Caitlyn and I had a long day yesterday. She had an appointment with an eye specialist at the Janeway children's hospital at 2:40 pm, so we got there at 2:35, hoping that there wouldn't be too much of a wait. Well, the place was packed with bored, hyperactive kids and frustrated, angry parents. That did not bode well for us! Caitlyn was really well behaved, all things considered, although she was a bit overwhelmed by some of the more aggressive, unattended children running around. What a madhouse. Anyway, by 4pm we were still waiting to be seen, and I was getting anxious 'cause I had left Raina home with Jamie, and I imagined she'd be wanting to nurse soon. I had to get pushy with the receptionist, and tell her that we'd been waiting for too long, I had a baby at home to feed, and I would hate to have to cancel the appointment. Luckily she was pretty laid-back and didn't snap back at me :) She did manage to get us in next, although that was just to put in eye drops and then wait for another half hour. While administering the drops, the specialist notes that she's almost 2 and a half years old, and says the turn in her eye is quite pronounced... why hadn't she been seen earlier. The heavy silence as I stared at him must have alerted him. I said, as calmly as possible, that we had been waiting for more than a year for this appointment. The original referral had been lost somewhere in space, had to be resent. The original appointment with the technician was cancelled and rescheduled for months later. The follow-up appointment was cancelled and rescheduled for months later. The appointment we were now attending had been cancelled and rescheduled. Meanwhile, Caitlyn's turned eye is becoming more pronounced. Now, because of the delays, and months of no treatment whatsoever, Caitlyn will need surgery to correct the eye, rather than just wearing a patch and doing some physiotherapy. I am not happy - my baby will have to have surgery on her eye because the health "care" system lost track of her, even though I was diligently trying to keep her name on the forefront of their stupid lists. Of course, we have to wait for a referral to the surgeon, which could take months at the minimum. I couldn't help myself - I said "Do you think she'll get in before she starts school?" Dr. Specialist tried to chuckle, but I was not amused in the slightest, so he cleared his throat and looked away.
Raina is developing a turn in her eye too. I told the specialist this, and that we are already waiting for her appointment. At this point, the referral has been pending for about three months. Are we going to get the run-around again? Is she going to end up needing surgery too? Everyone I've asked has no answers. This is just not how the health care system is supposed to work. I'm starting to feel like an American!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Dis'n'Dat
So, here I am with some time to myself... whoa - how weird! Figure I'll take a few minutes to ramble on here. Girls are both in bed, Jamie is hanging out on the computer in the office, Eric is at a party, Travis is at work, and Todd is attending a union convention in Quebec City. It's just me, my laptop, and my glass of ice cold Pepsi (*ahhhhhhhhhhhh*).
Three weeks ago, Todd and I said "Hey, let's go camping for a few days!" He arranged for a couple days off work, I set up the tent in the back yard to make sure it is in working order, we started making grocery lists, and so on. So what happens when his first day off comes? The temperature drops like crazy, and we get heavy rain fall. For three weeks. High winds. Thunder storms. Cold fog, drizzle, etc. For three weeks. Did I say that already? Sorry... Anyway, today was absolutely gorgeous. Of course it was. Today Todd had to leave for a 4 day convention. No camping for us! The tent has been blown all over hell and back (well, actually, just all over the back yard, but you get the idea). I haven't even been able to take it down to put it away - I was waiting for it to dry. I shake my fists at the sky!! *sniff*
Anyhoo... I got a couple of second-hand dressers for $25 each. They are a bit battered and dirty, but they have potential. If I have any luck at all, I might get some time to clean them up, repaint them, and maybe try a little creative decorating. Considering that it takes me all day just to wash some dishes, due to constant interuptions by little princesses, I cannot predict when said dressers will be ready for use. Maybe they'll end up just sitting there, all dirty and in the way, until one day I finally just sell them to some other procrastinator :)
Anyhoo #2... So the neighbors decided they were tired of raking leaves every fall, and went and chopped down a big, beautiful tree that bordered our yards. Todd and I are traumatized! We feel very exposed now, 'cause the neighbors can now see every move we make if we so much as poke a nose out the back door. We can see all the back yards in a row right to the corner. Our privacy has been ripped away. It's funny how upset we are - it just feels like we've been robbed. We have decided we are going to plant a couple of fast growing maples on our side of the fence, but it'll still be a few years before they grow high enough. I don't want the old lady next door hollering "HI!" at me every time I let the dog out for a pee! *pout* And what kind of nut job chops down a perfectly healthy tree simply to avoid raking?!
Anyhoo #3... Girls are doing well. Raina just had her first birthday, which means she also had a round of immunizations. She seems to be feeling ok so far, but she sure was unhappy at the time. The nurse asked, "Is this her normal cry?" If you'd ever heard an angry Raina cry, you would understand the question. That child can make my head ring. I think my mother once said something was so loud that she went blind. I understand now what she meant :) Caitlyn will be seeing the opthalmologist (for her lazy eye) on Monday, and she has an appointment with a developmental pediatrician (for possible autism diagnosis) in September. She has no idea these appointments are scheduled, and she could not care less! She's just having fun tormenting the cats and dog, playing in her pool (when it is not cold and rainy), playing her ukelele and singing, and basically doing whatever her little heart desires. She is just so adorable! I love watching her little fuzzy head bobbing as she runs around. Adorable! Raina is also cute, which is a good thing, 'cause with her piercing shrieks, cuteness is a necessary survival mechanism. She has become ridiculously attached to me lately, which makes it hard to do anything at all. Just going for a pee is traumatic - very difficult to "let it flow" while listening to your baby wailing pitifully outside the door. *sigh* She is finally learning to crawl, so I am hoping once she realizes she can get around on her own, she'll want some freedom. I know I do!
