Fortunately, we didn't have to cancel a thing yesterday - happy first day of October, and all.
Last week was a different story.
Mid-way through her evening therapy session last Wednesday, poor Joy suddenly began to empty the contents of her stomach onto the dining room floor. I could not believe that one little body could hold so much! We ended the session, bathed the girl, started the laundry, and then had two more rounds of heaving as the evening went on. She slept through the night, but there was no way that we were going to be able to go with the Thursday as planned. JoyDad & I were both scheduled to work, but decided to split the day at home to take care of Joy.
So who did we need to contact?
1) Lynda, Joy's regular daycare lady, to let her know of the incident and ask if Joy was the only one. (She wasn't - the bug had been going 'round the daycare, but at least we learned that the barfing was short-lived and the recovery was only about a day.)
2) The babysitter for the day, the new one we've hired to come into our home on Thursdays to supervise the Thursday therapies, thus shaking loose the hours I need to do my LEND leadership training program this semester.
3) Four regular baristas (therapists), plus a supervisor and a trainee.
4) The neighbor who walks Rose home from school, to let her know to call our home number and not try the babysitter's cell if they decided to play at the park on the way home.
5) My workplace.
6) JoyDad's workplace.
7) The evening babysitter - who actually got to us first because she wasn't feeling well herself! I had been planning to get out for a rare chance to see a show in which JoyDad's band was opening for another act. (Dagnabbit).
8) The wife of the singer in the band, whom I was going to pick up on the way to the gig.
OK, by my count, that's 13 notifications.
We're blessed to have that many people involved in our lives, and Joy's, and Rose's.
But... mercy.
Fortunately Joy recovered swiftly, as expected. None of the rest of us have shown any signs, and now that a week has passed, we're expecting that we're good to go. Which is helpful, because we're off to the northwoods for the weekend, starting early Saturday morning.
See you afterwards!
Showing posts with label schedule. Show all posts
Showing posts with label schedule. Show all posts
Friday, October 2, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Boiled Frog
I said two posts ago that I'd elaborate on the concept of how it's been a challenge to jump back in to life at home, after last weekend's delightful getaway.
There's a widely-repeated anecdote out there that goes something like this:
Yeah.
So perhaps life at home, where more and more spinning plates have gradually been added to the Amazing JoyParents Show, is rather like heating the water slowly.
Us boiled frogs, we got to experience life in the cooler water for a while, at my college reunion, away from our usual state of high-alert and high-responsibilities.
Then we had to jump back into the boiling water.
Dang, but that's some hot/intense stuff we live in around here.
I don't know what, if anything, we can really change. And it wouldn't take much to turn the heat up even further (seizures would do it. Or someone else needing surgery. Or another sudden regression/slamming of a bunch of switches.)
Sigh.
Boiled frog-legs, anyone?
==========
P.S. According to Snopes.com, the frog boil anecdote is false. Heh. Too bad, it was such a slick analogy!
There's a widely-repeated anecdote out there that goes something like this:
Did you know that if you toss a frog into boiling water, it will jump out immediately? But the frog starts out in cool water and you heat the water gradually, it won't notice the temperature change and will eventually boil to death.
Yeah.
So perhaps life at home, where more and more spinning plates have gradually been added to the Amazing JoyParents Show, is rather like heating the water slowly.
Us boiled frogs, we got to experience life in the cooler water for a while, at my college reunion, away from our usual state of high-alert and high-responsibilities.
Then we had to jump back into the boiling water.
Dang, but that's some hot/intense stuff we live in around here.
I don't know what, if anything, we can really change. And it wouldn't take much to turn the heat up even further (seizures would do it. Or someone else needing surgery. Or another sudden regression/slamming of a bunch of switches.)
Sigh.
Boiled frog-legs, anyone?
==========
P.S. According to Snopes.com, the frog boil anecdote is false. Heh. Too bad, it was such a slick analogy!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Schedule
So anyone who follows my blog knows that scheduling is a big part of my plate-spinning. Joy's got 24 hours of House Blend intensive autism therapy a week, plus three therapists from the school district who each see her twice a week; I've got work, bells, church, volunteer; Rose has school, piano, etc.
Usually it all clicks together somehow.
