Shriner's is everyone is so happy. The doctors, the nurses, the cafeteria staff, even the housekeepers. When you talk about your child, it is all about their care, what is best for them. NEVER is money or insurance companies or anything but your child's care every mentioned. I have never been around care like that. Also EVERY child that they CAN treat is accepted, regardless of income or nationality. (There are many people there that don't even speak English)
It is an amazing organization, I wish they could run our health care system... we would all love it :) So remember them if you are ever looking for an organization to donate PLEASE consider them.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
11/29/2007 Foot Surgery
Well we went back to our surgeon (Dr Roach) today to discuss the game plan for Olivia's foot operations. We went over what the two specialist had advised, and discussed a possible surgery date sometime in February. Since it is likely we will be moving about them, I told them to call us with any cancellations. Since we are only 15 minutes away we can accommodate a very limited notice. (We really just need to know enough in advance so that she doesn't eat the morning of) They stated that since the plastic surgeon only does his surgeries once a month that it was unlikely we would get a sooner opening for his time.
Just as we are about to leave our appointment they tell us they think they just had a cancellation for Monday, which happens to be on the plastic surgeons schedule. They ask if we will take the spot if our surgeon (Dr. Roach) can make time the same day to perform her surgery. After 30 minutes or so they come back and say that she can have her surgery Monday at 10:00am. Then this will put them on track to have the plastic surgeon do her skin graphs around 3:30pm (which was the opening in his schedule).
I have to sort of laugh, as her last surgery was exactly the same, we came in on a Thursday and found out that there was a last minute cancellation for Monday. They say this is rare, yet it has now happened to us twice.
Just a few days ago Olivia was asking me to have her feet "fixed"... she has trouble walking now that her hip and knee are "fixed", since her pointed foot is now too long. So she is excited to have her feet "fixed" so she can walk better and run and play again. She even said "Mommy, lets go to the doctor and Olivia, (snoring sounds), then wake up and feet all fixed". I was amazed that after just one surgery she understood that she would go to sleep and they would do the surgery and she would wake up and be all better.
She will have at least two full leg casts again... which neither of us look forward too. So we have been deciding on what her NEW color will be... she is debating between pink and purple. (She already has had blue and green).
She will get a cast change each week, so I am sure we will eventually have ALL the colors. They did mention that we may have another SPICA cast (full body) but I will BEG them not to. I just don't know if I can do that another 2-3 months again. They don't want her walking, and since she is so assertive she is always pushing the limits, they feel that the only way she won't try to walk in the cast is to make it were she CAN'T walk. But I told them she is ALWAYS supervised, so we will make sure she doesn't walk. Since she has limited use of her hands, when she is in the full body cast she can do very little and is so bored, she can't move, or hardly function. Not to mention the bathroom issue is a nightmare... so we will pray that they won't give her another spica cast.
Well I have allot to do to get ready for another week in the hospital, and to arrange care for my other children.
I must say again how COMPLETELY grateful we are for Shriners and all they do for our daughter and all the other children they help. We hope when we have got our daughter through the bulk of her surgeries that we can give back to them to show them the support and love they have shown us. If you are ever looking for a charity to contribute to, please consider them.
Just as we are about to leave our appointment they tell us they think they just had a cancellation for Monday, which happens to be on the plastic surgeons schedule. They ask if we will take the spot if our surgeon (Dr. Roach) can make time the same day to perform her surgery. After 30 minutes or so they come back and say that she can have her surgery Monday at 10:00am. Then this will put them on track to have the plastic surgeon do her skin graphs around 3:30pm (which was the opening in his schedule).
I have to sort of laugh, as her last surgery was exactly the same, we came in on a Thursday and found out that there was a last minute cancellation for Monday. They say this is rare, yet it has now happened to us twice.
Just a few days ago Olivia was asking me to have her feet "fixed"... she has trouble walking now that her hip and knee are "fixed", since her pointed foot is now too long. So she is excited to have her feet "fixed" so she can walk better and run and play again. She even said "Mommy, lets go to the doctor and Olivia, (snoring sounds), then wake up and feet all fixed". I was amazed that after just one surgery she understood that she would go to sleep and they would do the surgery and she would wake up and be all better.
She will have at least two full leg casts again... which neither of us look forward too. So we have been deciding on what her NEW color will be... she is debating between pink and purple. (She already has had blue and green).
She will get a cast change each week, so I am sure we will eventually have ALL the colors. They did mention that we may have another SPICA cast (full body) but I will BEG them not to. I just don't know if I can do that another 2-3 months again. They don't want her walking, and since she is so assertive she is always pushing the limits, they feel that the only way she won't try to walk in the cast is to make it were she CAN'T walk. But I told them she is ALWAYS supervised, so we will make sure she doesn't walk. Since she has limited use of her hands, when she is in the full body cast she can do very little and is so bored, she can't move, or hardly function. Not to mention the bathroom issue is a nightmare... so we will pray that they won't give her another spica cast.
Well I have allot to do to get ready for another week in the hospital, and to arrange care for my other children.
I must say again how COMPLETELY grateful we are for Shriners and all they do for our daughter and all the other children they help. We hope when we have got our daughter through the bulk of her surgeries that we can give back to them to show them the support and love they have shown us. If you are ever looking for a charity to contribute to, please consider them.
11/28/2007 Hand Specialist
Today we met with the hand specialist to see what, if anything can be done to help Olivia gain more use of her hands.
After waiting 3 hours to see the doctor we really didn't learn allot. It seems each suggestion had a possible negative side effect or consequence. The specialist said that often they do nothing, as the patient can lose more then they gain.
This was all disappointing.
We did discuss trying to straighten her left wrist, as she is right handed and seldom uses her left hand. This would allow us to see if she gains more then she loses from the operation. If it is NOT successful we haven't impaired the hand she uses the most. If it IS successful then we will have the same operation done on her right hand.
I know that Olivia is very determined, and that if her success is up to her, that she will do well. She is difficult to detour :)
We decided to revisit this once her foot surgeries were completed, as she is very reliant on her hands at the moment to scoot around the floor. Once she is up and walking again then we can revisit what we would like to try on the hands.
After waiting 3 hours to see the doctor we really didn't learn allot. It seems each suggestion had a possible negative side effect or consequence. The specialist said that often they do nothing, as the patient can lose more then they gain.
This was all disappointing.
We did discuss trying to straighten her left wrist, as she is right handed and seldom uses her left hand. This would allow us to see if she gains more then she loses from the operation. If it is NOT successful we haven't impaired the hand she uses the most. If it IS successful then we will have the same operation done on her right hand.
I know that Olivia is very determined, and that if her success is up to her, that she will do well. She is difficult to detour :)
We decided to revisit this once her foot surgeries were completed, as she is very reliant on her hands at the moment to scoot around the floor. Once she is up and walking again then we can revisit what we would like to try on the hands.
11/24/2007 Shriners PLASTIC SURGEON
Today we met with the plastic surgeon to see about possible "balloons" for Olivia. Apparently her foot that is pointed (and she can't flatten it) won't have enough skin to cover the heal once they correct it. When "we" point our toes we have a little ripple of skin on our ankle, but since Olivia's foot has always been in the pointed position, she doesn't have that extra skin.
So we have to figure out how to cover her ankle with skin once her foot is corrected. The plastic surgeon didn't feel comfortable doing balloons with Olivia since her legs are very small and skinny. He said it takes a significant size balloon to create as much skin as we will need. He felt that the size balloon needed would most likely cut off her circulation. He also felt that filling the balloon would be traumatic for Olivia. So he wants to go with skin graphs. They will shave a small section off her hip, they then put little slices in it to expand it, so they can cover a larger area with a smaller graph, then have to graph that onto her heal. (the machine that expands the graphs reminds me of the little hand tools that you use to cut the pie crust to go over the top of the pie)
I was a little disappointed that we can't do the balloon, as that would have been limited scarring. I know as a girl/women that scars are not as acceptable as a boy/man. Men seem to be able to pass them off as "battle wounds".
We want what is overall best for our little girl, so we will move forward with the graphs.
So we have to figure out how to cover her ankle with skin once her foot is corrected. The plastic surgeon didn't feel comfortable doing balloons with Olivia since her legs are very small and skinny. He said it takes a significant size balloon to create as much skin as we will need. He felt that the size balloon needed would most likely cut off her circulation. He also felt that filling the balloon would be traumatic for Olivia. So he wants to go with skin graphs. They will shave a small section off her hip, they then put little slices in it to expand it, so they can cover a larger area with a smaller graph, then have to graph that onto her heal. (the machine that expands the graphs reminds me of the little hand tools that you use to cut the pie crust to go over the top of the pie)
I was a little disappointed that we can't do the balloon, as that would have been limited scarring. I know as a girl/women that scars are not as acceptable as a boy/man. Men seem to be able to pass them off as "battle wounds".
We want what is overall best for our little girl, so we will move forward with the graphs.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
CHRISTMAS PROJECT - Shriner's Hospital
We have felt so grateful for all the Shriners has done for our daughter. They have not only treated her free of charge, but they are an amazing organization. I have never seen a hospital system work so smoothly, and be so centered around the "patient".
So this Christmas we are trying to gather enough funds to help pay for a new large toy for the x-ray waiting room. Their current toys have been well loved and are missing many parts.
If you want to donate to help our cause, please go to www.helpoliviataylor.com, and select CONTACT US.
Here is the web-link of the item we are getting if you want to read more.
http://www.sensationalbeginnings.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=O+4+701 D
There is also a LARGE area that used as a play room. We wanted to buy a large play structure for the kids to play on. We are getting the playcenter by Step2 called "Naturally Playful Clubhouse Climber". (if you want to look it up on line.)
Both these toys will cost $1,000 total. So if you can help contribute that would be great. We have decided to only buy our children one gift each this year, and really teach them about service, and giving to others that are in real need. We think that this is the true spirit of Christmas. We don't want out kids to be obsessed with what they are getting, since they should be focussed on GIVING. Besides giving is much more enjoyable then receiving when done well.
So this Christmas we are trying to gather enough funds to help pay for a new large toy for the x-ray waiting room. Their current toys have been well loved and are missing many parts.
If you want to donate to help our cause, please go to www.helpoliviataylor.com, and select CONTACT US.
Here is the web-link of the item we are getting if you want to read more.
http://www.sensationalbeginnings.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=O+4+701 D
There is also a LARGE area that used as a play room. We wanted to buy a large play structure for the kids to play on. We are getting the playcenter by Step2 called "Naturally Playful Clubhouse Climber". (if you want to look it up on line.)
Both these toys will cost $1,000 total. So if you can help contribute that would be great. We have decided to only buy our children one gift each this year, and really teach them about service, and giving to others that are in real need. We think that this is the true spirit of Christmas. We don't want out kids to be obsessed with what they are getting, since they should be focussed on GIVING. Besides giving is much more enjoyable then receiving when done well.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
10/31/2007 Halloween - Olivia gets all her Teeth Fixed
Today is the day that Olivia finally gets her teeth fixes. She has been complaining about pain, and ALL, yes ALL her teeth are decayed. We tried to fix two at the dentist office, but she was just scared and screamed the entire time. Even though she had a valium and gas. So we had to stop the procedure. Today we go to Dr Brian Homer, and his pediatric anesthesiologist. They will basically put her under and do ALL her teeth at once. No one wanted Halloween for obvious reasons, but since Olivia has been complaining about pain, we grabbed the first date that we could.
I took her to school as they were having a large costume parade, and Olivia really wanted to wear her "PRINCESS" costume. I wasn't sure what condition she would be in after her procedure, so the parade may be her only event she gets to attend.
She wasn't allowed to eat or drink, since she would be put under a hour after the party. But she loved the parade. At the end she had to take her valium, and then within one hour we were at the dentist office. She kept saying her head was SHAKY, so we knew the valium had kicked in... LOL Then they came out and gave her shot with verced... she didn't seem to feel the shot at first, but I think that it started burning, because she suddenly looked over and saw the needle and started crying.
But within minutes she was completely zoned out and they took her back to start the work with no crying, she didn't seem to have any idea what was going on. It took about 3 1/2 hours for them to complete all the work. Dr Homer was so great, he did all her teeth in white and only charged us for the "silver". Which made her teeth look amazing, you can't even tell how much work she had done. Plus I am sure that her mouth would have had a awful metal taste with all the work that she had done, so now she doesn't have to deal with all that. She did great, though was really out of it when I brought her home.
