Annular Eclipse

The Annular Solar Eclipse tonight was AWESOME!

The kids and I got to enjoy it in the midst of an ice cream social at our church.  We had fantastic viewing right from the church yard.  We were surrounded by friends, and sugar in many different forms.  It was a blast.  

The kids brought their scooters.  Since the eclipse took close to an hour to go from start to full "ring of fire," the kids played and took random breaks to peak at the sky with their solar shades.

We had the official solar shades that were "certified" by the British Standards Institute.  Even though they looked like cheap, old style 3-D glasses, the lens was really effective.  We could not see anything through those shades, unless we were looking at the sun.

Other folks brought cool toys to aide in the solar viewing.  My friend brought a homemade pin-hole box, that could be worn on the head.  This is the type of eclipse viewing we remember as kids, before those fancy "eclipse shades" came out.  I had Jersey #1 try it out...

Another man brought his telescope and set it up to project the eclipse on a dry erase board for all to see. he really captured some good images.

I was able to get a few pictures with my camera, by placing my solar shades across the lens.  It is not quality photography, but it sure captured the excitement of the evening.

That was the best eclipse viewing I have ever experienced.  I am so thrilled at the opportunity to share it with my kids.  

I found it fascinating that this eclipse was an "annular" eclipse, meaning it was "circular," or like a ring.  Jersey #2 used to have a "trans-annular" patch, which meant that the patch went over the ring of her heart valve.  I am sure it is not normal to look at a solar eclipse and think of a heart valve, but these are the things that go through my mind...

AWANA Games

To add to our Extreme Weekend, the older kids participated in AWANA Games.

This is a fun, athletic event, with PE style games.  The kids are divided into teams, and the teams from different AWANA clubs around town compete against each other.

Jersey #3 participated in Sparks-A-Rama, which is the competition for the Sparks Clubs (kindergarten-2nd graders).  His team won 2nd place.

Jersey #1 and Jersey #2 participated in AWANA Games, which is specific to the T&T program (3rd-6th grades).  They were on the same team.  Their team won 3rd place.

For a couple of events, the girls had to run around a big circle.  As I sat in the bleachers and watched Jersey #2 run, I could not help but pray a prayer of thanksgiving:  Praise the Lord that her heart is working so well!  It was amazing to see her be able to run like that.

We had quite a cheering section to watch the kids compete.  The Referee was able to attend.  It was really sweet that our Pastor and his wife came out to watch the kids too.  The number of children in our church congregation is growing, and many of them are active in AWANA.  They were thrilled to see their Pastor at the AWANA Games event.

Sparks-A-Rama was held in the morning, and AWANA Games was held in the early afternoon.  Since our family had to be there all day, we ate lunch at the concession stand.  The kids thought that was a real treat.

Cardiology Check-up

Jersey #2 had her annual Cardiology check-up.  I love that word:  annual.  Once a year.  In the Cardiology world, a once-a-year heart check-up is the ideal.  That means that her heart is in such good shape that the doctors do not expect anything to change much anytime soon.  Surgery is not around the corner.  A series of tests are not necessary right now.  Keep living your life and enjoy, for another year.  Whew!  Annual check-ups are awesome!

Jersey #2 did great.  She commented over the summer that she actually missed her heart doctors.  She has seen them so frequently in recent years, that it was an adjustment to suddenly go a full year without an appointment.  She missed the attention, for sure.  Jersey #2 was fully cooperative for her evaluation.

After her vitals were checked, and her growth was measured, Jersey #2 had an EKG (electrocardiogram), to check her heart's electrical activity...

Her Pediatric Cardiologist came in and chatted with us about lifestyle improvements since surgery, and any concerns.  She then examined Jersey #2's heart sounds, pulses, and abdomen.  

Next was the echocardiogram, an ultrasound of her heart.  The tech is a pro.  He has a movie playing to keep the kids entertained while he runs his magic wand and captures all the images and blood flow.  The Cardiologist can view the images from the room next door, in real time.  If anything is of concern, she will step into the echo room and ask for additional images from specific angles.

We return to the exam room, while the Cardiologist completes her review of the echocardiogram.  Then, she joins us and gives her report about the current status of Jersey #2's heart.

