Normal

"Normal is just a setting on a washing machine". I'm going to make a big sign of that saying to hang on my front door. Today I was strongly reminded that Normal is when the Lord lines up ways to protect David. With all the pain David endures, the Lord has repeatedly guided our path when danger was approaching.

First, the good news! David went back to STEPS this week - half day Monday, all day Tues and Weds. Oh, he was one happy soul. ROutine is everything to him, and being with his friends.

More Good news - Late yesterday I found out that David could have the steroid injections in his shoulder done at 1:30 today. But, it must be under anesthesia.I start calling to get clearance for(anesthesia)from kidney docs. No response.

My girlfriend Leslie arrived at 5pm yesterday so I could go to a bridal shower.Rusty tied up with meetings for 2 days. After I got home, she spent the nite, and got up and down with David who wasn't sleeping well.

Sometime during the early morning, his feed bag of formula ran out. When we checked his blood sugar at 7 am, it was a 13. Once he went into a coma at 30.

My other girlfriend Charity shows up. Panicked, the three of us are shoving jam & juice in him. In 10 mins. he's back at 135, and we get to avoid an ambulance call.

Even tho I haven't gotten ok about surgery, we proceed with clear liquids as if it's going to happen. An hour later I finally talk to one of the docs - she had been given wrong message,thought I was asking them to schedule it! Gives the ok.

Arrived at the hospital at 8:45,get blood drawn at 9:15. Due to Prograf, David's very touchy, had a hard time sitting still for the lab work.

At 11 am we turn off the pedialyte and head over to anesthesia for pre op insertion of the IV line. Dextrose solution will keep his blood sugar steady.

Amid yelling, pulling and hurting, David gets stuck in 6 places, endures painful fishing for a vein, and 90 minutes later, still no IV. His blood sugar has gone back down to 85, so I start asking for a glucagon pen in case he drops again. They call in the anesthesiologist and he is finally able to get the line going, but with great difficulty. David relaxs, and Leslie and I take a deep breath.

Good news - the procedure goes great and is over in 15 mins. I went to sleep in the chair, Leslie went out to see the sunshine. Dr says 3 days to see results.

By this time Leslie has been with us for 20 hours, and has lifted David at least 20 times since breakfast. That is a friend, and a big part of the blessing.

Last nite she noticed D's right eye was red. I just figured it was irritation.
After recovery, I notice it is still very red. I assume it's an eyelash, so the nurse gives me an open vial of saline to flush it. If he had left it closed, I probably would have waited until later to use it.

When I open the eye, I freak out because there is a HUGE -pointed -knot, pimple thingy inside the upper eyelid! I call upstairs to his eye doctor, and beg to be seen asap. He's out of the country, but the nurse knows us, and gets us in.

Another doc looks, isn't happy, puts dye in D's eye, looks again, is less happy.
THEre's an obvious white dot on the cornea.

He calls in another, older doc - who becomes very, very unhappy.

He says David got poked, scratched, whatever, and has a really bad eye infection.

We get a prescription for the strongest eye antibiotic there is, to be used every 2 hours. Even tho the doc has surgeries all day tomorrow, he says he will meet us at 2:30 to recheck the eye. THIS IS WHY WE LOVE OUR DOCTORS and NURSES!!!!!!!!!

We get home at 5pm, get the drops, and after a stressful 24 hour marathon, Leslie heads home. (she also missed giving a 4 pm riding lesson). Rusty arrives, David and I pass out. Two hours later we wake him and do the drops again. By 9:30 the red streaks are greatly reduced, and he has stopped rubbing his eye.

Like I said, I am grateful to see that Normal is the Lord blessing us - because Leslie was here, she noticed his eye. Because we had the procedure, we were at the hospital. Because the nurse opened the saline, I looked in his eye. BEcause the eye nurse knew us, we got right into the eye doc. Because of eye dye, ultraviolet lights, and research, we have an Rx for antibiotics. As much as I hate the ups and downs, I am thankful to the Lord for his version of normal.