She slept for some time and then woke up and cried that she was HUNGRY. So the doctor said to let her eat as she asks for it. So I gave her some water and 2 pretzels. Well within 30 minutes she starts to throw up, which since she was laying down shot straight up in the air and back on her face and hair and everywhere. Luckily I was right there and had to hold her in sitting position. Then I had to bath her, as she got vomit EVERYWHERE. She was so limp she couldn't even sit up in the tub, and it was hard to bath her... she felt like she would just slip in the water and drown. I got her dressed again and she wanted juice, so I gave her some, and again about 30 minutes later that came back up. We did this for hours... she came home around 3pm and didn't stop throwing up until about midnight.
The next day she wanted a mirror and wanted to see her teeth, she was so excited, and said "Look mom, white teeth", they were so decayed they were brown previously. She did complain that they hurt for a few days, after that she has done great. We are so grateful for our awesome dentist.
Soon we have an appointment with a plastic surgeon to look at putting balloons in her ankle area, so that when they fix her foot that is pointed straight there is enough skin when they straighten it... right now it has always been pointed, so it really can't go flat. Then two days after that she will see a hand specialist to determine the best treatment plan. The day after that we meet with Dr Roach and we will go over a complete treatment plan for her hands and feet. I am excited to get these last two BIG surgeries done, so we can just work on therapy and the fun stuff.
I worry at times if she regrets coming to the USA, she has had so much happen here, and so many painful events, that we hope that she is happy, and doesn't think we are just torturing her. Though all these surgeries will help her GREATLY in her future, she wasn't in "pain" now, so I am not sure she understands that we are helping her, when she just knows that she wasn't in pain, and now she is??
I took her to school as they were having a large costume parade, and Olivia really wanted to wear her "PRINCESS" costume. I wasn't sure what condition she would be in after her procedure, so the parade may be her only event she gets to attend.
She wasn't allowed to eat or drink, since she would be put under a hour after the party. But she loved the parade. At the end she had to take her valium, and then within one hour we were at the dentist office. She kept saying her head was SHAKY, so we knew the valium had kicked in... LOL Then they came out and gave her shot with verced... she didn't seem to feel the shot at first, but I think that it started burning, because she suddenly looked over and saw the needle and started crying.
But within minutes she was completely zoned out and they took her back to start the work with no crying, she didn't seem to have any idea what was going on. It took about 3 1/2 hours for them to complete all the work. Dr Homer was so great, he did all her teeth in white and only charged us for the "silver". Which made her teeth look amazing, you can't even tell how much work she had done. Plus I am sure that her mouth would have had a awful metal taste with all the work that she had done, so now she doesn't have to deal with all that. She did great, though was really out of it when I brought her home.
She slept for some time and then woke up and cried that she was HUNGRY. So the doctor said to let her eat as she asks for it. So I gave her some water and 2 pretzels. Well within 30 minutes she starts to throw up, which since she was laying down shot straight up in the air and back on her face and hair and everywhere. Luckily I was right there and had to hold her in sitting position. Then I had to bath her, as she got vomit EVERYWHERE. She was so limp she couldn't even sit up in the tub, and it was hard to bath her... she felt like she would just slip in the water and drown. I got her dressed again and she wanted juice, so I gave her some, and again about 30 minutes later that came back up. We did this for hours... she came home around 3pm and didn't stop throwing up until about midnight.
The next day she wanted a mirror and wanted to see her teeth, she was so excited, and said "Look mom, white teeth", they were so decayed they were brown previously. She did complain that they hurt for a few days, after that she has done great. We are so grateful for our awesome dentist.
Soon we have an appointment with a plastic surgeon to look at putting balloons in her ankle area, so that when they fix her foot that is pointed straight there is enough skin when they straighten it... right now it has always been pointed, so it really can't go flat. Then two days after that she will see a hand specialist to determine the best treatment plan. The day after that we meet with Dr Roach and we will go over a complete treatment plan for her hands and feet. I am excited to get these last two BIG surgeries done, so we can just work on therapy and the fun stuff.
I worry at times if she regrets coming to the USA, she has had so much happen here, and so many painful events, that we hope that she is happy, and doesn't think we are just torturing her. Though all these surgeries will help her GREATLY in her future, she wasn't in "pain" now, so I am not sure she understands that we are helping her, when she just knows that she wasn't in pain, and now she is??
Monday, October 29, 2007
11/22/2007 Olivia Broke her Leg!!! UGHHH!!!
As you all know Olivia started Kindergarten a few weeks back, which she loves.
Well today they call me and tell me that there was an accident, and Olivia got her leg stuck in her stroller. She has a personal aid, and this is the person that was pushing the stroller. They said that she has been screaming for over 15 minutes. So they put her on the phone so that I can talk to her and try to calm her down. She says "mommy my leg hurt... please come". They tell me they don't think she is REALLY hurt. I said my daughter is very tough and didn't scream like that after her surgery. So SOMETHING is wrong… So I said I was going to come pick her up.
So I drive to get her, and she is still screaming… clearly in pain. Her eyes are big and puffy, like she has been screaming awhile. The aid again tells me that she doesn't think she is REALLY hurt... I didn't say anything to her, because I was a little in shock that she would say that. My daughter NEVER screams like that, even when she does get hurt, she normally just brushed it off. So I KNOW that something is wrong. The aid did apologize and seemed to have felt bad that she was crying.
I take her to the car… she is still sobbing and she screams when I have to lift her to put her in the car (despite how careful I was being) so I decide to take her to Shriners … I was actually scheduled to go there this morning anyway to get a temporary handicapped parking sticker (parents are rude when I leave my car at the curb to take my daughter in and pick her up from school, and I didn't want to ILLEGALLY park in the handicapped space, I don’t have time to explain her situation to every parent at that school) She was also in pain since her cast removal last Thursday, so we had used her left over codeine from her surgery for the weekend and now we needed more. However this morning she did fine with no pain meds, she didn’t cry when I got her dressed or put her in the car at all. Which she had the previous days, so it seemed that her stiffness had worn off to some degree.
So I go straight to Shriners, Olivia cries the entire way there (about 30-40 minutes) It took allot longer since I had to drive really slow as every little bump she was screaming. I called my husband and told him that something was really wrong with her.
I finally get there and ask to see her doctor (I didn't want to go to an ER as Shriners is awesome, and is more familiar with her medical condition... which is rare, and I knew they would be faster and they are FREE, which is great since we are still trying to pay for her dental bill this month.
Olivia’s care coordinator comes down, she sees how Olivia is crying and I explain to her what little I know about what happened. They take her to x-ray and take several x-rays of her leg were she said it hurts. And her hip to make sure it is still in socket. Which of course she screamed almost the entire time. The x-ray techs asked what the heck happened to her, as she is always so happy for them (you always see the same techs at Shriners), so I explained the situation. They all felt so bad for her, even Thursday when she was in pain after her cast removal, she was laughing and happy most of the time even at x-ray... just when you moved her she would say "BE CAREFUL MOMMY...OWIE"… pointing to her leg.
So we get the X-rays back, and they tell us that it looks like her leg is BROKEN.... nice!! My first though is they would put another huge cast… her hip is fragile still and I know she can't have a heavy cast on her leg, as it can pull on her hip, which could dislocate it. I was very happy to learn that this type of break (and were it was) heals quickly and they only had to splint her leg, so we can remove it and bath her, and they said it should heal in 2-3 weeks.
I called the school and told the receptionist (who is so sweet by the way) and she couldn't believe it. She said that they would need to fill in an accident report. I told them that they could call Shriners to verify her injury. I am sure that they are worried we will sue. But despite the fact that we would love extra money for Olivia's dental work… LOL I would only sue someone if I felt they intentionally injured my child or were really neglectful. I really believe it was an accident, and Olivia being our 5th child, I know that sometimes things happen even when you are being careful. Olivia bones are more brittle from her condition, and malnutrition and being in a cast so long makes them more brittle. So it wouldn’t take as much pressure to break her bones as a normal healthy child.
Anyway that is the end of my saga for the day. Olivia got pain meds for on the way home from the hospital, so she has been sleeping about two hours now. I feel so bad for her, it is not as if she doesn't have enough things to go through in the next few months, or that she hasn't been through enough.
We meet with hand specialist next month and the surgeon to begin our treatment plan for her two feet. Hopefully her leg is healed in time :( We had hoped to have her in swimming lessons this week, to really help with her hip etc. (we were waiting for her pain level to go down to were she didn’t need pain meds, which it seemed to be there just this morning) So now she can't really do any therapy or move well again. They wanted her to really get some strength during her break between her hip and her feet surgeries but I don't see that happening :(
Se please send your prayers Olivia’s way that she will heal quickly and will return to her happy self. She has just loved school and asks us everyday to go, even on the weekends. Now she is begging me not to go back to school :( So I hope that we can make school a happy place again, I hate the thought of dragging her to school when she is begging not to go.
Well today they call me and tell me that there was an accident, and Olivia got her leg stuck in her stroller. She has a personal aid, and this is the person that was pushing the stroller. They said that she has been screaming for over 15 minutes. So they put her on the phone so that I can talk to her and try to calm her down. She says "mommy my leg hurt... please come". They tell me they don't think she is REALLY hurt. I said my daughter is very tough and didn't scream like that after her surgery. So SOMETHING is wrong… So I said I was going to come pick her up.
So I drive to get her, and she is still screaming… clearly in pain. Her eyes are big and puffy, like she has been screaming awhile. The aid again tells me that she doesn't think she is REALLY hurt... I didn't say anything to her, because I was a little in shock that she would say that. My daughter NEVER screams like that, even when she does get hurt, she normally just brushed it off. So I KNOW that something is wrong. The aid did apologize and seemed to have felt bad that she was crying.
I take her to the car… she is still sobbing and she screams when I have to lift her to put her in the car (despite how careful I was being) so I decide to take her to Shriners … I was actually scheduled to go there this morning anyway to get a temporary handicapped parking sticker (parents are rude when I leave my car at the curb to take my daughter in and pick her up from school, and I didn't want to ILLEGALLY park in the handicapped space, I don’t have time to explain her situation to every parent at that school) She was also in pain since her cast removal last Thursday, so we had used her left over codeine from her surgery for the weekend and now we needed more. However this morning she did fine with no pain meds, she didn’t cry when I got her dressed or put her in the car at all. Which she had the previous days, so it seemed that her stiffness had worn off to some degree.
So I go straight to Shriners, Olivia cries the entire way there (about 30-40 minutes) It took allot longer since I had to drive really slow as every little bump she was screaming. I called my husband and told him that something was really wrong with her.
I finally get there and ask to see her doctor (I didn't want to go to an ER as Shriners is awesome, and is more familiar with her medical condition... which is rare, and I knew they would be faster and they are FREE, which is great since we are still trying to pay for her dental bill this month.
Olivia’s care coordinator comes down, she sees how Olivia is crying and I explain to her what little I know about what happened. They take her to x-ray and take several x-rays of her leg were she said it hurts. And her hip to make sure it is still in socket. Which of course she screamed almost the entire time. The x-ray techs asked what the heck happened to her, as she is always so happy for them (you always see the same techs at Shriners), so I explained the situation. They all felt so bad for her, even Thursday when she was in pain after her cast removal, she was laughing and happy most of the time even at x-ray... just when you moved her she would say "BE CAREFUL MOMMY...OWIE"… pointing to her leg.
So we get the X-rays back, and they tell us that it looks like her leg is BROKEN.... nice!! My first though is they would put another huge cast… her hip is fragile still and I know she can't have a heavy cast on her leg, as it can pull on her hip, which could dislocate it. I was very happy to learn that this type of break (and were it was) heals quickly and they only had to splint her leg, so we can remove it and bath her, and they said it should heal in 2-3 weeks.
