Tear duct surgery...

This is my amazing friend Susan. She is an angel to me and has been there for me through lots and lots of trying-I don't think I'm going to make it- times. She has helped me in ER visits with the girls and came and helped me with this surgery. I love you Susan!!!!

Emma and Olivia's surgery went well. They were both extremely blocked. Olivia's surgery went very well. Emma's left side was so blocked that when he unblocked it, it backfilled. So basically we'll just have to wait and see if it filters out over the next few days. If not, we'll go back in and put in a tube. So we'll just pray that it does come out on its own. Emma lost a lot of weight with this recent sickness with vomitting. She is down to 15 lb. 5 oz. and that is on the way up. She probably hit 14 lb. during the worst part. So now we are back on full force trying to get her weight back up. I guess it is just an endless cycle.

The funny part of their surgery...Olivia is bigger so I guess I expect her to be tougher. Nope...she is Miss Drama and kept looking at me like how could you do this? Emma, on the other hand, was just snuggling me and talking and took it like a champ. Just cute and funny! : )

So we have...crazy hair going on with the twins. They like to pull their rubberbands and hair stuff out (especially while they are sleeping). So this is what you get. The one with all the kids is Christmas at the Albright's house. Alyssa's picture is of her not feeling well. And all of them in the laundry basket is them thinking that they are helping me. : ) Enjoy!!

I had an ultrasound yesterday on my kidney and bladder. My cyst that they aspirated is back. I think it is a little bigger than a golf ball right now...not too sure. I have an appointment tomorrow with the surgeon to see what he wants to do. He might want to just watch it and let it grow a little more before aspirating it again. Or he might want to go ahead and deal with it while it is smaller than the previous one. If he does, I want it done either right away or after the mini. I just started my training so I don't want to be down too long. I'll keep you updated after my appointment tomorrow.

Alyssa played dress up with the girls...

So this morning I woke up to Olivia, in her crib, stark naked with a poopy diaper removed and poop everywhere. Lovely! And to make matters more humorous...today Alyssa and Loren have watched and rewatched (about 30 times) the Huggies commercial where the guy is changing the baby boy and he takes the diaper off and the baby pees all over the ceiling. They guy covers him up and then uncovers him again to change his diaper, thinking the baby was done peeing and the baby pees all over the wall and lamp and pillows, his coat ...meanwhile my girls are laughing their butts off. Loren looks at me and says "Mommy, baby peed wall". I'm thinking that you wouldn't be laughing if you had to clean it up. Just you wait!!!! : )

I'm ready for the girls surgery next week. I'll be a hermit until then making sure we don't have any sickos postponing it. I just want it done. : )

Well, I must go ...someone is calling my name. Imagine that!!!

I am feeling a little better....they always say that blogging is free therapy and it is true. Sometimes I just need to write my feelings out and the weight lifts off me. I'm getting my strength for the two surgeries coming up next week. These will be easy and I'm so thankful that Emma and Olivia are young enough to not know what is going on. Thank the Lord for that!!!! Then we will meet with the ENT for Emma in February and decide when to do that surgery. Then we should have a break for at least a year hopefully. After these next three, we will have had 18 surgeries in 8 years of marriage. And we are still married. : ) Just having the children in the NICU, we were told a lot of marriages do not make it. Very sad...

Well, Emma is walking and I LOVE it!!!! It truly is a joy!!! A wonderful Christmas present! I could not ask for more!!!

I can't wait to see how much she weighs at her next check. I think she will get weighed Thursday when the visiting nurse comes by. If not, I know she will be weighed next week before surgery. I'll let you know how that goes. : )

Have a great night!!
Bethany

So close..

Well, with all the family's help, Emma has taken several steps - up to 12. Her cousins decided it was their mission to help Emma learn to walk over Christmas and it has really helped. She is taking off. Thank the Lord!! I was starting to feel like I would never see this day. Easter Seals will be here next Thursday to evaluate her again. I'm praying that they are very pleased with her progress.

Thank you to those who have sent Enfamil coupons. It has helped tons. I know the formula has helped her gain some weight. I'm anxious to see how much but I can tell a difference and she is much happier. I'm still waiting for results from her Ctscan. Her neurologist is waiting to talk to her eye doctor. He is wanting to know if her eye dr. is concerned that her enlarged ventricles might be putting pressure on her eyes. This hasn't come up as a concern yet in our appointments so I'm hoping that he is not concerned.

We are set for surgery on the twins' eyes on January 21st. They had to move the date back due to scheduling complications. I'm anxious to get the ball rolling.

Alyssa is healing well. Her final scabs came off today. Her nose looks beautiful. Some of her scarring on her columela is questionable but overall we are very pleased. She is very pleased with her new nose. She likes that it is bigger and it's kindof pointy like ours. : )

Alyssa had an appointment with her eye (contact) doctor. He put in her contact and she cried for about 10 minutes. It didn't hurt she was just a little traumatized by it. It was more of a "This is not fair..other kids don't have to do this"...etc. So we eventually read a book and got her mind off of it. She did really well. We took it back out and she will wear it about 4 hours a day, supervised, with a patch for a week. Then we will go back in next week to see how it is doing and make any changes needed. Once it shows improvement, it will be considered treatment and it will cost us $210 for 4 contacts. I pay $68 for 12 for myself. So her contacts are very special. This contact is soooooooo thick. I have never seen anything like it. So we'll see how the battle goes this week. : )

I'm drained. I think I'm going through the emotions post surgery and yet the stress is continuing. We are still having ear follow-up appointments, eye appointments, 2 more surgeries and I'm just ready for a break in it. I go in next week for a kidney sono and a visit afterwards to see if my cyst has grown back. Inside I would just love to postpone that for another 3 months. But I know it has to be done.

I don't know why my emotions are so raw right now...but they are. I think the stress of taking the 4 kids out in this weather is hard too. Plus Emma does not need to be breathing in this cold air....not the best for her lungs. I guess I just feel the anxiety building up when I have the appointments, taking all four and praying that they are good. It is asking a lot...I know.

Well, Alyssa is almost home from school. I'm so thankful that my girls are alive. They are such bright spots in my life. I feel as though all the medical stuff has aged me beyond my years, but they have kept me young. My eyes feel tired. I'm sure a boost of energy will come soon. I hope..

Thanks for all the prayers. They mean more than you know.

A few more pictures...

This bottom picture is of Daddy and Alyssa before surgery. The other two - obviously one is before surgery and one is after surgery....gives a better picture of the before and after.

Here are some pictures of Alyssa..

So here are some pictures of Alyssa's nose reconstruction. You'll have to scroll down to the bottom pictures (before pictures). And then scroll to compare and see the difference. There is still dry blood and dry drainage that is hard to get off. So obviously it will look even different as soon as that heals. The biggest difference to me is her side profile. She is doing well and the surgeon today was happy with her. Yea!!! We couldn't ask for more.