Year 2007

While I am glad to see an end to 2007 we had so many great experiences this year also. We met a ton of awesome and amazing people.

January started with my tolerance level for Gabe's symptoms hitting overflow on my quest for answers we had a miserable visit with our once loved neurologist. After a very strongly worded email to our CF (Craniofacial team) the ball started rolling. We opted for a 2nd opinion for Gabe and when the awesome neurosurgeon told us that with Gabe's issues he would refer him back to Dr. Frim we had affirmation that we were in the correct place. January the Twins turned 5 and auditions for Sleeping Beauty (the ballet) were held. Lindsay was a Green Dragonfly and Gabe Grumpy Dwarf.
February brought the diagnosis of Chiari Malformation 1 (CM1). 2 MRIs for Gabe, a few (long) clinic appointments, worsening of Hannah's symptoms and talks with the neurosurgeon about her.

March brought more med changes for Gabe, MRI for Hannah, diagnosis of Chiari for Hannah, Speech therapy for Fayeth and Soccer for the Twins.

April brought MORE soccer, MORE ballet rehearsals, an extra performance, more meds for Gabe, LONG clinic appointments with both Frim and McKinnon.

In MAY Fayeth turned 2. Her speech therapy continued and she started making progress. :)

Lindsay and Gabe performed in Sleeping Beauty!
We had Fun at Disney World. We went with Gramma, Grampa and Aunt Paul. It was Aunt Paula's first trip.
MGM

Photo above: back row-Sandy (gramma), Paula with Lindsay, Me, Darren (the hubby)
Front Row-Hannah, Fayeth, Gabe and Grampa in the scooter.

Face Painting at Animal Kingdom

Sufari Minnie (Hannah)-Spider Girl Lindsay-Dino Gabe

Breakfast at the Crystal Palace with the Flanders

Fayeth and Corbin. I will have to find the picture from last year, same place, same pose.

Crystal Palace with Eeyore

Hannah-Lily-Lindsay-Kelsey-Gabe and Jason

Fun at Mickey's House with the Tabors

Gabe-Victoria-Lindsay and Hannah

We also went to a get together at Amy's house up in Chicago. :) We got to meet our friends (Aritha, Micheala, and Sean) for the first time. (I did not get any good pics of the kids together. If anyone did can you please email me one). This was the day that Gabe took a turn for the worst. My non violent little man took a toy and smashed Robin in the face with it. *I* was mortified and Robin and her mommy Dani were awesome about it. Gabe's behavior change landed us in the ER before the end of the month and with a surgery date.

June brought lots of pain, Gabe's refusal to get off the couch and do anything. When he did he would scream at us that he wanted to go to the hospital. June also brought recital. It also brought consumed coins before his surgery.

Recital 2007

Gabe, Lindsay, Miss Angela, Hannah & Fayeth

June 27th we arrived at Comer Children's Hospital (University of Chicago Hospital). Gabe had a posterior fossa decompression. That is where they remove a section of bone from the back of his head near the foramen magnum, remove part of his 1st cervical vertebra and open the lining of his brain (the dura) and placed a patch in it. The cerebellar tonsils are placed back where they belong.

July we went home from the hospital. I had nasty evil family members trolling me which resulted in me deleting a ton of stuff from my blog. We ended up at our local ER with meningitis, of course they missed it and they send us home after doing a CT that looked EXACTLY like the one that he had pre-op. Later that morning we went to Comer's and was diagnosed with Chemical Meningitis, CSF leak and pseudomeningocele after he had an MRI and LP. He started high doses of steriods and we were on our way.

August started with a routine trip to the opthamologist. Lindsay needed glasses and Gabe had papilledema (swelling of the optic nerves). Then Hannah turned 4.
A trip to clinic ended up with a return trip the next day to the OR for a Lumbar Puncture to measure Gabe's pressure due to the pain, papilledema and his general health decline. It was elevated and we got a NEW diagnosis to add to our previous ones. Pseudo Tumor Cerebri (PTC). Our game plan, back to the OR at the end of the month for a lumbar drain trial. Before that could happen Gabe developed a fever and complaints that his neck would not turn and of course our friend vomiting. Back to Comer ER and 24 hours at the hospital. The drain trial was 8 days in the hospital and 1 at the RMH. The outcome of the drain trial....he needs an LP shunt. Dance started back up for Lindsay and Hannah. Fayeth was still progressing in speech.

