Richard's much better this week. The lung infection's clearing and he's back @ school...Rainbow Centre.
Marita found a new game which he loves playing...Hide n Seek! No, no, he can't run around 'seekin' or 'hiding' but he looks and searches with his eyes and when he finally 'finds' the person who is 'hiding' his face lights up and he smiles such a beautiful smile of satisfaction acknowledging accomplishment!
His cognition is much better.
We need to find more time to just play with him. It's such a pity he has 4 siblings and parents who seem to be 'just too busy with their own more important work'!!!
Time is Precious, we should enjoy it more.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Getting back to normal
So Richard didn't get the chicken pox full blown, only slight fever for about a week. The high fever which he subsequently got for 3 days was probably due to food getting into his lungs as he was 'phlegmy'and had difficulty feeding. So he missed school for a week and with the 1 week March hols he was away from school for 2 weeks. Also refrained from Acupuncture the past 2 weeks. We'll resume next week.ABR goes on as usual!
Jaime's blood tests were normal. The doctor thought she ought to take the blood tests because it was rare to have a 14 yr old suffer from shingles. Her immunity was very low as a HIV person or cancer patient! Last night again she had difficulty breathing coz of her food allergy. She's got serious allergic rhinitis...to dust, mites, nuts, pepper, ...think she ate potato chips last night!!!
Will update on Daphne and Carrie's A level results and university applications... soon...stay tuned!
Jaime's blood tests were normal. The doctor thought she ought to take the blood tests because it was rare to have a 14 yr old suffer from shingles. Her immunity was very low as a HIV person or cancer patient! Last night again she had difficulty breathing coz of her food allergy. She's got serious allergic rhinitis...to dust, mites, nuts, pepper, ...think she ate potato chips last night!!!
Will update on Daphne and Carrie's A level results and university applications... soon...stay tuned!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Chicken Pox New Year
So Jaime, Richard's 14 yr old sister, came down with shingles over the Lunar New Year 2 weeks and had to be hospitalised after 3 visits to the A+E because the doctors couldn't figure out the diagnosis. After a night in the isolation ward, the doctors agreed to discharge her but only after her younger sister, Audrey 10yr old, and brother, Richard 8 yr old, was vaccinated with the Chicken Pox vaccine. So that Fri 19/2 we had to quickly get the vaccinations done before Jaime could be discharged.
Well I thought that the idea of the vaccinations were to reduce the effects of Chicken Pox if they were to succumb to it but low and behold, Audrey came down with full blown chicken pox the following week with vestibules all over her body. The poor girl was so disappointed in having to miss her P5 school camp! Jaime had already missed her school trip to Cambodia the week before and that was devastating!
We were worried about Richard as he was feverish the whole week after the vaccination. He seemed alright a week later when fever disappeared. But... the fever somehow recurred last week end... high fever with chills. Today, 3 Days on, the fever seems to have subsided.
Well I thought that the idea of the vaccinations were to reduce the effects of Chicken Pox if they were to succumb to it but low and behold, Audrey came down with full blown chicken pox the following week with vestibules all over her body. The poor girl was so disappointed in having to miss her P5 school camp! Jaime had already missed her school trip to Cambodia the week before and that was devastating!
We were worried about Richard as he was feverish the whole week after the vaccination. He seemed alright a week later when fever disappeared. But... the fever somehow recurred last week end... high fever with chills. Today, 3 Days on, the fever seems to have subsided.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
A Tiger Year Start
The Lunar New Year was a rough start for us as Jaime (14 yrs), Audrey (10 yrs) and Richard ( 8 Yrs) were unwell.
By New Year's eve, Jaime's left thigh was already in severe pain. We thought that she had played too much tennis and pulled a muscle. By New Year's day she was limping so badly and by the 2nd day she could hardly walk. So with all clinics closed on the public holiday, we went to the Accident and Emergency at the National University hospital. The doctor there took an X ray but said he couldn't detect any thing wrong - the X ray looked normal. So we were sent home with pain killers - Brufen. We pointed out the few patches of red on the knee area.
The pain killers eased the pain for 2 hours after it was consumed but the severe pain left Jaime unable to walk and sleep. I called the A + E department again the following day to ask if the doctor could take a blood test...
No, I didnt have medical training but other possibilities did cross my mind...such as Dengue, Chicken pox, measles... ( there was some red patches around the left knee where the pain was originating and which ran up the back thigh to the back of her left bum. So we went back to A + E ( it was still a public holiday being the 3rd day of New Year) and the doctors took a blood test and 3 doctors 'looked' her through. We were sent home without any further treatment. By Wednesday, there were more patches of rash on her thigh, back and a fwe sots on her neck and fore head. I called the hospital and spoke to the senior docotr @ A+E at that time and he suggested that I go to the Specialist clinic 'A' to see the specialist there.
So on Thursday ( 5th day of New Year) we went to the specialist clinic A. But we were told there was no doctor to see us as the referral letter given to us was to see an Orthopedic specialist. So we were directed back to the A+E Department.