And then we schedule a JoyDad foot surgery into the mix.
The originally-scheduled surgery time was for noon yesterday (Tuesday), and we were to get out at 3pm if all went well. Tuesday's not a paid-work day for me, so we had to find Joy-care. Fortunately Lynda stepped up to the plate, offered to take Joy for an extra day. Whew, problem solved -- so all I had to do was figure out which therapists to cancel (because the House Blend therapists can't go to Lynda's anymore).
Then on Monday JoyDad got a call from the scheduler. "Sir, your surgery has been re-scheduled to 3pm on Tuesday. We'd now like you to arrive at 1:30 instead of 10am. No, you still can't eat anything after midnight, sorry sir."
Total fruit-basket upset.
First off, Joy couldn't stay with Lynda anymore, because things were likely to go past the end of the workday and we couldn't impose that on Lynda. Even if she'd've been willing to be imposed on, she had Tuesday evening commitments anyway. So now we had to find childcare willing to come to our home, and stay open-ended into the evening. Oh, and we'd likely miss Rose's piano class party & recital at 6:30.
This sent me into a pretty wild emotional tail-spin, I'm afraid. While it was only a couple of hours in between the time I blasted an e-mail to the church listserv and the time I got an affirmative answer, I spent that time mentally running around in a little hamster wheel, not having a very soothing prayer experience either.
I should have trusted, though. That first blessed "yes, I can take at least the first part of the afternoon" was enough to set the rest in motion. When I got home from work (where I'd had no phone numbers to be in touch with the people I needed), I was able to call all the therapists I'd cancelled, and all three of them were still able to make their sessions. Plus call the friend who was to bring Rose home from school, who then proved willing to be the sitter for the second shift. Plus figure out who was going to help pick up Joy from daycare while JoyDad was on crutches...
On Tuesday everyone showed up as planned. Joy was having a really good day, despite waking up at 3am. JoyDad, alas, also woke at 3am and had lots of time to overthink things plus get a mighty hunger on by the time he'd missed breakfast and lunch both. The sitter had arrived just before 1pm and we were getting set to go out the door when the phone rang.
"Can you come in for the surgery RIGHT NOW? We're running ahead of schedule and are ready for you as soon as you can possibly make it."
Zoom, out the door we went. The surgery-clinic experience was an efficient whirlwind. JoyDad was under sedation and a knee-down nerve-block (NOT general anesthesia, so better than we'd hoped) and under the knife within an hour after we'd left the house! The surgery went smoothly, so did recovery from the sedation. Another thing that went better than we'd been told -- originally they said no weight-bearing till the follow-up appointment. But instead, they put a velcro-ed foot-boot over his dressing and ankle-wrap, and told him he could use the foot for balance with his crutches as long as there's not too much pain.
We were home by 4:30.
The sitter said that Joy had done well, but napped hard and woke cranky, looking for "ma-ma-ma." (Yes, in those very words she was looking for me. Whoa. Now we just need her to say it TO me again!)
I got to take Rose to her party & recital after all. She did great.
JoyDad's still learning to use the crutches, and what it means to have both hands full of crutches to move around. (Can't carry an open cup of coffee, for example.) He'll be home today, on pain meds. I've got to run now and make my own lunch, plus a sandwich for him, usually a part of the routine that he does. I'll have a lot of extra responsibilities here, which will remind me how much we share the housework load!
But it does seem as if things went well. We'll know more about how successful the surgery was as time goes on.
Schedule. Augggh, look at the time!!!!
Usually it all clicks together somehow.
And then we schedule a JoyDad foot surgery into the mix.
The originally-scheduled surgery time was for noon yesterday (Tuesday), and we were to get out at 3pm if all went well. Tuesday's not a paid-work day for me, so we had to find Joy-care. Fortunately Lynda stepped up to the plate, offered to take Joy for an extra day. Whew, problem solved -- so all I had to do was figure out which therapists to cancel (because the House Blend therapists can't go to Lynda's anymore).
Then on Monday JoyDad got a call from the scheduler. "Sir, your surgery has been re-scheduled to 3pm on Tuesday. We'd now like you to arrive at 1:30 instead of 10am. No, you still can't eat anything after midnight, sorry sir."
