Archive for September, 2007
Up in flames…again!
September 30, 2007 | Updates
Ah, so much to write and so little space…just kidding…that’s what I love so much about this new website is I’m not limited on space. So, watch out world! This is going to be a LONG one!
First, Tanner’s birthday went great. All he really wanted was an ipod, but I did a great job of making him think that we weren’t the least bit interested in getting him that. So, enjoy the fun pics below of him opening it. Oh, ya, he’s wearing his birthday banner because I forgot to hang it up. Hee, hee! I figured it’d be easier to just wrap him up in it.
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We also visited his orthopedic doctor that same day. He hadn’t seen Samuel in 2 years. Last time he saw Samuel, we x-rayed his left shoulder because we were worried he was pulling it out of the socket and we x-rayed his hips because we feared the same thing with them. We also talked about the “FACT” that Samuel would someday need tendon release surgery because his feet would eventually become stuck pointed and hip surgery because his hips would eventually pull out of the socket and also back surgery for scoliosis. This appointment was a world away from that. They did hip x-rays, checked his range everywhere and his back. Then the doctor threw the x-rays up on the lamp and said, “Well his hips looks great. His range is great. His back looks great. (Pause) Do you use braces? (Nope!) Well, I don’t have anything bad to say. Come back in 2 years.” Yee ha! That’s the kind of appointments we like.
Our last appointment was the regular pump refill and a dose decrease. Again, the nurse saw no reason not to decrease his doseage and she even indicated that she thought he could use some tone. I think they even finally agree with me that we may actually be able to get rid of the pump all together. Wouldn’t that be great?!
So, that was about it. Samuel is enjoying school a lot and is doing well there. We did have one episode where I had to go get him from school because he was throwing up. But it turned out that his bladder was too full and he was in a lot of pain and that caused him to get really upset and start throwing up. In the end, it was my fault. I had given him more than 500 cc’s in an overnight drip and I should know better. He simply does not urinate when he is sleeping and I should know the limit by now. But I was hoping a little more water in his diet might get us away from having to use a suppository every day. I’ll just have to make sure that extra water is given while he is AWAKE!
Oh, yea, as for the title of this post, well, most of you know that we own our own business where we build log furniture and other cabin stuff. Well, we just moved our office and showroom into a nice log cabin (used to be a restaurant) just a few miles up Logan Canyon the first part of July. Well, on Monday, September 24th, the cabin caught on fire. Yup, you heard that right, it caught on fire. Now, push your chin back up to the rest of your face and have a good hearty laugh. That’s what we did. What else can you do? I mean, come on, life can really dish it out. But with each thing that comes along, I learn something new.
This time as I jumped in the car to rush up to the cabin and watch it burn and hope it didn’t destroy our business and lively-hood, I started to say a prayer. But it was a different prayer this time. I said, “Dear Heavenly Father, please …” Then I paused as I realized that I was about to ask for the place not to burn down and for nothing to be destroyed and for everything to just be OK and easy. And it reminded me of the night that I prayed and prayed that Samuel wouldn’t die. That he would just live and that everything would be OK and easy. That I would have MY way. And in an instant, all that I have learned over the past 2 1/2 years flooded through my mind and I stopped and simply said, “Father, thy will be done. Thy will be done.” And I wasn’t afraid because I knew that whatever happened, it would be OK and we would get through it and be stronger for it.
Of course, a building burning down isn’t the same as almost loosing a child. But I would hope that I could have that attitude no matter what was happening in my life. I would hope we all could. One of my favorite sayings is, “If you pray, why worry and if you worry, why pray.” So, I’ll leave you tonight knowing that we didn’t loose too much in the fire and that it will be covered by insurance and that all the fire really ended up being was a nuisance as we now scurry to find a new location for our business. It will effect us, some, but not for long. It’s a temporary pain and we will learn from it. And isn’t that what life is all about?!
(I’m including a picture I took with my cell phone after the fire was mostly out. It burned mostly in the attic of the building and the fire fighters did a great job of putting it out. There was $100 to $150 thousand damage to the building. The stuff of ours that was damaged was either water damage, smoke damage or broken items.)
Love,
The Jewkes
P.S. One more cute thing. The other day I caught cute little Nathan sitting in Samuel’s room watching TV with Samuel. The cute part is that he was sitting right in the middle of the room in indian style with his little head cocked back so he could see the screen. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but it was pretty cute! Oh, and he’s FINALLY starting to walk. He has also learned to say “mom” and he can sign eat, all done, doggy and milk. And he is finally signing things on his own without any prompting. He’s a doll. Just wanted to share!