The report was excellent.  Any leaks, sounds, or enlargements are the same as they were a year ago.  That lends to the belief that there is no concern at this time.  Jersey #2 is free of medications and activity restrictions.  She was encouraged to keep playing, growing, and enjoying the life of an 8-year old.  She does not need to have another Cardiology check-up for 1 full year!  

Too Thin

In our fast-food, overweight society, it is easy to lose our understanding of what a healthy body looks like.

Thin is in.

Every week, there is a new report about what foods or lifestyle habits cause obesity.

Parents are cautioned by pediatricians about how to best feed a child to prevent obesity. The nutrition guidelines have changed many times over in just the nearly-9 years I have been feeding kids...

Start vegetables first, so they don't develop a preference for sweets....Switch to 2% milk when they are 2 years old....Limit juice....etc.

Growth charts are treated as a status symbol, instead of a tool to monitor growth trends.

I am all for healthy children. It is very important to serve them nutritional meals, and make sure they are getting plenty of playtime (exercise).

But, I am also concerned that parents are being misled as to what a healthy child really looks like. I ran into this trouble with Jersey #2.

When Jersey #2 started falling to lower curves on the growth chart, I mentioned my concern. Initially, I was told, she was entitled to a little leverage, and maybe she was in a growth spurt.

Next, I was told that our society is used to looking at overweight people, so we think healthy people look too thin.

When I argued that thin is one thing, but her rib bones were sticking out...
I was told that the "experts" were now looking at BMI instead of the height/weight growth charts of yesterday.

When I mentioned that in addition to her bones sticking out, she had been wearing the same clothing size for nearly 2 years already....
I was told that each child is different.

Seriously? I am a mother of 5 children. My children are blessed with the genes of being tall and slender. I can plainly see when one of my children are missing the mark of those healthy genes. Jersey #2 could have been a model for one of those "feed the starving children" commercials. She had bones sticking out all over the place.

What is the point of the growth chart curves, if my child can drop from the 50th percentile to the 12th percentile in 2 years, and still be assumed to be healthy?

How many thin children are falling through the cracks of the system like this, as we focus only on obesity?

There are "unhealthy" reasons for being thin...

...not receiving enough calories/nutrition, for example

...or....not being healthy enough to utilize the nutrition properly.


For Jersey #2, it was an underlying health issue that was causing her to be so thin. After all of those suggestions that she was probably normal, the doctor decided to chart her growth and her BMI to prove it to me.

Instead, she had to announce that Jersey #2 needed open-heart surgery. Her heart was working too hard, and her health was fading. She couldn't hold onto calories if she wanted to.

She was described as being at "the lowest point of acceptable."

The surgical team who evaluated her, made a point to comment that she was extremely thin, but well nourished.

Extremely thin? Lowest point of acceptable? Yet, I was initially deemed clueless about what healthy looks like?

I can't help but wonder if parents of thin children go through similar dismissals of their concerns.

Thankfully, I had my Mom to point out the details...

Healthy children have a little fat over their ribs and hip bones, even if they are naturally thin or petite. The skin is not suppose to sink deeply between the ribs. There is suppose to be the slightest cushion.

The skin is not suppose to sink around the eye sockets either. There are parts of the body that require a cushion of protection.

The tummy is suppose to round out slightly. (Toddlers have a rounder tummy due to immature abdominal muscles). The abdomen should not sink inward.

A hydrated child will have skin that bounces back. Gently press a thumb into the skin over the sternum (breastbone), and let go. If an indention remains, the child is dehydrated.


Children can be small, petite, and naturally thin. They can also be underweight to various degrees that are still considered healthy. But, if they are naturally so, they will still maintain certain cushions of fat layers over specific bones. A child should not look like a skeleton with skin stretched across it. Bones should not bulge through the skin.

And, it is not normal to drop down half the growth chart. Infants are given leverage to pick a curve over time. 5 and 6-year olds are not.

Just as it is dangerous to be extremely overweight, it is also dangerous to be extremely underweight. The brain and heart get all the calories first, so the rest of the organs do without, if there is a limited supply. This can lead to digestive issues and growth being reduced or halted.

The best advice I had ever heard about how to help Jersey #2 was to increase her milk intake. Milk helps settle the stomach, fill the stomach, and stretch it out a bit. This encourages eating. This method is used a lot in nursing homes, with elderly who tend to lose their appetites. It is a quick way to check if your child might just need more calories in order to grow.