I called the school and told the receptionist (who is so sweet by the way) and she couldn't believe it. She said that they would need to fill in an accident report. I told them that they could call Shriners to verify her injury. I am sure that they are worried we will sue. But despite the fact that we would love extra money for Olivia's dental work… LOL I would only sue someone if I felt they intentionally injured my child or were really neglectful. I really believe it was an accident, and Olivia being our 5th child, I know that sometimes things happen even when you are being careful. Olivia bones are more brittle from her condition, and malnutrition and being in a cast so long makes them more brittle. So it wouldn’t take as much pressure to break her bones as a normal healthy child.
Anyway that is the end of my saga for the day. Olivia got pain meds for on the way home from the hospital, so she has been sleeping about two hours now. I feel so bad for her, it is not as if she doesn't have enough things to go through in the next few months, or that she hasn't been through enough.
We meet with hand specialist next month and the surgeon to begin our treatment plan for her two feet. Hopefully her leg is healed in time :( We had hoped to have her in swimming lessons this week, to really help with her hip etc. (we were waiting for her pain level to go down to were she didn’t need pain meds, which it seemed to be there just this morning) So now she can't really do any therapy or move well again. They wanted her to really get some strength during her break between her hip and her feet surgeries but I don't see that happening :(
Se please send your prayers Olivia’s way that she will heal quickly and will return to her happy self. She has just loved school and asks us everyday to go, even on the weekends. Now she is begging me not to go back to school :( So I hope that we can make school a happy place again, I hate the thought of dragging her to school when she is begging not to go.
10/20/2007 Olivia's 7th Birthday Party
Olivia had a GREAT time at her birthday party. We of course had to give her codeine as she is still really sore and we wanted her to be able to enjoy it.
We held it all The Little Gym in Sandy, Utah. It was great, the kids had so much to do and their staff was great at entertaining the kids.
Olivia was all over the place... you couldn't even tell that she had been in so much pain. (Thanks to the codeine). She was rolling all over and loved playing with all the kids. She loved the cake, but calls it "POTTY" cake, which doesn't sound at all appealing LOL... she means "PARTY" cake, but it never sounds like "PARTY".
She also loved the presents... I am sure that Christmas will be a blast too.
We went home and she just loved playing with all the new toys. It is so great for her to have so many things that are hers. We didn't give it much thought at the time but when we brought her home so many of the toys were the babies... since they were 3 years worth of birthdays, Christmas's, etc. Though the babies are great at sharing, I know it is nice to have things that are just yours.
We held it all The Little Gym in Sandy, Utah. It was great, the kids had so much to do and their staff was great at entertaining the kids.
Olivia was all over the place... you couldn't even tell that she had been in so much pain. (Thanks to the codeine). She was rolling all over and loved playing with all the kids. She loved the cake, but calls it "POTTY" cake, which doesn't sound at all appealing LOL... she means "PARTY" cake, but it never sounds like "PARTY".
She also loved the presents... I am sure that Christmas will be a blast too.
We went home and she just loved playing with all the new toys. It is so great for her to have so many things that are hers. We didn't give it much thought at the time but when we brought her home so many of the toys were the babies... since they were 3 years worth of birthdays, Christmas's, etc. Though the babies are great at sharing, I know it is nice to have things that are just yours.
10/18/2007 Cast Removal
Olivia FINALLY got her cast off today. She has been telling us "Olivia cast off, and Olivia walk"... I wasn't sure should could walk right away since I knew her muscles would be weak as she has been in a cast for 3 months now. But of course we told her "Yes Olivia walk, when her cast is off".
I made the mistake of telling her days in advance that she was getting her cast off today, and she has asked non-stop since... "Cast off today"... She was very happy all the way there. Last time she was asleep, so I wasn't sure how she would do with the loud saw.
They started to cut it off and she did great. I video taped it and if I can figure out how to put it on here I will add it.
As soon as the cast came off Olivia said "No walk"... "later". As the day continued I noticed she was in more and more pain. Which I thought was odd as she hasn't had any pain since the first week of her surgery.
We scheduled her hand specialist appointment in November so we can determine if they will operate or what the best plan is for her. We also scheduled to meet with the doctor to set up our protocol for treating her feet. Both will need surgery, but we need to get a game plan together for that.
She was in so much pain by the time we got home that I gave her some codeine left from her surgery. (Very glad that we had some).
She slept well and the next day needed more pain meds. She was starting to pull herself up at the table and slowly walk around the table and couches. She was quite proud of herself... LOL
We can't wait to get her back in swimming and let her enjoy her cast free months.
I made the mistake of telling her days in advance that she was getting her cast off today, and she has asked non-stop since... "Cast off today"... She was very happy all the way there. Last time she was asleep, so I wasn't sure how she would do with the loud saw.
They started to cut it off and she did great. I video taped it and if I can figure out how to put it on here I will add it.
As soon as the cast came off Olivia said "No walk"... "later". As the day continued I noticed she was in more and more pain. Which I thought was odd as she hasn't had any pain since the first week of her surgery.
We scheduled her hand specialist appointment in November so we can determine if they will operate or what the best plan is for her. We also scheduled to meet with the doctor to set up our protocol for treating her feet. Both will need surgery, but we need to get a game plan together for that.
She was in so much pain by the time we got home that I gave her some codeine left from her surgery. (Very glad that we had some).
She slept well and the next day needed more pain meds. She was starting to pull herself up at the table and slowly walk around the table and couches. She was quite proud of herself... LOL
We can't wait to get her back in swimming and let her enjoy her cast free months.
Friday, October 12, 2007
10/13/07 Olivia's 7th Birthday
Olivia's first birthday in the USA :) She will be 7. At school on Friday they had a little event for her birthday and was she so excited. They have her a crown that showed cupcakes and she was thrilled to just get the PICTURE of the cupcake...laugh
Though her birthday is technically the 13th, we decided to have her party on October 20th, since she gets her cast off on October 18th, and we wanted her to be able to run and play and really enjoy her party.
I am posting her birthday invitations that was made by sweetandsimpleannouncements.com I am just in love with her designs :)
If you are in Utah and want to meet our little Olivia, please RSVP.
Though her birthday is technically the 13th, we decided to have her party on October 20th, since she gets her cast off on October 18th, and we wanted her to be able to run and play and really enjoy her party.
I am posting her birthday invitations that was made by sweetandsimpleannouncements.com I am just in love with her designs :)
If you are in Utah and want to meet our little Olivia, please RSVP.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
10/10/07 Olivia at the Dentist - COMPLETE DISASTER
We had to cancel Olivia's surgery date to have all her teeth repaired under a general anesthesia, we just don't have the $5,300 right now, and it is our businesses slow season. The timing just couldn't be worse. I tried to call and get discounts and get people to work with us. The hospital would only discount 10% of their $2,500 and that was it.
So we scheduled an appointment for today with our regular dentist to see how she would handle the dental work. We got her some Valium, and they used the little gas on her nose. But even before he began the work, she kept saying she was scared, and as soon as they turned on the suction she was crying, then they put the little purple thing in her mouth to help hold it open and were just trying to get the green plastic support in and she was screaming. I stayed and held her hand and tried to console her, but it wasn't working. She was border line hysterical. So he put some stuff on her tooth that has been hurting her to try and help with the pain. She has been really complaining about tooth pain since yesterday. When I asked her WHICH tooth hurt she pointed to two of them, and then said ALL MY TEETH MOMMY.
It is so hard with an adopted older child, you really don't know what they have been through and why they are scared, what happened in their past. Knowing the cause of her fears would help us know how to prepare her and help her. Though Olivia is our 5th child, I often feel like a new parent trying to learn all new methods to work with her. Also with all her needs I have to stay on top of so many things, to keep her treatment plan moving and also to get her signed up and registered for everything. We have done not stop paperwork for two years, I thought when we got her home that we were about done, and in many ways it felt like we just started OVER...
I am just so frustrated... we just don't have the money, yet I know she needs all this work. Now that she is complaining about pain it make me feel even worst. We just needed a little more time to recover from the $30,000 we had to pay to adopt her... but as you know if you are a parent... you never get a break... :(
Our dentist is calling a pediatric anesthesiologist to see if they can come in and give her some other meds that will really sedate her and we hope we can do all the work then. So please pray that we can work out this dental situation. We paid so much just to bring her home, well above what they had quoted us. We are just tapped financially.
We own a flooring company, so if you are looking at new flooring, we would love to help you WINK WINK!!!
www.laminatefloorscheap.com
So we scheduled an appointment for today with our regular dentist to see how she would handle the dental work. We got her some Valium, and they used the little gas on her nose. But even before he began the work, she kept saying she was scared, and as soon as they turned on the suction she was crying, then they put the little purple thing in her mouth to help hold it open and were just trying to get the green plastic support in and she was screaming. I stayed and held her hand and tried to console her, but it wasn't working. She was border line hysterical. So he put some stuff on her tooth that has been hurting her to try and help with the pain. She has been really complaining about tooth pain since yesterday. When I asked her WHICH tooth hurt she pointed to two of them, and then said ALL MY TEETH MOMMY.
It is so hard with an adopted older child, you really don't know what they have been through and why they are scared, what happened in their past. Knowing the cause of her fears would help us know how to prepare her and help her. Though Olivia is our 5th child, I often feel like a new parent trying to learn all new methods to work with her. Also with all her needs I have to stay on top of so many things, to keep her treatment plan moving and also to get her signed up and registered for everything. We have done not stop paperwork for two years, I thought when we got her home that we were about done, and in many ways it felt like we just started OVER...
I am just so frustrated... we just don't have the money, yet I know she needs all this work. Now that she is complaining about pain it make me feel even worst. We just needed a little more time to recover from the $30,000 we had to pay to adopt her... but as you know if you are a parent... you never get a break... :(
Our dentist is calling a pediatric anesthesiologist to see if they can come in and give her some other meds that will really sedate her and we hope we can do all the work then. So please pray that we can work out this dental situation. We paid so much just to bring her home, well above what they had quoted us. We are just tapped financially.
We own a flooring company, so if you are looking at new flooring, we would love to help you WINK WINK!!!
www.laminatefloorscheap.com
10/02/07 Olivia Starts School
Today was Olivia's first day of school... it was just a chore to get her in. Since our other children don't have any medical issues I didn't realize how much you have to do to get a child registered for school when they do have issues.
We started the process back in July. They had to evaluate everything to see which school she would be in, and if they would mainstream her. Which we decided to do, since she is so smart. (though we do worry about teasing)
Then we had to meet with the school officials, nurses, etc. to determine her needs. Then they had to hire a aid, since Olivia can't go to the rest room alone.
So today is FINALLY her first day. She has been so excited to go to school. She just danced and laughed her whole way there. She had a great time with all the activities though we had to work with her on paying attention and to follow the teachers direction. There was so many things in the room, she wanted to just touch and try all the new things.
She learned to write her name in just two attempts. Several of the kids were so sweet and really tried to include her and help her. One little boy kept wanting to sit by her and would rub her leg and would play fetch with her at the recess. Another little girl was also very tender and sweet and had Olivia's bright hair... it was so cute and long I can't wait until Olivia's hair is grown out. We did have a little situation at her table when a little girl said "What is wrong with her hands, they are HORRIBLE." I try not to over react to comments as I don't want Olivia to sense that I am upset, or feel bad. So I just said calmly, "They are horrible, just different." She didn't say anything else, but she did keep staring at her.
Olivia is so happy and confident I hope that she can brush off little comments and stares. I stayed with her all day, since her aid doesn't start for two more days. Plus I wanted to get a real feel for her class, schedule, teacher, etc. It was also a great insite into all the children's personality. We hope to invite children over as playmates once Olivia's cast is off. Which is just one week one day away...YEAH
We started the process back in July. They had to evaluate everything to see which school she would be in, and if they would mainstream her. Which we decided to do, since she is so smart. (though we do worry about teasing)
Then we had to meet with the school officials, nurses, etc. to determine her needs. Then they had to hire a aid, since Olivia can't go to the rest room alone.
So today is FINALLY her first day. She has been so excited to go to school. She just danced and laughed her whole way there. She had a great time with all the activities though we had to work with her on paying attention and to follow the teachers direction. There was so many things in the room, she wanted to just touch and try all the new things.
