If you read the last entry, you'll know that Saturday things didn't work out very well for us with trail running or having a getaway. Home on Sunday we hired a sitter and went for a trail run together and I succeeded in getting in the 8.5 miles. The last mile was hard on my legs as I haven't really ran any hills or real trails, but it was fun and beautiful. Poor Jason does well to put up with me and my love-hate relationship with running since I complain a lot and am slow, but then feel very happy and proud of myself when I'm done. Plus, we are thrilled to have a new sitter in our lives who we love. She had both kids for 3 hours and did a great job!
(Ava didn't take a bottle with her, by the way.)
Monday Jason went to the doctor early to get an allergy shot. If we haven't explained already, Jason is very allergic to grasses and pollen and somewhat allergic to dust. He got tested earlier this year and had HUGE reactions to all these things. He decided to go ahead with the shot process. I'll do my best to explain but I may not have the numbers and details quite right.
Since the end of August he has tried to go two times per week to get a shot. Each week the concentration of the shot increases. Initially he had to get the shot and then stay put for a longer period while they watched him for any reaction. For the last couple of months, he has to stay for 30 minutes after his shot and then he can go. Soon he will get to the maintenance phase, during which time he will have a shot every 2 weeks. I believe this process will take a total of about 3 years, and then, in theory, he shouldn't have any symptoms or need any more shots.
The shots are done by a doctor and nurse practitioner in Louisville at the allergy clinic, which is attached to the hospital. They are only open at certain times on certain days. Jason can't exercise 2 hours before or after having a shot. This means he cannot bike to the appointments, and the location is not on a bus route. The second shot in a week has to be done 48 hours after the first one, and if you don't do so many shots in a period of time, you have to repeat a dose. Confused yet?
It's been a challenge to organize the logistics of a car, Jason's teaching schedule, and the rules of the shots themselves. Normally Jason does an amazing job of biking to and from school, but most Mon and Wed this semester he has needed the car to do shots and we've had all sorts of wacky scenarios of running/biking/bus/car stuff to make things work. I'm sorry to say that I haven't been very supportive of this whole process. I know it will make Jason way more comfortable in the end, but I haven't loved how much effort it has been. I haven't exactly been the most supportive.
So, back to Monday morning. Jason was trying a higher concentration of the shot and trying to fit in shots at this higher dose to get to the maintenance phase earlier, in order to make our lives easier (and stop me complaining about it so much?!) He went in, got his shot, waited the 30 min, went grocery shopping, and came home. Most of his body was red and itchy and his eyes were swollen and watering. He took some medication but things continued to spread.
Let's be clear here and say that Jason's symptoms have always been annoying to the eyes and skin but have never gone to any other systems (chest, throat, etc), so we weren't particularly alarmed. I felt sorry for Jason and he seemed uncomfortable but we weren't scared.
I was busy with the kids and we had plans for getting lots of other things done that day, and we didn't really sit down and discuss what to do with Jason's reaction. He called into the clinic to let them know he was having this reaction, and they asked him to come back in so they could check it out. We discussed which members of the family should go in the car, and we decided that Jason would take Ava since she had just eaten, and go himself. We assumed they would note what his symptoms were, give him medication advice, and send him home.
Jason called home and said they were going to administer epinephrine and then monitor him for 2 hours. We agreed that Rachel and I would have to get ourselves to the clinic since Ava would need to eat before that time frame was over. Jason didn't think he would have any trouble with it or be unable to take care of Ava, so Rachel and I were not in a huge rush to go.
Rachel, in fact, was in no rush to go. She was still in her pajamas and refusing to get moving. Jason's next texts said:
"Phew. Tired from the shot of epi."
and then
"If you haven't left yet, you need to leave NOW."
So I threw an unhappy Rachel in the Chariot, still in her pajamas at almost 2pm, hooked it up to my bike, and started biking. I got about 6 blocks before I was cursing at the stupidity of the situation and realizing that it was going to take me a long time to go the 8 miles I needed to go while towing Rachel. I called a friend and asked her to watch Rachel and biked to their house. Dumped off Rachel and the chariot and biked on by myself. I was disappointed in how long it took me to get there, and made a mental note to get on the trainer. As I was riding, I was hoping Jason and Ava were both ok and calculating car payments to buy a second vehicle.
When I arrived, Jason was lying on an examination table in a hospital gown and Ava had just woken up in her stroller next to him. Jason looked exhausted and was out of it.
Over the next hour, Jason perked up a bit and his red body and vitals turned back to normal. I fed Ava and then Jason was cleared to go home. After unloading bike and stroller at home, I zoomed back to get Rachel, and then came home. Jason did well that evening and seemed pretty much like himself by bedtime.
Tuesday morning Jason returned to work, I started my new job, and both kids went to a full day of daycare for the first time. Jason worked 7:30am-9pm because he had a cross country banquet in the evening.
My first day of 'shadowing' turned out to be great and full of learning. I felt a little slow in the mind and hands, having been off work for 4.5 months. Daycare called at lunch and asked me to come in and feed Ava, since she refused to take a bottle with anyone all day. Thankfully I was able to since the patients I needed to shadow were at the beginning and end of the day. I 'worked' from 9:30-5:30pm but had some time in the middle of the day to feed Ava, eat, and sneak in a quick short run.
Today (Wed) I took the kids to the zoo and library and had a terrific day, and Jason had a normal 7:30-5:30 day at school.
Tomorrow (Thursday) Jason and I both have full days (7:30-5:30). I have some flexibility in my day to go in and feed Ava at lunch, but I will only have time to do this once in 10 hours. Since I only have 1 patient of my own in the morning and will spend the afternoon shadowing for learning purposes, I think there's a good chance that I will leave work early to get Ava sooner if she doesn't have a miracle and take a bottle in the afternoon.
The only other thing to report is that I'm starting to make baby food, since it won't be too long before we enter that phase of Ava. I get excited about providing food for my kids, and have some funny pride in this role as a mother. (Consequently, I also feel very responsible when feeding my children doesn't go well or if they are hungry.) Food is, after all, a huge priority in our family. Huge! I love having little frozen bits of food and labeling it for the freezer and will have fun deciding what foods to try first.
The other silly thing I love doing for the kids is organizing their clothes. I've recently enjoyed organizing all the clothes Ava is too big for - garage sale, give away, craigslist, etc. And then opening the box of stuff she now fits (6-9months) and getting excited about cute stuff. I hope some of our friends can enjoy the clothes that we have been so lucky to have been given as hand-me-downs or gifts for Rachel and Ava. Thanks so much to any of you who have given us clothes. No only have our girls enjoyed them, but soon friends of ours can use them and enjoy them too!
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