One exciting thing about having a child that has had developmental setbacks is witnessing developmental comebacks. Well, I know not all kids and not all parents are as fortunate as Patty and we are. But I feel we have been very fortunate that Patty has been able to rebound so much from the setbacks of her first year.
Friday, November 17, 2017
Hot Spell has broken
Our super hot spell has finally broken with the arrival of a good
rain. It's raining as I write. Man, it was hot! The weather here can be very challenging, and it seems
sometimes that nearly everyone has some kind of cough, cold or fever.
Patty developed some kind of throat infection that sent us to doctor/hospital visits the last three evenings. Dr. Narong, our usual pediatrician, wasn't open the second night, so we went to the ER at the Srinagarind Hospital, which is the University Hospital here-- where things take longer. But they do a thorough work-up with x-rays, blood and urine lab-work, and they gave Patty IV fluids cause Patty hasn't been able to eat much. It had been a late-hour decision to go there, and we wound up getting home at 4 a.m. Lak subsequently took a half day off, and I slept late but still just got a half night's sleep.
By the next evening, still little or no improvement in Patty's breathing and her fever was still coing and going, so we visited Dr. Narong again. He prescribed a different antibiotic, stating that the infection was resistant to the first one he'd prescribed, and he said the two meds given by the hospital would not be of benefit. The ER visit had been expensive, and also, evidently, relatively useless.
I have had to more or less bite the bullet and swallow the pill of orthodox western medicine with Patty's health problems. Fortunately, she does seem to be getting stronger, but these things still happen. Bottom line, however, her resilient spirit is amazing, and she is usually in good spirits and full of energy.
Patty developed some kind of throat infection that sent us to doctor/hospital visits the last three evenings. Dr. Narong, our usual pediatrician, wasn't open the second night, so we went to the ER at the Srinagarind Hospital, which is the University Hospital here-- where things take longer. But they do a thorough work-up with x-rays, blood and urine lab-work, and they gave Patty IV fluids cause Patty hasn't been able to eat much. It had been a late-hour decision to go there, and we wound up getting home at 4 a.m. Lak subsequently took a half day off, and I slept late but still just got a half night's sleep.
By the next evening, still little or no improvement in Patty's breathing and her fever was still coing and going, so we visited Dr. Narong again. He prescribed a different antibiotic, stating that the infection was resistant to the first one he'd prescribed, and he said the two meds given by the hospital would not be of benefit. The ER visit had been expensive, and also, evidently, relatively useless.
I have had to more or less bite the bullet and swallow the pill of orthodox western medicine with Patty's health problems. Fortunately, she does seem to be getting stronger, but these things still happen. Bottom line, however, her resilient spirit is amazing, and she is usually in good spirits and full of energy.
Happy Chinese New Year
Once again, Thai people are saying "Sawadee bii mai", or "Happy New Year"... this time it is for Chinese New Year. In Thailand, where people generally like celebrations, there are three different markings of the New Year to celebrate: the one many of us are familiar with that begins on January 1st of each year, then the Chinese New Year, and then the traditionaly Thai New Year, which is marked by the Songkran Festival in April.
I like that. Three new years celebrations, three chances to make new years resolutions, and thus they need not be taken too seriously. If you don't get 'em right after that Thai new year celebration in April, you need not wait a whole year before trying again!
This season also brings to mind the ordeal that we, as a family, were experiencing two years ago, when Patty was in the hospital for numerous long stretches of time, and was in precarious health.
This year, she is, for the most part, in robust health.
I like that. Three new years celebrations, three chances to make new years resolutions, and thus they need not be taken too seriously. If you don't get 'em right after that Thai new year celebration in April, you need not wait a whole year before trying again!
This season also brings to mind the ordeal that we, as a family, were experiencing two years ago, when Patty was in the hospital for numerous long stretches of time, and was in precarious health.
This year, she is, for the most part, in robust health.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Our super hot spell has finally been cracked with the arrival of a good
rain. It's raining as I write. Man, it was hot!
