Tubes for Christmas

Have you ever had the experience of waiting so long to call someone, you are too embarrassed to even call them, but then it gets worse because you keep waiting, but then you get more embarrassed and then it's this vicious cycle? Happens to me all the time. I really, REALLY have a hard time with the phone....I know. Crazy. Just one more of my issues.

Well, that is almost how I was feeling about my blog. It's been so long since I have blogged, I didn't know how in the world I could ever catch up? I have thought of things to write, but haven't felt like I could write about what happened today without catching up on what happened a month ago. And then I realized, "Hey. This is MY blog. I can write whatever I want!" I have realized that I am never going to "catch up". To say that life has been nuts since we returned from the Shriner's Hospital would be an incredible understatement. I don't rememeber a time when we have been so busy as a family. Hopefully, though, things are going to settle down once this week is over, and we will be able to enjoy a peaceful Christmas.

A girl can dream, right?

In the meantime, I wanted to update everyone on Clara, just a little, mostly because the events of her most recent procedure were hysterically funny.

In the past year, Clara has failed three hearing tests. Each time she fails, she is put on a round of antihistamines, the fluid dries up, and she passes her test again. Well, a few months ago, Clara failed, yet another, hearing test. The tympanogram on each ear was flat, and she had little-to-no hearing in her left ear, and only about 50% in her right ear. Our first clue that something was wrong was the way she YELLED at us every time we asked her something, and we can only assume that was the reason for some "selective hearing" in instances where she was disciplined for disobeying us....just one more in a long line of Parent of the Year moments.

I digress.

The doctor felt that things were too far advanced, and that medication would not help this time. Her second round of tubes would be necessary. She had them when she was 14 months old and they worked wonders! And while the procedure itself is "no big deal", with the remaining possibility of mitochondrial disease in her body, she is at greater risk of malignant hypothermia because of anesthesia, so that was a little of a concern. Even with that, we had a complete peace about it, and really felt it was be no big deal. And it wasn't. She came through like a champ and is doing splendidly.

However, there were some hysterically funny moments at the hospital yesterday that were too good not to share. (With Clara, it's always something.) If your young children have ever had to have a procedure at the hospital, you know that they expect you to be there at 0:dark-thirty in the morning. So we were sitting in her little room, still half-way asleep, while the O.R. nurse went over her health history with us. She was running through all of the questions, and I was answering, mostly without even thinking, and she gets to this question:

"Jewelry....is she wearing any jewelry?"

But before I could even answer, she looks at Clara and says, "Clara, you don't have any nipple rings, do you?"

Ha! I nearly fell out of my chair. At first I was shocked. And then I looked at Clara, and she was completely confused. Then all I could do was laugh like a hyena. Clara doesn't even know what a nipple is...let alone a nipple ring, but at that point...we were awake!

Really....I didn't think I was going to recover, I laughed so hard.

As the nurse was finishing up, she was asking if we had any other questions about the procedure. Since three of my four children had tubes in their ears, I could not think of one thing I could possibly ask.

Clara, however, had a question.

She looked right at me and asked,  "Where did Megan have her tonsils out?"

"Right here", I replied.

"Then who was her doctor?"

"Um....Dr. Habenicht...just like you".

Clara got this really strange look on her face and said, "What?! Wait a minute! Megan told me that her doctor's name was 'Christine' and that she was a movie star!"

Again, all I could do was laugh hysterically. I have always known Megan to be a competitive little thing, but had not considered that she would want the best "hospital" story, too. Little nut.

These are the moments that get us through this crazy life. You have to laugh, because the alternative is not acceptable.

All set, and ready to go!

Headed to the O. R.

This was the view from the hospital window. Very pretty.

Otherwise, things at the Bryant house are okay. We had our first real snow yesterday, but thankfully, it is melting already. We have a really crazy week this week, to be finished off with our Children's Ministry's Christmas Musical at church, but we are looking forward to spending a Christmas at home. Don't get me wrong. I will miss our family terribly. I am, however, looking forward to having a chance to make some family memories and traditions that do not involve running all over creation until we are run ragged, and having some moments of family worship to remember why it is we celebrate Christmas. But more on that later....

I pray your day is blessed!! Much love to you all!

Jeannie