She learned to write her name in just two attempts. Several of the kids were so sweet and really tried to include her and help her. One little boy kept wanting to sit by her and would rub her leg and would play fetch with her at the recess. Another little girl was also very tender and sweet and had Olivia's bright hair... it was so cute and long I can't wait until Olivia's hair is grown out. We did have a little situation at her table when a little girl said "What is wrong with her hands, they are HORRIBLE." I try not to over react to comments as I don't want Olivia to sense that I am upset, or feel bad. So I just said calmly, "They are horrible, just different." She didn't say anything else, but she did keep staring at her.
Olivia is so happy and confident I hope that she can brush off little comments and stares. I stayed with her all day, since her aid doesn't start for two more days. Plus I wanted to get a real feel for her class, schedule, teacher, etc. It was also a great insite into all the children's personality. We hope to invite children over as playmates once Olivia's cast is off. Which is just one week one day away...YEAH
Thursday, September 20, 2007
9/19/2007 OLivia's Kazak and American Passports Photos - HUGE CHANGE
In looking at Olivia's Kazakhstan passport photo taken May 2007, and her American passport photo taken July 2007, so barely two months apart and look how different she looks, it is almost shocking… she looks years older. I joked with my husband she looks like she had a nose job... laugh
I will post the photo so you can see for yourself...
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
9/18/2007 Olivia's Cast Change
Today is the day...
we had to get up at 5:00am to be to Shriners by 6:00am. Even though I knew we would just wait there for hours. I tried to quietly get Olivia in the car while she slept. But she woke up and so I told her that we were head to get the blue cast off. She was so excited she just squilled.
We get to the hospital and checked in, went through the normal questions and answers several times. Olivia gets her "bunny" gown, and is very excited about the new cast. (or should I say getting the blue cast off). She keeps going back and forth on whether she wanted the PINK or LIME GREEN cast. The final all was LIME GREEN. She did great and was really happy until they began to take her to the operating room, then she broke down. I kept telling her that there were no "owies" today. So I am not sure if the versed they gave her made her more emotional, or if she was just scared since the last time she went to the OR she woke up in allot of pain.
The whole procedure took about a hour. Then she spent about an hour in recovery. She finally come in the room with her new green cast. I was surprised to see that it wasn't on her hops at all and was basically only on her legs, with a bar connecting her feet.
I showed her that she didn't have a cast up her chest and she was very happy. Then when she saw the cast she said "NO, GREEN OFF"... and I told her later... in 4 weeks (which I don't think she understands more then tomorrow and later).
She kept lifting her legs and was very happy she could move. Then she figured out she could sit up and was very excited about that and kept saying "LOOK MOM, OLIVIA SITTING".
All the way home she just continued to want to show me everything she could do now, and was excited she was going in the car (since she has been homebound for 6 weeks). She was also again thrilled she could sit in her carseat. She had to ride to the hospital laying down.
Then when we got home she spent hours showing EVERYONE several times all that she could do. Including rolling all over the floor to the point that she now has carpet burns on both hands.
So I think that the next 6 weeks will be much easier on her.
we had to get up at 5:00am to be to Shriners by 6:00am. Even though I knew we would just wait there for hours. I tried to quietly get Olivia in the car while she slept. But she woke up and so I told her that we were head to get the blue cast off. She was so excited she just squilled.
We get to the hospital and checked in, went through the normal questions and answers several times. Olivia gets her "bunny" gown, and is very excited about the new cast. (or should I say getting the blue cast off). She keeps going back and forth on whether she wanted the PINK or LIME GREEN cast. The final all was LIME GREEN. She did great and was really happy until they began to take her to the operating room, then she broke down. I kept telling her that there were no "owies" today. So I am not sure if the versed they gave her made her more emotional, or if she was just scared since the last time she went to the OR she woke up in allot of pain.
The whole procedure took about a hour. Then she spent about an hour in recovery. She finally come in the room with her new green cast. I was surprised to see that it wasn't on her hops at all and was basically only on her legs, with a bar connecting her feet.
I showed her that she didn't have a cast up her chest and she was very happy. Then when she saw the cast she said "NO, GREEN OFF"... and I told her later... in 4 weeks (which I don't think she understands more then tomorrow and later).
She kept lifting her legs and was very happy she could move. Then she figured out she could sit up and was very excited about that and kept saying "LOOK MOM, OLIVIA SITTING".
All the way home she just continued to want to show me everything she could do now, and was excited she was going in the car (since she has been homebound for 6 weeks). She was also again thrilled she could sit in her carseat. She had to ride to the hospital laying down.
Then when we got home she spent hours showing EVERYONE several times all that she could do. Including rolling all over the floor to the point that she now has carpet burns on both hands.
So I think that the next 6 weeks will be much easier on her.
9/17/2007 Olivia's Bath and School
Tomorrow is Olivia's cast change so we are hopefully have our last "bath" in the kitchen sink. Olivia loves her hair to be washed, though she is so sensitive it is hard to wash :)
We also try and clip her finger nails and toe nails, which she doesn't like as she wants LONG NAILS. But really long nails limit her use of her hands. Jordan, Olivia's bog brother drew pokoman all over her cast. He wanted her to like pokoman so that he could watch it with her. Little did he know she would LOVE it... so now she wants to watch it so much he is TIRED OF IT... laugh (see photos)
I can't wait to see what her new cast looks like and to get rid of her current cast, as a close smell still smells like pee... :( Despite all our attempts to tuck baby wipes all over when she needs to pee, and my husband special chair to help he sit up straight when she pees. As girls don't pee well in a bed pan.
I also called the school, despite the fact that I went in and registered the first week we got home, they still haven't provided a tutor. They wait a week or two then tell me they need something else, then it takes me a few days to get it, then there is always something else... so frustrating.
We also try and clip her finger nails and toe nails, which she doesn't like as she wants LONG NAILS. But really long nails limit her use of her hands. Jordan, Olivia's bog brother drew pokoman all over her cast. He wanted her to like pokoman so that he could watch it with her. Little did he know she would LOVE it... so now she wants to watch it so much he is TIRED OF IT... laugh (see photos)
I can't wait to see what her new cast looks like and to get rid of her current cast, as a close smell still smells like pee... :( Despite all our attempts to tuck baby wipes all over when she needs to pee, and my husband special chair to help he sit up straight when she pees. As girls don't pee well in a bed pan.
I also called the school, despite the fact that I went in and registered the first week we got home, they still haven't provided a tutor. They wait a week or two then tell me they need something else, then it takes me a few days to get it, then there is always something else... so frustrating.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
9/12/2007 Dental Update
Well the dentist called and have now informed us that our "portion" of Olivia's surgery is now $5,300. (up from the $4,300 they originally estimated) I am just having a stressful day, I just don't know how we will cover that. It is hard enough right now to get through the day to day chores with a child in a body cast, a husband that works out of town 5 days a week, and a house that we are still trying to finish remodeling so we can sell and move to Cedar City, so we can be with "daddy". Not to mention I also TRY and work from home, which is hard lately with Olivia in her condition, and needing help with everything. (and unable to go to school, etc.)
This is one of those days that I am just overwhelmed with it all. If anyone knows of any organizations that will help with dental work, please, please let me know. Since Olivia is now complaining of pain we can't delay her dental surgery, yet I just don't see how we can get that much money in less then two weeks. The hospital will let us make payments, but the rest has to be paid up front. The dental work is over $3,000 ($2,000 of which we will need to cover), the hospital bill is another $2,500 and the anesthesiologist is another $800.
We tried to get grants for Olivia's adoption, but were unable to get one since we are "Mormon", and apparently not Christian to the agencies that award the grants. So I seriously doubt that we will be able to get any assistance with this bill either.
But we are open to ANY suggestions that anyone has, or possibly any programs that are out there that I am not aware of.
This is one of those days that I am just overwhelmed with it all. If anyone knows of any organizations that will help with dental work, please, please let me know. Since Olivia is now complaining of pain we can't delay her dental surgery, yet I just don't see how we can get that much money in less then two weeks. The hospital will let us make payments, but the rest has to be paid up front. The dental work is over $3,000 ($2,000 of which we will need to cover), the hospital bill is another $2,500 and the anesthesiologist is another $800.
We tried to get grants for Olivia's adoption, but were unable to get one since we are "Mormon", and apparently not Christian to the agencies that award the grants. So I seriously doubt that we will be able to get any assistance with this bill either.
But we are open to ANY suggestions that anyone has, or possibly any programs that are out there that I am not aware of.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
9/11/2007 Dental Work - Fundraiser
We are worried about how we are going to pay her $4,300 dental bill in two weeks. (this is our portion AFTER insurance) Olivia has cavities in ALL, yes all her teeth. We were considering rescheduling it one month later to buy us some time to get the money together. But 3 days ago she started complaining about tooth pain. So delaying it is no longer an option.
Since we are looking at moving next year I have been cleaning out our entire home and selling anything that we don't intend to move. Thank heaven for Craigslist.com and ksl.com. I am applying all this to help cover Olivia's dental bill.
So this Saturday we will be having a huge sale at our home. If you are looking for any baby clothing, boys or girls (we are selling the twins clothing they have out grown) please come, or email me and I can email you photos if what is available. (or anyone else that you know might be interested.) All items are in EXCELLENT condition, or we donated them. We also have many items in our ebay store here is the link.... http://stores.ebay.com/GYMBOBRACELETS
We are also still selling the custom made bracelets to help cover the never ending costs to care for our little Olivia. We hope to grow this business to the point that Olivia can run it and live off it when she is older. She LOVES jewelry, and it will be great therapy for her hands :)
Since we are looking at moving next year I have been cleaning out our entire home and selling anything that we don't intend to move. Thank heaven for Craigslist.com and ksl.com. I am applying all this to help cover Olivia's dental bill.
So this Saturday we will be having a huge sale at our home. If you are looking for any baby clothing, boys or girls (we are selling the twins clothing they have out grown) please come, or email me and I can email you photos if what is available. (or anyone else that you know might be interested.) All items are in EXCELLENT condition, or we donated them. We also have many items in our ebay store here is the link.... http://stores.ebay.com/GYMBOBRACELETS
We are also still selling the custom made bracelets to help cover the never ending costs to care for our little Olivia. We hope to grow this business to the point that Olivia can run it and live off it when she is older. She LOVES jewelry, and it will be great therapy for her hands :)
9/10/2007 One week to go...
Well exactly one more week and Olivia gets her new cast. We (and she) are very excited. She is pretty happy all considered and with her new chair and table that daddy made her 2nd week in the cast, she can do so much more. Daddy also added a potty bucket to it. The potty part of the cast is the hardest, since her cast is almost in a laying position.
She was so happy about the chair, and even the next morning when she woke up the first thing she said was "thank you for my chair". I will post photos of it soon.
Olivia is doing MUCH better. She seldom has tantrums anymore, they were a DOZY for a while. We honestly just ignored them and demo'd how we wanted her to ask for things, or behave. When she through a big tantrum we would take her to her room and let her throw the biggest tantrum she wanted. Then when she was done she could come out. In the beginning they could be an hour long. Then she learned that once she was calm and asked for things she was much happier and got more of what she wanted. I must say the cast also helped LOL Before the cast she would throw herself all over the room and hit and scream. But the cast really limits her ability to do that. She would at times bite her shirt, since that was about all she could do. It has now been weeks since she has thrown any tantrums.
Her English is amazing and she understands almost everything we say. She is also very good with please and thank you. If the twins forget to tell her thank you, she even reminds them...LOL
The sharing is also getting much better. That was also really hard in the beginning, but we knew that she never really had things, and now she wanted to hoard her things... and she wanted ANYTHING that anyone else had. (Which is not uncommon in most children).
We have tried to really praise her for sharing, so now when she shares she likes to point out to us that she is sharing... she will say "look mommy, Olivia sharing... good job Olivia"... she always tells her self good job...LOL
She was so happy about the chair, and even the next morning when she woke up the first thing she said was "thank you for my chair". I will post photos of it soon.
Olivia is doing MUCH better. She seldom has tantrums anymore, they were a DOZY for a while. We honestly just ignored them and demo'd how we wanted her to ask for things, or behave. When she through a big tantrum we would take her to her room and let her throw the biggest tantrum she wanted. Then when she was done she could come out. In the beginning they could be an hour long. Then she learned that once she was calm and asked for things she was much happier and got more of what she wanted. I must say the cast also helped LOL Before the cast she would throw herself all over the room and hit and scream. But the cast really limits her ability to do that. She would at times bite her shirt, since that was about all she could do. It has now been weeks since she has thrown any tantrums.