At the A+E, the doctors told us that Jaime had to be warded as they wanted to do an MRI and ultrasound. So she was warded that morning as she had just developed a fever hat morning. As NUH is a teaching hospital, a group of doctors came to see her @ Ward 47 which is a general pediatric ward. They quickly came to the diagnosis that it was shingles...
She was quickly transferred to the Isolation Ward!
By New Year's eve, Jaime's left thigh was already in severe pain. We thought that she had played too much tennis and pulled a muscle. By New Year's day she was limping so badly and by the 2nd day she could hardly walk. So with all clinics closed on the public holiday, we went to the Accident and Emergency at the National University hospital. The doctor there took an X ray but said he couldn't detect any thing wrong - the X ray looked normal. So we were sent home with pain killers - Brufen. We pointed out the few patches of red on the knee area.
The pain killers eased the pain for 2 hours after it was consumed but the severe pain left Jaime unable to walk and sleep. I called the A + E department again the following day to ask if the doctor could take a blood test...
No, I didnt have medical training but other possibilities did cross my mind...such as Dengue, Chicken pox, measles... ( there was some red patches around the left knee where the pain was originating and which ran up the back thigh to the back of her left bum. So we went back to A + E ( it was still a public holiday being the 3rd day of New Year) and the doctors took a blood test and 3 doctors 'looked' her through. We were sent home without any further treatment. By Wednesday, there were more patches of rash on her thigh, back and a fwe sots on her neck and fore head. I called the hospital and spoke to the senior docotr @ A+E at that time and he suggested that I go to the Specialist clinic 'A' to see the specialist there.
So on Thursday ( 5th day of New Year) we went to the specialist clinic A. But we were told there was no doctor to see us as the referral letter given to us was to see an Orthopedic specialist. So we were directed back to the A+E Department.
At the A+E, the doctors told us that Jaime had to be warded as they wanted to do an MRI and ultrasound. So she was warded that morning as she had just developed a fever hat morning. As NUH is a teaching hospital, a group of doctors came to see her @ Ward 47 which is a general pediatric ward. They quickly came to the diagnosis that it was shingles...
She was quickly transferred to the Isolation Ward!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
After 2 n half weeks of not doing the ABR MANUAL excercises, Richard's joints seemed stiff. Although the machine was used regularly ~ 12 - 15 hours/ day it wasn't enough to 'stimulate' the whole body and loosen up the joints.
Applying the manual excercises takes time and patience, (besides skill), which none of us have at home except for Marita! So when she went on Home leave, we didnt do any of it!
Richard is just so happy to have Marita back! Well, so are we!!
His ankle bones were sticking out of/ protruding out of the skin creating open wounds...in just 3 weeks of lack of massage and movement. It was a sorry sight!Marita came back rather shocked to see this deterioration and thought of wrapping his ankles in a plastic bag before we bathe him so that the ankles would not get wet. Lo n behold! that worked! By keeping the ankles dry, his ankle wounds are closing up fast! What an ingenious simple and practical solution!
No swimming in school then til the ankles are completely healed.
Applying the manual excercises takes time and patience, (besides skill), which none of us have at home except for Marita! So when she went on Home leave, we didnt do any of it!
Richard is just so happy to have Marita back! Well, so are we!!
His ankle bones were sticking out of/ protruding out of the skin creating open wounds...in just 3 weeks of lack of massage and movement. It was a sorry sight!Marita came back rather shocked to see this deterioration and thought of wrapping his ankles in a plastic bag before we bathe him so that the ankles would not get wet. Lo n behold! that worked! By keeping the ankles dry, his ankle wounds are closing up fast! What an ingenious simple and practical solution!
No swimming in school then til the ankles are completely healed.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
New School Year
It was great to return to school this week after 7 weeks of holiday.
The holidays were spent very much at home doing therapy and watching TV. Everybody else was running around busy with exams and then preparing for the festive celebrations...so it's great to be back at school. At least that's an 'outing' for Richard 3 times a week with Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy, feeding group, music therapy and just being with friends. A new teacher and 3 new friends in class with 3 'old' friends from last year.
The holidays were spent very much at home doing therapy and watching TV. Everybody else was running around busy with exams and then preparing for the festive celebrations...so it's great to be back at school. At least that's an 'outing' for Richard 3 times a week with Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy, feeding group, music therapy and just being with friends. A new teacher and 3 new friends in class with 3 'old' friends from last year.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
caregiver on home leave
Richard's caregiver is on home leave so we haven't had time to do the manual ABR application. Thank goodness for the machine... yes we use that more frequently during the day and definitely throughout the night. In total it's on for about 13 - 15 hours a day. He's comfortable using the machine and sleeps well with it.
School starts tomorrow and we'll be assigned a new teacher. We've had wonderful teachers throughout our 3 1/2 years in school.
School starts tomorrow and we'll be assigned a new teacher. We've had wonderful teachers throughout our 3 1/2 years in school.
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