"Catch the Vision"--Aaronic Priesthood Encampment

The boys had quite an exciting week at scout camp. It was a 20 stake Aaronic Priesthood encampment at Camp Cowles, in Newport, Washington. It was definitely an experience to be had for boys between the ages of 12 and 18. Nothing this big has been done in Eastern Washington since 1984, when the last huge encampment was held at Farragut. Over 2000 boys attended, with 1400 leaders and helpers from surrounding stakes and areas. Each stake was given a camp location that they've been preparing and beautifying over the last year.

The Spokane Valley stake was the host and organizer of this major BSA feat. President Brian Pitcher and hundreds of other advisers, scout leaders, and ward members from 20 different stakes pulled this 6 day event off with class and order that only members of the Church could!

The boys left Monday at 5:30am and went directly to the camp to set up. We were on pins and needles sending Nathan less than 3 months since having major surgery. Cameron was pulled aside, on a couple of occasions, and given the pep talk about having to help Nate with his shoes and socks, clothes, and monitoring if he needs help or pain control. Unbeknownst to be, their dad snuck a cell phone into their pack and told Cameron that he was only to call if Nathan couldn't hack it. Ahh. I just corned every one of the men going and told them to call us if needed. Same protective instinct, just differing ways of going about it.

Handing over a boy, that's been through hell and back, to a group of scout leaders for a action-packed week, was a little daunting. If the doctors had said he couldn't go...he wouldn't have. But the one that did Nathan's physical thought that this would be a great opportunity to lift his spirits and get him excited about using the muscles that have been weakened or deteriorated under his hip collapse. He gets to be a KID!! And to be truthful, I fully expected to get a call after a couple of days, or at least by mid-week, to come get him. But we didn't hear anything. I actually started to get a little concerned and texted Brother Wright, our bishopric member that was going up every night to the camp, to give me a report. I just wanted an update on his spirits and pain level. We were a little astonished. He was doing great!

The boys sure admire the older scouts in the ward and were readily included in all the activities. Cameron went repelling a couple of times...Nathan didn't. They both loved the skydivers for the large group fireside and motivational speaker. Nathan and Cameron both loved shotgun shooting, knife throwing, archery, arrow guns, and working on all the merit badges. There were 40 badge clinics were offered. Nathan finished 6, with 1 additional badge partially completed. Cameron completed 7 merit badges, with 2 additional badges partially completed. Not BAD!!!

The washing machine ran around the clock when they got home. Everything was filthy, although, there was still 5 pairs of clean socks in Nathan's pack. Hmm. Maybe Cameron wasn't helping out as much as I thought ;)

Jeff and I had a chance to talk to several of the boys' leaders, including a member of the stake presidency and our Bishop. Nathan did wonderful this week and what impressed every one of them the most...was he didn't complain, not once! They really felt that the pain or the challenge of the terrain could have discouraged him or caused him to take advantage of others' help. Neither happened. And, even better, the other boys rallied around him. He was transported by utility carts, as needed, to where he wanted to go. Many leaders, on every level of staffing, were watching out for him. But it turned out, that he was just a boy scout there to enjoy this great event and his fellow troop members served when needed and took up the slack.

It was truly an amazing week for both boys. They can't wait for the next event. I'm already hearing about another camp-out this summer and a canoeing trip. Cameron has been on the computer all day looking up the costs and dates for the National Jamboree, held in Washington, DC, every four years. After 2000 scouts...he's ready to take on 50,000 scouts and 100 merit badges! He wants to go and is already thinking about how to make that happen. If nothing else, I think this week converted them to the Boy Scout program, for life!
I have never seen either boy as dirty as they were when they got home. Cameron was covered in more than just dirt, but also a rash, caused by some sort of contact with nature. He was pretty sunburned and ready for a nap...after he begged to use his lawn mower. Nathan was brown...literally, more from dirt than any sun exposure. One shower didn't quite serve him well enough.

These are definitely two happy campers. And they already have their brother talking about what merit badges he's going to work on...and Braden is a full year out from even going into Boy Scouts!

The theme was "Catch the Vision"...and I know that my boys did!

Tied Up...

