I'm Back

Holy smokes, I didn't realize that it's been almost two months since I last posted!  Wow!  I don't know why I stopped writing other than I just got kind of bogged down with life and all that was happening, so I stopped writing all together.  Plus, in my head, no one reads this, so I didn't feel like it really mattered one way or another.  One of my sweet friends from college commented on FB the other day about me not blogging, so that gave me an incentive to get back in the habit of writing again.  Thanks Terri!

I'll try to give a "brief" update of all that's been going on:

1.  The second week of school, Tanner got very sick again.  Sinus infection, ear infection and pneumonia for the fourth time.  The Pediatrician referred us to an Allergist/Pulmanologist for further testing.  We found out she DOESN'T have any type of allergy (PRAISE GOD!) nor does she have any type of asthma (PRAISE GOD!).  We tested her immune system again and that revealed part of the problem.  In part of that testing they discovered that Tanner's resistance to fourteen types of virus's is low.  What that means is she is very susceptible to these virus's...which include pneumonia, strep and meningitis.  In two weeks we go in for a pneumonia shot, wait four weeks and retest.  If her numbers go up, we are good to go.  If they stay the same or go down, we have a bigger problem.  So we'll see how that goes.

2.  After two rounds of heavy duty antibiotics, a round of steroids and an inhaler, Tanner's ears and sinus's still weren't clear.  The Allergist did a cat scan and referred us to an ENT.  The ENT took one look at her CT and said her turbinates are "huge" and needed to be reduced.  The turbinates are a make up of soft tissue and bony structure that act as the humidifiers in your nose.  Tanner's are causing a blockage of her airway.  Thus the mouth breathing and the fact that she chews with her mouth open-she can't help it because she physically can't breathe through her nose!  Also the openings to her maxillary sinus cavities are the size of a pin hole and need to be opened up for proper drainage.  So we go in today at 10:30 for those two things to be fixed.

3.  Work is going really well right now.  Not sure why, but whatever reason-I'm enjoying it!  We've all gotten along really well and going into work hasn't seemed like such a chore.  I'm thankful, to say the least.

4.  Tanner is doing pretty well in school.  She really struggles with her test taking and we've drawn up a "504 Plan" (basically an IEP) which allows her to have some extra time when she's taking her tests.   For the first four or five weeks, she was flunking English, thanks to a test on the third day of school that she flunked.  BUT I'm proud to report, she got three A's and four B's on her grade card and we are so very happy!   Her teachers have all been great and are really working with us to keep Tanner caught up when she misses school due to Dr's appts and all. 

5.  Things are a little better between Tanner and her Dad and step Mom.  They still aren't great, but I do think we've made some progress.  Tanner still goes to counseling every week and I really think that's helping as much as anything else. 

6.  Steve has filed the paperwork for his retirement, but some of it got sent back to us, so he still hasn't retired.  Instead of the Dr's filling out the paperwork they sent them, they want a LETTER from them.  Now we are waiting for that and for copies of the MRI's and CT's that they've done.  Once we have those, we'll refile and hopefully everything will go through.  He seems to really be enjoying being in the Evidence room, though, so that's a blessing.  Taking over has had it's challenges, but overall, he really is more relaxed and at ease with everything.

7.  My oldest brother, Mike, got promoted to Sgt. with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department.  Steve and I went home to KC for his promotional ceremony.  It was awesome.  I'm so proud of him!

8.  My little brother, Matt (the one who had the wreck) has applied for a fire dispatch job and has had three interviews for the position.  Hopefully he'll find out something soon.  I think his confidence level has boosted just from the different interviews he's had.  I'm so very proud of him as well.

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So there's the rundown.  I promise I'll try to do better at keeping this thing updated.  :)  Happy Thursday!