The weather here can be very challenging, and it seems sometimes that nearly everyone has some kind of cough, cold or fever. Patty developed some kind of throat infection that sent us to doctor/hospital visits the last three evenings.
We saw Dr. Narong, our usual pediatrician, the first evening, but Patty didn't seem to be responding to the medicine he'd given and he wasn't open the second night, so we went to the ER at Srinagarind Hospital, where things take longer and they do a thorough work-up with x-rays, blood and urine labwork, and they gave IV fluids cause Patty hasn''t been able to eat much. It had been a late-hour decision to go there, and we wound up getting home at 4 a.m. Lak subsequently took a half day off, I slept late but still just got a half night's sleep.
Again, when Patty still hadn't improved, we took Patty to see Dr. Narong again, who prescribed a different antibiotic, saying that the infection was resistant to the first one he'd prescribed, and he stated the two meds given by the hospital would not be of benefit. The ER visit had been expensive, also, besides evidently being relatively useless.
Now she is doing better. Bottom line, her disposition remains remarkably good during most of this. She's inspiring that way!
Some recent photo and videos:
(Patty has found that doing selfie videos are an exciting way to show off her various prized toys, or just a great opportunity to ham it up in front of a camera!)
The weather here can be very challenging, and it seems sometimes that nearly everyone has some kind of cough, cold or fever. Patty developed some kind of throat infection that sent us to doctor/hospital visits the last three evenings.
We saw Dr. Narong, our usual pediatrician, the first evening, but Patty didn't seem to be responding to the medicine he'd given and he wasn't open the second night, so we went to the ER at Srinagarind Hospital, where things take longer and they do a thorough work-up with x-rays, blood and urine labwork, and they gave IV fluids cause Patty hasn''t been able to eat much. It had been a late-hour decision to go there, and we wound up getting home at 4 a.m. Lak subsequently took a half day off, I slept late but still just got a half night's sleep.
Again, when Patty still hadn't improved, we took Patty to see Dr. Narong again, who prescribed a different antibiotic, saying that the infection was resistant to the first one he'd prescribed, and he stated the two meds given by the hospital would not be of benefit. The ER visit had been expensive, also, besides evidently being relatively useless.
Now she is doing better. Bottom line, her disposition remains remarkably good during most of this. She's inspiring that way!
Some recent photo and videos:
(Patty has found that doing selfie videos are an exciting way to show off her various prized toys, or just a great opportunity to ham it up in front of a camera!)
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Sunday, May 5, 2013
A Whole Year Later.....
After last writing on this blog over a year ago, it seems time to supply another update on my daughter, Patty.
She is doing great. For the most part. The respiratory problems she'd been going through a year ago have no longer been an issue. And while there have been ongoing digestive problems, that situation has also improved a lot in just the past few months. So after appealing so often for support from friends last year, I just want to share this GOOD news now.
She had her second birthday on March 17th, and we celebrated with pizza and cake. Well, these were more for her parents and supporters than for her-- though she did eat a little, or perhaps a bit too much cake. But it was really good! Thai cake is usually not as sweet as what we are accustomed to eating in the U.S., so it was a gentle over-indulgence. :-)
Now Patty is very active, and enjoys playing with her toys-- at which she needs absolutely no encouragement. She still is not strong on her legs and feet, so must of her activity is in the crawling mode, and she does that energetically. However, she is standing up where there is something for support, in order to play or explore things higher up. She is getting braver and braver-- she'd crawl up the stairs if we let her, but they are slick and hard, and we let her go up a couple... that's it!
And probably Patty's favorite thing to do is watch youtube videos. At two years old, she is a junky! But what she loves to watch are some pretty good videos for kids that I've found. Watching them brings her out in delightful ways. While watching one scene of puppet pigs playing on a slide and sliding into a mud hole, squealing with delight, Patty will say "Mmmmm, hmmmmmm, hmmmmm......", obviously finding the puppet piglets very endearing. Watching another puppet scene, Patty picks up on the humor of it and giggles appropriately.