When we encouraged Jersey #2 to drink as much milk as she wanted, we noticed immediately that she was perkier and less weak. She ate more readily. We later added Pediasure nutrient shakes to help her acquire more calories and vitamins.

In her case, the cure was a new heart valve that functioned properly. Her heart no longer had to work so hard, so her bones and muscles were able to receive some of the calories too.

Fixing the underlying health problem, put meat on her bones again.

I wonder how soon I will be told that she is jumping up the growth charts too fast! A Mom can dream...

Black Friday Shopping

Yes. I will admit it.

I am one of the crazy shoppers who enjoy the thrill of power shopping all of the Black Friday sales.

I am on a team, actually. My sisters enjoy the same thrill. We spend time on the phone and email making sure we have a game plan for how to get the items we want. It helps that we live in 3 different cities, so our shopping options are more open.

A few years ago, I shopped all the sales, buying a ton of stuff I did not need.

When we shredded our credit cards and made the commitment to get out of debt and live debt free, my Black Friday shopping changed course.

Now, I save money for Christmas shopping. I make a list of gift recipients I will shop for this year. I plan out what gifts we want to purchase for the kids. Then, I scope out all of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.

This year, I think I am feeling the greatest thrill of all. I have managed to purchase nearly all of my Christmas gifts at a discounted price. Majority of that shopping has been done online, with discounted prices and free shipping. I have been able to save tremendously from the comfort of my own home.

I still enjoy getting up early and joining the crowds at the stores. I like to be around people, so I find the crowds of wild shoppers to be fun. Yes, some folks are intense. Others shop as though it is an athletic event. Some are rude. But, most are hyped up on the thrill of a good deal.

This year, I worked Thanksgiving evening, until 1am Friday. Some stores were already open by midnight. Others were opening at 4 and 5 am. I decided there was no point in going to sleep. I would work, shop, then sleep the day away.

My sister called me at work to say that the camera deal I was wanting was available online. So, after work, I shopped at home from my computer. I covered most of my shopping list with amazing online deals.

The last thing on my list was fancy clothes. Jersey #1 wanted to go with me when I went shopping. So, I woke her up at 3:30am and introduced her to the wild fun of Black Friday shopping. She was shocked to see the long line of folks standing outside the store, before it opened. Since the clothes we were seeking are not a popular item, there was no reason for us to get in line. We waited those few minutes in the warm van instead. When the store doors opened, we enjoyed a laugh as we watched the line of shoppers start running into the store. Yes, running. That was amusing. I like a good deal, but it has never occurred to me to run for it!

We enjoyed the fancy dress section of the store all to ourselves. 60% off turns those $50 dresses into $20 dresses. Jersey #1 picked out her own fancy dress for Christmas this year. She helped me find great dresses for her sisters, and suit sets for her brothers. In addition to Christmas clothes, we shopped for fancy red dresses.

Jersey #2 was invited to participate in the Go Red For Women fundraiser for the American Heart Association in February. It is a fancier luncheon, where everyone wears red. By February, the Easter clothes will be out, and those tend to be pastels. So, I knew my best chance to get bright red fancy dresses was the Christmas season. It worked! We found some gorgeous red dresses for all 3 daughters, since the girls will be participating in the luncheon, while the boys enjoy time home with Daddy.

It was funny to go to the cash register, among a sea of shoppers carrying electronics and household goodies, carrying 8 child-sized fancy dress outfits. This year, my thrill of shopping the sales was enhanced by the fact that I bought only what we needed and budgeted for. I left all the excess "stuff" for the other shoppers.

Free

Jersey #2 is Free.

Free from heart medications. (She took her very last aspirin today).

Free from activity restrictions.

Free from complications due to her heart condition.

Free to grow.

Free to enjoy life.

Free to run and play.

Free to be a kid again.



She has come so far in just 6 months.



In May, she was here...


Now, she is here...

PRAISE GOD!

Healthy Heart Update

Jersey #2 had an appointment with her pediatric cardiologist last week. It has been just over 3 months since her open-heart surgery to replace her pulmonary valve. We were anxious to learn more about the level of success of the surgery, her current heart health, and the prognosis for her future.

The results are super duper!