Tonight the boys had interviews with Bishop Larsen so that they can be ordained as deacons in the Aaronic priesthood on Sunday. Meeting with your church leaders is reason enough to dress up, but this was a very important interview, and they wanted to look their best. Nice shirts and slacks are standard attire for our Sundays, and ties are in a league of their own. Getting the priesthood is an honor that called for Sunday best + ties.

It was kind of funny to see their different approaches to wearing a tie for the first time. And being that Jeff is on perpetual graveyard, he wasn't up to give them a necktie demonstration. Cameron didn't say anything, he just got a computer, and went right to www.youtube.com to watch a virtual demonstration. Incredibly able and resourceful.

The instructions were good enough, that Ashley, watching over Cameron's shoulder, was able to get Nathan's tie tied and then loosened enough to put over his head. Incredibly able and resourceful.

Nathan didn't mind the help, except the knot needed some perfecting. Ashley stepped in again to adjust her handiwork and helped Nate look fantastic in his new white shirt and tie!

They are both looking very grown up and eager to be the newest deacons in the ward. [Cameron had his hand rebandaged today and things are looking as good as they could be on the inside. The stitches will be out just in time for his first swoop through the chapel in a week and a half.]

After the interviews, I took my snazzy-dressed boys for some frozen yogurt. Talk about two very handsome young men! They sure are incredibly able and resourceful.

And...I LOVE the ties too, if I say so myself!!!

Happy, Happy Birthday to Nathan and Cameron!!

Nathan and Cameron turned 12 years old today!

Cruising on the lake was fun, but going back for presents, ice-cream cake, and opening birhtday cards was first on their list of things to do.

They got black slacks, new white shirts, belts, and ties so that they will look really sharp when they pass the sacrament for the first time in a couple of weeks.

They have graduated from getting Cub Scout shirts for camp to Boy Scout shirts. Cameron complained that his birthday haul was looking an awful lot like last year's! He did not receive the requested lawn mower or numerous gift/cash cards he wanted.

He was definitely voicing some concern, much to our chagrin, until we got to the big gift! Not exactly an archery set, also requested, but BB guns are definitely a hit for these boys.

Braden was looking on with envy! (Bummer! He'll have to wait 3 weeks to see what great things he'll get!) The boys headed for the deck and immediately started target practice. We learned that Cameron has a wicked aim. And between the two of them, there was over 50 holes in the aluminum cans.

Shooting with BBs can be a lot of fun...until you drop the container! Cameron let loose of the container with over 6000 of those little hummers.

But he's a thinker and figured out how to get them picked up faster...Grandpa and his sisters!

It was luck that Gale, Great-Grandma Ida Mae, and Grandma and Grandpa Eibert were in town to celebrate the big day! Gale bought them a yummy ice-cream cake from Dairy Queen. They enjoyed the requested steak and shrimp dinner--and I must add, it was fabulous. It was a great day-- filled with good fun, grand people, and great memories!

But, Where, Oh Where, has the time gone???

Chicken Parmesan

Yesterday we had a day of thundering and storms. The temperatures were in the high 50s and very refreshing after a couple of hot days. Things have been kind of quiet and peaceful since the bulb to the TV burned out in the morning. And it might be a while till it's replaced because I'm kind of liking the quietness!)

It got to be lunchtime and Nathan and Cameron said they wanted to make something really good. I was all for macaroni and cheese with some hot dogs. Nathan took charge and wanted to direct the show. He decided that everyone loved his Chicken Parmesan before and that it was worthy of a repeat. So he went to work. We love the chicken tenders from Costco. In about 25 minutes the chicken is done and ready for sauce and mozzarella. It gave the boys just enough time to make some spaghetti noodles for the chicken to be served on.

After it was all assembled, it was impressive to look at, and pretty tasty as well. Nathan was pretty chuffed with himself and said that he "nailed it." Cameron, more of the culinary cheerleader and juice dispenser, said that Guy Fieri would make all kinds of guttural noises and be impressed. **I tell 'ya--you're brother is your toughest critic when you're working in the kitchen! I guess that means that they did OK. I think the mac-n-cheese days are numbered. Every single plate was empty...and that said more than anything :)

Hip, Hip, Boo, Hiss--Hate!!

