Update

Monty continues to have good days and not so good days. He is tired a lot. He had to go back to the skin doctor this week. He had two more places on his face that he needed to have checked out. He had two biopsies done and fortunately they were only precancer and the doctor thinks he got all of it with the biopsy. Makenzie had to go to the doctor this week also. We thought she had a kidney infection. Since she has one kidney we have to be proactive. Everything checked out fine with her as well. Makayla is still having trouble with her thumb that she injured a couple of weeks ago. It is not broken but it still swollen. Her doctor said that if it was still swollen after 2 weeks she would need to have an MRI because she is concerned that Makayla tore a muscle. We will have to follow up with that. I had a little accident of my own this week. It was really embarassing. Fortunately, I was in my classroom alone when this happened. My students would have enjoyed making fun of me way too much. I fell out of my chair! I had been at my computer in my rolling chair. I got up to grab something off my desk. I quickly returned to my rolling chair. When I went to sit down, I only caught the very edge of the chair. It rolled out from under me and left me laying on my back in the floor. It gave me a good laugh! I quickly jumped up for fear that someone might pass my door and see me. Anyway, I have a bruise on my elbow and a sore hip. Other than that, I have a very thankful heart that I did not have a room full of high school students to witness me falling out of the chair.
I absolutely love this weather. I know - I am weird like that. Winter is my absolute favorite time of the year. Stay warm friends!

Busy Weekend

It has been a busy weekend. The girls and I were at a basketball tournament all day Saturday. Makenzie's team got 1st place. Monty was at the Stock Show all day Saturday. On Sunday all four of us went to the Stock Show. Monty and I are both superintendents at the poultry show so we have to be there all weekend. We finally made it home and are getting ready for the week ahead. I hope you all had a great weekend.

Makenzie's appointment

We really didn't find out anything ay Makenzie's appointment. Her EKG was fine. She had a sonogram of her heart. I told the technician about Monty's biscuspid aortic valve and was hoping to find out if Makenzie has the normal tricuspid valve or the same defect that Monty had. The doctor said that he could not tell because the valve is still embedded into the heart at this age. He said to come back in 5 years and hopefully the technology of sonogram machines will have improved. He did not have an answer to her heart racing and her blood pressure problems. He said that he doesn't become concerned until the heart rate is between 200-300. Anyway, I am glad that the EKG didn't show any problems. I would like to have found out about her heart valve. He did say that she has a small leak in her valve but it was considered a trace leak and at this point is nothing to worry about. If she continues to have problems, we will see someone else. I had heard really good things about him, but I wasn't impressed. He did not even introduce himself when he came in the room. When he came in the room, he asked Makenzie, "What's wrong with you?" Ummm.....we went there hoping he would tell us that. He did recommend that we see the nephrologist to make sure that nothing is going on with her kidney. Makayla got her bottom braces today. It's been a busy day. I am thankful that we didn't have school today so we could get all of the appointments taken care of. That's it for now. It is basketball time!

A Princess in the house

Here are a couple of pictures from Homecoming last night. Makenzie was elected Junior High Princess.

Update

Monty had his cardiologist appointment today. He doesn't have to go back for 4 months. He got his medicine reduced today. He is going to see if that will help him to get his energy back. He still doesn't feel well a lot of the time. That is about all that is going on here. I hope you all are having a good week.

Upcoming appointments

I have been a little hesitant to post lately because I did not want to tell half truths. I hope that makes sense. I didn't want to post and say that all is well when it possibly is not. Makenzie has not been feeling so great. She told me a couple of weeks ago that her heart was pounding. She was sitting on the couch and had been for a while. I put Monty's blood pressure monitor on her and her heart rate was 123. Within a minute it was back in the 80s. This has happened a few times. Since she has a solitary kidney we periodically check her blood pressure. Lately her blood pressure has been from one extreme to the other. She saw the doctor and was referred to a cardiologist. The appointment is next week. Until then, please pray that it isn't anything to be concerned about. Makenzie is still able to play basketball. The doctor told her to use her judgment and come out of the game if her heart starts racing or she gets short of breath. Everyone else is doing well. Monty has 12 more sessions of cardiac rehab. He has a follow up appointment with the cardiologist this week. Makayla had to get glasses a couple of weeks ago. She will get her bottom braces next week. We will be busy running to basketball games, the cardiologist, and the orthodontist the next couple of weeks. Have a good weekend. Stay warm!

New Year

The new year has begun. It is back to school for us on Monday. I think Monty is ready for some peace and quiet! It has been nice having a couple of weeks to rest. I am excited about the new semester of school. With Monty having open heart surgery the second day of school, I missed 10 days of work. We were doing IV antibiotics around the clock for several weeks. I was mentally and physically exhausted the entire first 6 weeks of school. Fortunately, I love what I do for a living. Regardless of how tired I was, once my students entered the classroom, I was energized and ready to go. I am ready for Monday to get here and to get back in a routine. I am hoping that 2010 will be kind to us. We did not have our "good luck blackeyed peas" again this year. We stopped that tradition in 2005. We had our traditional meal that year and two days later Monty was in hospital with the first of his heart issues. Two weeks later Makenzie was hospitalized with a severe kidney infection. During her hospital stay it was discovered that she was born with one kidney. She was almost 10 and we never knew! About three weeks later she had surgery at Cooks to correct some problems with her only kidney. After that, I figured blackeyed peas on New Year's were a waste of time! After the past six months with Monty's open heart surgery and complications, we are hoping for a Happy and HEALTHY New Year! We hope the same for your family as well. Berniece - I added some new music for you!