Adios Tonsils

If you would've asked me to predict the outcome of Hallie's tonsillectomy I would've given some typical pessimistic answer about lots of crying and whining and no sleep. I would've said something about drama-filled days of lying on the catch demanding ice cream and feeling sorry for herself.

 

Not so, my friends. Not so. To put it plainly.....SHE IS MY HERO.

 

This is how she started the day off on the morning of surgery......

 

That happy and carefree attitude followed her into the hospital all the way up to the pre-op room as well....

The smiles faded for a short bit when the nurse had to put in her IV. Everyone is anesthesia was impressed that she was able to have one put in prior to being put under. Go girl go!

Not gonna lie, there were lots and lots of screams. Screams that get right down to the middle of a momma's heart. She pouted around for a few minutes and then was back to jibber jabbering non-stop. We even took some Coban and wrapped up mommy's arm so that we could match...

Big fan of being pushed in the big girl bed right here....

She giggled at the temperature strip they placed on her forehead...

And off she went. It was a quick thirty minutes and we were back in recovery watching and waiting for the sleepy tonsil-free princess to awaken....

She was groggy at first and looked so sleepy as she blinked her eyes open and closed several times. The nurse came in to check on her and mentioned the word ice cream. If ya know my girl then you can imagine her response. Eyes opened, tried to sit up in bed, shook her head yes. She requested two more cups after the first one, a glass of water and a popsicle. I kinda figured the eating part would be the least of our worries. She cracked me up as she chowed down like she'd never eaten before in her life...

Thirty minutes later we were loading up and walking her down to the car. She was disappointed that she wasn't able to use a wheelchair but the promise of more ice cream at home was enough to avoid tears. Daddy followed us home where Hallie showed off her tonsils, or lack thereof. I just stood in amazement that she felt so good.

We filled the pain med script and got some in her system before long. Kadence and Lauren stopped by that afternoon with some treats and a toy to brighten her day....

Eight bowls of ice cream were consumed that first day. To my surprise we did lots of playing that day and not much resting....

The night was as silent as could be. I woke her up during one of my Bella feedings to let her wet her throat and she fell right back asleep. I found a very happy and well rested little lady the next morning. Bella's big smiles probably helped a bit...

Ice cream for breakfast anyone???

Our sweet friend Kim stopped by with some ice cream and a bag full of goodies. The stickers were a huge hit!!!

Three tubs of ice cream in seven days. That was the damage. Not one tear shed. Not one complaint. Not one hour of sleep missed. Not one minute of resting during the day. The girl was unstoppable. My hero.

Keepin' the doctor in business

Baby girl is a pro at strep by now. And her parents are pros at seeing it coming on. Just like clockwork.

 

 

Even when she doesn't quite look "sick" we can pick up on the crying for no reason, temper tantrums out of the blue and other fun things that happen before she begins throwing up everywhere. Strep. It just sucks.  

 

Off to the doctor we went for the millionth time for the millionth round of antibiotics that she was sure to refuse to swallow and spit all over her, us, the floor....you get the picture. Fun times. But the positive part about the recurring situation is that she kicked the sickness pretty quickly each time....

And we had some pretty entertaining mommy/daughter days while she was home sick...

 

One sick girl was enough. Add in the other and it made for a VERY LONG winter. Miss Bella started in with some respiratory problems with a few ear infections and some teeth piled on top. Whadya get???? A lot of crying and coughing and no sleep to speak of.  We were at the doctor weekly. Revolving door of sickness.

 

Pathetic.

Absolutely pathetic.

But cute. Pathetic and very very cute.

The counter was colorful.

Back to the sickness. All. Winter. Long.

To the doctor we go.

Did I mention the part about being pathetic???

 

After a winter that tested our patience the girls have been blessed with an illness free spring. Wellllllll, almost. Hal gave strep another couple of go rounds prior to having her tonsils removed in March. Tremendous blessing! Then she came down with fifth disease....which she shared with her dear mommy. It only took a doctor visit, two visits to a rheumatologist, two weeks of itchy rash head to toe, five weeks of brain fog and inability to function normally, four weeks of joint pain and swelling, six weeks of fatigue, countless hours of worrying, 19 vials of blood.....then the doc told me it was an adult case of fifth disease. There's nothing quite like the feeling of worrying and thinking you have a chronic systemic illness....let's just say it forced me to do a lot of soul searching, drew me even closer to God and helped me make some positive changes. Praise God for a simple answer and no lasting issues. We've covered the three ladies in the house....so what about that daddy guy? He wouldn't be left out. He gave me a good scare one night when he passed out while walking to the bathroom. He fell so hard that he cracked a tile with his forehead. After a checkup with the doc he was found to have some high blood pressure and an irregular EKG. To the cardiologist he went. After a couple of tests he was free and clear. Healthy guy who just needs a little bit of stress relief more often. I'm beyond grateful for God's provision in our lives this past year. It's been a crazy one!