Here are some photos from over the past several months:
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Another hot day in Khon Kaen.... and passing the time.
It's another hot day here in Khon Kaen... A quick look at a weather site, and I see it shows a moderate 93 degrees F., but with a "comfort level" of 105. A walk down to the Family Mart just confirmed it; the walk was not comfortable.
Family Mart is one of the competitors of Seven-11. Or is that 7-Eleven? Seven-11 has proved to be so successful in Thailand that it's about like Starbuck's Coffee in the U.S. Only more so. I'd guess there are a hundred or so here in Khon Kaen. It's hard to go a few blocks without seeing one, two or even three of them. It's a haven from the heat, where you can get what you need and not at premium prices. So with it's success, it has proliferated. With that proliferation have come the competitors. Tesco-Lotus, a superstore with business roots in France has sprouted up many Tesco-Lotus Minis, often just next door or across the street from 7-Elevens. Another is Family Mart, which has been a bit more subtle in its choice of locations, moving into neighborhoods which are more under-served.
What these stores offer are the basics-- things people need and buy frequently. Drinks, snacks, some quick hot foods (micro-wave-ables), body care and baby care products, magazines, a few books, umbrellas, MP3 headphones, cigarettes, beer, whiskey, condoms-- all the stuff that people normally buy on a day to day basis. The formula also includes a predictable floor plan-- oh, and a Coke and ice machine, hot water urn and coffee and hot drink mixes, instand soups and noodles, and so forth. Not too much, but enough to have a very successful shop.
But under-service for convenience stores is not really of an issue here. Sprouting up a little mom and dad business is as easy as putting a fridge in your front room and putting some sodas, energy drinks and beers in it, having a shelf of "kanom" (snack foods) and anything else that might round out the inventory. This kind of store is virtually everywhere, making it pretty impossible to die of thirst or starve here as long as one has ten baht in the pocket.
It must be the air conditioning that makes the upscale convenient stores so successful. Which, finally finding I have a point in mind here, confirms the fact that it is really hot! In case you didn't believe that before.
It's interesting how we need to confirm things. I remember in philosophy class, how "experience shows it to be so, and reason proves it." As if the walk to the store weren't enough to confirm that it is hot. Gotta go to the internet to prove it.
I've noticed how other experiences have been compared to more virtual experiences as point of reference. I once walked past a flock of wild turkeys, perched on a building, that first one by one and then in mass flew over my head. I thought-- "Wow, that was just like in Star Wars or something. Exciting!" Funny that I refer to a movie to compare with a live, vivid and really first hand experience.
I remember in my my younger years, having a more lively and proactive participationwith experience. I'd been living in the country, and it was common entertainment for me, with no television even, to go walking at night. I tried to use the flashlight only when necessary, and preferred to stumble along the moonlit (or not) trails in the dark, relying on memory or instincts to discern the trail from the bush as much as possible. My most self-celebrated walk was a New Year's Eve walk home on a moonless night, taking the "high trail" which was the least traveled and most difficult to distinguish in the dark. I was on my hand and knees a fair part of the way that night, feeling for the smoothness of the trail where it meandered through the slightly rougher bordering landscape. In those days I felt truly alive.
Now, it's a walk to Family Mart or 7-Eleven / Seven-11 to get a cup of gaffe yen that gives me that aliveness. Ha! I find that writing is good food for thought, and so I'll have to think about this some. It's the question we ask ourselves often in NVC (nonviolent communications) groups: What's alive in me now?
Well, as they say..... keep tuned.
Family Mart is one of the competitors of Seven-11. Or is that 7-Eleven? Seven-11 has proved to be so successful in Thailand that it's about like Starbuck's Coffee in the U.S. Only more so. I'd guess there are a hundred or so here in Khon Kaen. It's hard to go a few blocks without seeing one, two or even three of them. It's a haven from the heat, where you can get what you need and not at premium prices. So with it's success, it has proliferated. With that proliferation have come the competitors. Tesco-Lotus, a superstore with business roots in France has sprouted up many Tesco-Lotus Minis, often just next door or across the street from 7-Elevens. Another is Family Mart, which has been a bit more subtle in its choice of locations, moving into neighborhoods which are more under-served.
