I wish I had more of a financial blog to post, but I just don't.

Things around here have been beyond crazy.

Two kids have sinus infections - one of them also has a touch of bronchitis and an ear infection. I've got a horrid sinus infection - went to Urgent Care at Walnut Lawn [if you're in Springfield - go to a different one - if you really want to know why, email me, otherwise just take my word for it :)] on Wednesday. Told me it was viral and nothing they could do really. Gave me a couple of prescriptions to help me feel better but not cure me, but neither were working. We came home from the hospital last night [more in a minute on that] and I spent quite a bit of the night throwing up and then again this afternoon. Went to Urgent Care in Republic [LOVE THEM!] and got some different medicine that has helped more in the last 6 hours than the other ones did in 3 days.

I'm also beyond behind on my schoolwork - got a little bit done Thursday and tonight, but the mental capacity needed to grade essays just hasn't been there... Not with the splitting headache [so bad I couldn't see straight] off and on and nausea...

We were in the hospital for 8 days. In those 8 days, our 3.5 month old son had an EKG, echocardiogram, barium test [drink the stuff, watch it go down - he did not cooperate!], ultraounds of bladder and kidneys, Ph probe test [the one we were really waiting on], several blood and urine tests and after the Ph probe, some test where he drank a radioactive isotope and they took pictures to see if his stomach empties right [it does].

The results from the Ph probe were that he has reflux [big shock there] but also told them about the severity etc. The other tests ruled out the possible causes for the reflux, besides that little valve between the stomach and esophagus not working right. He also ran a fever for most of Tuesday and didn't eat for 9 hours, then not again for another 7 or so. He ended up with an IV for that, but only for a few hours.

All of the usual 'fixes' for reflux don't work. Sitting him up for 30 minutes after eating, sleeping/everything else on an incline, etc. - none works. He's spit up at least 3xs in his bouncy seat while I'm working on this post.

In 8 days at the hospital, with everything being strictly measured in and out and beefed up [added calories to the milk/formula], he only gained a total of 4oz. He was also up and down some.

So what now? Tuesday he's having surgery. *sigh* Not our first choice, but the next least invasive option. Hopefully, the surgery will be done laproscopically - that's the plan, but the doc said there's always a chance he'll have to do it the 'old fashioned way'. He's have a Nissen Fundoplication done. Basically, the doctor will wrap the top part of his stomach around the bottom of his esophagus, tightening it so that valve works more the way it's supposed to - things go down and not up. He's hoping he'll be able to do it without having to also put a G-tube in, but that is a possibility. If they don't have to do the G-tube, we'll be in the hospital another 48 hours, if they do have to do one, probably 72.

Surely, with all that medical stuff, we're worried about finances, right? No, not really. We have good insurance through Matt's employer and we've already paid all of our out of pocket expenses for the year, so, in theory, we won't have to pay for any of the last week or for the surgery. We did, with everything else going on, bounce a transaction. We used our debit card MUCH more than normal [over $80 in Rx alone this week - probably closer to $100] and it just got away from me. Two packages shipped to one of our best friends is what did it - I forgot to enter it. The bank did reverse the charge though - that was a huge relief. I knew there was reason I hadn't ordered the wireless network adapters for the TIVOs... Sure enough, good thing I didn't. Payday was yesterday so it wasn't like we were weeks out or anything.

There are many more blessings - some obviously monetary, most not. Our wonderful church hospitality lady has given us food several times over the last week and a half. She's promised us a turkey for Thanksgiving - we'll likely still be in the hospital for part of it, but that's okay- turkey sandwiches are good too! Another friend braved our three [sick] girls for about 8 hours one day so Matt could teach and spend a couple hours with me at at the hospital. Another couple friends came over this morning and took care of the kids while Matt taught and I slept.

We have wonderful doctors and nurses working with us. I know it may not seem like a blessing, but in some ways the continued up and downs of his weight while in the hospital is. It verifies that it's nothing we were or weren't doing that was causing his lack of weight gain. It's in no way a reflection on us [which we *knew* but it's nice to *know*, you know? :)]. We have friends and family around the country who are praying for us and who have put us on more prayers lists and prayer chains than I can even imagine. Once he's recovered and chunked up a little bit, it's quite likely I'll be able to nurse again. The thought of not being able to makes me cry so I'm glad I should be able to.

I should probably have some eloquent statement to sum all of this up, but I don't. God is still good, all the time and that's really all I need to know.