Total fruit-basket upset.
First off, Joy couldn't stay with Lynda anymore, because things were likely to go past the end of the workday and we couldn't impose that on Lynda. Even if she'd've been willing to be imposed on, she had Tuesday evening commitments anyway. So now we had to find childcare willing to come to our home, and stay open-ended into the evening. Oh, and we'd likely miss Rose's piano class party & recital at 6:30.
This sent me into a pretty wild emotional tail-spin, I'm afraid. While it was only a couple of hours in between the time I blasted an e-mail to the church listserv and the time I got an affirmative answer, I spent that time mentally running around in a little hamster wheel, not having a very soothing prayer experience either.
I should have trusted, though. That first blessed "yes, I can take at least the first part of the afternoon" was enough to set the rest in motion. When I got home from work (where I'd had no phone numbers to be in touch with the people I needed), I was able to call all the therapists I'd cancelled, and all three of them were still able to make their sessions. Plus call the friend who was to bring Rose home from school, who then proved willing to be the sitter for the second shift. Plus figure out who was going to help pick up Joy from daycare while JoyDad was on crutches...
On Tuesday everyone showed up as planned. Joy was having a really good day, despite waking up at 3am. JoyDad, alas, also woke at 3am and had lots of time to overthink things plus get a mighty hunger on by the time he'd missed breakfast and lunch both. The sitter had arrived just before 1pm and we were getting set to go out the door when the phone rang.
"Can you come in for the surgery RIGHT NOW? We're running ahead of schedule and are ready for you as soon as you can possibly make it."
Zoom, out the door we went. The surgery-clinic experience was an efficient whirlwind. JoyDad was under sedation and a knee-down nerve-block (NOT general anesthesia, so better than we'd hoped) and under the knife within an hour after we'd left the house! The surgery went smoothly, so did recovery from the sedation. Another thing that went better than we'd been told -- originally they said no weight-bearing till the follow-up appointment. But instead, they put a velcro-ed foot-boot over his dressing and ankle-wrap, and told him he could use the foot for balance with his crutches as long as there's not too much pain.
We were home by 4:30.
The sitter said that Joy had done well, but napped hard and woke cranky, looking for "ma-ma-ma." (Yes, in those very words she was looking for me. Whoa. Now we just need her to say it TO me again!)
I got to take Rose to her party & recital after all. She did great.
JoyDad's still learning to use the crutches, and what it means to have both hands full of crutches to move around. (Can't carry an open cup of coffee, for example.) He'll be home today, on pain meds. I've got to run now and make my own lunch, plus a sandwich for him, usually a part of the routine that he does. I'll have a lot of extra responsibilities here, which will remind me how much we share the housework load!
But it does seem as if things went well. We'll know more about how successful the surgery was as time goes on.
Schedule. Augggh, look at the time!!!!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Spin, Spin, Spin Redux (and Photo Wednesday)
Oh, how the plates have been spinning these past few weeks!
In addition to the usual insanity, we've had:
The bells, bells, bells! In the space of 16 days I had 4 handbell rehearsals and 9 performances. The final one for the season was last night. At a retirement center. In a snowstorm. Have I ever mentioned that JoyDad is a saint?
Drop me an e-mail if you want a link to online bell-video...
(spin, spin, spin)
Christmas cards & annual form letters! (No, really. We write a good one. Honest.) We've got so many friends, lived in so many places, etc. Our print run currently stands at 140. No, they are not yet all sent, though we've got a good start.
(spin, spin, spin)
Cookies! For our own faces and extended family, for friends, for office mates, for therapists, for a cookie exchange party tomorrow (I'm going to take Joy to an office party, possibly in another snowstorm, should be a hoot!) In addition to the peppernuts referenced in yesterday's comments, I've also done two rounds of Any Flavor Jello Cookies. Everything's better with butter in the batter...
(spin, spin, spin)
Trim up the tree! And fix up what goes beneath it as well! The Christmas shopping is almost all done... but Rose is the only one who has yet wrapped a present for under the tree. By the way, she figured out Santa Claus this year, but she still wants to hang a stocking to get her full share of loot. How FAST they grow up!
(spin, spin, spin)
So far there haven't been too many plates crashing down, though I failed to read Lynda's note that Joy needed diapers and wipes for daycare...