What these stores offer are the basics-- things people need and buy frequently. Drinks, snacks, some quick hot foods (micro-wave-ables), body care and baby care products, magazines, a few books, umbrellas, MP3 headphones, cigarettes, beer, whiskey, condoms-- all the stuff that people normally buy on a day to day basis. The formula also includes a predictable floor plan-- oh, and a Coke and ice machine, hot water urn and coffee and hot drink mixes, instand soups and noodles, and so forth. Not too much, but enough to have a very successful shop.
But under-service for convenience stores is not really of an issue here. Sprouting up a little mom and dad business is as easy as putting a fridge in your front room and putting some sodas, energy drinks and beers in it, having a shelf of "kanom" (snack foods) and anything else that might round out the inventory. This kind of store is virtually everywhere, making it pretty impossible to die of thirst or starve here as long as one has ten baht in the pocket.
It must be the air conditioning that makes the upscale convenient stores so successful. Which, finally finding I have a point in mind here, confirms the fact that it is really hot! In case you didn't believe that before.
It's interesting how we need to confirm things. I remember in philosophy class, how "experience shows it to be so, and reason proves it." As if the walk to the store weren't enough to confirm that it is hot. Gotta go to the internet to prove it.
I've noticed how other experiences have been compared to more virtual experiences as point of reference. I once walked past a flock of wild turkeys, perched on a building, that first one by one and then in mass flew over my head. I thought-- "Wow, that was just like in Star Wars or something. Exciting!" Funny that I refer to a movie to compare with a live, vivid and really first hand experience.
I remember in my my younger years, having a more lively and proactive participationwith experience. I'd been living in the country, and it was common entertainment for me, with no television even, to go walking at night. I tried to use the flashlight only when necessary, and preferred to stumble along the moonlit (or not) trails in the dark, relying on memory or instincts to discern the trail from the bush as much as possible. My most self-celebrated walk was a New Year's Eve walk home on a moonless night, taking the "high trail" which was the least traveled and most difficult to distinguish in the dark. I was on my hand and knees a fair part of the way that night, feeling for the smoothness of the trail where it meandered through the slightly rougher bordering landscape. In those days I felt truly alive.
Now, it's a walk to Family Mart or 7-Eleven / Seven-11 to get a cup of gaffe yen that gives me that aliveness. Ha! I find that writing is good food for thought, and so I'll have to think about this some. It's the question we ask ourselves often in NVC (nonviolent communications) groups: What's alive in me now?
Well, as they say..... keep tuned.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Back home with Patty
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After a day of showing she could "hold her own" in the blood oxygen saturation department, it looked good for Patty to depart the hospital. On March 27th we'd brought her to Srinagarind Hospital, with about a week in Intensive Care and the time since that in the moderate care ward. Before that, Patty had experienced nearly a three month stretch of hospital stays, with perhaps just a week break at home during that time. Most of the time she spent at Khon Kaen Hospital, with two stints in ICU there, and the rest of her time there in the pediatric "mix" ward. So getting a green light for her to go home was a big "Whew!" Were we all glad to get her back home!
The level of anxiety for Lak and I had too often been too intense for comfort. During Patty's first stays in ICU, we saw several children succumb to their illnesses. It was pretty sobering, especially given that with only ten beds in the two rooms of ICU where we saw what was going on, this was not a really low percentage mortality rate--not low enough to feel that Patty was clear profound danger.
I learned that the blood oxygen saturation percentage was a very important figure, and seemed to be a very visible indication of the condition of each patient in ICU, with the vital signs monitor showing that, pulse rate, and other signs, in big, easy to read figures. Seeing that figure drop, in several instances, lead to an empty bed upon our arrival the next morning. Thus, that very visible figure on the vital signs monitor became very loaded with potential for me, and it was never out of sight, out of mind for very long.