Her English is amazing and she understands almost everything we say. She is also very good with please and thank you. If the twins forget to tell her thank you, she even reminds them...LOL
The sharing is also getting much better. That was also really hard in the beginning, but we knew that she never really had things, and now she wanted to hoard her things... and she wanted ANYTHING that anyone else had. (Which is not uncommon in most children).
We have tried to really praise her for sharing, so now when she shares she likes to point out to us that she is sharing... she will say "look mommy, Olivia sharing... good job Olivia"... she always tells her self good job...LOL
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
8/23/2007 Olivia's 2nd Tooth
Olivia's other front tooth was so loose that she was able to twist it sideways, so we decided to pull it out. We tied the dental floss on the tooth, and barely pulled it and it came out.
She was very happy that her two teeth came out, she likes to stick her tongue through the hole. We can already see both her permanent teeth. I can't wait to finally have some WHITE teeth in her mouth. Though I worry about the condition of her permanent teeth since her nutrition over the years has not been great. But I guess only time will tell.
Bennett also now keeps asking us to pull his teeth... LOL
She was very happy that her two teeth came out, she likes to stick her tongue through the hole. We can already see both her permanent teeth. I can't wait to finally have some WHITE teeth in her mouth. Though I worry about the condition of her permanent teeth since her nutrition over the years has not been great. But I guess only time will tell.
Bennett also now keeps asking us to pull his teeth... LOL
Friday, August 17, 2007
8/16/2007 Olivia lost her first tooth
Olivia's front two teeth have been very loose for some time, and one (the right front tooth) was literally hanging on by a thread, I was beginning to worry that she might choke on it. She couldn't even bite with her front teeth as it was so loose. So I decided to pull it. So we wrapped a little dental floss on it and tied a small knot and just pulled it down, it came out really easy. So easy that Olivia laughed when the string came off, as she thought I missed her tooth. Little did she know that it was handing on the string... LAUGH
When I showed her the tooth was out she just said "HEY". She was thrilled to get a sucker and liked that it fit in the new hole.
For several hours she commented that her "Tooth...all gone".
Unfortunately our 3 year old twin son saw this event and immediately started sobbing. I think he thought we were just torturing Olivia. We had to explain that her tooth was loose an we just helped it come out for her new tooth. But I am not sure that he really understood.
Techincally this is Olivia's 3rd tooth. Her front bottom teeth came out at the orphanage between our 1st and 2nd visit. But her permanent teeth had come in behind her baby teeth, and were all the way in, so I am guessing that they pulled those two teeth.
When I showed her the tooth was out she just said "HEY". She was thrilled to get a sucker and liked that it fit in the new hole.
For several hours she commented that her "Tooth...all gone".
Unfortunately our 3 year old twin son saw this event and immediately started sobbing. I think he thought we were just torturing Olivia. We had to explain that her tooth was loose an we just helped it come out for her new tooth. But I am not sure that he really understood.
Techincally this is Olivia's 3rd tooth. Her front bottom teeth came out at the orphanage between our 1st and 2nd visit. But her permanent teeth had come in behind her baby teeth, and were all the way in, so I am guessing that they pulled those two teeth.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
8/11/2007 Potty Difficulties - Tips :)
The potty situation was difficult before her surgery, but now almost impossible. She pees weird, basically into one leg which sprays EVERYWHERE, even up her bum all the way up the back when she is sitting on the toilet.
So now I have to try and get it in a small bed pan with her in a almost laying position. After many different attempts and methods I think the best way is to put her "diaper" (I found I like the mens pads for men with bladder issues, the fit her cast opening the best) wrapped around the back of the bed pan, and I put wipes on her "Va Jay Jay", to help it go down and not all over.
Unfortunately trying to figure all this out she has got pee on her cast and it already smells like pee. I have tried to "clean" it as much as I can, but it is driving me nuts... 5 more weeks until her cast change...uggghhh
I also learned that most moms put duct tape around the cast edge to sort of seal it, then do the petals. I wish I had known that before we left the hospital and before she peed on her cast. I did go to Michaels Crafts to get the cute colored duct tape and have now duct taped the edge of her cast and re-petalled it. But a little late.
So now I have to try and get it in a small bed pan with her in a almost laying position. After many different attempts and methods I think the best way is to put her "diaper" (I found I like the mens pads for men with bladder issues, the fit her cast opening the best) wrapped around the back of the bed pan, and I put wipes on her "Va Jay Jay", to help it go down and not all over.
Unfortunately trying to figure all this out she has got pee on her cast and it already smells like pee. I have tried to "clean" it as much as I can, but it is driving me nuts... 5 more weeks until her cast change...uggghhh
I also learned that most moms put duct tape around the cast edge to sort of seal it, then do the petals. I wish I had known that before we left the hospital and before she peed on her cast. I did go to Michaels Crafts to get the cute colored duct tape and have now duct taped the edge of her cast and re-petalled it. But a little late.
8/12/2007 "Oh Yucky"
Olivia seems much happier today and is making her typical funny faces and gestures. Daddy come in the kitchen where Olivia and I were and gave me a kiss and Olivia says "oh yucky".
I thought it was so funny that she already thinks it is yucky that her mommy and daddy are kissing.
I thought it was so funny that she already thinks it is yucky that her mommy and daddy are kissing.
8/10/2007 Finally Headed Home - Released from Shriners
We are happy to start to head home. As we get our discharge paper in order and start to pack up and prepare to leave, we realize that Olivia’s TB test is now showing positive. So the doctors come in look at her and order a chest x-ray to determine if Olivia has TB or is just showing positive due to exposure to TB.
So we have to wait for the order for the chest x-ray. Soon we head down and the x-ray is taken. The scan doesn’t seem to show anything. So a little relieved (still need the official reading) we head back to the room to wait and see what we do now. Shriners has to notify the Health Department since TB is contagious. But Olivia’s x-ray is cleared. We will now need to way a few more weeks and test our entire family. This also means that Olivia can no longer have TB tests, she will have to have chest x-rays in the future. Apparently each time you test someone with a positive TB test, their reaction gets worse and worse.
Daddy and the twins and Jordan come to the hospital to help bring Olivia home. We let them play a little while and then try to figure out how we can get Olivia in the car. We have one of the recommend car seats for the Spica Cast (Britax Marathon) but her cast is almost in a laying or standing position so we really can’t strap her in the car seat. We can get her in it and then or son had to sit on the floor and hold the bar in between her legs to make sure she didn’t slide out. We will have to drive slowly and carefully since two of our children can’t wear their seat belts. This also means that Olivia will basically be homebound until her cast change.
We get home and Olivia is just an emotional basket case. When we finally get her in bed she complains about everything and we have to keep switching her position. She finally falls asleep…
8/09/2007 4th day at Shriners - Epidural Removed
Last night was great, she didn’t ask once for pain meds. So this morning they stopped the epidural and we are trying to get her only on oral medication so that we can go home. She agreed to take the “blue” oral med. Since they gave her a sample, and the “blue” is basically the flavoring. So they mix that will valium, which looked bright blue, she took that no problem. The narcotic looked a little more purple, but she took it without much negotiating… finally.
They removed her epidural, which was quite the event. Olivia has little blonde hairs everywhere, and they had to rip the tape off all along her back, which she really sobbed about. She also sobbed as they removed the IV in her hand, for the same reasons.
She was thrilled to get out and about and go to the play room. They offered a bath and she was very happy about that. Then I realized that she thought that a “bath” meant getting naked. Which means the cast would come off. She was disappointed to learn that the bath was on a special bed and the cast stayed on. She loves her hair being washed, but it has to be done really gentle as her head is SUPER sensitive.
Though once there she was frustrated with the fact she really couldn’t do much. She wanted to ride the bikes and play with the games, but with her cast most things were impossible.
The oral medicines are somewhat of a challenge. She just doesn’t understand they control the pain, she will cry from the pain, yet refuse any medicine. I am not sure that she completely understands that it takes the pain away. Since you take the meds and it takes 15-45 minutes for it to really kick in.
It looks like we are all on track to go home tomorrow. I am excited to go home and spend time with our other children and catch up on all the projects that we have in the making. But I LOVE the Shriners staff, they are so sweet and helpful. I have never experienced medical care like I have at Shriners. Everything is about your child and what is the best plan and care for them. Since insurance is never an issue and doctors don’t have to worry about HMO’s or administration breathing down their neck.
Shiners is 100% supported by donations. So please consider helping this VERY WORTHY cause. You can mail small gifts or send cash. I can assure you that it is money that is well spent. They are great about giving the children things to do, and special treats so that there time there is as positive as possible.
Here is a link to learn more… http://www.shrinershq.org
8/08/2007 3rd day at Shriners Hospital
Last night was great compared to the night before. She only got up twice and seemed relatively happy. Overall we had a pretty good night. The nurses aid come in a “petal’d” her cast. Which means that they placed soft mole skin pieces around the edge to make it soft and comfortable for Olivia. I believe they call it petaling because it looks like flower petals. They then laid her on her stomach to be able to do the back of her cast. She didn’t like it, but they said it was important to keep rotating her so that she doesn’t get sores.
She still has slight fever, so we try and give her Tylenol. She freaks out on it… which is so odd since she drank the nasty valium without any issues, she also chewed the nasty perciced, yet she puts her foot down on the flavored Tylenol. It takes 3 doses before she will finally swallow it. By the third dose, I told her if she doesn’t swallow it we will have “more”. So she finally gives in and swallows it.
She asked for eggs for dinner so I rushed to the cafeteria before it closed and they made her two eggs, and gave me some raw onions, which she loves. Plus they gave her some toast. She ate really well.
They removed the IV they had in her hand since she still has one in her foot and the one in her hand was not flushing anyway.
8/07/2007 Day after Hip Surgery
After a long night we need to go to Children’s Primary Hospital to have her CT scan. An ambulance arrives at around 10:00am to transport us. They gave Olivia a valium to help with her anxiety. She is still panicked at the thought of going back on that transport bed… I think that she believes she will go back in surgery. I try to explain that mommy won’t leave her I will be with her the whole time. But with the language barrier it is hard for her to understand. She has to hold my hand all the way, and she panics each time I have to let the bed go through the door first, since we can’t fit together. The two ambulance drivers are both females and are really great. When we get to the hospital they want us to go to out-patient check in. Olivia would have freaked out if I left her for a few minutes. So they brought her bed all the way to the patient check-out so she could stay by me. Then we head to the CT scan. She cries when we put her on the cat scan table, I don’t think it is pain, as much as it is fear. We try to described that it is just pictures, no “owies”. She is happy to leave. We head back to the hospital, she is glad to be back in her room. Though she does constantly ask to go home. I think she believes that everything will be back to normal if we go home. She begins to get a fever of 101-102. This can be from not moving and the lungs need to get expanded as much as possible. They have a little machine that Olivia likes to blow in, and they also use bubbles which she LOVES. I thought this was such a clever way to get them to exercise their lungs, yet they believe they are just playing.
Olivia seems suspicious of everything… if I try to feed her something, she doesn’t want it. She hasn’t really eaten since before the operation.
She still seems to be in pain so the nurse decides to try an oral pain medicine. Olivia chews the perciced with the promise of a cola (which she loves, but never gets at home). She takes it like a champ. 15 or so minutes later she happily says “owie all gone”. She is so happy about being pain free she keeps saying, with excitement”, “owie all gone”, over and over.. almost to the point it is annoying… laugh Which makes me really believe that she has been in pain this whole time despite the epidural. Which I feel really bad about. But non of us could really tell if she was in pain. She was constantly getting what they call BOLST (or surge of pain medicine) in her epidural for pain, but it never seemed to take it all away. (not to mention it was on a steady drip as well). Olivia is finally back to her happy self laughing and playing. She eats a ton, which is great as she hasn’t eaten since before her surgery.
My mom and Eleana (the translator) come to allow me to go home and shower and see our other children, get them ready for bed and tuck them in, then head back to the hospital.
