live . craft . learn

we interrupt this holiday season for a second opinion

yesterday i got the call. you know the one, the one you dread. the one where the school receptionist is telling you your child fell off the monkey bars, is crying and might have a broken arm.

oh crap!

so off i go and sure enough he is hurt. badly.

i rush him to our pedi and after xrays and a 1.5 hour waiting room wait because after xrays our pedi is in a meeting and can't be disturbed {yes, the lack of compassion gets worse & we will be finding a new one...} we finally see our pedi again and he's convinced it's fine. bruised and tender, but fine.

no. it's not. trust me and my mama instincts, he wouldn't still be crying or screaming in agony when they twist his elbow during the xray if he was fine.

always ask for a second opinion.

those are the lessons i've learned with maddie bean's issues, always. always ask for a second opinion.

we're sent home, with a sling but no brace because the pedi is adamant that he's fine & they're not going to do anything more than put him in a cloth sling. but... low and behold, half an hour later i get the call that the second opinion sees an elbow fracture and that some of the tissue has ripped away from the bone.

this was the moment when i wanted to yell really loudly I TOLD YOU SO!!

so back we go to the pedi for a temp brace and some drugs for the pain.

my poor little man. he was so brave. all. day. long. he cried almost all afternoon long but he was so, so, so brave.

today we see the ortho who i hear is amazing.

always ask for a second opinion. always.

just a little bit more aware

listening:  just a little bit : maria mena
eating:  nothing
drinking:  newcastle
wearing:  paint splattered jeans + red gap boyfriend tee
feeling:  content + alive
weather:  perfect
wanting:  more afternoons like this
needing:  to get back to the art table
thinking:  about hosting a halloween masquerade
enjoying:  my quiet house
wondering:  when the hubs will be home

thanks sweetie, loved seeing this on your blog & being inspired to do tonight. xo

parental downtime

A few weeks ago the man and I were invited to a surprise birthday party for one of his father's friends in celebration of his 60th birthday. It was a stunningly beautiful weekend in sf and we stayed in at the Handlery in the coolest room with a balcony {very rare in downtown sf!} about a block west of union square.

hello little people

It's been quite a few years since we've been away together and it was so wonderful. The birthday boy had over 75 of his closet friends surprise him at a sweet restaurant at pier 39. There were friends there that he met in grade school, high school, college, business, etc and we got to hear some really touching stories.

But the thing that i kept thinking during the evening, in between sipping my lemon drops :), was how amazing it must feel to have a crowded room like this to help celebrate the beauty of your life.  That is what it's all about. the relationships you build and hold onto. 

One Sunday we slept in, oh what a treat!, and then tripped around sf checking out the tulip fields in golden gate park with lunch at capurro's after a trip down lombard.

 

it was serious parental downtime and so what we needed.

happy thursday!
xo

happy birthday bean girl!!

you make our life lovely & rainbow-liscious.

happy valentines day everyone ;)
xo

learning to live

life has a crazy way of sneaking up on you and throwing all that you thought was normal and simple into chaos faster than you know it. last week when i made my morning coffee i had a hand tremor that was so severe i spilled my coffee all over the kitchen floor. to say that it scared me is an understatement. over the last year my shaky hands have gotten shakier and monday was the final episode that got me into my internists.

up until monday i just felt like a hypochondriac.

i explained to him the tremors, we talked about my headaches. we discussed the hazy & blurry vision issues i've been experiencing. he ordered blood tests {normal}. i saw an ophthalmologist yesterday {i need glasses}. i'm waiting for a neuro appointment {seriously takes forever to get scheduled in}.

and although my outlook is better today after knocking down two of the three doubts and fears with substantial evidence that everything is ok {maybe i just have tremors?}. what has really shaken my mind today is how i let the fear of the "what if's" take over my mind last week.

after my appointment on wednesday i wanted to disappear. i cried everyday for five days. all day long. i worried about parkinson's. about multiple sclerosis. about a brain tumor. my entire weekend was full of depression, doubt, worry, stress and a wandering mind that had been processing all of the different medical conditions that could be causing the tremors.

i'm sure this is normal.

i'm sure the worry is normal.

i'm sure the stress is normal.

i'm sure the doubt & jumping to medical conclusions is normal.

but it has sucked.

and now today, i still feel like a hypochondriac. even though the neuro is still needed. even though my hand still shakes whenever i pick up something heavier than a pound. even though i know i've gotten two of the three worries cancelled out with 1.postitive and 2.changeable explanations i still have this little piece of my mind that i keep fighting back.

i still feel like a hypochondriac.

only {trying to be upbeat & positive} soon i'll be a hypochondriac in cute vintage glasses.

xo