There is where my writing stalled, getting into the more grim side of what can happen when a kid is in ICU. I decided to perhaps come back to that writing in more detail at a later date. For now, we are on an upswing. Patty has been at home for about ten days now. Ironically, life has been all the more demanding now that she is out of the hospital. Here at home my appreciation for the nurses, and all that they do, comes into clearer focus, as we've needed to be doing many of the things that they routinely have taken care of for Patty.
Patty is still dealing with respiratory issues, as they don't easily or completely clear up following such an illness. So it's been a demanding time at home, though certainly lacking the intensity of her being in ICU or the regular hospital ward. Phlegm continues to hang in there tenaciously, and we've been trying to deal with that issue in various ways-- with diet, with medicine, and with mechanical means of just clearing it out for her.
I called a shot, for a change, last week, and bought a good phlegm suction machine for a couple hundred dollars (6,000 baht). It's been making the job of clearing her airways a lot easier than using the rubber bulb device that Lak had been using. Lak had thought that was fine, but having the suction machine is like having gone from hand washing to having a washing machine. (Perhaps Lak could be liberated from doing Patty's laundry washing by hand, too! But some things are hard to change.)
The day before yesterday was a marathon for us at the Srinagarind Hospital clinic, with three doctors appointments in the same day: one with a neuro clinic, one with an endocrine clinic, and one with the rehabilitation and physical therapy clinic. The night before had been full of wake-up calls for milk feedings and suctioning sessions, and in order to try to get there early, I'd gotten up before four a.m. in order to do my morning market run earlier than usual. The temperature was soaring, with the so-called "comfort level" well over a hundred degrees. Somehow we all made it through the day of mostly sitting and waiting, and now have some reduced medicine dosages (good!) and a few simple exercises for Patty (exciting!). I went to Big-C to buy an exercise ball today, for her to do her balance exercises, and we'll soon have our front room turned into a gymnasium. :-)
Oh, and here are a few recent pictures:
Slide show: Patty back at home.
Well, that's my blogging for the moment. Please stay tuned! (subscribe! and don't miss a post!)
I learned that the blood oxygen saturation percentage was a very important figure, and seemed to be a very visible indication of the condition of each patient in ICU, with the vital signs monitor showing that, pulse rate, and other signs, in big, easy to read figures. Seeing that figure drop, in several instances, lead to an empty bed upon our arrival the next morning. Thus, that very visible figure on the vital signs monitor became very loaded with potential for me, and it was never out of sight, out of mind for very long.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is where my writing stalled, getting into the more grim side of what can happen when a kid is in ICU. I decided to perhaps come back to that writing in more detail at a later date. For now, we are on an upswing. Patty has been at home for about ten days now. Ironically, life has been all the more demanding now that she is out of the hospital. Here at home my appreciation for the nurses, and all that they do, comes into clearer focus, as we've needed to be doing many of the things that they routinely have taken care of for Patty.
Patty is still dealing with respiratory issues, as they don't easily or completely clear up following such an illness. So it's been a demanding time at home, though certainly lacking the intensity of her being in ICU or the regular hospital ward. Phlegm continues to hang in there tenaciously, and we've been trying to deal with that issue in various ways-- with diet, with medicine, and with mechanical means of just clearing it out for her.
I called a shot, for a change, last week, and bought a good phlegm suction machine for a couple hundred dollars (6,000 baht). It's been making the job of clearing her airways a lot easier than using the rubber bulb device that Lak had been using. Lak had thought that was fine, but having the suction machine is like having gone from hand washing to having a washing machine. (Perhaps Lak could be liberated from doing Patty's laundry washing by hand, too! But some things are hard to change.)