Our morning started off with an early phone call from Dr Trousdale, from the Mayo Clinic, regarding Nathan's x-rays and lab work. Things don't look too good, so he ordered his hip be aspirated and the fluids checked for cell counts and then cultured. He will call us back on Friday and follow-up with our results. Which will inevitably turn into not knowing anything until Monday, since we couldn't get Nathan on to the Shriners' OR schedule until tomorrow. He's concerned because he said that Nathan shouldn't be having any pain at this point in his recovery; so the 7s and 8s on the pain chart is highly concerning, especially with his sed-rates and inflammation markers still 2-3 times normal, even with the antibiotics. We haven't even started him with physical therapy because of the pain. Everything expected has been so atypical from the very beginning. What does all of this mean?? We just want the kid to have a simple life, free of pain. Subconsciously, we must be on the 5 year plan, from start to finish, or something. I'm just hoping that we can get everything resolved before the insurance rolls over in the new year and we have to pay those deductibles again!


So I called Darlene Ramelow, nurse coordinator for Dr Bryan Tompkins, at Shriners'. I told her what Dr Trousdale said we needed to do and she said she would call me right back. Ironically, Braden had an appointment this morning there and Dr Tompkins made sure that Nathan was taken care of immediately! Gotta Love, Love, Love Dr Tompkins and his compassionate heart. For the convenience of mom, Nathan would be doing his pre-op tests and paperwork, while Braden got seen in the clinic. It was such a relief that they were able to work Nathan into the surgery schedule for tomorrow. Accruing more hospital bills from Sacred Heart wasn't what I had in mind when Dr Trousdale called. We need the money for airfare...not co-pays. And before we know if we have to go anywhere, it's vital that those fluids be checked immediately if we have any chance of saving the new artificial joint.


Several of the Mayo doctors that have called have prepared us for what may come. Dr Tompkins hinted last week that this is going to take some radical twists and skills to get the infection out of his hip. The entire new hip will have to come out first, be packed with some kind of cement filler. Then they'll go after the infection intravaneously until they can knock it out. We have no idea how long that could take. But once it's back to healthy tissue, then a new total hip would be put back in and then we start the recovery process all over. Then physical therapy and so on. Months and months of work ahead just to get to a normal baseline. So that's why our hands are tied on making travel arrangements to Minnesota, if necessary, until we know the urgency and extent of the staph infection.


Dr Tompkins is going to be out of town tomorrow, so Dr Glenn Baird will be doing Nathan's operation. He's fabulous and helped in Nate's first surgery at Shriners'. He'll be the 4th surgeon inside Nathan's hip this year! He'll be drawing the fluids out of the joint and then taking a tissue sample from the bone above the ceramic hip. This infection is nothing to mess around with and is causing some drama in four different sets of doctors' offices.


Every time we talk to Dr Tompkins about the first surgery, we get a little more insight into what he saw the first time he opened up Nathan's hip. Today he said that the hip was already basically dead, only held in place by one vein, when he saw Nathan in December 2010. He did the surgery immediately after Christmas because there was no time to lose in trying to buy some time before the next reconstructive surgery was needed. He was entirely optimistic in his language to us at the time, but now hearing his gut opinion of what he saw, tells an entirely different story. Nathan came to him already needing a THR. Dr Tompkins goal was only to buy him some time, mostly because of his age, and the accessibility of having it done locally or not. He was hoping to get him a year or two. (He told us 5-10 years initially--obviously still being highly optimistic, at the time). We got 7-8 months from that surgery, which Dr Tompkins confessed was totally miraculous compared to the original state of his hip. That kind of gives more insight into why he didn't cut Nathan's femoral head off and plate it at the time. Instead, he chose to grind it down and pin it in six places, to make it easier for the next surgeon (Dr Trousdale) to cut the bone right out and put a new hip in. That surgery was 7 1/2 hours. Hardward removal because of impingment, in January 2012, was 4 1/2 hours. Total Hip Replacement in May 2012...less than 1 1/2 hours! If nothing else--Dr Tompkins saved Dr Trousdale a bunch of time, at least!