September brought a lot of pain and vomiting for Gabe. Auditions for the nutcracker for things 1,2, &3 all were bon bons :). We tried to resume "school" they are in 1st grade now. Flu shots came around and 2 days later we had facial drooping. Back to Comer ER. They have us all freaked out that he has seizures, a stroke or the starts of guillian-barre syndrome. 3 days in the hospital, CT, MRI, LP, EEG it is a temporary viral neuropathy secondary to the flu vaccine.

October brought our surgery date up 2 days. Surgery came and went with a nice new programmable LP shunt placed. We raised money for Comer Children's Hospital and did a 5K walk. Strollers/wagons: Fayeth-Hannah-Riley J-Alex J
Standing: Gabe-Lindsay-A Clown- Kurt J

And Halloween

Lindsay & Hannah (Fairies)-Gabe (Dr. Frim)-Fayeth (Fairy)

November brought NO TRIPS TO THE HOSPITAL!!!!! We had company (Aunt Paula) and spent Thanksgiving here with 25 family memebers that we know and love. :)

December brought 2 boughts of strep for all 4 kids.

A Nursing Home Show

Back: Donelle B.-Lindsay-Gabe-Alexandra S
Front: Audrey B.-Carissa S.-Hannah-Alexis

The Nutcracker
Back: Aunt Becca-Lacey-Sam-Gramma-Grandma Norah Marks (U.Tom's gramma)
Kids: Fayeth-Hannah-Gabe-Lindsay-Michael

5 Christmas parties over 4 days. This one being the Wilson Family Christmas
Eli(3)-Hannah(4)-Anthony(2.5)-Leila (9m)-Fayeth (2.5)-Billy (6)-Gabe (5)-Lindsay(5)

And Of course a trip to the OR on Christmas Eve. :)

The best part of the year would be the new friends that I have made this year because of this journey. Their knowledge has meant the world to us, their support has helped us through the dark times, the knowing looks, the true understanding I can never begin to tell them thank you enough. Our "old" friends have been awesome. Thank you all for the cards, care packages, emails, comments on the caringbridge page, everything you have done for us over the past 5 years. It has been a long journey and it is not over. Probably...will never be, but THANK YOU ALL for making 2007 a great year.

The Mall...

I DESPISE the mall at Christmas Time. Of course that is where I have to go so we can see SANTA. So Wednesday my mom and I decided to venture out with the children. We opted to head to the Mall first. We thought we would hit a few stores, see Santa and head out for lunch just after the normal "lunch" time.

Get to the Mall, unload the kids and realize that not only did I not pack the stroller Fayeth harness is in my MOMS car. UGH! Give the kids THE LECTURE about holding hands, not wandering away, blah blah blah. So in we go. Hit the bathrooms (again) because you know. Mom bladder + freezing cold wind=URGE TO PEE.

We started at the farthest point away from SANTA so that we could get some shopping done. JC Penny for neckties and I realize that my daughters have really good taste in ties, but had to explain that I needed solid colored ones to stitch on. Pay for those.

Look at the 700 gazillion stores and booths that sell ornaments looking for a "BUNCO" themed ornament for my mom. Go to Borders for gift cards for the "grandkids".

There were 2 moms walking with 7 kids in tow. *I* had to be a smart ass and I looked at them and said, "Are they ALL YOURS?" Being that when I am in Fl with Kristin and people ask us like we are a disney attraction with all our children, I just could not pass it up. The ladies laughed and we talked about that lovely comment. LOL

We head to see Santa. We are the 3rd people in line. 5 minutes...line does not move. 10 minutes line does not move. Finally an employee comes over to a lady in front of us and says, "We are waiting for your sister. We pulled up her pictures again and we need her approval before we print them. We cannot take anymore pictures until we print these." The lady in front of us says, "Well maybe she went to sit down. She is 5 month pregnant." They look around. Another 5 minutes goes past, we wait. Now this is really starting to irk me. #1 if you are waiting for them to reupload your pictures then keep your ass at the kiosk. If in your HORRIFIC HORRIBLE state of being 5 months pregnant need to sit down, tell the ladies at the kiosk that you need to sit down. #2 I CANNOT STAND PEOPLE WHO ACT LIKE PREGNANCY IS GOING TO KILL THEM! It is a CONDITION that YOU put yourself INTO. Either you chose to have unprotected sex and this was an effect of that or you wanted to expand on your family. But whatever SUCK IT UP. If you are so sick at 5 months pregnant then you should not be at the Mall. Go home and put up your feet. And believe me I understand that there are people who have complications. I do. But I DO NOT whine, bitch and moan about it. Deal with it.

