It’s been a very stressful few days, and the next two weeks even more so. I want to get out a quick update now … and yes, I will be posting regularly, especially this week as school starts.

We are done with the Cipro! Finished the course on Saturday. The fellow gave her a 7-day run, normal UTI’s get 3 days, severe get 7-10 days, I did eight. She seems to be doing pretty good. We have some non-nuclear scan scheduled for October to check her kidneys and the reflux. I am trying to make that sooner.

And today’s stock tip du jour:

Anti-biotic … pro-biotic … gut wars, gotta love it! We just call them “bugs” around here. There are lots of brands of these probiotic things, and there is yogurt with live cultures, etc. This brand has been recommended to us the most often by doctors. Unfortunately it is more expensive than others ($14.01 for 30 on Amazon – a good price) and there are coupons on their web site. Three a day during a course of antibiotics, but don’t forget to start them right away, or, well, you’ll be playing catch-up and clean-up.

A brief text message after a close friend had some interactions with the powers that be. Her daughter is on her first IEP and, well, things are not going as they should.

you were so right, the phrase “violate her IEP” sure lights their pubic hairs on fire

I get literally hundreds of emails a day, many are spam filtered, many not. Such is life. But there is one that I subscribe to. It sends a daily email on one seemingly random topic and some dumb facts to go with it. I happen to like it, and today’s was very àpropos, even if a day or two late. You can see the web page copy of it here.

Pearlsky? Hard to tell. She seems like, yes, she may feel better, but it is very hard to tell. And the, ummm, gastrointestinal side effect is keeping all of us, ummm, busy. But that is under control. We are trying to keep her distracted during the day. Why do we have summer break?

Buy stock today. With the amount I am going through, their stock will go through the roof. And, if you want to know, you can get it at PetSmart or PetCo or Amazon or Ebay or my house, luckily I have a gallon jug of it.

In case you don’t know, it is the best way to clean up any organic spill or mess, such as the coffee you spilled in the car and now the cream has gone south, pet or people urine, puke, blood, poop, etc. Did I say poop? Hey, by the way, it cleans up poop. Like when your kid is on antibiotics, you know, poop. It cleans it up. A big seller in NYC I am sure with all the blood stains from the bed bug infestation. And it cleans up poop. From everything around. Even from your t-shirt if you had no choice but to pick her up. It won’t help your back, though, but that’s ok.

And I can’t believe no one has asked if she’s better. Sheesh.

(Yeah, I think a bit)

DO NOT RESEARCH ANYTHING on these here internets.

Pearlsky has a boat load of Group B streptococcal bacteria colonies in her urine, gazillions to be exact. So I check the internets … and I find this little website that says …

How serious is this infection in adults?
The average death rate for invasive infections (infections where the bacteria have entered a part of the body that is normally not exposed to bacteria) is 8-10% for adults ages 18-64 …

But then, why believe the CDC?

Go ahead, hit the arrow, hear it in his own words …

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On a lighter note …

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Obviously not. Several examples.

Read this sign, posted where one enters the adolescent clinic of our hoity-toity hospital (pardon the crappy cell phone pic):

Now, by a show of hands, how many of you think that that sign says that the influenza vaccine is now available. Come on, raise your hands. I guess English is not your first language. Or second …

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Twenty-five years ago she was the loud little girl next door … and I was probably the creepy old guy next door. Now she lives across the country, mother to three boys, and will always be a family friend.

I just got this email …

You know I read your blog, right?

So here’s a story you might like:

A few weeks ago I was at the movies with a friend, and the place was crowded, with ropes sectioning off lines and sections and stuff. These parents were standing in front of their son, who was in a wheelchair. They were trying to pull the chair forward, but the chair had gotten caught on the ropes somehow. They saw me from behind their son (there was a crowd, they couldn’t just walk around the other side of the ropes or wheelchair. I have no idea how they got in this situation, but this is what I saw when the mom got my attention), and asked me to help push the chair forward.

Of course, the first thing I thought was “sure,” but then I remembered how you pay a small fortune for your wheelchairs and I thought if I break this thing it may be kind of a big deal. So I leaned around to look at the kid in the face, and I was basically like, “listen, you know how this thing works way better than I do, so if you think I’m doing something wrong or about to do something wrong, say so or raise a hand or something, and I’ll stop right away.” He didn’t say anything, but he nodded, and his eyes got all big. So I pushed slowly, he went forward, and the dad took the chair as soon as he could get in back of it.

I looked at the mom, and she had tears in her eyes, and I thought I’d messed up. But then she said, “strangers don’t usually talk to him like that.” She was grateful, she was saying thank you. I felt really good, let me tell you. (I got kind of sad at the idea that the mom was so happy someone was actually TALKING TO HER SON LIKE A PERSON and ASKING FOR HIS INPUT, but I’m sure you know all about that.)

So that’s my story. Your blog’s doing good.

It’s because of a story like that that I know my “blog’s doing good.” And you know what, you’re doing good, too. Thanks for sharing.

Jeeze … I have an awful few days, try to get a post up and don’t do due diligence in giving you full information, and wow, you pile on. So, here is the original post followed by the update forced by your comments.  

You know it was a bad weekend when …

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No, I’m not a carny, but yep, I’m going to hell.

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Someone found my blog with the google search “terrified of having disabled child” and has read the whole thing. I can only hope and pray it somehow helps.

On the other hand, I won’t comment on the person who found me via “Daugter shirt off” or “can a doctor tell if a girl masturbates by peeing in a cup.”

Jeeze.

I am leading up to more posts on David and sending your kid to live in a residential program vs. keeping your kid at home. Trust me.

So, what scares the carp out of you? Or what is the thing you dread most? With respect to your kid, of course.

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