Goiter Update

Michael took Finn to the micro surgeon yesterday and we are going to schedule a second (and hopefully) final surgery. The Dr. was hopeful that he could remove the entire mass of infection and tissue without any major nerve damage to his facial nerves. Due to the location of Finn's lump it's possible that he may lose feeling in the ear lobe on that side. There is a concern that the abscess could have damaged other more crucial facial nerves, but we are hoping that this is not the case.

Mostly we are grateful to see the light at the end of this gruelling experience. I am also grateful to be getting definitive advice from a physician who seems more confident than the last. The micro surgeon's opinion matches that of the Infectious Disease physician and feeling more sure of the correct course of action is extremely soothing to me. We will scheduling the surgery for approximately 4 weeks from now, so until then no news is good news. Oh yeah - he also believes we will only have to stay in the hospital for ONE night! Praise to God for his favors large and small.

Thanks for every one's concern and I'll try and get some posts on here soon.

Look Auntie Mandy

I Love a bean and cheeser pleaser too!!!!!

(And he said "cheese" for the first time)

Ode to Pancakes from a Can

Now while some scientists are whiling away in laboratories trying to come up with some brilliant cure for the virulent diseases of the world I must tip my hat to those focused on the important aspects in life - i.e. Pancakes in a can. Does that can say "organic" you ask - indeed. I ONLY eat organic pancakes from a can because the regular pancakes in a can just don't taste right - call me fussy if you must - I have standards.

I don't know about you, but as I'm trolling through the aisles of Costco when I spy a 3 pack of spray pancakes for the bargain price of $7.99 the first thought that enters my mind is......SOLD! A suckers bet? Could have been - but not today. These pancakes are FANTASTIC! I'm not kidding - they are a delight for the senses. They are so easy to make and you always have the amount you need and they come out like a perfect restaurant pancake each and every time. I'm never making batter again.

Screw cancer .....these guys are genius. Genius.

You look like sleeping beauty to me, mom

So Jackson does this super sweet (and yes a little, shall we say ...sassy?) thing where he fluffs my hair up all over the place and tells me that I'm a princess - namely Sleeping Beauty. Jackson, of course, is my prince (Valiant - not Charming). I have to pretend to be asleep so that Jackson can kiss me and say "wake up Sleeping Beauty" and when I awake from my blissful slumber he asks me to dance. Then we waltz around the house, with far more grace than any of the "stars". Today,as he was arranging my already insane bedhead into a not untumbleweed-like buffont, he looked at me and said "you look like Sleeping Beauty to me, Mom."
I love you Jackson.

15 minutes later he comes into the kitchen and shows me a broken piece of hanger.....
"I broke your hanger mama"
"Jackson, don't break our stuff!"
"I broke a lot of hangers, mom"
"Why Jackson?!!!! Why?!!"
"I broke one hanger and I decided to break the rest of them."
"JACKSON!"
"Just the ones without clothes on them, mom"

I go in my room to find at least 25 broken hangers pulled from my closet all with pieces snapped off and laying in a kuffuffle on my floor.

Boy is he lucky he said I was a princess this morning. (sigh)

wow! dream big!

Juno

I had been desperate to see Juno in the theaters but 2 kids later seeing the movies I want to see has become rather a challenge. Luckily, we got Juno at work. Enter 30 % off and Juno is mine. I had to watch it two days in a row I was laughing so hard. I really love this movie.

We just got the latest news on Finn and it's not good. After finally getting the "Avian TB" diagnosis we have our options:

Option 1: several months of heavy duty antibiotics that will probably not work and will definitely compromise his immune system. Least likely to succeed.

Option 2: Risky microsurgery to remove the remaining tissue (too risky for the ENT to perform because of the proximity to facial controlling muscles). Most likely to succeed.

Option 3: Return to the ENT's office for the next 8 months to 1 year so that his neck can be reopened and drained. May succeed - but will mean an open wound on his neck for the next year of his life.

After I cry I'm going to begin researching the necessary steps to acquire a second opinion from an infectious disease clinic.

A Wiggley Party!

Our family had a big night out on Saturday - to the Wiggles concert- oh yeah. Upon learning of the concert Michael responded by asking if my mom or my sister would like to go with me in his stead. My super mean sister rejected our Wigglicious night, but my mom loves us enough to watch 4 grown men in turtle necks sing "beep beep chugga chugga big red car".

The boys had such an amazing time! Jackson was insistent on having his own seat and got to have popcorn and a cookie the size of his head (thanks grandma). Finn was so excited to stand up and bebop that little botto up and down and up and down and up and down. I even found myself a little star struck when they first hit the stage, I was like "wow, it's really them!" then I remebered it was the Wiggles and tried to relax about it. Jackson who previously considered himself far beyond the wiggles, was mesmerized. Now every day he pulls out his program / sticker book and we have to name all of the wiggles (he likes Murray because he can "play the guitar with Murray") and we have to rehash our favorite parts. I told him my favorite part was twinkle twinkle little star and he told me, "no mom. say you like the ballerinas." "Okay Jackson, I like the ballerinas." "I like twinkle twinkle star mom." Finn got to run all over the hallways and spin and dance and he too was amazed by the twinkle star disco lights.

What a difference a week makes, Wednesday we're in the hospital - Saturday we're singing along to Fruit Salad, yummy, yummy. A HUGE HUGE thank you to Mandy and her always sweet Mama for sending the tickets our way - it was such a better and brighter way to end our week. We thank you, deeply, for the pick me up.