Posted by admin @ 9:19 pm | 3 Comments
A Trip to Yellowstone
September 16, 2007 | Updates
Wow! Time sure flies. Since our last post, we got to take a trip to Yellowstone as a family. We were able to stay in a cabin one night and in our motor home 2 nights. Samuel did really well all 3 nights and I think we are finally getting to the point where he can really go anywhere with us and do OK. I don’t know what we’ll do when he doesn’t fit in our portable crib, though. I have an old one that I bought back in 1996 and it is a bigger crib than the ones they make now. Otherwise, he would already be too big. But I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.
The drive to and from Yellowstone was long and a bit hard on Samuel. He did well for most of the trip, but by the end, he had had enough. He did enjoy his time with family and cousins over the 3 day trip and seemed to be happiest when he was in the big cabin family room watching the other kids play and rough-house. He certainly does love other kids and they are always so good to him that it melts my heart. In fact, in Primary today, his teacher said he absolutely loved listening to the kids sing “We are as the Army of Helaman.” The kids in his class were also learning how to sign “I love you” and, of course, he was absolutely thrilled watching them learn that. And as I picked him up from class today, one little boy (Bonner) came over to tell me that, “Samuel was REALLY GOOD in class today!” I love how well they treat him and he loves it too.
Anyway, the trip to Yellowstone was fun. I’ve posted a few pictures below of us at Old Faithful and then a pretty little waterfall we stopped off at. The one big thing that Samuel did accomplish during our trip is he walked about 1/2 a block one afternoon when he was really wound up. We had gone to eat at a restaurant and he was really tired of being in any kind of chair…period. So, I took him out of his chair and supported him while he started taking steps. I told him he had to walk all the way to the car which was a long ways away. And he did it! We had to take a few breaks, but he took every step out to the car. Tells you how wound up he really was, huh?
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The Jewkes
Quick update…
September 6, 2007 | Updates
Just wanted to let everyone know that we are doing well. Things have been crazy with getting everyone back in school and getting on a good schedule, but I think we are about there. Samuel seems to be loving school and that is a good thing. He is sleeping well and staying awake for all of school. Seizures seem to be under control and his diet is going well. In fact, the other day, I was playing with his diet again trying to make sure he is getting all that he needs and I finally got frustrated and just made him some formula full of a bunch of stuff - butter, eggs, milk, carrots, bananas, avocado, oranges, kiwi, apples, oatmeal - amazingly enough, he tolerated it just fine. So, I think I’ll just make up a basic formula and add whatever happens to be in the fridge when I make it every few days. I just want to be able to feed him a healthy variety just like I do all my kids. And I think we’re finally to the point where his body is ready and waiting for just that! I’m also excited to see his little legs and cheeks and chest fill out a bit as he gains a little weight. He finally looks “normal” to me instead of so very, very skinny. Yea!
We are still working on getting a walker and some new DAFO’s (foot and leg braces) and a lift for the suburban as well as a g-tube. I’m trying to get him an upper GI study before they do the g-tube placement, but it looks like the only place that can do it is Primary’s so we’ll have to schedule another drive down there sometime soon.
Otherwise, not much new. We’re not doing much OT, PT or speech right now outside of what we do at home. I’ve sort of decided that meeting with the therapists every few weeks or so is plenty because all they can really do is give us new ideas - we have to do all the real work at home. It’s been nice to not worry about outside therapies as often. And Samuel got himself into a sitting position yesterday all alone. I think it was by accident, but he did it. He was on his stomach and pulled his knees up underneath himself. Then he got one leg straight out in front of him and then pushed up with his arms and there he was, just sitting there. I tried sitting in that position myself and there is NO WAY! It takes a lot of flexibility, especially to have one leg out in front while you’re still laying on it and then push up. What a stinker! I can tell he is getting more head and trunk control and he seems to be using his arching less and less. That is a GREAT thing.
Otherwise, we are just looking forward to getting our g-therapy pills the first part of October and are hoping we will see some good results from them. Hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy. The picture below is of Samuel and Kaylee (my sister who works with Samuel everyday). It is blurry, but so cute. They are, obviously, good friends! Keep praying - we ALWAYS need it!