8/06/2007 Surgery Day - Shriners for Hip Repair
5:00am We get up and start getting reading for the hospital. We leave Olivia in her PJ’s and take her to the car. We bring her favorite blanket and her hospital doll and a little Strawberry Shortcake doll the Hoss’s sent her. In the car on the way to the hospital I tell Olivia we are going to see the doctor. She sighed and said “ot oh!”, then she paused and said “Olivia, owie”. I was surprised that she even put all that together. Maybe she understood more then we thought she did.
We arrive at the hospital and get her all checked in for her surgery and met with several members of the staff, including her nurse, Dr Roach (surgeon) another doctor there to observe the procedure, Dr. Sanders, the anesthesiologist, Wendee, her nurse and Stefanie her aide for after she was out of recovery.
We were able to speak in depth about the procedure, and confirm that they will be removing about 2 inches of her left femur bone to be able to place the leg back in the socket, they will then reshape her socket on her left hip bone. Then they will do the leg release procedure so that she can bend her leg to around 45%, they said they can’t get to 90% with out loosing her ability to straighten her leg. The they will put on her SPICA cast and she will go to recovery. The procedure will take about 5 hours.
We go to Olivia’s room, where she will be the next few days after her procedure. They dress Olivia in her gown, and prick her finger to check her iron. She is happy and laughing through the entire procedure, even the finger prick. They gave her some valium, which I wasn’t even sure that she needed, but we wanted to make everything as pleasant as possible for her. They said it was nasty, but she swallowed it with no problem. We then move to the pre-op room. Olivia is so drugged she can barely hold her head up. They tell us it is time for her to go into the operating room, and we say goodbye, not even thinking she is coherent enough to hear us. She begins to sob. Saying “no bye bye”. I then quickly realize that she thinks we are leaving her there. I try to reassure her that we aren’t leaving, that we will wait right there for her. She calms a little but ultimately goes into her surgery scared and crying. I think a part of it is the valium. It is much like drinking it lowers your inhibitions. I think that she was scared all along, but always tries to act tough and carefree. But that the drug took away that tough exterior and showed her for the scared child that she is.
We haven’t eaten and decide to head to the cafeteria. Shriners gives you a pager so that you can roam the hospital and have a little freedom, which helps take your mind off things.
We sit in the cafeteria with some friends and Mike Babcock for a little while. We receive a page and Mike Babcock calls so that we can see the update. They called to tell us that they just started her procedure. It takes around 45 minutes to get everything set up before they start. They are great about staying in contact with each step in the procedure and call us during the procedure to let us know how far they are in the procedure and how much they have left to do and how Olivia is doing. The also called during the procedure and said that they were running some blood work, and decided to call to find out what other tests they should run based on her country of birth. We thought that this was very kind and truly considerate of our daughter and her needs.
I can’t even put into words how amazing Shriners is. Because all care is 100% covered by Shriners hospital, through generous donations. Money and insurance NEVER come up. Every conversation is about your child and their care. Because no one has to account to the HMO or insurance company, they run any test they want without any concern about coverage or money. It is really a unique experience to have the health of your child be the number one concern.
When the procedure is done they call, Olivia had wanted the orange cast, but they are out, and so her 2nd choice was the blue, so we tell them to go ahead with the blue. (honestly I am relieved I wasn’t too excited about living with the neon orange for 6 weeks. They will cast her now and then she will head to recovery and she will be in there 30-60 minutes, and when she wakes up they will bring her to her room.
Dr. Roach comes in and tells us that the procedure when well and that they are pleased with the results. They will send her to get a CT scan tomorrow to make sure that her cast is putting her hip in the optimal position.
Olivia comes into the room, she is extremely pale, and doesn’t look well. They order another blood test to make sure that she is ok. She keeps looking at her arm, which is under the cover but has the blood pressure cup on it, so I lift the cover so she can see what was on her arm. She also kept breathing really deep, like she was feeling how constraining the cast was. So I pulled back the sheet to show her the cast. I thought it was pretty amazing that as soon as she saw the “Blue” cast, even though she was still pretty out of it her first word was an annoyed “Orange”.
We work with her for hours trying to get her pain under control. Since her English is so limited it is hard to tell if she is in pain, or just annoyed with the cast.
Daddy brings the twins and Jordan to visit Olivia. Olivia wants to play!! But that is not really an option.
We have a long night, she is up about every hour saying “owie”. Not to mention that every two hours we have to prop her in a new position, so that she gets good circulation and won’t get any bed sores. She cries whenever we move her. I am not 100% sure the epidural is working as she keeps saying “owie”, but at times she says that when she doesn’t like something, she pretends it hurts. Like the oxygen monitor on her finger. She likes to be in a position so she can see me. She also wants me to hold her hand constantly. Which is a great bonding sign, and sweet, but difficult to do.
Monday, August 13, 2007
8/05/2007 Shriners Hospital Tour
Today we went to Shriner’s so that Olivia could have a tour and we could explain her procedure to her with someone that specializes with young children having surgeries.
We wanted to be honest with Olivia, as I feel that is critical in building trust with your child. But we also wanted to be sure that we were age appropriate with what we shared with her.
Jillian at Shriners was so great. Eleana was a life saver translating everything so we were sure that Olivia understood as much as possible. She went through a picture book of all the different things at the hospital and what Olivia would see while here. Then she helped her make a special doll, and they made a soft cast for the doll similar to the cast that Olivia would be getting tomorrow. They let her pick the color of her cast, and of course she wants a almost neon orange… LOVELY.
They let her feel the soft IV catheter, and taped it to the doll and gave her an empty syringe so that she could give her doll medicine. Then Jillian showed her that the baby was hurting and then she gave her the medicine and gave a sigh, like she felt better. Then they gave Olivia a Barbie with wings (she loves barbie’s and princesses).
They also gave our twins a gift so they didn’t feel left out. Then we went home. Shriners called and had a change in schedule and Olivia’s surgery was bumped up from 1:00pm to 9:00am. This was great news since Olivia typically doesn’t want breakfast too early, I knew getting her to 9:00am with no food would not be a problem. But getting her to 1:00pm, would have been a huge struggle. The hospital wants us there at 6:00am…
yikes. Olivia played with her doll for quite some time, and loved giving her the injection and making the same sigh of relief. It was very cute. We still are not sure that she really understands what will be happening tomorrow. I am also a little worried that she might have heard people in Kazakhstan talk about their belief that American’s adopt children and sell their organs. (yes sadly this is a belief their) I don’t want her to wake up and see that she has been operated on and believe that this is what we have done to her. Then again we don’t want to mention it if she hasn’t heard it. I know that most the kids in the older orphanage have heard this rumor, but hope by the fact she is in a baby house still that the gossip is kept to a minimum.
8/03/2007 Olivia's "Last Supper" (before her surgery)
Since Olivia is having surgery Monday, we decided to try and squeeze in a few activities since she will be home bound for 12 weeks.
So she went with Taty and the twins and Jordan to see "Air Bud".
Then we tried to take her to the Myan for dinner since she loves swimming (they have divers that you can watch during your dinner. But the wait was way to long, and they wouldn't take reservations. So we headed over to "Joe's Crab Shack", they have a play center for the kids. Olivia pointed to the spaghetti on the kids menu (a cartoon drawing). Then when her meal came they used different noodles, so she refused to eat it and kept pointing back to the menu.
The kids had fun running and playing.
So she went with Taty and the twins and Jordan to see "Air Bud".
Then we tried to take her to the Myan for dinner since she loves swimming (they have divers that you can watch during your dinner. But the wait was way to long, and they wouldn't take reservations. So we headed over to "Joe's Crab Shack", they have a play center for the kids. Olivia pointed to the spaghetti on the kids menu (a cartoon drawing). Then when her meal came they used different noodles, so she refused to eat it and kept pointing back to the menu.
The kids had fun running and playing.
Friday, August 3, 2007
8/02/2007 First Shriners Appointment
Today was our first appointment with Shriners.
They were so great. Eleana arrived from
When we got to Shriners we checked in and went straight to X-ray, the doctor wanted the X-rays before we met with him.
Olivia did great, they told her that she was getting her picture taken, so she kept smiling for her “photos”. She didn’t realize it was just her chest and pelvis. I asked the tech if she rated Olivia’s severity of Arthrogryposis on a scale of 1-10 how severe was Olivia’s case. She said she was about 7-8. She said she has seen worst, but also much better. It is nice to finally speak with people so familiar with her condition and has seen so many other children with the same condition.
We then met Olivia’s doctor, who is Dr Roach. He was great. He went over Olivia’s condition with me. Then he checked Olivia out and luckily it seems that she has all her muscles in her legs. Which is great news. He wanted us to go back to X-ray to get X-rays of her arms/hands and feet/knees.
Then we met with Dr Roach again. He said that her hip is out of socket and most likely has been since birth. Basically your hip socket hardens and the socket will no longer “mold” to the ball when placed back in once a child is between 7 and 8 years old. Olivia will be 7 in October. So the hip will have to be the first priority. We are lucky that we were able to get her home when we did, in another 6 months they would not even attempt to repair her hip. (though of course sooner would have been better, the two year process that it took to adopt her will make her outcome not as good as it would have been)
Dr Roach then wanted us to go to the physical therapist to evaluate Olivia and see how well she moved and functioned, so that they could make a treatment plan that wouldn’t take anything away from her.
We went to lunch and Olivia didn’t seem to want anything she ordered, except her banana. (which is typical). We have now been at Shriners since 8:00am and our physical therapy appointment is at 1:00pm.
We spent about one hour in physical therapy, as they watched her play and how she navigated her environment. They commented on how confident she was, and how many children just sit and won’t interact at all there first time. Olivia was all over the place, she was definitely not shy. They were pretty amazed at how well Olivia is doing considering she has had no therapy or medical attention at this point.
We then all met with the doctor so that everyone could give their input based on their expertise.
Based on the limited window to repair her hip that will have to be her first surgery. We asked for when the next available surgery date is, and we were told MONDAY, yes in 4 days. Or we would have to wait until December. Since timing is critical we accepted Monday, three more months could be too late.
They went over the procedure that would be performed… I must say I was a little shocked at how much she will go through. They can not just place her hip back in the socket… since it has been out for her entire life. So they have to remove part of her leg bone so that the hip can slip into place. (about 2 inches) Then they have to remove part of the “socket” and reposition it to keep the ball will stay in the socket and not slip out. They will then screw a plate in place to hold it all together. We will be at Shriners for 3 days after the surgery, so I probably won’t be home until Thursday morning. She will then receive a body cast that she will have on for 6 weeks. At which time they will have to put her under to remove the cast and replace it with a smaller body cast that she will have on for 3-6 more weeks. At which point we will need to begin her foot surgeries.
So our little girl is in for one heck of a roller coaster next week. So please keep her in your prayers.
We will call the hospital psychiatrist to see what we should tell her about the procedure. I believe in 100% honesty, but I also think she is too young for all the details and it might terrify her. So we need to speak with someone that can guide us in the best way to help our daughter through this and how best to explain this to her so that she feels loved and whole as a person. We don’t want to come across that we think something is wrong with her, or don’t love her the way that she is… because we do. But we want her to live the best life possible, and she is so ambitious and wants to do everything, and at this point she just can’t.
Another concern that I have is that in
Before we left they marked her legs and had her walk and run several times in front of a camera to see how her legs and bones worked when she walked. She could see herself on the monitor so she would hardly look straight like they wanted her too. She loves seeing herself in the mirror. I think that they seldom get to see themselves at the orphanage. She loves photos of herself too.
We ended up leaving Shriners around 3:00pm. So we were there about 7 hours total. So it made for a LONG day. Plus the reality of what our daughter will be going through Monday is really starting to sink in. She is so independent I don’t know how we will get her through 9-12 weeks of a body cast. Plus her dental surgery is still scheduled for the end of September, I had to call them and inform them that she will be in a body cast to make sure that it won’t be a problem.
I guess the reality of what our daughter is about to go through is hitting hard, she is in for a tough few years. I have stayed so focused on her adoption, and tried not to think about all that she would have to go through. I know it is best for her and I know that being a good parent means making really hard choices… so I pray that I can be the best mom to her through this that I possibly can.
