Shit Happens

This could not be a more appropriate title for a blog, especially a blog of our adventures.

Just Saturday I was celebrating because Austin had a bowel movement (BM), just a sign we were getting back to normal. In our last surgery for his spleen removal his bowel went to sleep which created a minor problem so I had been anxiously awaiting the first BM.

Well I’m more than over it today, Monday, when I got up this morning and found two brown lumps and dirty pajama shorts on his rug in his room.  They weren’t there at 2 am, so it happened sometime between 2 and 7 am. I do have something to celebrate though, it was pretty much contained to one area.  Years past when we would have the occasional visits from the crap fairy my biggest problem is that he would try to hide it, he’d try to tuck it away in his closet which was even more of a disaster. Keep in mind there is no anger when stuff like this happens, only time there is a little frustration is when he does try to hide it, so today he was actually told “good job” because it happened and was contained on the rug. 

Now that doesn’t mean I take my cleaning and disinfecting lightly, everything, including Austin, was thoroughly cleaned this morning.  Wasn’t on my to-do list but that’s life for us, mom’s to-do list is often modified by others.

I always say if you start your day with crap it can only get better, and today it actually did J.

We got to the hospital for our blood draw a little later than expected but that actually worked out well, we had very little wait time. Austin goes out wearing an old bowling shirt that was Dad’s for a work bowling function, they had mock names sewn on and Austin goes by “Krusty”, as in “Krusty the Clown” from the Simpsons. So Krusty and I navigated through our journey out pretty well with no problems. This was his first trip out since coming home from the hospital, not a very fun journey, and he didn’t have much of a choice when it came to what arm they could use for the blood draw.

I was home only for a short time and I hadn’t even thought of checking the online chart results when I had a call from his hematologist.  That, of course, was a time when my heart dropped just a little – when do you get calls when it’s good news?  Turns out it was good news, hemoglobin went from 11.8 to 13.1 (just shy of the low-end of normal, 13.5), white blood count dropped back to normal range (it was actually quite high after the Go-cart crash) and platelets are running a little on the high side, outside of the normal range. Platelets haven’t been above 630 since February.

Later Austin smiled from ear-to-ear when Mr. Don, an aide in his classroom, stopped by to see him. Gotta love it when school staff make it a priority to take time out of their day, when they are not working, to make Austin feel special!

All this excitement has worn him out a little but he’s still doing better than the day before – who could ask for anything more, I'm pleased.

So for all of you, when “shit happens” just think of me and know you’re not alone.  And remember, just because it happens doesn’t mean it has to ruin your day,that is something you do have control over. So I'll sign off with a "shitty" grin because life even with all this crap ain't that bad.