Oct 31, Happy Halloween!!

Stacy here.
What a great and fun day it was! We started the morning off with our usual routine of getting kids off to school with their costumes.  Then we came over to the hospital and got Lindsey half ready for this afternoon.  She wore a fun "Wonder Woman" costume to school this morning to throw everyone off of what her "real" costume was going to be.  After she went to school, I took Gage and went to Hunter's class party, while Jason stayed at the hospital to get some work done.  After Hunters party, I grabbed him and headed back to the hospital so he could trick-or-treat with Lindsey.  Lindsey's nurse was Shannon today.  She did an amazing job on Lindsey's makeup, she is quite the artist!! Lindsey skyped with her class back in Oregon and enjoyed seeing all her friends. When everyone was ready, we headed out on our trick-or-treating venture.

It was quite the scene to behold.  Kids everywhere! They had tables set up by every department on all 4 floors of the children's hospital. There were departments we had no idea even existed. Each table had little toys or candy or both.  They handed out bags to all the children at the beginning.  By the end, we had to get an extra bag because our initial bags were over flowing.  On the ground floor, they had a haunted house set up.  It was pretty hilarious!  Lindsey had been looking forward to going through it for days.  When we got there, she asked if they would make it extra scary.  Hunter and Gage were latched on to my arms and forced to go inside.  As soon as we got in the door, Hunter put his head behind Lindsey and never looked up once.  At the end there was a table of candy, that was the only time he looked up.  He got his candy and then realized there was no way out.  Him and Gage started panicking.  When they realized the doors were about 8 ft. from where we were standing, but back towards the inner haunted house, they bolted.  A nice man with a mask on went to open the door for them and Hunter and Gage thought he was coming after them.  They squealed and started crying.  The man quickly took off his mask and tried to console them, but the damage had been done.  We all laughed and Hunter cried until the next table, which was only at the end of a short hallway where we came out. 

Sierra joined us shortly after going through the haunted house.  We didn't make it to her concert, but she said it was mostly for students anyway and that it went well.  After our last little bit of trick-or-treating, Lindsey wanted to go through the haunted house one more time with Sierra. As soon as Hunter and Gage saw the door to the haunted house, they froze and refused to go any further.  So, I waited outside with them while Sierra, Lindsey and Dad went through.  While we were out in the hallway waiting, we heard a loud scream.  I thought it was part of the scary music they had playing.  Come to find out, it was Sierra who had her candy bag up and ready to attack the person scaring her.  Fortunately for him he got away.  Later we ran into one of the guys who put on the spooks.  He said Sierra won the award for thee loudest scream.  It was loud!

After we were finished, we returned to Lindsey's room to get her plugged in.  Jason, I and the boys ran off to catch whatever we could of Megan's game.  Sierra stayed with Lindsey to play games and have a little party, the two of them.  We arrived to Megan's game to watch them score the last 3 points to win the first game and then all of the second game that they won by quite a bit.  So, tomorrow is the final game of the playoffs.  It is Jordan against Termin.  The only school they have lost to.  It will be a good game!

We returned to the hospital, to find Sierra reading a book and Lindsey sleeping (quite the partiers).  Jason took all the kids back to the RMH to attend the festivities there and I stayed here with Lindsey.  Her dressing change was done and her site looks good, so she can go to once a week dressing changes. Yeahhh!! After her nap she had a 2nd wind.  We went for an evening walk to the CVICU.  She was given a large bag of candy to do some reverse treat-or-tricking.  She was able to get rid of most of the bag to nurses and a few patients.  She had a fellow do a cartwheel for her and a nurse do part of a song from Oliver that the nurse had performed in 7th grade.  It was quite funny! All-in-all it was a great day! By far, the most fun day in the hospital yet.  One more month down, time to start the next one.

This morning heading off to school.  Two super "Cool" girls.

 

 





Heading out to go trick-or-treating.

Mandy and Sandra from PT coming to visit.  They were olympians holding their "human flaming torch."

Gage wanted to do it too!

Lindsey's teacher Kevin.  Great costume.

Trick-or-treating at the "Where's Waldo" table.



Pictures from the haunted house. If that thing would have blinked or looked at us....



The lady handing out candy at the end of the haunted house.  You can see Lindsey, but not Hunter or Gage, they were already out the door and half way down the hall.

A haunted house that Lindsey made at school this morning.

 



Our "Super" Team of nurses that care for us! Tracy, Shannon, Tracy, Suzanne, and Kim (I think)?

