Chubba Bubba - Wordless Wednesday Flashback

Every once in a while I like to take a peek back into my photos and share. This is one year ago today, look at the chub!





Be sure to check back next Wednesday for another flashback photo op. Oh so funny!!!


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Do Unto Others

I’m not good at asking for help. There, I said it. I have always had an independent streak and until now, it has served me well. The problems come when…well, when a problem comes. I usually chose to handle things on my own in a low key fashion. Despite the fact that I now blog Austin’s life for the world to see, I am actually a very private person. It’s true.

Simply put being the single mom of a medically complex child is stressful, no two ways about it. Major medical decisions are mine and mine alone. Medical debt is mine and mine alone. Raising this child to be a loving, well adjusted member of society – that's all my doing. Not that the responsibility is all mine, but the day-to-day reality is.

I have to admit that quite often I am overwhelmed. {Not an easy thing for this gal.} I know I am not alone, I know there are other single moms or families struggling to raise a family on a shoestring budget or with overwhelming medical expenses.

Over the past two years, on more than one occasion, support has come from an unlikely source. Total strangers.

Completely by surprise I have been approached by people who have heard of my situation and wanted to offer their assistance. Call it divine intervention, call it lucky, I call it blessed.





Help arrived in the form of a gift card for groceries, clothing, and even manual labor to repair a tornado wind blown fence. In each case the support was a welcome blessing to this “I-am-Super-Mom-hear-me-roar” kind of gal. The best part aside from the actual offer(s), is knowing that the motive is nothing more than to help relieve me of some financial or emotional stress.


Do you have a utility bill that needs to be paid?

Do you have an unexpected and expensive car repair?

Do you have a medical bill hanging over your head?


While I was fortunate enough to have people seek me out and offer me a helping hand; there is no shame in seeking out help for yourself or your family. Organizations looking to help Special Needs families are out there, you just have to look for them.

I have found a handful of resources that you might be interested in checking out for yourself or someone you know that may be in need.


Aubrey Rose Foundation: Grants available to assists with medical bills not covered by Insurance

Snappin' Ministries: Special Needs Parent Support Network, offers financial, spiritual and social resources.

First Hand Foundation: Offers assistance with treatment or equipment needs, based on funding criteria.

Jessica's Hope Chest: A foundation for critically ill children offering financial assistance and counseling.

Modest Needs: A grant based program for families or individuals in financial need.

Most of these programs are privately funded programs and may be income based or have "medical-only" criteria, these are NOT wish granting programs. Also, keep in mind that most of these organizations are available for financial support, as well as emotional support.

Do you have a story to share?


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Celebrating Women

Today is International Women's Day March 8th "is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future."

The UN theme this year is: Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all

All over the world today women will be celebrated for their achievements and somewhere tonight a little girl is daring to dream of bigger and better things.

Last night a woman did something that has finally been recognized, and it only took 82 years! Katherine Bigelow won an Academy Award for Best Director and, to top it off Best Picture of the Year for her work on 'The Hurt Locker'.

I'd say that's a step in the right direction for Hollywood.

Earlier in the evening, Sandra Bullock thanked "the moms that take care of the babies and the children no matter where they come from. Those moms and parents never get thanked," in her Best Actress acceptance speech. It was another great moment for women, in particular for mothers, to be recognized.





Not all of us are World leaders, Hollywood movers & shakers or even remotely famous, {except to the little people who look up to us} but we do make a difference.

Please take some time out of your day to think of and thank a woman who has inspired and helped make you who you are today. I am guessing they may not get thanked enough as well.


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I Didn't Make The Cut

Feeling that my writing mojo needed a day off I have decided to delight you with pictures.


It was a beautiful day so we went outside to play Golf.





As it stands, Charlie Woods has nothing to fear.





It appears Austin prefers Football or Swords to Golf.





Why do I hear a collective sigh of relief?





We stepped in doggy poo. {Sorry, no pictures available}





We pretended it was a sand trap.





I have learned my lesson, tomorrow I will stay inside and write.





I hope the Nurse brings herself an extra pair of shoes.


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Where's Mr.Goodwrench When You Need Him?

My car died on me yesterday while we were on route to the hospital. Don't worry it was a weekly routine appointment, not an actual emergency. Well, except for the car...that was an EMERGENCY situation.

As we exited the freeway the nurse noticed that she could see smoke from the engine. Niice! So as I glance at my dashboard sure enough "H", we are overheating. Had this been a medical emergency I would have been on my game. Tracheostomy pops out, I'm your gal. Smokey car, huh?

And of course I don't have AAA anymore, it's one of the "extra" things I had to cut from my single mom budget over a year ago. A year with no car emergencies is pretty darn good. Right?

So we're overheating and I have the nurse call my brother for some pointers. We are only a few miles from the hospital and our appointment. Just how much of an emergency is this? Apparently it's a pull over immediately situation, now I know. {I am sure there is a mobile phone app for this situation, but in the meantime my brother instructed me to stop, drop & roll.}

We waited in a gas station area for him to come and assess the situation. He determined I had lost coolant and asked me for a funnel. Yeah, the one thing I don't carry with me. So I gave him the only implement that I had...





