Catching Up

I hadn't realized how long it's been since my last post about my family. So I'll take them in order:

My husband has been having palpitations that occasionally leave him dizzy. We can't seem to get the right dosage of beta-blockers to control them. So I do most of the driving. We're slowly finding triggers: caffeine is a biggie, so he's gone totally decaf.

I'm once again having sleep issues: I was taking 2 naps a day of 2-4 hours each and still falling into bed exhausted by 9:00. I've had all the blood tests, everything is in the normal range. Had a sleep study; I do not have sleep apnea. My oxygen saturation did drop to 88-89, which I find quite concerning, but apparently the Doctor doesn't; my follow-up is scheduled for September. So I live on caffeine tablets and high-octane coffee in order to accomplish anything. Makes my breasts hurt. Speaking of those girls - I had a little scare after the routine mammogram this year. Mills called back, said there was a shadow on the scan and could I come in for a repeat? They wanted to do it the next day, but my schedule was such I couldn't do it for almost a week. In that time, a gorgeous, generous little girl I know had a birthday party in which she raised money for women with "sick boobies" that went to the Mills Breast Cancer Institute and my Aunt Janet had her first chemo-therapy following a mastectomy for breast cancer. So after a thorough and painful repeat scan I was told immediately everything was fine; it was just a shadow on the original scan. Relief!

Primo is doing well enough with the Asperger's Syndrome that he no longer has to have one-on-one psychiatrist visits. He is still involved with a social skills group with Dr. K. He loves Boy Scouts; went to Camp Drake probably for the last time, though. It's his third year in a row and I don't know how much new he can do there. He had braces put on this year and must do a better job brushing!

Secunda is wise beyond her years and I may rely on her too much. We're coming to the end of the Humatrope; her Rx has ran out, so when we've used up what's left in the fridge she's done with nightly injections. The Supralin implant was taken out of her arm; Dr. W thought she would begin having periods within the month. We're still waiting, but not in any hurry. We're prepared for when it does happen. She is wearing her glasses all the time now. She has decided just to be a social member at Girl Scouts this year.

Tertio has broken himself of the finger-sucking habit! He still enjoys his ratty old blankies, but no longer sucks his finger while holding them. He still eschews pants, preferring to run about the house in his underwear (which makes Primo fuss, an added benefit in Tertio's mind!). He will start seeing Dr. K one-on-one this month. He went to Cub Scout Day Camp and to Adventure Camp at Camp Drake, from which we came home early mainly because the boys weren't treating him very well.

Quatorce is doing well. She is my nurturer, laying her cool hand on a hot head when someone is not feeling well. She got new glasses this year, then found the old ones whose loss made the new ones necessary. She loves being a Brownie in Girl Scouts and hates being left out of anything.

Quinta... we're in "wait and see" mode with her. I hate that mode! I don't want to put an implant in her arm yet or give her monthly shots to suppress her hormones, but it seems to me her breasts just keep growing. We see Dr. J in Oct. and I think something will have to be done then. In the meantime, she enjoys the priviledged status of baby of the family that lets her get away with more than she really should get away with. She's a Daisy Girl Scout and is very excited that she will have Religious Ed classes this year, too, with all her brothers and sisters.