One of the things we have been struggling with is our son’s enlarged tonsils. Every time we go for our clinic evaluation (every 6 mos.) the ENT takes a look and comments on our son’s tonsils. Our son’s tonsils are pretty big and are not in the same place as a typical child’s would be due to the cleft palate and repair. It has been discussed that we should take the tonsils out and that they have a way to…
© Don Nielsen more by Don Nielsen June 30, 2014 To Them We Owe Happened today, and in the past; Sacrifice made, for ours to last. Wives to widows, families torn; Gave their lives, for them we mourn. Gone forever, souls are lost; Freedom comes, with this cost. Enjoy the life, they did preserve; Fate they suffered, did not deserve. On this day, lest we forget; To them we owe, our life in debt. Source: http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/to-them-we-owe#ixzz3bDDoytYS Family Friend Poems
This is a beautiful bridge that quite literally does not get you across anything. It sits on an embankment that has become overgrown with foliage and remains hidden. It is a bridge that is not well traveled or one that ever comes to pass. Many years ago my pastor showed me a photograph similar to this one and asked me to look at it for some time. I thought it was a nice photo but didn’t really understand the significance…
Today we had our 6 month check up with his Cleft Palate Team at St. John’s. It was a long morning for all of us! Gavin was a champ though, as usual. He knows that everyone wants to look in his ears, his mouth and listen to him talk so he gets through all of their requests with minimal fuss. I packed a bag with books he needs to practice reading, his therapy homework to work on and his school…
Taping and using nasal stents is critical to your child’s surgical outcome. The first thing I would want to know is that you should take the duoderm template your surgeon or nurse gave you and cut out at least a dozen of these and store in a Ziploc at your changing table. You are going to want these to be handy and available when you need them. Put a few in a Ziploc and have them in your diaper bag…
After our little guy was born he was whisked away by doctors and nurses for tests, monitors and a quick exit to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). I had an epidural so I was not able to go to the NICU until the doctor gave me an all clear which meant 24 hours. Talk about highly irritated. I really wanted to see my baby and they wouldn’t let me out of my room until I could pee on my…
Our son needed to be 3 mos. of age, minimum 10 lbs. and have no sign of a cold or infection in order to continue with the scheduled cleft lip repair surgery. These first three months were exhausting, as they are with any new parent but especially so with an infant that has special needs. We kept our little one healthy and with doctors visits weekly to both his pediatrician and Cleft Care Team it was definitely hard to keep…
The words to this song had meaning for me throughout both of my pregnancies and I wanted to share that with you here. “I Knew I Loved You” Maybe it’s intuition But some things you just don’t question Like in your eyes I see my future in an instant and there it goes I think I’ve found my best friend I know that it might sound more than a little crazy but I believe I knew I loved you before…
The Cleft Palate Team you choose will become an extension of your family. You must feel comfortable with your extended family, be able to communicate effectively regarding the care and treatment of your child, express your desires with regards to your child’s healthcare and know that your child is in the hands of people who truly care. There are several different members that will make up your Cleft Palate Team. Plastic surgeon Pediatrician Speech pathologist Audiologist (hearing specialist) Nurse Social…
GEN-01 This is a link that will take you to a booklet published by the Cleft Palate Foundation and is a great resource of information regarding genetic testing, causes and treatments of cleft lip and/or palate. Like the many families of children with birth defects, the CDC wants to find out what causes them. Understanding the factors that can increase the chance of having a baby with a birth defect will help us learn more about the causes. CDC coordinates,…