I wish you didn't have to roll the dice with each ER visit, ita. I wish you could see the same crew who knew the drill every time. The main nurse when I was with you was so sure he could stick you and so frustrated when he couldn't. I wish you could get the ones with the right drugs and the surefire stick every time. All after, of course, I wish you didn't need to go at all.

msbelle, I usually went 2-2 1/2 weeks between fills. I've been biting so badly, I should go back to acrylics.

Ugh, ita. I'm sorry.

Grace had her g-tube replaced at bedside today (which is excellent because her g-tube had been leaking for several weeks). The procedure took 2-3 minutes but, from the RTs report, was probably pretty uncomfortable. It made for crabby girl the rest of the day. But she was willing to sit on her stool.

Look at her, putting weight on her feetsies!

Oh so cute! She does look like she thinking "really? I'm supposed to perch myself on top of this?"

I feel like I have no place complaining, but about a month ago I tweaked my back right between my shoulder blades. Well that's feeling better now, but now my left hand and arm get a bit numb. Grrr. Back to the PT/chiro I guess?

For the cephalophiles: Squid hats!

ita, what sarameg said.

Kat, her expression is priceless.

Five fully comped winter weeks in south Florida instead of Kansas City, yay!

Woo! (selfish)

But I have started out 2009 with increased time between visits, so that's good.

ita, a few days, a few weeks, a few months. I wish for the interval to be so long you don't remember the last time you were forced to go to the ER. Pain free in 2009.

Kat, when I read about Grace or look at her pictures I think of my niece Nicole. She was born with a malformed heart and wasn't expected to survive infancy. Then she wasn't supposed to survive childhood, then adolescence. I don't know how many heart surgeries she has had at this point because the not-her parts didn't grow with her and have to be fixed along the way. And of course her heart could never survive the strain of pregnancy. Tell that to her 4 year old daughter. At this point she is such a tough cookie she is afraid of nothing after having such a incredibly difficult childhood. Her valves still leak, but she hasn't taken the time off to have another surgery because of the whole mom thing. She has this invincibility complex.

Sometimes you get the tough challenges early and are rewarded with an easier time later in life because you gain confidence, and maybe a bit of arrogance.

Laura, that's a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing it.

Yeah, she looks pretty "feh" in that picture. I think Grace is just nifty. We're working on playing with things at midline (like a ball which she did today) and using her left hand (which she did with her bike bell today). Each day is what it is.

OH! We took my mom to Roy's for her birthday dinner this week. I made reservations on line and indicated that it was her birthday. They gave us a special seat with ribbons around the candle. And they had printed a special insert into the menu that said, "Happy birthday, Marlene." AND they didn't sing.

It was really nice and class and very cool. And we gave her a Wustof Santoku knife.