Now aren't you jealous you don't carry medical supplies with you too?

Long story short, the radiator was shot so the car was eventually towed home. Today a mobile auto repair dude came and replaced both the radiator and the thermostat.

The moral of the story: If your goes kerplunkity-plunk in a less than desirable area of Downtown LA, make sure it is on you brother's day off, your mom is home to use her AAA for towing, you carry an extra 60cc syringe, and pull over next to a library with metal bars on the windows so the kidlet can run around inside. It keeps him away from the homeless guy and the panhandlers.


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Why I Blog

Along the lines of "how do you do it?" is "why do you blog?"

Not a bad question at all, unless the person asking squints their eyes, cocks their head ever so slightly and inquires "so then...whyyyyyyy do you blog?"

This conversation is usually preceded by at least one of the following questions:

"Do you do it for your family?" That's why I started, but No. They get enough of me.


"Do you do reviews and get cool products?" No. Although, there was that one time.


"Do you do giveaways?" No. But, I do enter and love to win.


and then the biggie,


"Do you get paid?" Not yet. {Anyone, anyone?}


"...so then whyyyyyyy do you blog?"


It's simple. I blog for Awareness.

Okay, you got me, I blog for awareness AND Girl Scout cookies. No, not really that last part was my lame attempt at getting some cookie swag. {I prefer Tagalongs or Thin Mints, please.} I would not blog for cookies. Only. Cookies and a car, for sure. So there you have it. I blog for awareness {possibly cookies, definitely a car.}

Or should I say blog for "a rareness." I blog for causes and people I believe in.

Can you think of anything better, than to spend my free time {and I use that term loosely} connecting with a community of people who cherish my child and support me?





I blog so that people who might never have heard of Children's Craniofacial Association, The Global Genes Project or have thought to add a CPR app to their mobile phone will take notice. Ta-da! That's awareness.

So whether it's cute Christmas pictures, struggling with feeding therapy, complaining about H1N1 or someone rude...you see that, that right there, that's called awareness. This blog is riddled with it. I'm sneaky like that.

I'll be honest some days it feels as if I am pushing a boulder up a steep hill, but when I see this:





I know I made it happen. I know that for a brief moment I reached someone who believes in me, or in my cause. Either way it's a good feeling to know that someone is in my corner.

So okay you got me again, I blog to feel good. There I said it. Happy?


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World Rare Disease Day 2010

You ARE wearing your Jeans, right?





I support World Rare Disease Day!

 

Twitter followers, you'll make Mommy happy today if you ReTweet to show you #CareAboutRare

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CPR Saves Lives

Have you ever had that dream where your child is dying and no matter how much you yell for help no seems to understand you, and you are screaming and crying, and then you wake up and everything is fine; your child is not dying, but sleeping rather peacefully. I hate envy you.

I have this feeling and I can't shake it. I feel like something really bad is about to happen. Ever had that feeling? No? Again I hate envy you!

So today I figured maybe if I just put it all down right here it will be gone from my head. Please someone take it!! The following is true.

A few days ago I had a nightmare that Austin was dying right in my arms. I think we were at the park or at a party because there were lots of other children. One minute he was playing and the next his tracheostomy came out. The hole was closing and his face was turning blue. His arms were flailing around and he was reaching for his neck. He was looking me straight in the eyes begging me silently to help him. But I couldn't find his Trach and the diaper bag/emergency bag was 10 feet away. And I was screaming for someone to bring me the bag. And no one could understand me. They were waving to me and laughing. And I had to scramble and drag him towards the bag to get the emergency trach. But it wasn't there because it was the wrong bag. And by now I am hysterical and no one notices, they just keep walking right past me. Then suddenly a nurse is there, she doesn't help but she hands me something long & metal and I tried to wedge it into his airway. He is now limp and I am screaming "don't die, don't you dare die!" and then suddenly it works. A trach is in place. But he is still limp and again, out of nowhere an ambu bag is in my hands. I start CPR. One {puff}, Two {puff}, Thirty compressions, One {puff}, Two {puff}...and he opens his eyes. Oh, Thank GOD!

I may never fall asleep again. But the truth is, even when I wake up I never get that relieved feeling of "Ah, it's not real, it was just a dream." I have mentioned before that I live in both fear and awe of that tiny piece of plastic. Oh damn you tracheostomy tube, damn you for being both my saving grace and my worst nightmare. There I said it.

Do you know how to perform CPR on a child with a Trachesostomy? Please learn, the life you save could be his.





Download Pocket First Aid & CPR app to your iPhone today, because if this had this been a real emergency I would have liked someone to HELP me!!

UPDATE: Twitter follower @unxpctdblessing has informed me that Android Users can click on "Market" on their handheld and search for the App name. There is also infant & adult video examples. Please download today!


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