I'm gonna be really ready for a vacation though.
What's that? No school, no daycare, kids home all day for nearly two weeks? Starting next week?
Augghhhhhhh..... crasshhhhhhhhh
In addition to the usual insanity, we've had:
The bells, bells, bells! In the space of 16 days I had 4 handbell rehearsals and 9 performances. The final one for the season was last night. At a retirement center. In a snowstorm. Have I ever mentioned that JoyDad is a saint?
Drop me an e-mail if you want a link to online bell-video...
(spin, spin, spin)
Christmas cards & annual form letters! (No, really. We write a good one. Honest.) We've got so many friends, lived in so many places, etc. Our print run currently stands at 140. No, they are not yet all sent, though we've got a good start.
(spin, spin, spin)
Cookies! For our own faces and extended family, for friends, for office mates, for therapists, for a cookie exchange party tomorrow (I'm going to take Joy to an office party, possibly in another snowstorm, should be a hoot!) In addition to the peppernuts referenced in yesterday's comments, I've also done two rounds of Any Flavor Jello Cookies. Everything's better with butter in the batter...
(spin, spin, spin)
Trim up the tree! And fix up what goes beneath it as well! The Christmas shopping is almost all done... but Rose is the only one who has yet wrapped a present for under the tree. By the way, she figured out Santa Claus this year, but she still wants to hang a stocking to get her full share of loot. How FAST they grow up!
(spin, spin, spin)
So far there haven't been too many plates crashing down, though I failed to read Lynda's note that Joy needed diapers and wipes for daycare...
I'm gonna be really ready for a vacation though.
What's that? No school, no daycare, kids home all day for nearly two weeks? Starting next week?
Augghhhhhhh..... crasshhhhhhhhh
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Spin, spin, spin
Hurry, hurry! Step right up! See the amazing plate-spinning extravaganza by the world-renowed JoyMama, and her super-partner JoyDad!
In her right hand, her children!
See her coordinate Joy's school district therapists, intensive autism therapists, daycare, medical visits, and church Sunday-school/nursery volunteers, in between lots of hugs and play!
(spin, spin, spin)
See her coordinate Rose's homework and piano practice, hear her secrets, patch up her boo-boos, teach her to hula-hoop, read with her nightly, get her to school, coordinate other parents to bring her home, volunteer in classroom & school library, and maintain the PTA website!
(spin, spin, spin)
See her clothe, feed, medicate, bathe, diaper, brush teeth, organize playdates, chauffeur, and toss the spinning plate back and forth to JoyDad for his share of the fun!
(spin, spin, spin)
In her left hand...
See her clean house, take on the leaky faucet, schedule plumbers and exterminators and heating specialists, and split laundry and cooking and dishes and shopping and bunny-litterbox duty with JoyDad!
(spin, spin, spin)
See her garden and harvest and process and freeze and pickle and can, and toss this plate back and forth to JoyDad as well!
(spin, spin, spin)
See her rehearse and perform with a top-caliber community handbell troupe, and maintain their website too, while JoyDad takes full kid-care duty during those hours to make it happen!
(spin, spin, spin)
See her at church, getting there almost every Sunday, occasionally even leading Sunday school or preaching!
(spin, spin, spin)
Then on her chin...
See her in her professional life, working half-time as an academic librarian!
(spin, spin, spin)
Then on her forehead...
See her with her extended family and friends, in person and online, e-mailing and visiting and phoning and blogging!
(spin, spin, spin)
And all of this while riding the Unity Unicycle of Marriage, two shall become one and it's quite the magnificent ride, but marriage too takes ongoing attention and balance -- like the super-secret presents and the homemade cheesecake for JoyDad's birthday yesterday!
(Pedal, pedal, pedal)
Lately, all the plates have been spinning well.
Unusually well. Ta-DAHHH!
But my goodness, whatever would happen if she...
oo shoot...
'scuse me...
tickle in my nose...
dangit...
ah, ahhhh, ahhhh....A-CHOOOOOOOO!
* * * * * *
This post, except for the sneeze, inspired by a performance of the Peking Acrobats that Rose and I saw last winter (wobbly YouTube footage is not mine, but you'll get the idea).