Long story short. She had decided to go to BORDERS and go shopping. WHAT THE HELL!!!! So 25 minutes after we get in line we move forward....1 place. I will give props to the kids who were awesome! Good Job Guys!

We were heading into Bath and Body Works when a group of ladies (I am assuming moms, daughters, gramma) cuts us off. One lady taking her arm to the side of Gabe's head. Hard enough for Gabe to yell ouch and grab his (already hurting head). Never once saying sorry or excuse me. So they walked up to the display and I was already heading for that display. Gabe was whimpering that his head hurt. I looked up at the ladies and then back down at Gabe and said, yes sweetheart it is VERY RUDE when someone ELBOWS you in the head and NEVER ONCE says SORRY. They hightailed it out of there. Had Fayeth not been such a turkey because she was hungry and had seen the food court I would have chased them down to EDUCATE them. I wanted to say, "Excuse me STUPID women. I understand that you are out with family having fun. So I am. However, YOU need to be more AWARE of what is going on around you. Do you REALIZE that because you were not watching where you were going and you ELBOWED my son in the head you have caused him more pain. On top of the amount of pain that he lives with on a daily basis. Do you realize that while THIS TIME you elbowed him on the side of his head, that an elbow to the back of his head could kill him. Do you realize that SOME PEOPLE have bone missing from there heads and that your happy little elbows when you are cutting people off could seriously hurt a little boy? Could end his life? Pay the FUCK attention to what you are doing!!!! Or at least have the courtesy to say that you are sorry.

By now we head to the elevator to go down to leave. We get on the Elevator with some very nice and polite young men. The mom that raised these boys did an awesome job. I hope that my son is as nice as these young men were when he is their age. :)

We go to get off the elevator, we cannot move. NONE of us. The lady getting ON the elevator has her stroller pushed right up to the doors. The lady behind hers is shoved right up beside her. Now the Mall is NOT that busy. Also, isn't there stroller etiquette that says you have to have manners with your small single strollers. I can cut the moms with multiple strollers a little slack. They can be pretty hard to maneuver with children and packages. The nice boys said excuse me and she would not move her stroller. Again they said excuse us please, and she still would not move her stroller. I smiled at the boys, leaned from around them and said, "Ma'am, EXCUSE US". She does not move her stroller. I lean around the guys again and said, "Ma'am. EXCUSE US! You MUST move your STROLLER if you want us to get OFF the elevator. We cannot walk AROUND you as you are IN the opening. Please move your stroller." She moved her stroller back 2 inches. The guys were able to get out. I was not. Not with 4 kids. I said again. "I am not sure how the heck you expect people to get off the elevator when you have your stroller in the opening. You will need to move it so my children and get out also. I cannot believe that any of these people in line would cut you off so you could not get into the elevator. Now move your stroller". She moves it back and we get off. There was literally NO WAY that the kids could have gotten out of the elevator. I could have stepped over the stroller but their legs are a little shorter than mine. UGH!

Please explain to me why (some) people with strollers have no courtesy for people without. I have had triple stroller from hell, many double strollers. I try my best not to run people down. If you stop quickly in front of me, I may not be able to stop in time, but I do apologize. My triple stroller is like a Semi truck. It requires additional stopping time. Besides the fact the sucker weighs a ton without kids in it. UGH.

The rest of our trip was nice. Lunch was marvelous. Our server was spectacular and got a little extra for his exceptional service. When the manager asked us how everything went I highly praised him. :)

Hobby Lobby was awesome. That place is the MECCA of crafts and Christmas stuff. By the time we got to Walmart Gabe was hurting. Shunt tubing was poking his liver causing shoulder and chest pain. His legs hurt, his back hurt, and his head hurt. He wanted to ride in the cart. So we put him in the basket. He could not tolerate that. If he leaned forward his shoulders, chest and abdoment hurt. If he leaned back his back hurt. If he walked his legs hurt and hell his head just hurts ALL.THE.TIME. LOL So we quickly finished our trip and headed home. Of course he complained about the tummy/chest/shoulder and back pain in the car because of the carseat and harness, but he made it through it.