And, so with that being said, he looked at Braden's x-rays today and told us we have bad luck running in the family. The first set of pictures weren't encouraging, so we were sent back for another set--from different angles. They've determined that the Perthes is done compromising the femoral ball. The body thinks it's been flattened enough, I guess!



Braden now has adequate blood supply to the hip, but he's been having a lot of pain because the flattened head has created an impingement in his hip socket. The cartilage is getting caught between the the hip cup and the femoral ball. A few months ago, he was hoping that the steroid shot would give him a few months of pain relief. It did, for all of two months. But the limp is getting more pronounced as his right side is trying to compensate for the shortened muscle on the left side. Only one option was given--surgical intervention, either to grind the sides of the femoral head down or to cut the head off and reposition it at an angle that relieves the cartilage. Our only choice was when we wanted to do it.



Dr Tompkins ordered an MRI/arthogram be done first, to make sure that the labrum around the head, hasn't been torn. The first availability for that is July 5th. That's going to be a busy day for the big guy. He meets with the audiologists for his second evaluation on his hearing tests and then with the ENT to discuss his hearing aid. We'll just have to cross the street after lunch and go for his MRI. I can already hear what kind of consolation meal will be in order for his cruddy day in small rooms and tight tubes!


The surgery is going to be similar to the one Nathan had in January 2011. Only with Braden, the femoral head will actually get cut off the femur and then repositioned with a plate and pins into a straighter position in the hip. It will automatically lengthen his left leg to match the other side, and should correct his limp and gait. He'll be in the hospital for a week and then two weeks in a wheelchair. By 6 weeks, he should be weight-bearing with crutches. And with physical therapy, he'll hopefully be up and about by 8 weeks. He shouldn't have any pain and should be healed enough that he can ride a bike and even participate in sport-related activities at school. [He'll have to have some of the hardware removed after about a year, but Dr Tompkins seems to think that this procedure should get him into his late 20s before he needs a THR. And with some extreme luck...the kind we haven't had as of yet...his hip may be corrected and healed enough that a THR won't be necessary.]



He'll have the same kind of gruesome scar that Nathan has--even on the same side! 14-16" gashes should make for some interesting small talk later in life. On the upside--he still gets to go to Cub Day Camp, the end of July. The downside...school starts August 14th. Surgery is August 16th. He's going to miss almost the first month of school. Ugg!! At least they can start working with him almost immediately, so that he doesn't fall behind. If he gets the same teacher that Nathan had...she'll know the drill already!


I'm sure that we'll look back in a few years and know why that everything worked out the way it did. We thought 2011 was our worst year on record. But I'm starting to think that 2012 might have it topped--and it's only half over! My only hope is that we don't have a complication with a third surgery before or back to back with Braden's. Crossing our fingers! Who knows...maybe God will be kind with us and either get Nathan back on track before Braden's big day or at least get things squared enough away for awhile so that we're home before the next big event happens. It might just be easier to haul both of their butts to the Mayo so that they can recover together. Wouldn't that be something? [I should have been a nurse...at least I'd be getting paid for all this non-sense!]

Infection???

"Mom, my hip hurts...bad!" "It's a 7!" "It feels like it's rolling." "I can't sleep because it hurts."

All the things you don't want to hear after only 7 weeks with a new hip. And with the lab results from 2 weeks ago and the chronic complaining, it was enough for the Mayo doctors to order us to see a local orthopedic surgeon immediately. But who? Nobody does pediatric hip replacements in Spokane. So I called our team from Shriner's for help since we don't have anywhere else to turn right now. The surgical team in Minnesota has been checking in weekly by phone, but we are at the mercy of doctors who don't treat this kind of problem in children.

I actually felt bad for Dr Tompkins today when he said the x-rays didn't look good. You could tell he was very disturbed for Nathan. The clinic was full and running an hour behind, but he took us in immediately after we got there.

The black pocket around the prosthetic head is not a good sign. The staph infection is obviously brewing, irregardless of the powerful antibiotics. The blood tests show that the indicators of infection are starting to climb, even on the antibiotic, rather than improving. We plateaued and now they're rising. Basically put--we've got a mess on our hands.

