Friday, October 9, 2009
an update
We are in Charlotte now for Holly's (youngest sister) wedding tomorrow. Two days ago we woke up and noticed that the lump was getting bigger again. We called his regular doctor and she prescribed him another round of antibiotics. It will get us through his appointment a week from now when hopefully there will be some answers. I'll be posting pictures later of this weekend.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
finley and the hospital
Most of you know that Finn has had a lump on the right side of his neck for 2-1/2 weeks now. It started out pea size and got bigger with each day. We noticed that it was getting really big last Sunday. It looked like a swollen lymph node with its location and feel, but we decided to take him into the doctor on Monday just to make sure. Dr. Bell (his primary) was out until Wednesday so we went in to see another doctor. He prescribed Augmentin for an infected lymph node or a cyst that was having trouble draining. When Wednesday rolled around and the Augmentin hadn't helped to take any of the swelling down and in fact the lump had gotten bigger we decided to go see Dr. Bell. After examining him, she got us an appointment with an ENT on Friday. He ordered a CT scan scheduled for the following Friday and sent us home. However, Saturday morning we got up and noticed it had grown more so we went to Urgent Care in Crookston.
Here he is in Urgent Care in Crookston. You can see the lump on the right side of his head.
Crookston sent us to Altru where we were immediately admitted and set up in a room. Crookston traced around the lump to help keep track of how big it was throughout our treatment. Here are Matthew and Finn watching something that looks amazingly interesting. Couldn't tell you for sure what it was, but my guess would be Nemo or the Jungle Book...the 2 movies we can all recite by heart (including Finn)!
Watching TV and a good shot of the front of the lump.
Sleeping peacefully.
One of the few not-so-painful times getting his IV hooked up. That has been an ordeal even up to this day. The lines that they use are not meant for long-term use and they come out very easily. He has been poked 9 times as of today in his 4-day stay at the hospital. He hates when a nurse comes in the room.
Getting hooked up. We loved this nurse and wish she could work with us 24-7!
Going in for his CT scan scheduled for 6:30 pm. The results were inconclusive and showed something that they thought was a mass surrounded by something that looked like infection.
I have been so fortunate and thankful that my mom is here during this very hard time. They were scheduled to be here a week earlier than they got here. We were all wondering why all the hold ups. Now we know for a fact it was God, in his sovereignty, choosing the best time for them to get here. If they had gotten here a week earlier, they would have left just before all of this started and missed the whole thing. God is good even when we don't know what his plans are and get impatient. This is the morning that Finn had his biopsy under general anesthesia done. There was talk of something called an infected branchial cleft anomaly.
A sweet and happy moment with Finn. Through all of this the mass/infection has caused him no pain at all and he has played every day as if nothing were abnormal. We have been so thankful. The doctors all think it doesn't make sense, but again, this is all God's doing and we are thankful for Finn's same, happy spirit every day. Minutes after having a painful needle stick or IV hook up, he will be smiling and laughing. What a sweetie!
The three of us lounging together...probably watching Nemo! =) Matthew stayed in the hospital last night with us. It gave Grandma a good break and some much-needed rest at home in a real bed. We also heard this day that staph and strep were found on 1 of the cultures. They had switched him to Vancomycin earlier in the day which covers both of these so the mass/infection should respond to it. There was also talk of us going to Fairview in Minneapolis for some more concerted efforts with pediatric ENTs, but nothing certain until we get all of the results back.
Finn got to go outside and play for the first time today. He had a blast and the weather was perfect. Unfortunately, his IV was pulled out by accident as he was playing which led to a dramatic half-run back into the hospital to clean the blood off of his hands and clothes and then more needle sticks. After 3 tries from Vascular Access, Anesthesia finally got an IV in. Today we learned that there was no malignancy found in the tissue from the biopsy taken the day before. Praise GOD! We have also decided that if he doesn't respond to the Vancomycin or there is actually a branchial cleft anomaly that will need to be removed, we are going to Fairview for the pediatric ENTs.
Running in the halls with the wagon they gave him. This is a special wagon that he can ride in even when he is hooked to the IV. It has straps in the back to hook it to. Again, we are so thankful that none of this has caused him any pain.
Grandma and Finn walking the halls. I love his laugh...it makes my day!
Here he is in Urgent Care in Crookston. You can see the lump on the right side of his head.
Crookston sent us to Altru where we were immediately admitted and set up in a room. Crookston traced around the lump to help keep track of how big it was throughout our treatment. Here are Matthew and Finn watching something that looks amazingly interesting. Couldn't tell you for sure what it was, but my guess would be Nemo or the Jungle Book...the 2 movies we can all recite by heart (including Finn)!
