The good, the bad, and the help

I'm not normally a negative person; I can't stay down for very long.  Whether it's because of how I've been raised or because of my genetic makeup, who's to say.  However, if you've ever met my parents or had the opportunity to meet any of my grandparents, you might say it's a bit of both.

Anyway, we're going to try to make the best of this situation because that is the only thing that we can do.  Sure, it's hard explaining to Kate why we won't be able to go camping this summer, or why we aren't going to go to South Dakota to visit the grandparents this summer, or why we can't visit parks whenever we want to, but we'll try and make the most of the opportunities we have.

So the good ...

Matt and I have always said that we love our yard.  Last year we joked about how we were trying to get our yard to the point that we wouldn't have to leave it to have fun as a family.  With the help of Amazon, UPS, and FedEx, we are close to reaching that goal.  A weekly trip to the grocery store may be all we need, as well as a trip now and then to Menards.  Kate may feel otherwise about never leaving our home at some point this summer, but we will work on that.  This weekend she found a toad in the play area under the tower and had a good time investigating it for awhile.

Anna has made it through the first round of chemo ... one down, five to go.  We won't know for sure how well she officially tolerated it all until she starts having her blood drawn for labs and everyone can see how her blood counts are doing.  However, she wasn't any more tired than she already has been, although she was more nauseous than she has been.

After a crazy winter and late, cold spring, the weather has finally taken a nice turn.  It's been helpful to be able to open our windows and pretend that our dining room is part of the outdoors, especially since Anna can't handle being outside for very long (she says it's too cold, no matter the temperature, and she can only handle an hour or so in her wheelchair at a time).

Weekends are nice and relatively quiet at our home.  The doctors, nurses, clinics, pharmacies, insurance companies, billing offiices, etc. are all closed on the weekends so we get much fewer phone calls.  That's nice.

And we're together as a family.  Matt and I can parent as a team most of the time.  We can still hug our kids when we want to instead of having to say good-by to them all the time.  We can enjoy watching all three of them grow and change on a daily basis.  That's probably the best part of it all.

Now the bad ...

Weekdays are crazy.  Thursday the phone rang almost 20 times ... literally.  None of them were social calls and most of them took at least 10 minutes.  Several calls late in the day were in regards to a medication (the white blood cell booster) that was supposed to be delivered via mail that day which never came.  After quite a few back and forth conversations, things got sorted out and the drug finally came on Saturday.  It turns out that it was okay that Anna started it late ... not ideal, but okay.

Three of the past five nights we have had a home health nurse visit our home at bedtime to assist us in setting up Anna's nighttime hydration; these visits last for about an hour.  Trying to put a toddler and 5 year old to bed with a visitor in the home while this visitor is trying to teach key information is challenging, to say the least.  But Matt learned what he needed to learn, and we feel comfortable doing the IV hook-ups on our own now, knowing that we can always call if we need help.  Anna will need this overnight hydration at least whenever she has her next chemo treatments, but maybe more often.

On Sunday afternoon we tried holding Anna's anti-nausea medication per the doctor's advice because it had been 72 hours since her chemotherapy.  Bad idea.  At least that mess was outside on the patio and Kate is well versed in how to run away and hide until things are all cleaned up.

But then she threw up again at bedtime.  A complete bedding change was required and bedtime was delayed for both her and Kate.

Then she threw up today at noon ... naptime.  Bedding change again.  And the ng-tube came out this time.  After Anna's nap, we did a trip to the ER of the children's hospital to have it replaced; not really anyone's idea of a great Memorial Day activity, but in the grand scheme of things, it could have been worse.  Plus, the visit lasted exactly 68 minutes ... pretty good for an ER visit.

Now for the help ...

Less than 24 hours after we asked for help, a friend from our church who has experience in some of these matters offered to help us out until school lets out and her kids are home.  That at least gives us a bit of breathing room until we can find something more permanent.

Speaking of more permanent arrangements, we have a few leads on a part time nanny of sorts.  We'd rather pursue a friend of a friend option instead of posting a job through a specific agency for a variety of reasons, but we'll do what we have to so that we can find a good fit.  Hopefully God will lead us in the right direction sooner rather than later.

Knowing that we will hopefully have help with the day-to-day functions of our weekday life is not necessarily going to make this summer much easier, however.  At least not if Matt and I want to be able to enjoy much of it with our kids when the weekends finally arrive.

The past several summers we had help from family, friends, and neighbors for a variety of reasons ... when our kitchen was being remodeled, when I was pregnant with Ethan, when Ethan was an infant.  The phrase "it takes a village" comes to mind.  This summer will be no different.

So ... if there are still people out there who are willing to help us, we are certainly still willing to accept your help because we will not be able to make it through this summer on our own, at least not with any semblance of sanity.

Anyway, our meal schedule is going to be extended, but for only two meals a week now instead of three.  Please visit the link below if you are interested in helping us this way.

http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=AUHI6707

Thank you to those who have already helped out with meals; I cannot tell you enough how much it is appreciated!

Secondly, we are anticipating having some "work days" out here at the Mischnick homestead.  Well, it's not really a homestead, but it might as well be.  Anyway, activities might include such outdoor chores as weeding, spreading leaf mulch, putting up vegetable supports, prepping fruit trees, setting up the pool, you name it.  Later in the summer you might have the privilege of sitting around snapping green beans or canning tomatoes ... who knows?

If you are willing and/or able to help us at some point this summer in this regard, please email Cindy Light (cindylight87@gmail.com) with your name and preferred days (weekend vs. weekday).  Then we'll send out an email when a day approaches and hopefully things will work out as planned.  We'll see, though.  Sometimes things go more smoothly in my mind than they do in reality.

However, maybe this will be a good way for me to see some of my friends.  I haven't gotten to see to many of my friends in the past four months and don't anticipate many opportunities to see them in the coming months either.  Maybe I'll even get to make some new friends :)

Like I said before, we're not going to be going anywhere this summer so we might as well make the most of what we've got.  But if we're going to do it without making ourselves completely crazy, we're going to need some help, especially when things like ng-tubes come out on Memorial Day.  So if you want to help, let Cindy know and maybe we can work something out.  We can't keep track of all of the offers for help, but Cindy can :)

Time for prayers

Thanksgiving
Please thank God that good nurses and doctors work even on Memorial Day.
Please give thanks for sunny weather and rainy weather.
Please thank God for family.
Please give thanks for the imagination and curiousity of toddlers and preschoolers.
Please thank God for a healthy baby boy born to Matt's sister.

Requests
Please pray that Matt and I are able to keep our bodies safe and strong as we constantly transfer a 50 lb. Anna multiple times a day in the coming months.
Please continue to pray that Anna's treatments are 100% effective.
Please continue to pray that God leads the right helper to our family sooner rather than later.
Please continue to pray for Anna's doctors, nurses, and therapists, both in the hospital and beyond.
Please pray for strength, peace, patience, wisdom, rest, and healing for all in our family.

Thank you, as always, for your support and prayers.