And as kind as the doctors and nurses were at Shriner's, they just shook their heads and said we needed to go back to Dr Trousdale. So we left with the x-rays on a disc, prescriptions for pain and inflammation in hand, and orders for some more time in Minnesota. Dr Tompkins is going to do a phone consult with Dr Trousdale tomorrow and let us know what's on the agenda. Ironically, I haven't canceled the July 2nd follow-up appointment. We just have to figure out how to afford to get there between now and then.

Everyone had such high hopes for Nathan and for all to go well. Today Dr Tompkins asked if the Mayo had mentioned irradiation on the muscles surrounding the hip. He feels that we may end up having to go that path with the amount of bone in the muscles. The body can tell that all is not right there and has started to remodel the muscle into bone to compensate for the missing femoral head and to help aid in some form of recovery. But with a new hip in place, it needs good muscle to hold it in place, not bony muscle. So a series of radiation treatments may be needed to stop the muscle around the hip from further turning into bone. [Not how we wanted to spend the next few months........]

All Nathan can think about is missing his birthday, visits from Aunt Gale and great-grandma, and going to Silverwood with a friend! All I can think about is the $65,000 hip going down the tubes and the many months it will take to reconstruct it.

Ordinary. Boring. Mundane. That's how most kids see their summers. Not Nathan. His only request about going back to Minnesota--he wants to go to the Mall of America. Hmmm. Sounds like fun. I can just picture it now already. Crowds of people jostling around us, 100+ degree weather, with some sort of yucky humidity factor squeezing the moisture out of every pore on my body--trying to push a medicated kid in a wheelchair. Sounds like a vision of fun! Only thing missing is the t-shirt that says : "All I wanted was to go to Minnesota to see the Mall of America. But all I got was a ANOTHER New Hip!" Maybe someday, in the not too distant future, he'll get to go somewhere for FUN!

Infectious Disease Doctors.........

We saw one of Spokane's finest today.

Dr Timothy Maughn is a Providence pediatric infectious disease doctor. After looking at the recent blood work and the labs from the day before surgery...there's been significant changes, but we are still not out of the woods. And, frankly, that sucks. We talked over the 3 options--pic-line/IV therapy, another 6 weeks of oral meds, or finishing the current round of meds and waiting. He thought that a pic-line might be a bit overkill at this point, but on the flipside, we don't want to lose the hip because of a preventable infection. We are now going to have blood drawn every other week until we start seeing improvements in his blood markers. More antibiotics and time...that's the plan for now. Physical therapy is next on the agenda.

I asked Dr Maughn if he thought we would have to go back to the Mayo. The answer is a tentative no for now. It the infection doesn't compromise the prosthesis, we're good in Spokane. But almost everything along Nathan's way was been atypical. He thinks that the infection probably started with the surgery in January with the hardware removal and has "smoldered" under the radar because the dead bone was causing so much pain that it would be indistinguishable with infection pain. All I can say is--that I thought Nathan would be pain-free by now, and he's not. But some of the inflammation cursors showed levels 9-10 times normal before surgery. Now they are 2-3 times normal, so we are making progress, but, obviously, are not done yet!

We see Dr Maughn again at the end of July. Hopefully we'll have some good news. I don't know if the boy scout encampment is going to be a highlight for Nate this summer. I'm kind of bummed for him. But on the upside, he got to see a couple of his best friends and teachers today at Prairie View.

He Can See Clearly Now.....the Glasses are Here!

Because of the jaunt now to see the eye doctor, they offered to mail us Nathan's new glasses when they came in, to save us time and gas money. So--Woo Hoo! They're here!! We'll stop for any adjustments he might need when we are in town. But so far--they look good and he's wearing them like an old pro already. At least mom and dad know what to expect with hereditary near-sightedness. And after only one day in glasses and he's already asking how old he has to be for contacts! We'll see, we'll see. But for now, Nathan can see better too!

He's got a busy week ahead of him. We got his blood tests back and they're not looking as good as I hoped. Good thing we see the infectious disease team, here in Spokane, on Thursday. And he should start scooting along without the walker and wheelchair finally. I think he's a little nervous though. The surgeons said it may take up to a year before his muscles realize they are back to the same length and level him out. I'm sure he'll have some choice words for the physical therapists when they start pulling and prodding...but at least he'll be closer to normal again.

