Arnold's Thoughts

I often wonder what Arnold is thinking as he is increasingly alert and looking around, especially when Emma Claire is involved. Why am I wearing princess high heels, why is her finger in my mouth, why am I surrounded by dolls and pink blankets, when will she stop pulling my toes apart, why is she screaming on the floor, am I going to fly out of the swing - why is she pushing me so high, etc.?

I have had more fun watching Emma Claire interact with Arnold over the past four weeks. I like to believe he is thinking how much he loves his sister who is nothing but infatuated with him.

So Close...

And so it continues. Brad took me in Monday for the "procedure". I reported to Abbott at 6:30 am for "venogram with possible IVC filter removal". Finally, we can get this behind us and I (we) can move on and get back to "normal" (whatever normal is for us now).

Initial CT scan showed no more clots - but no question that I would need a stent. I then went to the cath lab (where there were familiar faces - a much better situation than the last time I was there). I started out positioned on my belly so they could access the vein behind my knee to get to the iliac vein for the stent placement. Got some good sedation to relax me (which it did). The stent placement was successful - hooray! They flipped me over to my back, went in through my jugular to remove the filter (which, in my mind, seemed like it would be a piece of cake - but, what do I know?). I must have been in this position for 1 1/2 hours or so (was drifting in and out from the pain medication - the worst part of this was severe back pain from being on my stomach for so long).

Long story short, they weren't able to "grab" the filter to remove it. Apparently it is leaning against the vessel wall. Had to stop trying for now because I had been under fluroscopy for the maximum time. Soooo - back again next week. The good news is, they know exactly what they need to do and have a good strategy for doing it. Two interventional radiologists (the one that was in charge today and the one that did the initial procedure in April) are going to work together to get it done.

Just when I think it is over, there is more... Procedure was on Monday. Wednesday night, took the bandage off of my knee (where they went in for the stent) and it started bleeding like crazy (I intentionally waited until Brad was home to take off the bandage - call it a gut feeling). Par for the course. Not to be too gory, but blood all over the bathroom. Shower looked like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho". Brad patched me up and off we go (again) to the ER at Abbott. Went through the whole "routine" there and got patched up with a pressure dressing there. Home again by midnight.

As I am finishing writing this saga on Friday, of note, I bled through my dressing tonight :-). Brad, again, patched me up and we are hoping for a night without any ER visits and an uneventful weekend.

I have to say, Brad deserves the "Husband of the Year" award for being my doctor, nurse and rock throughout this whole ordeal.

Hotty Toddy!

Emma Claire: "Baby brother's talking to me." (as I hear Arnold cooing in the background)

Emily: "What is he saying?"

Emma Claire: "He's saying Go Rebels!"

Arnold's One Week Stats

One week appointment with Dr. Hobbs:

Head: 14" (31%) - doesn't seem to have the large Kaduevian head

Weight: 6 lbs. 12 oz. (12%)

Height: 20 1/2 inches (62%)

The Bickersons: Swaddled in baby dolls

The Bickersons: Swaddled in baby dolls

Drs. Kadue

Brad went along to my appointment with Dr. Herring on Friday to be "trained in" on how to pack my incision over the weekend. He has been a trooper in dealing with my issues over the past few months - gives me my shots, changes my bandages, etc. Now, I am asking him to perform minor surgery on my incision. I have confidence in him.

Dr. Herring starts poking and prodding again. I NEVER watch or really know (or want to know) what is going on down there. I hear the nurse ask Brad if he needs water or needs to sit down. "No, I think I'm OK", he says. A couple of minutes pass... "I think I need to sit down". I take a look at Brad - white as a sheet and sweaty (the same way I have been feeling this whole time). "Maybe my dad should do this, he suggests". Fine by me. They send us home with all the necessary supplies.

Ultimately, Rick (retired OB-Gyn) comes by on Saturday to help and Brad is able to do it himself - and I able to tolerate it without incident. Emma Claire pulls up her stepstool and watches the whole thing as she holds my hand "I don't touch", she says. She also relives the initial experience of the incision opening up last week "It went pop".

Thank goodness for good help.

Best Friend

Rowie: "Is Addie your best friend, Emma Claire?"

Emma Claire: "No, she is not"

Rowie: "Well, who is your best friend?"

Emma Claire: "Arnold"