I smile every time I think about it. I think her cardiologist dispensed the highest level of healthy heart news I have ever heard about Jersey #2 in a single clinic visit! I just can't contain my excitement.

I praise God every day, for such incredible healing.

In a nutshell, Jersey #2 is about as healthy as can be for a person with her heart condition. That new valve is in its place and working great. It is doing its job so well that her entire health status has improved.

We see that she has grown and gained weight, which is a great blessing. Now, it has been clinically proven that she is indeed bigger than she was before. That means her heart has successfully endured a growth spurt. This is such a common thing in kids, that most parents don't celebrate it. But, in a heart patient whose growth has been altered by the weakness in her heart, this is BIG! Huge! Enormous! If I type a few more exclamation points, will it convey the level of excitement and relief I feel as a mother?!?!

This valve is serving her heart so well, that she is no longer in the high risk category for lung illnesses, such as the flu. This means her heart is performing well enough to keep her lungs healthy too. This is a first for her. A milestone. This is incredible!

Another thing that is absolutely incredible is that her cardiologist does not need to see her for another evaluation for ONE WHOLE YEAR! Hallelujah! Annual check-ups with the cardiologist are the best outcome for a heart patient. Jersey #2 will require annual check-ups for the rest of her life. But, when her heart is weaker, those check-ups have to occur more frequently. We knew things were going downhill when she started having to be checked every 6 months. When it dropped to every 3 months, we were quite nervous for her health. We were not expecting her to return to annual check-ups so quickly following surgery. Her recovery has been amazing!

Jersey #2 will continue taking an aspirin a day, to prevent blood clots around that new valve, for the next 3 months. The time line for the body's endothelial cells to cover that new valve so that it no longer appears foreign is 3-6 months. Since Jersey #2 is tolerating the aspirin well, and is not resisting taking it, her cardiologist would like to err on the side of caution and have her take it the full 6 months of that recommendation. (I give it to her every day at lunch time, and she has not had any trouble with it upseting her stomach). After that (around Thanksgiving), she will be medication-free....which is also an incredible thing for a heart patient.

In terms of lifestyle, Jersey #2 is free to live the life of a normal 7-year old child. She has no activity restrictions whatsoever. She can push herself to her own personal limit, and her heart should cooperate well. She is essentially in the clear to enjoy life--with annual cardiology check-ups--until that valve starts to wear out. Valves can last 15 years, but tend to average around 7 years in children. We have no idea what to expect with Jersey #2 and her valve, so we will just enjoy life to the fullest until her valve starts to wear out.

The right ventricle of her heart is still quite large, but looks subjectively better than it did immediately after surgery. Time will tell if it reduces in size, or if she grows into it, or how her body will compensate for that. Right now, it does not appear to be a problem for her in any way, so that is good. We may learn more about that in a year.

Jersey #2 will need antibiotics prior to dental work and minor surgeries, as an attempt to protect her heart from endocarditis (infection of the lining of the heart). But, a chest guard is not necessary for her to play sports. Her sternum is considered as strong as it will ever be. Her pink scar will fade in color over time.

Our Tenderheart Jersey #2 is healthy once again!

Belle of the Ball

Jersey #2 occasionally participates in some publicity work for the American Heart Association. We joke that she is the cutest face of heart disease...

I was contacted by her cardiology nurse a few weeks ago, asking if I would be a guest speaker for the upcoming Heart Ball. This is a fancy fund raising event. Donations go toward programs and research for children, specifically. The local chapter of the AHA needed a parent to share the story of their heart disease survivor child. I am not a fan of public speaking, even though I am a fan of talking about my children. I cautiously agreed. I felt much better about the decision after speaking to the event organizer. It turns out that the original speaker backed out, and so did the replacement speaker, so they were quiet relieved that I would agree to fill the void and help them out. I was relieved to hear that my role was to speak for 4-5 minutes, sharing Jersey #2's story, while a slide show of pictures of her flashed on a screen behind me. My speech was a very small part of the program, which also included speeches by a cardiologist and a neurosurgeon, a silent as well as a live auction, a dinner, and a band. My only other problem is that this was a "black tie" event, and we did not have appropriate attire.

The Referee was so relieved that I did not pressure him to attend the ball with us, that he happily supported us buying new dresses and shoes for the event....and volunteered to stay home with the younger kids. I asked for an additional ticket for Jersey #1, because I just knew that dressing up like a princess and attending a ball would be very fun for her.