I just want him moving along smooth enough that he doesn't miss out on passing the sacrament with his brother for the first time next month.

Update the Blog, Mom!

The wheels on the car go round and round...but the motor in the window doesn't. And somebody took it upon themselves to fix it. Actually it was the driver's side window that broke, but until we have some extra cash to get a new motor, Jeff is swapping the motor from one of the passenger windows for now.

Cameron's pretty good with the mechanics of how things work and Dad decided to let him have a little experience. Talk about letting a kid loose in a candy store! And with all the running around to do this week--it's always nice to have a window that works.

Today, one of the kids told me that I needed to update the blog. I guess he was tired of reading the last blurb over and over. Jeesh! As if I don't have anything else to do ;) Lots has been going on, yet not of anything worth taking pictures of and elaborating too much on, or so I thought...until now.

My week sounds like the same old story over and over...just with different kids taking the passenger seat. "I took Cameron to the doctor." "I took Braden to the doctor." "I took Jessica, Nathan, and Cameron to the orthodontist." "Taking Ashley to the orthodontist." "Taking Braden, Cameron and Jessica to the dentist...." "I took Braden and Nathan to the eye doctor...." Well, actually, I got out of that trip because Dad had to get his eyes checked too and saved me that drive since I was picking Ashley up from the girls' camp meeting on the north side. So what it comes down to is--I drive, I drive, I drive!

Nathan is now scheduled with an pediatric infectious disease team here in Spokane. Haven't decided how to handle the Spokane surgeons yet. We are still dealing with the team at the Mayo via the phone. They've ordered scripts for x-rays and blood work. Those are coming up soon and then the results will be mailed back to them for review and progress. I got a little frustrated with the global billing side of the THR and thought it would be cheaper to fly (NOT drive!) Nathan back to the Mayo in Minnesota. I think we finally have a way around that, but we are on our own for a few weeks until the 12 week billing ends. Today marked 4 weeks from cut day and it was also the first day in months without pain killers! He's still a little whiny, but on his own as far as pain control.

After some less invasive kind of appointments, we learned that he definitely comes from our gene pool...and is getting glasses. They should be in next week. (Now, when I thin him down a bit, he'll look like Clark Kent). Every time he goes to the dentist or orthodontist from now on...he gets to take an antibiotic beforehand--for the rest of his life. Yep. Good stuff. I still have to get him scheduled for his physical "therapy-a-thon". We're months from a "full" recovery, but at least we are heading in the right direction. So bye, bye muscle atrophy, arthritis and painful limps. Hello walking, Mr Nathan, even if it means more driving! (Like I said: drive, drive, drive).

Cameron is done with his battery of testing at Sacred Heart. We will start educating ourselves on his specific needs and then I'm sure we will continue to drive, drive, drive. So far he's one of the lucky ones, and still has 20/20 sight (unless he's agitated) and his hearing just fine, or should I say...only has issues with selective hearing.

Braden got bombarded with all kinds of change coming his way. We started out the week by meeting with his audiologist and doing some new testing. His hearing loss is getting more profound and has finally reached the point where we need to make some decisions. We have an appointment in a few weeks with an ENT specialist and will also be repeating a series of hearing tests before we decide which kind of hearing device would work best for him.

After that morsel, he was on to the opthamologist and got some more bad news. He needs glasses. He's not quite as bad as Nathan, but close, considering he's two years younger. But with the whirlwind of expenses, we are going to wait a till school starts to get his pair...which won't be too long, since his school starts August 13th, this year! Poor kid. His hip is driving him crazy and it's a good thing we'll be seeing Dr Tompkins in a few weeks. And even with Ashley's braces coming off in a couple of weeks, Braden is going to have to wait awhile to start working on his chompers. It looks like he's an over-achiever in the bum department, but we'll get him straightened out yet!

And inbetween all those trips, I still managed to see my chiropractor and go with Jeff to his MRI. Bulging discs...Yeah! He made it through without the mind-altering drugs, this time!