Every conscientious parent with small children does his or her own version of this. Every special needs parent has extra plates in the air. A big pat on the back to every plate-spinner who reads this!
In her right hand, her children!
See her coordinate Joy's school district therapists, intensive autism therapists, daycare, medical visits, and church Sunday-school/nursery volunteers, in between lots of hugs and play!
See her coordinate Rose's homework and piano practice, hear her secrets, patch up her boo-boos, teach her to hula-hoop, read with her nightly, get her to school, coordinate other parents to bring her home, volunteer in classroom & school library, and maintain the PTA website!
See her clothe, feed, medicate, bathe, diaper, brush teeth, organize playdates, chauffeur, and toss the spinning plate back and forth to JoyDad for his share of the fun!
In her left hand...
See her clean house, take on the leaky faucet, schedule plumbers and exterminators and heating specialists, and split laundry and cooking and dishes and shopping and bunny-litterbox duty with JoyDad!
See her garden and harvest and process and freeze and pickle and can, and toss this plate back and forth to JoyDad as well!
See her rehearse and perform with a top-caliber community handbell troupe, and maintain their website too, while JoyDad takes full kid-care duty during those hours to make it happen!
See her at church, getting there almost every Sunday, occasionally even leading Sunday school or preaching!
Then on her chin...
See her in her professional life, working half-time as an academic librarian!
Then on her forehead...
See her with her extended family and friends, in person and online, e-mailing and visiting and phoning and blogging!
And all of this while riding the Unity Unicycle of Marriage, two shall become one and it's quite the magnificent ride, but marriage too takes ongoing attention and balance -- like the super-secret presents and the homemade cheesecake for JoyDad's birthday yesterday!
Lately, all the plates have been spinning well.
Unusually well. Ta-DAHHH!
But my goodness, whatever would happen if she...
oo shoot...
'scuse me...
tickle in my nose...
dangit...
ah, ahhhh, ahhhh....A-CHOOOOOOOO!
* * * * * *
This post, except for the sneeze, inspired by a performance of the Peking Acrobats that Rose and I saw last winter (wobbly YouTube footage is not mine, but you'll get the idea).
Every conscientious parent with small children does his or her own version of this. Every special needs parent has extra plates in the air. A big pat on the back to every plate-spinner who reads this!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
All Lit Up
You know that the school year will get off to a good start when...
You tell your school-district team leader the name of your autism-therapy senior therapist, and her face lights up, and she says something to the effect of, "Oh good, we've worked together before, she does a great job and she runs her meetings so well too."
And then,
you tell your autism-therapy senior therapist the name of your school-district team leader, and her face lights up, and she says something to the effect of, "Oh good, we've worked together before, she's great to work with and has such good ideas."
The world needs more of that kind of light!
We are finally getting closer to having a full schedule with Joy's intensive autism therapy, plus this was the first week for her of seeing all three of her school district therapists, who work on an itinerant basis, coming to work with her at home and daycare. Joy's pushing back a little bit about all those hours spent with adults bugging her to be interactive and DO things, I think, but I'm hoping that she'll get used to the full schedule before too long.
Meanwhile, one more thing that's making my face light up -- since September 1, we've been on another string without knock-down seizures. Target date for month-a-versary party: October 1. We shall see.
You tell your school-district team leader the name of your autism-therapy senior therapist, and her face lights up, and she says something to the effect of, "Oh good, we've worked together before, she does a great job and she runs her meetings so well too."
And then,
you tell your autism-therapy senior therapist the name of your school-district team leader, and her face lights up, and she says something to the effect of, "Oh good, we've worked together before, she's great to work with and has such good ideas."
The world needs more of that kind of light!
We are finally getting closer to having a full schedule with Joy's intensive autism therapy, plus this was the first week for her of seeing all three of her school district therapists, who work on an itinerant basis, coming to work with her at home and daycare. Joy's pushing back a little bit about all those hours spent with adults bugging her to be interactive and DO things, I think, but I'm hoping that she'll get used to the full schedule before too long.
Meanwhile, one more thing that's making my face light up -- since September 1, we've been on another string without knock-down seizures. Target date for month-a-versary party: October 1. We shall see.
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