The older girls and I enjoyed going out to the mall to shop for dresses. Jersey #2 picked her dress immediately, but agreed to try on a few more dresses to please me. She went with her first choice. Jersey #1 tried on every single dress in her size, in every color available. She had a hard time deciding on which to choose, so Jersey #2 and I had to nudge her toward the one we liked best.

The girls and I also shopped for fancy shoes, nail polish, and lip gloss. I had planned to take them for manicures and pedicures, but Jersey #2 was so nervous about the idea, that we dropped it to eliminate the stress. In the end, we had more fun with me trimming and painting their nails the evening before the event.

Our beautiful teen babysitters came over in the afternoon to fix up the girls' hair. They planned the hair dos in advance, talked about them for a week, and brought fresh flowers to put in their hair. The teens just came from a wedding, so they were dressed up fancy too. It was so delightful to see this big sister/little sister duo fix up the hair of my own big sister/little sister duo.

We had a brief photo session after our princesses were dressed for the ball...

The girls turned heads the moment we walked in to the hotel ballroom. The staff from the American Heart Association greeted us with great cheer. We were introduced to a few key folks at the event. It was entertaining to be in a room filled with successful cardiologist and neurosurgeons, their lovely wives, executive folks from hospitals and insurance companies, as well as board members of the AHA....yet Jersey #2 stole the spotlight and kept it for the entire evening. She was more interested in the menu and the table decorations than she was in their names and credentials.

The girls could hardly wait to sit at the table and check out all of the parts of the place settings. That was a lot of forks! They got to drink water out of wine glasses! I let them start eating their salad a little early, so I could school them a little more about princess etiquette at fancy dinners.

There was a wedding reception taking place in the ballroom adjacent to the room we were in. Their wedding-polka music was so loud that it disrupted some of the early speeches. It made a great ice breaker, through. Shortly after I was introduced to the stage, the wedding music ended, and I had everyone's full attention. I was quite surprised by how much Jersey #2's story and pictures captivated the audience. This group of folks experiences such things from a business or career standpoint, so Jersey #2 instantly brought a personal component to their work. At the end of my speech, Jersey #2 joined me on stage. She smiled and waved, and literally stole the hearts of the crowd.

I enjoyed the fancy dinner, but the girls were not impressed. The waiter asked if they might like a fruit cup instead of the salmon. They ate their salad, devoured the fruit cup, and cheered at the sight of the dessert, which was some sort of cake/cheesecake combination with berries in it. They had a second helping from the bread basket too.

At the end of the program, Jersey #2 was called back on stage to receive flowers. It was a surprise to her, and she was thrilled...

Folks started approaching our table just to meet Jersey #2 and her big sister. The girls received numerous compliments on their beauty, their dresses, their smiles, and Jersey #2's amazing recovery. Her chest wound was slightly visible under her dress, so many folks told us if they shared a scar like that too.

While the band was setting up, Jersey #2 decided to start dancing on her own. She was too nervous to go out on the dance floor in front of the stage, so she twirled around on the floor near our table. The Emcee of the event soon joined her. He is also a heart disease survivor, a member of the AHA Board, and often does publicity work for them. He shared Jersey #2's zest for life...

When the music started, The Emcee and Jersey #2 tore up the dance floor! That was an incredible amount of energy from two heart disease survivors. Jersey #1 was more shy and nervous, so I had to practically drag her to the dance floor to get her to take that leap. She quickly warmed up, dancing with me first.....then joined her sister, the Emcee, and another man who had been sitting at our table. The girls danced and twirled for every song, while I chatted, back at the table, with the 2nd man's wife. It turns out that he is also on the Board for the AHA, and is an executive with an insurance company. His wife says that even though they attend many events like this, he is not usually much of a dancer. I am guessing that is part of why he wanted to dance with Jersey #1....he could relate to her desire to have fun, but her fear of getting out there on the floor.

After they wore out the gentlemen, my princesses continued to dance with each other...

We had a blast. We did not get home until 10pm. Jersey #2 was quick to tell everyone that she was getting to stay out WAY past her bedtime. The event organizer asked if she could call us for other fund raising events. It will be interesting to see what publicity adventures are in our future.