And in between all the trips around town, someone made a trip to see us on Wednesday night. I must have an "S" emblazoned on my chest (for scouts...of course. Whadya think it stood for???) Yep. Cheers! Here's to being a den leader again. I'm going to love it and can't wait to start. But this area we're in is a little more spread out then what I've been used to in the past. Driving?

Jeff has an exciting bit of news that he wants to mull over for a few days. (Nope. No cub scout assistant-ships for him this time!) I'm sure he'll love it and we can "car pool" most of the time. The kids are definitely keeping us running around. If nothing else, we are doing a lot of......driving!

Last Night in Minnesota

Our Mayo experience is coming to an end. It feels like we've been here a year and not almost 9 days! Overall, it's been a great experience to be a part of the medical marvels and miracles that go on here. Here at the Ronald McDonald house we've met families who's kids are here for heart transplants, chemotherapy, gastroenterology studies, growth clinics, and various other surgical reconstructions. The vehicle licenses in the parking lot tell a bigger story of how far people have come to see the doctors here.

Nathan got clearance from all his doctors to leave the hospital today. The bacterias are still growing, but stayed at just three...and so they feel confident that we are fighting them the best way we can with the oral antibiotics, and we can do that anywhere, right? We'll have to have more blood work and x-rays in a few weeks to make sure that his body is fighting the bacteria so that it doesn't attack his new hip. Bacteria and infection lend themselves extraordinarily well to artificial joints and prosthetics. But we didn't come all this way to have some bacteria compromise the new hip. That bad boy better stay good for 20 years, sans infection!!

He has classic surgical hose that he has to wear for six weeks and an arsenal of meds...and generally, a good attitude, when he's not sleeping off his narcotic haze. (Don't kid him about men in tights...he doesn't think it's funny).

He's loving the Sleep Number bed at the Ronald McDonald house. He was very pleased to finally get comfortable on his good side. A walker was delivered to the hospital today for help transitioning him home. I'm not sure how that's all going to work yet, because I only have 2 arms...but I have to remind myself that is why we have the brother that's just a minute younger, along for the ride.

The boys both wanted to see a movie this afternoon at the theater near the hotel. The Avengers was playing during the "rush hour" special. I wasn't sure if Nathan was up for it, but he assured me he was...or at least the kid that was high on oxys thought so at the time. Great movie. And only one downside to going: a physically-challenged kid in pain that has to go to the bathroom right now with only mom to help. So I dragged his wheelchair into the ladies restroom and I heard how embarrassing it was for him the entire time we were in there...actually all three times we were in there ;)

I caught Cameron doing his homework tonight. Good thing, right? More like it's about time! He got an extra four days here, and he's still not done. He's the ultimate procrastinator. And then he had the audacity to whine that Nathan hadn't done any of his yet! Oh--as if!!

Tomorrow we start the journey home. There's going to be lots of sitting and rolling around, not to mention that we'll be getting our lost two hours back. (Yea...here's to waking up at 7am, but it's really 5am!) I have this little wish that I can keep it together for 1500 miles with a kid that's either high or in pain, 4 pieces of luggage, 3 busy airports, 2 carry-ons, and one wheelchair. (Almost sounds like a song....) I'm arming myself with a slew of pain killers, blood thinners, extra rubber gloves...and a cold coca cola (post TSA scans, of course). It might take all day, but we're ready to come home!

Unconventional Dilemma

We thought we were going home with a pic-line and IV therapy for a month or so. It looks like we may get out of here without it. The bacteria that caused such drama in Nathan's health care planned has mutated and produced two siblings...Viridans and Neisseria strep. One of those bacterias come from the mouth and the other is also found on the skin. Since it was a combination of three on the culture, they have decided that they are "contaminants"and not just a conventional bacterial infection. And since the surgeons don't want to classify anything going "wrong" in the OR, it's still classified as an "infection", although his bone and tissue looked normal except for the dead femoral ball. Nathan had slightly elevated sed-rates, so when the surgical team and the infectious disease got their heads together, they decided that if it was "contaminants"--they should give oral antibiotics for two weeks; yet he also had an infection, which should be treated with IV therapy for 4 weeks. The cause doesn't match the effect...and since they are all on the fence as to the cause and exactly what is going on--a compromise has been reached. We are going with an oral antibiotic for six weeks, unless the cultures in the morning present another issue.