If anyone wants to send her emails or cards I am sure that she would love that, and we can put a little book together for her. Especially if you have adopted a child from Umit, please include a photo.Tuesday, July 17, 2007
7/17/007
Olivia is so sweet 95% of the time, but she throws some dozy tantrums when she doesn't get her way. Her behavior and maturity reminds me of about a 1-2 year old, not the 6 1/2 year old she is. However she was the oldest child and the orphanage and in a group with babies, many of which were mentally impaired. I can clearly see she mimics their behavior. We just don't respond to her tantrums, she is immediately put in a time out and they have lessoned substantially since we first brought her home. They are now only 10 minutes or so, when they were initially about a hour or more.
She seems to play more with our twin son Bennett then his twin Bailey. But she is a rough and tumble girl, and Bailey is very feminine and likes to stay clean. So Bennett is more her speed.
We had swimming lessons last week and Olivia LOVES swimming, she wants to jump off the high dive and go down the huge slides... She is definitely fearless. I am glad that she loves swimming as I think that it will be such great therapy for her muscles. Though currently with no arm muscles and very limited use of one of her legs I don't think she will be able to swim alone yet... but hopefully with therapy and practice she will be soon.
Olive also loves getting dressed every morning, she is excited to wear ANYTHING. She also loves having her hair and nails done and loves jewelry. She loves baths and having her hair washed.
She does have to go to the bathroom ALL THE TIME... I think this has to do with the potty training at the orphanage, they put them on the toilet every hour, so I think that she is used to peeing every hour... Ughhh Just in case it is a medical issue we will talk to her doctor about that one.
She seems to play more with our twin son Bennett then his twin Bailey. But she is a rough and tumble girl, and Bailey is very feminine and likes to stay clean. So Bennett is more her speed.
We had swimming lessons last week and Olivia LOVES swimming, she wants to jump off the high dive and go down the huge slides... She is definitely fearless. I am glad that she loves swimming as I think that it will be such great therapy for her muscles. Though currently with no arm muscles and very limited use of one of her legs I don't think she will be able to swim alone yet... but hopefully with therapy and practice she will be soon.
Olive also loves getting dressed every morning, she is excited to wear ANYTHING. She also loves having her hair and nails done and loves jewelry. She loves baths and having her hair washed.
She does have to go to the bathroom ALL THE TIME... I think this has to do with the potty training at the orphanage, they put them on the toilet every hour, so I think that she is used to peeing every hour... Ughhh Just in case it is a medical issue we will talk to her doctor about that one.
Monday, July 16, 2007
7/16/2007 Bad Dental News - Accepted to Shriners
We went to the dentist today and learned that she has cavities in all her molars, so that is about $3,000 in dental work, plus the hospital surgery room fee, and anesthesiologists fee. We were expecting all the medical bills, but this is another large expense that we weren't planning on. Hopefully our insurance will pick up most the tab, but this is well above our annual dental limit (per person). So I am not sure what we will be responsible for, and what insurance will cover.
Shriners called and we will have our first doctor appointment on August 2nd. We are so excited to finally speak to a doctor that knows something about her condition, and can give us some idea on what treatment plan we will start and what sort of help or results they expect for Olivia. We are also waiting to get in and get her testing done so that she can start school.
On a good note we just learned that we were accepted to Shriners, which is a HUGE relief. With all her medical needs even the co-pays and our % of the bill can really add up. But even more importantly Olivia's condition is rare and very few doctors have any experience with it. Shriners treats children with her condition all the time, so I know she will get the best treatment there. I don't know what all they will do or cover until we have our first appointment.. But it is still a relief.
Shriners called and we will have our first doctor appointment on August 2nd. We are so excited to finally speak to a doctor that knows something about her condition, and can give us some idea on what treatment plan we will start and what sort of help or results they expect for Olivia. We are also waiting to get in and get her testing done so that she can start school.
On a good note we just learned that we were accepted to Shriners, which is a HUGE relief. With all her medical needs even the co-pays and our % of the bill can really add up. But even more importantly Olivia's condition is rare and very few doctors have any experience with it. Shriners treats children with her condition all the time, so I know she will get the best treatment there. I don't know what all they will do or cover until we have our first appointment.. But it is still a relief.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
7/14/2007 Olivia's English
It is amazing how quickly Olivia is learning English, she says new words every day, sometimes several in a day. She knows all her colors and basic foods (she loves pickles and white bread with butter), she also knows allot of the animals. She also keeps saying "be careful" which is so funny to me with her limited English. She also learned "OWIE" on the plane on the way home since she is so sick.
Friday, July 13, 2007
7/13/2007 Sick since coming home
I have been sick since we have been home.. I constantly feel like I am going to throw up... even thought I never do... I have gone to the urgent care, and then the Emergency Room, and they both ran several tests, but still we haven't found anything technically wrong... so I am trying to get to see a gastrointestinal doctor this week.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
7/12/2007 INS Appointment - Certificate of Citizenship
I when to the INS office to try and see how we get PROOF she is a citizen. We were initially told that all we needed to do was show her visa with her stamp and that was proof that she was a citizen. We learned from the social security office that this is not true. Then the INS office informs me that we will need to apply for a certificate of citizenship, which can take 30-45 days AND costs $215 AND we have to bring in 2 passport photos. I personally think that it is ridiculous that we have to pay for proof our daughter is a citizen. We have already paid a small fortune in fees, and paid the INS fees for permission to bring her home, and not we have to pay to PROVE she is a US citizen. It seems that everything is always such a hurdle.
When I got home from the office I called several offices (homeland security, social security, etc), I tried to explain our situation and that we really couldn't wait 30-45 days to get her social security number that we needed it to proceed with other things that our daughter needs to start her care. The social security office told me that if I can get a passport I won't have to get her certificate of citizenship. So I have scheduled an appointment for next week, lets keep our fingers crossed that they will issue a passport.
When I got home from the office I called several offices (homeland security, social security, etc), I tried to explain our situation and that we really couldn't wait 30-45 days to get her social security number that we needed it to proceed with other things that our daughter needs to start her care. The social security office told me that if I can get a passport I won't have to get her certificate of citizenship. So I have scheduled an appointment for next week, lets keep our fingers crossed that they will issue a passport.
Monday, April 2, 2007
04/02/2007 10th Orphanage Visit
Our 10th visit... When we arrived at the orphanage today Olivia was waiting at the window jumping up and down. When she came in the room she seemed more excited then the last few days. We learned that she was crying when we didn’t come the day before, she said that she cried a lot… which surprised us since we had the translator tell her that we wouldn’t be coming. I worry if our court date is delayed that she will not understand if we have to travel home for weeks before the adoption process if finalized. So hopefully we won’t have to leave the country.
I feel bad that she was upset and worried that she thought that we had changed our minds on her adoption - especially when we just brought in the other baby (Pearl). Today Pearl was ill and had a fever. We also heard back from the department of education that they would not allow us to adopt baby Pearl - we will only be allowed to adopt one child - so we will proceed with Olivia’s adoption only.
If anyone knows someone that is interested in adopting Pearl is a SWEET baby girl. She is very happy and laughs a lot and likes to play. If she is this pleasant only 2 days after her surgery you can imagine what a delightful child she is the rest of the time. I wish that we could come back for her, but our children at home are already very sad that we have left and between the expenses to return, and all of Olivia’s medical needs I don’t think that will be possible, at least in the near future.
I feel bad that she was upset and worried that she thought that we had changed our minds on her adoption - especially when we just brought in the other baby (Pearl). Today Pearl was ill and had a fever. We also heard back from the department of education that they would not allow us to adopt baby Pearl - we will only be allowed to adopt one child - so we will proceed with Olivia’s adoption only.
If anyone knows someone that is interested in adopting Pearl is a SWEET baby girl. She is very happy and laughs a lot and likes to play. If she is this pleasant only 2 days after her surgery you can imagine what a delightful child she is the rest of the time. I wish that we could come back for her, but our children at home are already very sad that we have left and between the expenses to return, and all of Olivia’s medical needs I don’t think that will be possible, at least in the near future.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
04/01/2007
Today we are not allowed to visit Olivia. We slept in a little and planned to go to a restaurant that was down the strip for breakfast at 10am, since the rest of the week we are at the orphanage we weren’t able to try their breakfast. We walked in slight rain all the way there to find they were closed even though we had specifically asked about their breakfast. We weren’t sure if they had different hours on Sunday, or why they weren’t opened. They have no signs on their door with hours or days of operation. We stopped by another restaurant they were also closed, so we decided to just head back to our hotel, since by this time we were pretty soaked.
Since we can’t pronounce the babies Kazak name I wanted to pick an American name for her, so that we can call her something besides “baby”. We tonight we agreed on Lily Pearl. Since she is Kazak she looks Asian (Olivia is Russian). We thought Lily was fitting, and we liked that her name meant Pearl and thought that was pretty so for now that will be her name. We realize the chances are very low that we will get to adopt her but we are embarrassing her for now. Worst case she gets to spend 2 hours a day with us and get extra attention. Well it is almost 1:00 am, so I better sign off for now.
Since we can’t pronounce the babies Kazak name I wanted to pick an American name for her, so that we can call her something besides “baby”. We tonight we agreed on Lily Pearl. Since she is Kazak she looks Asian (Olivia is Russian). We thought Lily was fitting, and we liked that her name meant Pearl and thought that was pretty so for now that will be her name. We realize the chances are very low that we will get to adopt her but we are embarrassing her for now. Worst case she gets to spend 2 hours a day with us and get extra attention. Well it is almost 1:00 am, so I better sign off for now.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
03/31/2007
Olivia was waiting by the window as always; though she didn’t run right to us this morning. She wanted to play first. I think she is showing more signs of security. Though when they brought the baby in and papa was holding it she kept shaking her head no. I am not sure what she was thinking. We hope that she doesn’t think that we are considering another child over her. It is hard to explain things to her since we have the language barrier. We tried to make sure that she didn’t feel that we were focusing too much attention on the new baby.
We also had our translator explain that we would not be able to come on Sunday, but that we would come on Monday. Last night I had a dream that we were discussing the babies name and that we wanted to giver her the middle name Pearl, after my sister Stephanie… which was ironic since today we learned the baby’s name means Pearl in Kazak.
We also had our translator explain that we would not be able to come on Sunday, but that we would come on Monday. Last night I had a dream that we were discussing the babies name and that we wanted to giver her the middle name Pearl, after my sister Stephanie… which was ironic since today we learned the baby’s name means Pearl in Kazak.
Friday, March 30, 2007
03/30/2007
There was some sort of even in the front of our hotel, so our driver was not able to pick us up from the front. She ended up parking several buildings away and come running up to us so that she could guide us to the cars. We were supposed to pick up the last medication, but now didn’t have time… she had already picked up the shoe cobbler, that we requested make some special shoes for Olivia, since she really can’t wear normal shoes. He came with us to the orphanage and measured Olivia’s feet and will make us some custom shoes. Olivia didn’t seem to mind the process at all.
We met with one of the nurses that said she took care of Olivia as a very small baby, and that she had worked at the orphanage for 33 years. We took her photo with Olivia. We promised we would make her a copy. At the end of our visit they took us into the doctor’s office to meet the baby we had discussed yesterday. We sat down and they handed her to us. She was very happy and smiled and laughed each time we tickled her. She seemed in a great mood for just having surgery. When she laughed you could still see stitches in her lip and all along the inside of her palette. She was a very sweet little girl. They said she loved to play and was happy. We told them that we would discuss her adoption and tell them our decision tomorrow.
We met with one of the nurses that said she took care of Olivia as a very small baby, and that she had worked at the orphanage for 33 years. We took her photo with Olivia. We promised we would make her a copy. At the end of our visit they took us into the doctor’s office to meet the baby we had discussed yesterday. We sat down and they handed her to us. She was very happy and smiled and laughed each time we tickled her. She seemed in a great mood for just having surgery. When she laughed you could still see stitches in her lip and all along the inside of her palette. She was a very sweet little girl. They said she loved to play and was happy. We told them that we would discuss her adoption and tell them our decision tomorrow.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
03/29/2007
Today Olivia seemed a little sick, we had another typical visit, we asked to play in the “exercise room” upstairs again which we were allowed to. But learned later that the doctors were upset that we were in that room and told our translators that the Americans can not go in any room they please. They basically stated that they had a schedule. This is a room that they stated the children exercise in, but both are children acted like they had never or seldom go in that room. So I don’t think that they we will be allowed to go in that room again.