Anyhoo #4... I have been thinking about going back to work soon. It really depends on whether Raina will get more excited about solid food, and ease back on the breast-feeding. She is just not keen on food. She had a bout of constipation which made her feel pretty crappy (haw haw haw... sorry), and her appetite is just not great. She loves nursing, too, and thinks bottles are for playing with. I can't rush her, 'cause that'll just cause bad feelings all around, and maybe even cause her to have food "issues". It is difficult, sometimes, because so many people say things like "you need to get her off the tit!" Easy enough to say when it is not your child whose nutrition, growth and health are your concern. She is small for her age, and her growth has slowed down since her last check, so she needs all the nutrition she can get. And even though I yearn for my personal freedom, my wants are just not as high a priority as her needs. So, I am waiting... You know, even though I believe I am doing the right thing, it is strange how much it seems like I am trying to justify my choice. I am not going to apologize any more. So there! :)
I think I have run out of steam for now - perhaps I shall go flake out on the couch for a while! Until next time, then...
Three weeks ago, Todd and I said "Hey, let's go camping for a few days!" He arranged for a couple days off work, I set up the tent in the back yard to make sure it is in working order, we started making grocery lists, and so on. So what happens when his first day off comes? The temperature drops like crazy, and we get heavy rain fall. For three weeks. High winds. Thunder storms. Cold fog, drizzle, etc. For three weeks. Did I say that already? Sorry... Anyway, today was absolutely gorgeous. Of course it was. Today Todd had to leave for a 4 day convention. No camping for us! The tent has been blown all over hell and back (well, actually, just all over the back yard, but you get the idea). I haven't even been able to take it down to put it away - I was waiting for it to dry. I shake my fists at the sky!! *sniff*
Anyhoo... I got a couple of second-hand dressers for $25 each. They are a bit battered and dirty, but they have potential. If I have any luck at all, I might get some time to clean them up, repaint them, and maybe try a little creative decorating. Considering that it takes me all day just to wash some dishes, due to constant interuptions by little princesses, I cannot predict when said dressers will be ready for use. Maybe they'll end up just sitting there, all dirty and in the way, until one day I finally just sell them to some other procrastinator :)
Anyhoo #2... So the neighbors decided they were tired of raking leaves every fall, and went and chopped down a big, beautiful tree that bordered our yards. Todd and I are traumatized! We feel very exposed now, 'cause the neighbors can now see every move we make if we so much as poke a nose out the back door. We can see all the back yards in a row right to the corner. Our privacy has been ripped away. It's funny how upset we are - it just feels like we've been robbed. We have decided we are going to plant a couple of fast growing maples on our side of the fence, but it'll still be a few years before they grow high enough. I don't want the old lady next door hollering "HI!" at me every time I let the dog out for a pee! *pout* And what kind of nut job chops down a perfectly healthy tree simply to avoid raking?!
Anyhoo #3... Girls are doing well. Raina just had her first birthday, which means she also had a round of immunizations. She seems to be feeling ok so far, but she sure was unhappy at the time. The nurse asked, "Is this her normal cry?" If you'd ever heard an angry Raina cry, you would understand the question. That child can make my head ring. I think my mother once said something was so loud that she went blind. I understand now what she meant :) Caitlyn will be seeing the opthalmologist (for her lazy eye) on Monday, and she has an appointment with a developmental pediatrician (for possible autism diagnosis) in September. She has no idea these appointments are scheduled, and she could not care less! She's just having fun tormenting the cats and dog, playing in her pool (when it is not cold and rainy), playing her ukelele and singing, and basically doing whatever her little heart desires. She is just so adorable! I love watching her little fuzzy head bobbing as she runs around. Adorable! Raina is also cute, which is a good thing, 'cause with her piercing shrieks, cuteness is a necessary survival mechanism. She has become ridiculously attached to me lately, which makes it hard to do anything at all. Just going for a pee is traumatic - very difficult to "let it flow" while listening to your baby wailing pitifully outside the door. *sigh* She is finally learning to crawl, so I am hoping once she realizes she can get around on her own, she'll want some freedom. I know I do!
Anyhoo #4... I have been thinking about going back to work soon. It really depends on whether Raina will get more excited about solid food, and ease back on the breast-feeding. She is just not keen on food. She had a bout of constipation which made her feel pretty crappy (haw haw haw... sorry), and her appetite is just not great. She loves nursing, too, and thinks bottles are for playing with. I can't rush her, 'cause that'll just cause bad feelings all around, and maybe even cause her to have food "issues". It is difficult, sometimes, because so many people say things like "you need to get her off the tit!" Easy enough to say when it is not your child whose nutrition, growth and health are your concern. She is small for her age, and her growth has slowed down since her last check, so she needs all the nutrition she can get. And even though I yearn for my personal freedom, my wants are just not as high a priority as her needs. So, I am waiting... You know, even though I believe I am doing the right thing, it is strange how much it seems like I am trying to justify my choice. I am not going to apologize any more. So there! :)
I think I have run out of steam for now - perhaps I shall go flake out on the couch for a while! Until next time, then...
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