Watching TV and a good shot of the front of the lump.
Sleeping peacefully.
One of the few not-so-painful times getting his IV hooked up. That has been an ordeal even up to this day. The lines that they use are not meant for long-term use and they come out very easily. He has been poked 9 times as of today in his 4-day stay at the hospital. He hates when a nurse comes in the room.
Getting hooked up. We loved this nurse and wish she could work with us 24-7!
Going in for his CT scan scheduled for 6:30 pm. The results were inconclusive and showed something that they thought was a mass surrounded by something that looked like infection.
I have been so fortunate and thankful that my mom is here during this very hard time. They were scheduled to be here a week earlier than they got here. We were all wondering why all the hold ups. Now we know for a fact it was God, in his sovereignty, choosing the best time for them to get here. If they had gotten here a week earlier, they would have left just before all of this started and missed the whole thing. God is good even when we don't know what his plans are and get impatient. This is the morning that Finn had his biopsy under general anesthesia done. There was talk of something called an infected branchial cleft anomaly.
A sweet and happy moment with Finn. Through all of this the mass/infection has caused him no pain at all and he has played every day as if nothing were abnormal. We have been so thankful. The doctors all think it doesn't make sense, but again, this is all God's doing and we are thankful for Finn's same, happy spirit every day. Minutes after having a painful needle stick or IV hook up, he will be smiling and laughing. What a sweetie!
The three of us lounging together...probably watching Nemo! =) Matthew stayed in the hospital last night with us. It gave Grandma a good break and some much-needed rest at home in a real bed. We also heard this day that staph and strep were found on 1 of the cultures. They had switched him to Vancomycin earlier in the day which covers both of these so the mass/infection should respond to it. There was also talk of us going to Fairview in Minneapolis for some more concerted efforts with pediatric ENTs, but nothing certain until we get all of the results back.
Finn got to go outside and play for the first time today. He had a blast and the weather was perfect. Unfortunately, his IV was pulled out by accident as he was playing which led to a dramatic half-run back into the hospital to clean the blood off of his hands and clothes and then more needle sticks. After 3 tries from Vascular Access, Anesthesia finally got an IV in. Today we learned that there was no malignancy found in the tissue from the biopsy taken the day before. Praise GOD! We have also decided that if he doesn't respond to the Vancomycin or there is actually a branchial cleft anomaly that will need to be removed, we are going to Fairview for the pediatric ENTs.
Running in the halls with the wagon they gave him. This is a special wagon that he can ride in even when he is hooked to the IV. It has straps in the back to hook it to. Again, we are so thankful that none of this has caused him any pain.
Grandma and Finn walking the halls. I love his laugh...it makes my day!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
two what???
This was my question to Matthew when he mentioned that we get a couple of dogs from someone that couldn't keep them anymore. These dogs ended up being a 7-year-old black lab mix and his 4-year-old black lab/golden retriever son. Let's just say that it's been an adventure.
This was taken the first night we got them. Finley standing by these almost-as-tall-as-he-is dogs. They were very nervous and scare to be in a new place and in a town with new noises. Kristen (the dog whisperer) came over and helped us get them situated with a light and radio to help calm them. They slept in the garage...and did okay.
Ryder on the left and Bo on the right.
Tuesday was an interesting day. They were still nervous being in a new place and didn't like to be alone in the backyard. I would tie them up to the deck and they would wrap themselves up in their leashes so bad that they couldn't move. Tuesday was spent calming and unwrapping nervous dogs. As long as we were outside though, they loved it and calmed down really well. One time while we were outside, they started barking very loudly (they have a very loud and mean bark complete with snarling and snorting). I saw our neighbor, Mrs. Berg, walking her very tiny poodle of a dog. She was as surprised as her dog was. Her face was priceless. It was a mixture of horror and the deer-in-the-headlights look! She ran to get her dog, never taking her eyes off of our dogs, and ran down the street. I am confident that if our dogs hadn't been leashed that there would now be no more Berg dog.
One of the very calm moments. Finley was getting brave with these new dogs. They were used to their old master's grand kids riding on them, so kids were just fine with them. They seemed right at home with Finn.
Time for a ride!
Finn's cheap ride. He likes to climb on their backs when they're panting. Sometimes he will pant with them.
Learning how to fill their water bowl.
They are great buddies-rarely leaving each others side. Ryder licking Bo's ears.
Bo returning the favor.