We were asked if we wanted to meet a baby that we had been shown a photo of just prior to our leaving for Kazakhstan. We said yes, and they said tomorrow we could meet her. She had just turned one on the 28th, and had been in Almaty having surgery to repair her cleft lip/palette. On our way out the doctor asked us if we would get some medicine for Olivia since she was sick. She wrote us a prescription on a plain piece of paper. Apparently you don’t need an official prescription in Kazakhstan; you can buy anything you want. She also asked us to pick up some medication for the other babies as well; which we agreed to do. We went to two pharmacies and were able to find 2 of the 3 medications but could not locate the third medication.
We were asked if we wanted to meet a baby that we had been shown a photo of just prior to our leaving for Kazakhstan. We said yes, and they said tomorrow we could meet her. She had just turned one on the 28th, and had been in Almaty having surgery to repair her cleft lip/palette. On our way out the doctor asked us if we would get some medicine for Olivia since she was sick. She wrote us a prescription on a plain piece of paper. Apparently you don’t need an official prescription in Kazakhstan; you can buy anything you want. She also asked us to pick up some medication for the other babies as well; which we agreed to do. We went to two pharmacies and were able to find 2 of the 3 medications but could not locate the third medication.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
03/28/2007
Today we are going to the “exercise room”, since the children are watching a cartoon in the “music room”, were we usually do our bonding time. We played for a while then were invited to the “music room” to watch the Kazakhstan cartoon. They had set up little white benches for all the children. They filed in a small group of children that I would guess were about 2-3 years old. They all sat on a bench, and seemed very well behaved. They then filed in a larger group of 3-4 year olds. They all sat as well. As soon as they turned off the lights and started the cartoon, several off the young children started crying, so they took them out of the room.
The cartoon was a little scary we thought, though we couldn’t understand the language it had a 3 headed dragon like character that was eating several animals. Then it seemed to get ill and couldn’t fly. Then these three “wise men” called this mosquito like animal went and sucked blood from a small infant, it looked like the infant was on the verge of dying from this act, and then a bird was chasing the mosquito to get back the blood, and was chasing it when the blood was dropped and caused flowers to grow from the dirt. Suddenly the baby was better, and then the dragon fell out of this castle when it was chasing the bird and died. It was all very weird and scary; I was really surprised that this is what they chose to show 2-4 year olds. I was expecting a Disney movie or equivalent. The children for the most part sat quietly and watched the film. Then they were all escorted back to their rooms.
The cartoon was a little scary we thought, though we couldn’t understand the language it had a 3 headed dragon like character that was eating several animals. Then it seemed to get ill and couldn’t fly. Then these three “wise men” called this mosquito like animal went and sucked blood from a small infant, it looked like the infant was on the verge of dying from this act, and then a bird was chasing the mosquito to get back the blood, and was chasing it when the blood was dropped and caused flowers to grow from the dirt. Suddenly the baby was better, and then the dragon fell out of this castle when it was chasing the bird and died. It was all very weird and scary; I was really surprised that this is what they chose to show 2-4 year olds. I was expecting a Disney movie or equivalent. The children for the most part sat quietly and watched the film. Then they were all escorted back to their rooms.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
03/27/2007
Olivia seems less clingy with our visits (this is the fifth one so far)… though she is always waiting in the window for us, she isn’t has clingy during the visits, and she doesn’t ask us as many times if we are returning the following day. She does seem to want to bring something back each day with her to her group. I am not sure if this is to give her a sense of security that we will come back for our things or just some reassurance to her that we care about her. Perhaps it is just some way of showing the other children that we really do come everyday.
Monday, March 26, 2007
03/26/2007
Olivia was waiting by the window again, but papa brought the camera to video her so that you can see how excited she gets. So hopefully we can email that when we are home (we have dial-up here, so it would talk all day to email something like that) She seemed very happy, and remembered some English, she says "Hello" and "Goodbye" really well. We bring new toys each day, and we share toys with the Mikos, since our children seem to like each others toys. Today she asked for yogurt by name, so she must really like it. She only drank one juice, which was cherry/banana. We have to somewhat feed her on the sly, since they aren’t big on you feeding the children. I gave her a bite of chocolate, as I wasn’t sure if she had ever tried it.
We ran into her teacher/nurse, and she told her that we were her mama and papa. The teacher/nurse apparently told her not to be a naughty girl in America when she gets home. (per our translator) Each time we leave it seems to get harder for Olivia, she was upset and kept saying no to the translator about going back to her class. The translator told her not to be a naughty girl and she jumped up and asked again if we would come tomorrow. She wanted to bring a stacking cup set that the Mikos brought, but we told that that was their toy, so we talked her into taking a car puzzle back to her class. I think that she likes taking something back with her as a reassurance that we are coming back.
Also apparently it is whispered in some circles that American’s are adopting their (Kazakhstan) children to use their organs?? We tried to explain to our coordinator that was so ridiculous that in America you can’t even sell your own organs. He said that he knew that, but that it was a belief in this country. I do worry a little how Olivia will feel when we can’t visit next Sunday, as they typically don’t allow visits on Sundays.
Olivia is currently in about a 4T top, as her arms are a little shorter then normal, due to her condition. I bought some size 5 leggings which seem to fit her well. She has special shoes that we have asked about borrowing, so we hope to get to take them to the bazaar tomorrow to have several pairs made, since I am not sure that we can even find a place in American that will custom make her shoes, and certainly not for the same price.
We are not sure how soon they will want to start her operations, and whether they will start on her hands or feet, or do both at the same time? She does have two elbows and two knees (we weren’t sure from original photos), but she seems to favor one knee and one elbow, so we are not sure if therapy will give her better use of the less used joints. She loves the piano so that will be great therapy for her after her surgeries, if we can keep her interested. She gets around amazingly well, and can feed herself simple foods like cookies. But she uses her leg to push her arm to her mouth.
She does seem to have several cavities, and her teeth are quite yellow. She also has her two bottom permanent teeth are growing behind her bottom two baby teeth, so I am guessing they will need to pull her baby teeth. Ironically both Julia and Jordan had the same issue with their baby teeth not wanting to fall out. So I think once we are back we will have to have some dental work done. I am hoping they will just put her under since she needs so much work done, and I don’t want her traumatized, to the point that going to the dentist becomes something she fears.
The children at the orphanage are very well-behaved. The other American parents that we have talked to here have joked that we need to learn more about their boot camp. They have over 100 children under 3 at the orphanage and you seldom here one cry. They are all pretty much potty-trained, and eat anything you give them.
We ran into her teacher/nurse, and she told her that we were her mama and papa. The teacher/nurse apparently told her not to be a naughty girl in America when she gets home. (per our translator) Each time we leave it seems to get harder for Olivia, she was upset and kept saying no to the translator about going back to her class. The translator told her not to be a naughty girl and she jumped up and asked again if we would come tomorrow. She wanted to bring a stacking cup set that the Mikos brought, but we told that that was their toy, so we talked her into taking a car puzzle back to her class. I think that she likes taking something back with her as a reassurance that we are coming back.
Also apparently it is whispered in some circles that American’s are adopting their (Kazakhstan) children to use their organs?? We tried to explain to our coordinator that was so ridiculous that in America you can’t even sell your own organs. He said that he knew that, but that it was a belief in this country. I do worry a little how Olivia will feel when we can’t visit next Sunday, as they typically don’t allow visits on Sundays.
Olivia is currently in about a 4T top, as her arms are a little shorter then normal, due to her condition. I bought some size 5 leggings which seem to fit her well. She has special shoes that we have asked about borrowing, so we hope to get to take them to the bazaar tomorrow to have several pairs made, since I am not sure that we can even find a place in American that will custom make her shoes, and certainly not for the same price.
We are not sure how soon they will want to start her operations, and whether they will start on her hands or feet, or do both at the same time? She does have two elbows and two knees (we weren’t sure from original photos), but she seems to favor one knee and one elbow, so we are not sure if therapy will give her better use of the less used joints. She loves the piano so that will be great therapy for her after her surgeries, if we can keep her interested. She gets around amazingly well, and can feed herself simple foods like cookies. But she uses her leg to push her arm to her mouth.
She does seem to have several cavities, and her teeth are quite yellow. She also has her two bottom permanent teeth are growing behind her bottom two baby teeth, so I am guessing they will need to pull her baby teeth. Ironically both Julia and Jordan had the same issue with their baby teeth not wanting to fall out. So I think once we are back we will have to have some dental work done. I am hoping they will just put her under since she needs so much work done, and I don’t want her traumatized, to the point that going to the dentist becomes something she fears.
The children at the orphanage are very well-behaved. The other American parents that we have talked to here have joked that we need to learn more about their boot camp. They have over 100 children under 3 at the orphanage and you seldom here one cry. They are all pretty much potty-trained, and eat anything you give them.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
03/25/2007
Our third visit - typically visits aren’t allowed on Sundays, but since Thursday was a holiday it somehow shifted their work week. They tried to ask us if we wanted a “break”, which we didn’t; we stated we came all this way to spend time with our daughter. As we arrived we could see Olivia in the window of her room waiting for us to come, when she saw us she yelled mama, papa. You could see her jumping up and down she was so happy.
They escort us to the “music room” and then they get the children. We can always hear Olivia coming down the hall. Today two of the doctors came in to meet us and tell us that Olivia is very happy to have a family. We asked her when she knew that we were coming; they told us that they did not tell her until we arrived in the country since they didn’t want her to be disappointed if we did not end up coming for her. Which was not the same story we received the first day?? We brought more apple/cherry juice and a apple/mango, she wolfed those both down and had a yogurt. She doesn’t feed herself well, but she can hold her juice box, but we have to feed her the yogurt. She is definitely independent. In fact she would often push papa away when he was helping and would say in Russian that she would do it herself. She only asks for help when she can’t do it on her own. It is actually rare for children with her condition to her severity to be able to walk. So the fact that she walks so well and gets around is a testimate to her independent spirit. We were also told that no one helped her learn to walk, that she did it all on her own.
We also learned they had another child with her condition, that never learned to move and died last year. We were also told to get photos of her arms and legs, to send the doctor so that we could get a letter to attempt rush her adoption stating that she needed immediate medical care. (which she really does) So we brought fingernail polish and painted her fingernails and toenails (like mamas) so that we could ask her to take photos of her pretty fingernails and toenails. We didn’t want her to feel that we were focusing on her deformities. We want her to have a healthy self esteem. We played outside today, and as it was getting time to go, she stated that she didn’t want us to leave and stated that she would cry. Once we were inside she kept asking us if we would return tomorrow. We kept reassuring her that we would return. We let her take a little ball with her to her group, and we had dressed her in American clothing. She then hopped out of the room.
They escort us to the “music room” and then they get the children. We can always hear Olivia coming down the hall. Today two of the doctors came in to meet us and tell us that Olivia is very happy to have a family. We asked her when she knew that we were coming; they told us that they did not tell her until we arrived in the country since they didn’t want her to be disappointed if we did not end up coming for her. Which was not the same story we received the first day?? We brought more apple/cherry juice and a apple/mango, she wolfed those both down and had a yogurt. She doesn’t feed herself well, but she can hold her juice box, but we have to feed her the yogurt. She is definitely independent. In fact she would often push papa away when he was helping and would say in Russian that she would do it herself. She only asks for help when she can’t do it on her own. It is actually rare for children with her condition to her severity to be able to walk. So the fact that she walks so well and gets around is a testimate to her independent spirit. We were also told that no one helped her learn to walk, that she did it all on her own.
We also learned they had another child with her condition, that never learned to move and died last year. We were also told to get photos of her arms and legs, to send the doctor so that we could get a letter to attempt rush her adoption stating that she needed immediate medical care. (which she really does) So we brought fingernail polish and painted her fingernails and toenails (like mamas) so that we could ask her to take photos of her pretty fingernails and toenails. We didn’t want her to feel that we were focusing on her deformities. We want her to have a healthy self esteem. We played outside today, and as it was getting time to go, she stated that she didn’t want us to leave and stated that she would cry. Once we were inside she kept asking us if we would return tomorrow. We kept reassuring her that we would return. We let her take a little ball with her to her group, and we had dressed her in American clothing. She then hopped out of the room.
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