Oct 30, Short Rounds

Stacy here.
I have the computer here with me tonight at the RMH, thus I get to do the update.  Which, there really isn't a lot of updating to do.  Rounds are very quick on Lindsey these days.  She had a lab holiday today (meaning no blood draws).  She was really excited about that.  No dressing changes, she will get that tomorrow and then hopefully convince the doctors to go to once a week.  Her skin is starting to get rashy and irritated from all the cleaning.  With her site looking so good, I don't think it will take too much convincing.  She had an echo today, we will find the results of that tomorrow.  She has been getting them weekly for awhile.  I don't anticipate much change. Lindsey has been going out by the fountain for lunch.  That seems to really help her.  It is amazing how much better she feels and her day goes when she goes for those walks.  Frankly, I don't blame her! Any time out of her room would feel better. 

We are preparing ourselves for a fun, crazy busy and festive day tomorrow.  Hunter has his party at his school, Sierra has a band concert, they are playing Halloween music for the school (she is pretty excited, they are playing "The Adam's Family"), Megan has her semifinal volleyball game and Lindsey has her school/hospital party.  Some times overlap and some are consecutive.  The biggest event will be Lindsey's school/hospital party.  The hospital makes a haunted house on the ground floor.  All the patients and siblings trick-or-treat to each unit of the hospital and it is lots of candy and fun from what we have heard.  Not to mention the party that is later that afternoon at the RMH.  I am excited, it will be a fun day!

Our bitter sweet news for tonight, is that little Tristen Thompson gets to possibly go home tomorrow or the next day.  I mean home, home! Oregon home, not RMH.  We are so excited that they have come to this point, but we will miss them terribly. 

Lindsey is looking forward to skyping with her class tomorrow, and show off her costume. She has been keeping it a secret to surprise everyone.  She only tells the people who will not be working tomorrow what her costume is.  It is pretty cute. Like I said, a fun day ahead!

Oct 29, Uncle Ryan's fingernails

Fun having Stacy's brother and family here, and sad to see them go. We know it is a big effort and we thank you. We found a plug outside in the LPCH court yard. We had dinner and had a good time.  Lindsey insisted that Uncle Ryan get his fingernails painted. He had to ship cattle today back in Utah, so that should look cute for the cattle buyer.

Lindsey had a dressing change today (Monday).  I think it looks a lot better, but you can be the judge.  She is still getting lovenox shots (blood thinning) twice a day.  She likes them at noon and midnight, because she can sleep through the shot at night. They had moved the shots to 9 and 9 but she wanted it changed. Her wish is our command.

Her attitude is up and down. As long as we are here and she is kept active she is okay.  But if we leave her alone to long, or we let her just lay around, she can get 'down' really quick.  That is what I told the dr's in rounds this morning, as long as we keep working at it, she can do this.

She does want to skpe with her friends, school, and family back home, but she has been too busy with school, PT and other activities. That's a good problem to have. 

The lord has and continues to bless us. Keep the faith, keep the hope. We are one day closer.

 Lindsey, Ava (who received a heart a couple of years ago, and is here for biopsy), Amanda (who received a heart AND liver back in June) and Sierra.

 Uncle Ryan getting worked over

 Ryleigh and her 4 year birthday party.  She blew out candles that were NOT lit (that was confusing for her)

 Today's dressing change pictures. 

 

 

Megan setting it up. They won their game.  Play again Wednesday.

 

 

 

 

Oct 27, The Halloween Party

11:10 pm.
Well we (Stacy) pulled it off. Stacy's brother, Ryan Merrill and his family drove in this morning and spent the day with us as we prepared for the party. Stacy, Lindsey, Megan, Michelle Merrill and her daughter, Trista stayed in the Sobrato Room cooking donuts while Ryan and I took the rest of the kids to run errands and get pizza.

They made a whole bunch of donuts and had fun with their cousins. Not sure how many people we had there, but we had enough donuts and pizza to go around.  Other than that, the pictures speak for themselves.

Cookin up some trouble

The Princess being fussed over by her hand maid.

Kids everywhere

Lindsey and Shannon, her nurse for the day. Shannon worked really hard to make it fun for Lindsey.
Right before the party started, the power went off and Lindsey could NOT be plugged into the room.  She called Engineering and found an outlet in a joining closet to accommodate the Princess.

Uncle Ryan and Aunt Michell

The traditional donut eating contests.

Stacy setting up the next game.