We've been visited by the discharge team. A walker is being delivered to the hospital tomorrow and we have scripts to pick up a wheelchair and shower bench, once we are home. Things are moving along. We need to make appointments in Spokane for blood tests and follow-up x-rays in 6 weeks. Nathan won't be able to detect a noticeable change in the length of his leg just yet. The muscles on the left side have been significantly reduced with the failing hip, so it may take up to a year for that side to strengthen and elongate to match the other side.

Nathan keeps asking what his pay-off for being in the hospital is. (Too much monetary talk with Cameron, obviously....) I told him that he's not getting paid in money, but in a life that's pain-free and without a limp. What more could a kid ask for? $5? $20? No amount of money can pay for the quality of life that Nathan will have now.

Grant's Farm

Looks like we got to Missouri just in time for all the freak weather to start! We got home in the late afternoon from a day's adventures, just in time for the storms and winds to start. Jan and Dave headed home because where they live was getting hit with hug ice bombs. We slept through the bulk of it that night. And after all the tornado-like winds and hail the size of baseballs that swirled through St Louis on Saturday evening, Sunday was calm and overcast.

But we woke up to reports of 2 deaths downtown, thousands of cars that were damaged, and buildings with windows that were blown-up out by the mighty hale--literally.

Our day started out with a wonderful breakfast at Cracker Barrel, and then we were off to Grant's Farm. Grandma stayed home to rest, and we met up with Dave and Jan for the outing.

The 80-acre farm was once owned by Ulysses S. Grant, but was acquired by August Busch (founder and owner of Anheiser-Busch Brewery) in 1907. It was a hobby farm that was so beautifully kept, that his friends suggested opening it to the public in the 1950s. The famous Clydesdale horses were kept there until they were moved to their own state of the art facility in Boonesville, MO.

At the beginning of the ride is the house that Ulysses and his wife Julia Dent lived in after they were married. Her father gave them the property as a wedding gift. The tram takes you through the grounds were odd and unusual breeds of deer, elk, and cattle are free-roaming before it drops you off in the center, near the carriage house.

As you go through the perimeter of the property, you see the fence that is surrounding the estate. The history behind it is very impressive. It was made from decommissioned guns of the soldiers of the Civil War. The guns were stripped down and taken apart and the barrels were welded together to form the fence around Grant's Farm. That is one of those odd tidbits that I find so fascinating!

After we got off the tram, our first stop was the goat pen. I've never seen so many baby goats all in one area. The farms have a very cost efficient way of feeding the multitudes...visitors buy bottles of goat milk for $1 a bottle and then go into the pen and feed them.

They are very fast little suckers, because if you're not careful, the milk is gone in just a matter of seconds to one greedy little goat. Nathan and Cameron had a ball in the pen.

Many of the warm-weather animals were not out for display yet, so we headed on to see Bud...the elephant. We attended the "elephant education" exhibit and because of the wheelchair, were as close to the elephant as the presenters.

So close, in fact, that when Bud showed everyone how well he could spray water, he drenched Nathan and Cameron. Nathan was not pleased, but Cameron thought it was all in good fun.

The carriage house and stables looked like they had been modeled after a Bavarian village. They were beautiful and housed all the carriages from the past century that were pulled by the draft horses. Some of the most impressive were the fire wagon and parade wagon.

Above all the carriages, were busts of animals from hunting acquisitions throughout the years. The most impressive of these were in the center...a zebra, a buffalo, and a long-horn elk.

We went to see the Clydesdale's in the stables beyond the park. They are extraordinary and HUGE!!

Such impressive animals. Gale says that she remembers times when the corrals and fields were full of hundreds of them. Now, most of them reside at the breeding farm of Warm Springs.

We stopped to see the cannons that were near the mansion at the entry. They are Howitzer cannons and were part of a pretty impressive artillery at one point.

We had the greatest day and I hope that we get to come back and explore this beautiful piece of history.