We skipped taking pictures yesterday. There is a good reason for this. It was NOT a good day with these guys. I went to Fargo with my friends in the morning and Matthew stayed home with the dogs. He put them in the garage to rest a little bit. Apparently, they didn't want to be in the garage because they ran into the door so hard that they put a hole in it and ran out. It wasn't the side door that no one sees, it was the front garage door that EVERYONE sees as they drive by. Last night when Matthew was still at church I put them in the garage to sleep. This was 9 o'clock. I attached their collars to the same line and looped that line through a 2 x 4 that was attached to two other 2 x 4s nailed to the wall...pretty sturdy. Apparently the sturdiness of the boards was not what I had to worry about. Bo pulled his collar over his head which meant all they had to do was push aside the plywood over the hole and run right through again. At 11:30 I got a call from our next door neighbor. He had just gotten home for the day and out of his car when out jumped 2 big, black, ferociously-barking dogs. Who knows how long they had been out. We ended up putting a piece of plywood about the size of the garage door in front of it and parked the car against it so there was no way they could push through.
Today was a lot better. They were so much more relaxed and didn't bark nearly as much. Here is Ryder resting on his back.
And Finley taking the opportunity to get another ride.
Neat picture of the boys...
Finley getting a ride on Bo. You can see him bouncing up and down as he pants.
An introduction to the dogs. As you can see, they really are lovable and very tolerant.
This was taken the first night we got them. Finley standing by these almost-as-tall-as-he-is dogs. They were very nervous and scare to be in a new place and in a town with new noises. Kristen (the dog whisperer) came over and helped us get them situated with a light and radio to help calm them. They slept in the garage...and did okay.
Ryder on the left and Bo on the right.
Tuesday was an interesting day. They were still nervous being in a new place and didn't like to be alone in the backyard. I would tie them up to the deck and they would wrap themselves up in their leashes so bad that they couldn't move. Tuesday was spent calming and unwrapping nervous dogs. As long as we were outside though, they loved it and calmed down really well. One time while we were outside, they started barking very loudly (they have a very loud and mean bark complete with snarling and snorting). I saw our neighbor, Mrs. Berg, walking her very tiny poodle of a dog. She was as surprised as her dog was. Her face was priceless. It was a mixture of horror and the deer-in-the-headlights look! She ran to get her dog, never taking her eyes off of our dogs, and ran down the street. I am confident that if our dogs hadn't been leashed that there would now be no more Berg dog.
One of the very calm moments. Finley was getting brave with these new dogs. They were used to their old master's grand kids riding on them, so kids were just fine with them. They seemed right at home with Finn.
Time for a ride!
Finn's cheap ride. He likes to climb on their backs when they're panting. Sometimes he will pant with them.
Learning how to fill their water bowl.
They are great buddies-rarely leaving each others side. Ryder licking Bo's ears.
Bo returning the favor.
We skipped taking pictures yesterday. There is a good reason for this. It was NOT a good day with these guys. I went to Fargo with my friends in the morning and Matthew stayed home with the dogs. He put them in the garage to rest a little bit. Apparently, they didn't want to be in the garage because they ran into the door so hard that they put a hole in it and ran out. It wasn't the side door that no one sees, it was the front garage door that EVERYONE sees as they drive by. Last night when Matthew was still at church I put them in the garage to sleep. This was 9 o'clock. I attached their collars to the same line and looped that line through a 2 x 4 that was attached to two other 2 x 4s nailed to the wall...pretty sturdy. Apparently the sturdiness of the boards was not what I had to worry about. Bo pulled his collar over his head which meant all they had to do was push aside the plywood over the hole and run right through again. At 11:30 I got a call from our next door neighbor. He had just gotten home for the day and out of his car when out jumped 2 big, black, ferociously-barking dogs. Who knows how long they had been out. We ended up putting a piece of plywood about the size of the garage door in front of it and parked the car against it so there was no way they could push through.
Today was a lot better. They were so much more relaxed and didn't bark nearly as much. Here is Ryder resting on his back.
And Finley taking the opportunity to get another ride.
Neat picture of the boys...
Finley getting a ride on Bo. You can see him bouncing up and down as he pants.
An introduction to the dogs. As you can see, they really are lovable and very tolerant.
had your morning laugh yet?
Here is something to make you laugh. We got Finley Ice Age II for the trip to Minneapolis. There is one scene where Sid the sloth gets taken in the night by hundreds of miniature sloths and they worship him as the fire king. They start copying everything that he does and it turns into a rhythm song. It's Finley's favorite part of the movie and he laughs every time he sees it.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
jr. high msp trip
Last weekend Matthew and I, along with 2 other leaders, took the Jr. Highers to Minneapolis for Valley Fair, Mall of America and a Twins game. On Thursday night Finn and I went down to Fargo to stay with my friend, Denae for the night while her husband was away. We had a fun night of homemade Chinese, Wii Yoga and then Dairy Queen (to reward myself for working out on the Wii Fit Board).
