finding fun in october

October 4 - After another cold I decided to take Levi to the doctor suspecting that he may have asthma. The biggest symptom being that every time he gets a cough he always goes through one miserable day of nonstop coughing, and in that miserable day he'll have an hour or two of horrible coughing without being able to catch his breath. After the doctor listened to him and we discussed all of his symptoms, he concluded he did have asthma. So we started an inhaled steriod through a nebulizer. He has one controller med, and two rescue meds, one inhaled, one oral. (we ended up getting med for the neb and an inhaler so six total) So I was really thinking this sucks and I don't like it. Levi has already taken so many rounds of antibiotics I hate to give him something else with more negative side effects. But we do, because that's what people with asthma need to do. After doing some reading I suspect that Levi probably has a milk allergy as well. It just seemed to be the missing piece of the ear infection, eczema, asthma puzzle. So I made an appointment with an allergist.

In the mean time he has his six month check up on October 16 with his e.n.t. dr. to check on his tubes. I wasn't even going to take him but decided we better make sure that they are okay so we don't run into any problems. At the e.n.t. (with the cute patient pictured above) Levi's left tube is clogged. This is another piece to puzzle put in place. Levi had been so grumpy and seemed to be crying all the time for the past two weeks. I blamed it on the steroid because that's what we'd been doing for the past two weeks. But no, the cold that he had had two weeks ago caused an ear infection and his tube became clogged with wax and infection so it wasn't treated as it should have been because his ear wasn't draining. Dr. Richards says we need to unclog the tube to he can see what's going on in his ear because he could see something wasn't right.

The scene of unclogging the tube was this. Levi being pinned down by me and two nurses, the doctor behind his high strength binoculars, a little ear funnel in Levi's ear, a very sharp instrument that looked like a metal toothpick on the end, and some tiny pokey scissors. After what seemed like forever but was probably only 4 or 5 minutes, the doc has pulled out a lot of wax but can't unclog the tube. He says we can give him some drops, come back in a week and we'll try again, or we can keep going. Levi has been screaming this whole time of course and exhausted from being pinned down. While the doctor was talking to us Levi kept pointing to the door, I don't blame him. I asked the doctor what he would do and he said keep going, so we kept going. Levi is again freaking out even more than he was because he doesn't want to do it again. This time as the doctor is digging I look over to see how far the pokey metal pokers are down in his ear. Yikes, I'm sure if that was happening to me you'd have to pin me down too, and when it was over I'd probably want to punch you in the mouth. So the doctor keeps digging pulling out big chunks of wax and then eventually his tube, which is entirely surrounded by a ton of wax and infection and still clogged. It looked like a tiny cigar poking through it. So about another 5 more minutes of pure torture it was finally over, and the doctor can see his ear has a full blown infection and probably has been for the past two weeks. Poor Levi!

I asked his e.n.t. about his asthma and milk allergies and he suggested just doing my own allergy test which tends to be much more accurate than blood or skin tests. Take him off dairy for 3 days (which I'd already done for the past two weeks) then douse him with dairy the 4th day and then you should be able to tell. The only problem with this was that now Levi was on an antibiotic and had diarrhea, and still miserable from his ear, so would I really be able to tell.

October 25 - I decided not to douse him with dairy but we ended up going to the allergist. The good news is that he determines Levi doesn't really have asthma but transient infant wheezing. But we can still treat him the same way using the nebulizer. He also suggested a nasal spray and as the nurse is demonstrating how to do it she shows us the big puff if makes and says, "Make sure it's always pointed to the outside of his nose, never straight up or to the inside because it could eat away the bridge of his nose causing his nose to collapse." Is this some kind of nightmare. I think I'll just wipe his nose and try saline drops. Honestly, passing out medications like they were candy makes me mad, very mad. Can't anyone tell me what is causing the problem rather than just treat the symptoms?! He also sent us to the hospital to have Levi's adnoids x-rayed.

October 28 - today was Bronson's 3 year well check. Other than striping down and having to wear a little gown, he was a very good boy. But the conversation turned to Levi. I had the doctor check his ear (he has now been off of the antibiotic for 2 days) and he still has a full blown ear infection.

