Thursday, November 8, 2012

HM Round 2 - Complete!

Michaels most recent heart monitor came with it's very own cell phone. Just like any cell phone it needs to keep a charge to work. If I leave for the day I make sure his monitor wire is looped around his diaper tag so that the monitor doesn't hang too loose. There have been a few times I haven't done this and in the process of picking him up I thump who ever may be next to him. It has a clip that I was, at first, able to clip onto the back of his pants or maybe on the hip. Zoey made sure that didn't last to long. It broke shortly after we had it. Either that or one too many thumps on peoples heads might have played a part in that to. The stickers that came with this monitor weren't as durable as the last ones. After about a day the stick begins to wear off the bottom goo and it smudges. If not on Michael, then on his clothes. It's like washing a t-shirt that had a big sticker on the front of it. Have you ever forgotten to take off a sticker before beginning the wash? >_<

Michael is so mobile now that the leads get pulled off easier. He rolls and they unsnap like a button. At this point I decide whether it will be better for him to pinch him to snap it back or remove the stickers if the blisters around it aren't too bad. If the blisters are too bad then I don't want to keep reattaching things to the open wounds. Sometimes it's a hard decision. I think he's gotten used to the little pinch. That one is a little less invasive to his skin. He is also moving around so much that the bruises have started to set in. The cardiologist warned us about this. Because he is on a blood thinner he will bruise easier. With hard wood floors the odds are raised. Bruises to date - Forehead, Forehead, Hip and Rib. He hasn't even begun to move forwards yet. Everywhere he goes is backwards. It's funny watching Zoey follow him around. She gets upset if he moves too far away from where we put him to play.













There is a constant blinking light on the front of his monitor which tells us four things.

1 - It's monitoring
2 - It's sending a recording
3 - It's lost connection with the phone
4 - Battery needs replaced (which is every 2-3 days)

This morning I woke up and the blue light was flashing which means it lost connection with the phone. Usually if it loses connection the phone is either dead or I've moved the monitor too far from the phone. Right away I scolded myself for not charging his phone and got up to put it on the charger. In my groggy state I noticed that it was already on the charger. It had a message on it that said "Monitoring Complete. Please Return Equipment" - Oh My Goodness! I was so thrilled. That means that the study is over and Michaels chest gets a break. I looked back on an earlier blog post "No Strings Attached" - It's that same feeling all over again. I wanted to cheer and jump and clap but Michael was still asleep. Instead, I slowly gave him a kiss on the forehead and cuddled back into bed - Just in time for Michael to wake up! He's so tricky!









Zoey had spent the night at her grandmas last night so I got some alone time with Michael this morning. It was nice taking a little more time getting myself ready for the day. I was able to run some errands before picking up Zoey at preschool. She was able to go today to play with some friends and did great! She misses them so much. I miss my job at the daycare and I really miss the kids I taught. Seeing some of them today made me realize how fast our kids grow up. They're getting so big. I am so proud of most of them starting Kindergarten this year. It's a big step for them to take but the all did so well. I hope we'll be in the position for me to go back and teach again soon. Michael was built pretty tough but we need to make sure that he keeps getting stronger. I also hope that he'll be getting around more to see the people that have been supporting him, through their thoughts and prayers and special gifts. You all are so wonderful for everything you do. I've been keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers to.

A Great Big Thank you - From Me (Bryttney Phillips) - Mom to a very special Heart Warrior

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