Here we are doing 1 of the Yoga poses. Finley liked to get on the board too and copy what the woman was doing. Denae had fun taking pictures and laughing at me. Thanks Denae for the great night!
At the Twins game. Of course, they lost.
Aren't we a lively bunch...
Finley and Matthew. We were way up at the top of the stadium. Finley must've gone to the bathroom about 6 times the entire evening. When he started saying he had to "peep" the night was over for us because I knew he wouldn't go in the public restrooms there. We left the stadium by ourselves, walked to the train station in the rain and rode all the way back to the station near our hotel and then walked the 4 blocks to our hotel...in the rain. I'm sure if the Radisson could turn people away we would've been turned away.
On the way home. Again, such a lively bunch!
Denae had a bunny that sang when you pressed his foot and Finley just loved it. That poor thing must've been played 50 times in 1 night.
Here is Finley cheering at the Twins game. I kept trying to tell him it was hopeless, but he didn't care. =)
Here we are doing 1 of the Yoga poses. Finley liked to get on the board too and copy what the woman was doing. Denae had fun taking pictures and laughing at me. Thanks Denae for the great night!
At the Twins game. Of course, they lost.
Aren't we a lively bunch...
Finley and Matthew. We were way up at the top of the stadium. Finley must've gone to the bathroom about 6 times the entire evening. When he started saying he had to "peep" the night was over for us because I knew he wouldn't go in the public restrooms there. We left the stadium by ourselves, walked to the train station in the rain and rode all the way back to the station near our hotel and then walked the 4 blocks to our hotel...in the rain. I'm sure if the Radisson could turn people away we would've been turned away.
On the way home. Again, such a lively bunch!
Denae had a bunny that sang when you pressed his foot and Finley just loved it. That poor thing must've been played 50 times in 1 night.
Here is Finley cheering at the Twins game. I kept trying to tell him it was hopeless, but he didn't care. =)
Sunday, August 2, 2009
potty training cont.
Yesterday we had another good day of potty training with Finn peeing in the potty 6 times and pooping again.
Today he came home from church in the same pair of underwear and shorts that he went in. Matthew and I happened to be in nursery for the first hour and he went for Matthew in there, but the second hour we were in the service. He peed for me on a big potty before the second service and again after the second service. We then went out to eat for lunch and he used the public restrooms there willingly. I'm so proud of him and his fast learning. So far he's peed for us 6 times today! (Sorry for the journal-type entry, but I know I'll want to remember this for next time.)
Today he came home from church in the same pair of underwear and shorts that he went in. Matthew and I happened to be in nursery for the first hour and he went for Matthew in there, but the second hour we were in the service. He peed for me on a big potty before the second service and again after the second service. We then went out to eat for lunch and he used the public restrooms there willingly. I'm so proud of him and his fast learning. So far he's peed for us 6 times today! (Sorry for the journal-type entry, but I know I'll want to remember this for next time.)
Friday, July 31, 2009
baby morken #2
Today we had our ultrasound to make sure baby is developing correctly, everything is on date and to confirm the gender prediction test. Baby has developed to 19 weeks 2 days (I am 19 weeks 3 days), has all body parts and we got positive confirmation on the gender prediction test when we saw the legs spread and a hand down there (the ultrasound tech said "all boy"). Looks like Finn's going to have a little brother around December 22, 2009!
We took Finn with us to the visit and he sat quietly on Matthew's lap through the exam watching and saying "baby" every once in a while. We got a few pictures of his profile and of him sucking his thumb. He was sucking his thumb though with his 4 little fingers sticking up. We also saw his little feet and legs kicking. I learned that the placenta is posterior to him which is why I have been feeling movement since the end of week 14. With Finn his placenta was anterior so I didn't feel any movement until almost week 18. This scares me since I felt a lot of painful kicks in the last 2 months with Finn and now there's absolutely no padding to soften that blow!
We are so thankful and blessed to have another healthy checkup. I can't wait to meet our second little boy!
We took Finn with us to the visit and he sat quietly on Matthew's lap through the exam watching and saying "baby" every once in a while. We got a few pictures of his profile and of him sucking his thumb. He was sucking his thumb though with his 4 little fingers sticking up. We also saw his little feet and legs kicking. I learned that the placenta is posterior to him which is why I have been feeling movement since the end of week 14. With Finn his placenta was anterior so I didn't feel any movement until almost week 18. This scares me since I felt a lot of painful kicks in the last 2 months with Finn and now there's absolutely no padding to soften that blow!
We are so thankful and blessed to have another healthy checkup. I can't wait to meet our second little boy!
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