This is a little like Pirates of the Caribbean I think, after all three stories, in the end Jack is still right back where he started from, looking for a boat. So another 10 days of antibiotic, then we see the e.n.t. again on Nov 5 three weeks after his tube was taken out, so he can see how it's doing. My sister Stephanie had a good idea to just change it to a pre-op appointment so we can get things going. I'm sure the doctor will want to put in more tubes, as do I. Tubes normally are supposed to last for 1-2 years and we only got 6 months. Jared was asking me last night if the doctor might be able to predict weather or not he would need them again so we could try to do it this year, rather than have to start all over again with a $500 deductible next year. I'd say it's a pretty good prediction we'll be getting more tubes in November.

So to some it all up, Levi has a mucus problem for some reason his plumbing can't seem to handle the job. I'm not sure if I'm going to keep giving Levi steroids, because I don't think it's the tubes that are the problem, but rather all the crap that gets stuck in the tubes. So for now I'm going to give him saline drops in his nose every day, as much fluid as I can get down him, and no dairy. That is the prescription that seems right to me. I wish he could go in for tubes tube tomorrow and get all that crap sucked out. We also found out today that the results of the x-ray were inconclusive because they couldn't see them good enough! Seriously! So Dr. Richards will also be taking a look at his adnoids on his next visit to see if they might need to be taken out too.

Bronson came down with a fever tonight. I'm thinking it's from the cold bug he already had but it could also be from his shot today. His leg has been sooooo sensitive where they poked him. He's been very protective and walking around limping. He's also grown out of his naps. The only way I can get him to take one (and believe me I try) is when we go on car rides. So although a little pricey for a nap sometimes we go for afternoons rides, because it is worth it. He is still trying to adjust to his new schedule of no napping and hasn't quite figured out when to go poop, so he just holds it for as long as possible, won't go in the toilet when I know he needs to go, and ends up pooping his pants, just about every day for the past two weeks.

So . . . . . ya we are still looking for our boat.

Someday soon I hope we can trade in spending our time and money at doctors offices and pharmacies for plane tickets and a disneyland visit.

However, even though we have had more than enough bad days this month we did have some good ones too, thank heaven. We tagged along to the pumpkin patch in Farmington with Amber's preschool class. Bronson and Levi loved it and were completely covered in dirt by the time we left. We also got a few squash (one of my new favorite veggies).

They read us a story, we picked pumpkins, went though a hay maze,

rode around in a wheelbarrow, and had chocolate chip cookies on the way home. :)

Bronson and Levi both loved it!

the proud pumpkin pickers

cousin Brock in the back

trying so hard to pick up that big pumpkin

After 7 years of figuring I'd never be a bread maker, (because my newly wed bread

was more like a batch of bricks then something you'd want to eat) I decided to be brave

and try again. I decided to use my mom's recipe but make a few changes (normally when I decide to make "my own changes" to recipes it doesn't turn out well) This is whole wheat bread, made with dark brown sugar, and egg whites only. Not only did my dough rise but it tasted good too. While Bronson was eating his piece, (he's always been a great bread eater, Levi hates it, he won't even eat the sacrament) he said, "Mmmmm, it's tasty." Yesterday I made white bread it was "tasty" too. Who would have guessed that I would make good bread and have fun doing it? Not me. I guess life is just full of surprises, some more pleasant than others. My bread making desire was sparked by my new interest in kicking out the "nasty foods" that have been in my diet, and replacing them with yummy, vitamin rich, cholesterol free, body and earth friendly foods. That's all I'm gonna say about that.

And one of the best days this month was Saturday the 23 when we ventured out on a blustery day to ride the front runner to Salt Lake. Bronson and Levi were in heaven, and I was in heaven that they were in heaven. We had a very fun, stress free, great family day together, hooray!

I'd also like to add one more thing. I've really enjoyed teaching the Old Testament to my 9 year old Primary class this year. I've never given the Old Testament enough credit before. Those stories are so powerful and simple, black and white, very applicable to me today.

I really love finding strength in the scriptures . . . . . . and conference talks, and uplifting music, and my great husband, and anything else that gives me strength.

"Life is a good teacher."