May June July 2012

May 2012
May was fairly uneventful all things considered.  Claire got her wheelchair and we were able to get tie-downs put in the van so we could transport Claire in her wheelchair.  When working with R&J Mobility (the greatest people to work with!!!) we inquired about whether they could add a ramp or tie-downs to a camper or trailer as we were dreaming of someday owning one so we could once again camp.  Well…guess what??? R& J Mobility just happened to have a 32 ft. converted motorhome on consignment.  In a matter of 12 days we went through 3 loan inquiries and finally found the financing we needed and walked (or drove) away with our new “home on wheels.”  Claire had a UTI and also had a port placed for easier access in emergency situations but was otherwise good.  Tristan continued his growing and exploring.  My birthday present was 2 nights camping with my mom before Jake, the kids, and my dad joined us.  We had our first outing in our motorhome and it was AWESOME!!!

June 2012
June…not much to report.  Biggest news was getting Claire off of Ativan.  The immediate difference in Claire’s alertness was nothing short of God’s grace.  Claire had 3 great therapy sessions and was showing more life than we had ever seen.  Claire did end up with one major kidney infection and had to have IV antibiotics for 14 days…thank God we had her port and could complete the medication at home…our total hospital stay for that incident was only 4 days.  We have a dear friend that has a swimming pool, and I was lucky enough to get to take the kids swimming for the first time.  Claire loves the water and Tristan did great…even started learning how to kick his legs.
July 2012
Also not too much to report from July.  We took our 2nd trip in the motorhome and went camping at Riverbend, which is on Hwy 20 just past Foster Dam and Green Peter.  We camped with my mom and dad and aunt and uncle.  The weather was great and it was relaxing but far from ideal.  Jake came down with a terrible cold and I had an allergic reaction (come to discover it was the sheets) and had hives from head to toe the whole trip.  Upon our return home, everyone else caught Jake’s cold and Claire spent a couple nights in the hospital waiting for the virus to run its course.  However, we were just thankful to get a vacation…first one in a couple of summers.

March & April 2012

March 2012
The month of March started fairly quiet for the Hales family.  Tristan was getting into as much mischief as possible and beginning to really enjoy eating solid food and Claire was on the mend from her infections from February.  About mid-March, Tristan got his first cold.  Believe…at 11 months that is almost a miracle but as is the norm…it spread around the family.  I was the next victim of the cold and then poor Claire.  Jake was gone when the plague, I mean, the cold struck so he was the only one not to get it….which was good because he had to go to the hospital and stay with Claire.  Claire’s cold turned into pneumonia which is just a part of what we will battle any time she gets sick. 
Tristan started walking…and life was forever changed…LOL!
Biggest news in March…Claire turned 2!!!  I seriously don’t think any of Claire’s doctors expected Claire to make it to her 2nd birthday and yet here she is.  We couldn’t be happier or more proud of the progress Claire is beginning to make.  We started Claire on an extended drug wean and hoped it would give her more alertness.
We also celebrated both Claire and Tristan’s birthdays with an open house and we had a GREAT turnout.  What love our family was shown.  We were blessed to have family and friends gather with us to celebrate the gift of life.

April 2012
Big news…Tristan turned 1! I can’t believe how fast the time went…seems just yesterday he was a tiny bundle and now he’s up running around.  Watching Tristan grow is amazing and he is so sweet to Claire that I just couldn’t ask for a better sibling to her.  Though sometimes tiring we take delight in all things Tristan…even his shenanigans. 
As for Claire, April was an eventful month.  Claire was having some serious issues breathing on the night of April 7, and her seizures were a bit out of control and we ended up calling 911.  Claire was taken to Salem Hospital and then transported to Doernbecher.  Claire spent less than 24 hours intubated, which was good, but she was still having some major airway issues.  Mom and Dad were great and brought Tristan to visit and our Easter dinner. We’ve just learned that celebrating holidays can be done from anywhere…even the ICU.  Claire was sent up to the intermediate care floor on the 8th and stayed there until discharge on April 17.  It was finally discovered that Claire had gigantic tonsils (I kept asking about this) and the decision was made to have them removed ASAP.  Claire had her tonsils, adenoids, and some scare tissue taken out of her throat on April, 12.  Claire spent 1 night post-op in the ICU then it was back upstairs.  Claire was in severe pain and it took a few hours to get caught up on the pain meds and get her comfortable.  Once pain management was under control…Claire was resting well and already breathing better.  Claire made a quicker recovery than was expected and after 4 days had her nasal trumpet (breathing device) removed and two days after that she went home! 

Meanwhile, my dad was awesome and stayed at the hospital with Claire one night and my mom kept Tristan, and Jake and I stayed at a hotel for our first night with no children in just over 2 years!  We had a great date and I didn’t fret too much.

Jake’s dad and step-mom came to visit from Arizona the last weekend of April.  We love getting to seem them and spend time with them.  On April 28, we went down to Eugene to meet up and eat with some other family.  Claire wasn’t having her best day ever and was having quite a few seizures.  While at the restaurant, Claire had a couple of seizures back to back and was turning blue (normal for her) so Jake took Claire out to the van to give her some oxygen.  While we finished boxing up leftovers, paying the bill, and using the restroom, things got bad quickly outside.  I got out of the bathroom to find and ambulance in the parking lot and Claire being put in the back.  Jake said by the time he got Claire outside she had stopped breathing all together and he could not find a pulse for 2 minutes.  My awesome hubby jumped right in with full CPR and asked a stranger to call 911.  Claire was rushed to the Eugene hospital and then transported to Doernbecher.  True to her own uniqueness…Claire went home from the whole ordeal the next day.
I will write more about this last experience in a different post…for now I’m just trying to get caught up on the events of our life. 

Jan. & Feb 2012

Welcome 2012!! May we see blessings where it seems there are none and bring glory to God in all we do. Health, happiness, & fewer hospital stays...just a few of my wishes for this year.
For the month of January we did well.  It snowed…there was a little sunshine, but most of all there was RAIN and lots of it.  We had over 5 inches of rain in 48 hours and Salem flooded. Aside from that, January was calm. 
Tristan had his 9 month check-up and vaccinations and was crawling everywhere. 
Claire was doing well.  We started her Ativan wean, ordered her wheelchair, and enjoyed therapy. 
Jake and I, along with my parents, were exhausted.  Jake was travelling a TON in January and I think we were all on the brink of burnout. As always, God is faithful and kept us all sane and functioning.

February seemed pretty uneventful in retrospect.  Claire had an aspiration pneumonia (again) which led to her getting a G/J tube…bypassing her tummy and allowing food to go directly into her intestines.  The simple procedure and tube placement cut Claire’s reflux down instantly.  Probably the most difficult thing for me (at the time) was Tristan just deciding one day to stop nursing.  I of course had a long wean planned for him that was going to go well past his 1st birthday.  I think after about 3 days I snapped out of my funk and realized that there was some new found freedom and stress relief from not nursing Tristan anymore…he could easily be dropped off with a sitter in emergency situations and though I hated washing bottles…I did start spending less time sitting on the couch.   We enjoyed the Super Bowl with my family as is our tradition and cruised into March.