The day before yesterday was a marathon for us at the Srinagarind Hospital clinic, with three doctors appointments in the same day: one with a neuro clinic, one with an endocrine clinic, and one with the rehabilitation and physical therapy clinic. The night before had been full of wake-up calls for milk feedings and suctioning sessions, and in order to try to get there early, I'd gotten up before four a.m. in order to do my morning market run earlier than usual. The temperature was soaring, with the so-called "comfort level" well over a hundred degrees. Somehow we all made it through the day of mostly sitting and waiting, and now have some reduced medicine dosages (good!) and a few simple exercises for Patty (exciting!). I went to Big-C to buy an exercise ball today, for her to do her balance exercises, and we'll soon have our front room turned into a gymnasium. :-)
Oh, and here are a few recent pictures:
Slide show: Patty back at home.
Well, that's my blogging for the moment. Please stay tuned! (subscribe! and don't miss a post!)
Monday, April 2, 2012
Breathing Easier
I'm breathing easier this evening. And it's because, of course, Patty is breathing easier too.
The transition from the ventilator to breathing on her own was not completely seamless; she did show some signs of having some throat discomfort today, as if she were trying to cough something up that was choking her. We thought it was phlegm at first, but the nurses tried to suction that out, and told us there wasn't much phlegm to suction, so phlegm wasn't the problem. By a couple hours later her coughing had diminished a lot, and she didn't seem to be having much difficulty.
So, signs were good when we left this evening after our visit: less phlegm; good oxygen levels in her blood, even better blood pressure than she's had for the past several days; heart rate more stable, too. And I thought the energy behind her coughing seemed stronger than she'd been able to muster the energy for before.
In between this noon's visit and this evening's, I spent about two and a half hours getting a refund of about $20 for some parts that I'd purchased at a Honda dealership near the hospital. It turned out to be the biggest challenge of the day for me.
When I'd purchased the parts, I didn't know quite what I needed, so I showed them the engine and had them talk on the phone to the mechanic as well. When I wanted to pay with a credit card, I was told that if I paid that way I wouldn't be able to exchange the purchase or get a refund back later using a card, so needed to get cash to complete the transaction. So, a ten or fifteen minute rip was needed to the nearest ATM. When I paid, I thought the cashier assured me that I'd be able to get a refund.
Well, so much for thinking I understand what people are saying here. In short, there wasn't really a "short of it". But I did get the money back, probably more as a result of being obstinate than being patient. But there was some patience involved, and when all was said and done I told the manager that if I bought a new car, I'd buy it there. Well, I might have overstated that, but I left with a feeling of goodhearted-ness (jai dee).
The transition from the ventilator to breathing on her own was not completely seamless; she did show some signs of having some throat discomfort today, as if she were trying to cough something up that was choking her. We thought it was phlegm at first, but the nurses tried to suction that out, and told us there wasn't much phlegm to suction, so phlegm wasn't the problem. By a couple hours later her coughing had diminished a lot, and she didn't seem to be having much difficulty.
So, signs were good when we left this evening after our visit: less phlegm; good oxygen levels in her blood, even better blood pressure than she's had for the past several days; heart rate more stable, too. And I thought the energy behind her coughing seemed stronger than she'd been able to muster the energy for before.
In between this noon's visit and this evening's, I spent about two and a half hours getting a refund of about $20 for some parts that I'd purchased at a Honda dealership near the hospital. It turned out to be the biggest challenge of the day for me.
When I'd purchased the parts, I didn't know quite what I needed, so I showed them the engine and had them talk on the phone to the mechanic as well. When I wanted to pay with a credit card, I was told that if I paid that way I wouldn't be able to exchange the purchase or get a refund back later using a card, so needed to get cash to complete the transaction. So, a ten or fifteen minute rip was needed to the nearest ATM. When I paid, I thought the cashier assured me that I'd be able to get a refund.
Well, so much for thinking I understand what people are saying here. In short, there wasn't really a "short of it". But I did get the money back, probably more as a result of being obstinate than being patient. But there was some patience involved, and when all was said and done I told the manager that if I bought a new car, I'd buy it there. Well, I might have overstated that, but I left with a feeling of goodhearted-ness (jai dee).
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