Last Sunday, Connor celebrated Mother’s Day with Mommy and Mimi by going to City Center and having lunch with them.

Here are a couple of pics the proud mother took of her Mom and Connor.

Connor is doing well.  The catheter came out last Monday and we all were happy for that.  Connor is now walking much better and is getting back to being Connor.

We had a slight scare prior to the catheter coming out.  Our pediatrician diagnosed Connor with a topical staph infection.  He prescribed an ointment that would kill the MRSA staph.  (We were instructed to see the pediatrician by the surgeons nurse because the surgeon was out of the country at the time.)  So, we put the ointment on the “staph infection” as prescribed by the pediatrician.

When the surgeon saw the area that had developed a rash and we told her what was prescribed, she was not at all happy (with her nurse or our pediatrician).  So, my question (which I did not ask her) is why don’t the doctor’s call one another after such surgeries?  I mean they always ask for the primary care physician.  Why do they do that?  Just for sake of asking???  One prescribed something the other did not think was necessary.

Anyways…to make a long story short.  The surgeon said the rash was because we were applying too much of the original ointment and the area was to moist.  She said it was not a staph infection and was not MRSA.  She told us to stop using both ointments for 2 days and to give baths only.  She said after a couple of days the rash would go away and the repaired area would look MUCH better.

She was right!!!!  What a difference a couple of days made.

So…it was not a staph infection and Daddy/Mommy have learned to question everything the doctors tell and prescribed to us.

We have to continue with the baths for the next 5 weeks.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there and especially to my Mom and Connor’s Mom.

I love you!

Donnie

Check out the gallery for the latest pics of Connor visiting Uncle Danny for his/Daddy’s birthday and Mother’s Day.

Click here for Connor’s Photo Gallery

Here are few of my favorites:

We took Connor out in the car for the first time since he had his surgery last Monday.  Most trips outside of the house are with the stroller only, but this time we went to the Virginia Living Museum with Grandma (about 10 mins from the house by car).  We kept the visit short due to Connor’s catheter and the amount effort it takes to change his diapers.

Check out Connor’s gallery for additional pics, but here are a couple of my favorites…

All boy, even after having surgery!  Be careful!!!

Grandma always brings me M&Ms!!!

Connor is a trooper!!!!  Of course the doctor sent us home with all sorts of medication but warmed that if we give it to him, then he could become constipated.  So a lot of it was optional but just to help with pain and bladder spasms.  Our primary job the first 3 days was to get Connor to have a bowel movement — it reminded me of the first week of Connor’s life (I showed them…).

So, we slowly worked him off of Tylenol with codeine to just regular Tylenol.  We only gave him the bladder spasm medication when necessary and continue with the antibiotic on a regular basis.  We put him on a diet of high fiber foods including pear juice.  The pear juice did the trick and by the 2nd day, he had a bowel movement.  Once again, Mommy and Daddy were thrilled to see a dirty diaper!!!!

The bladder spasm have subsided (which is a good thing). They would last about 20 seconds.  He would just freeze wherever he was and start to scream.  Mommy and Daddy would just hold him and rub his back telling him it was ok.  It was scary for all of us.  They began to lessen to 5-10 seconds and now he hasn’t had one in nearly 3 days!  GREAT!

His baths and putting on the Neosporin ointment is going much better.  Catheter shield v2.1 is done and has made his baths almost a worry free 20 minutes.

Daddy has figured that Connor is a “prisoner” in the tub and gets 20 minutes of his undivided attention 3 times a day, so I have begun to read to Connor.  Reading to Connor (in the past 4-5 months) has been difficult because he is a typical boy (wanting to walk around, instead of sit down and listen to a story).  Well, as he sits in the tub he pays very particular attention to my lips and mouth as I read to him.  He has never studied my face and mouth as intently as he does now.  So, he is benefiting from this surgery in more than one way!!!!

Love you Connor!

Daddy

It was almost 2 years ago that I started this blog.  Sometimes it slows down, other times there is a flurry of activity.  The bottom line is I hope to leave something for our son.  Hopefully, Connor can get a glimpse of what his life was like as it began in Mommy’s tummy as well as the first couple of years as a toddler.

Who knows how long this will continue, all I know is that I still enjoy it and I love my son dearly!!!!

Here are a few stats since this started in June 2007…

397 postings by Daddy (includes some by Mommy, Grandma, and Connor)

65 comments by various friends and family members

8395 visits

396 unique people visited

Most hits in a month:  742 (January 2008)

2nd most hits in a month:  638 (July 2007)

Busiest day of the week (for visits):  Monday (shouldn’t you guys be working?!?!?)

There will need to be some minor customizations to the latest catheter shield, but this now allows Mommy and Daddy to relax a little bit and still be able to inspect the catheter through the shield (something we could not do with v1.0).

I need to round the shield out around his belly and tighten down the velcro straps as the glue backing is not sticking too well.  Probably, just a couple of screws in each.

Look for v2.1 soon.

What is it?  The top to a plastic bin attached with velcro.

Catheter Shield = approx $8.

Peace of mind AND Connor’s protection = Priceless!!!!

With Connor’s condition becoming more and more prevalent (the doctor does 300 of these surgeries a year), I plan on marketing this and retiring early.

We have to give Connor a 20 minute bath 3 times a day.  Being 15 months old, he is quite active and interested in things.  My biggest fear is having the catheter come out or pulled out.  It has to stay in for at least 10 days and possibly up to 14 days after surgery.

So, here is my first attempt at a catheter shield for the bathtub.  Worked pretty good the first time.  I still had to hold it in place with one hand.

Today marked a milestone for Connor’s recovery…

Mommy and Daddy had to take Connor’s bandages off today.  Something that supposedly only should have taken 20-30 minutes ended up taking nearly 1.5 hours.  Daddy had to call the doctor to get some reassurance that he was doing it right.   Connor sat in the tub the entire time.  His feet and my hands looked like raisins by the time we were done.

The problem was Daddy had to find the end of the “plastic wrap” bandage and peel it back.  Well, imagine for a second that you tightly wrapped a piece of fruit in saran wrap (plastic wrap).  So tight that you can’t find the the edge to unwrap it.  Now imagine that piece of fruit is wiggling around, crying, screaming, wiggling, screaming, crying, wiggling, screaming…(get the picture) AND has a catheter sticking out one end of it that is only held in by 1 tiny little stitch.

Do you think you can done it in less time?!?!?!?  If so, I have some diapers you can change over the next 10 days.  😉

We were finally able to get the bandages off without causing any damage to the area that is healing.

That was a big relief for us!!!!!!!!!!

Connor is doing just fine.  He is walking around, eating, playing, and being as active as ever.  We had to take all ride’em toys and push toys away from him for the next 6-8 weeks.  Connor and I can’t play hide and seek either as we have to keep his activity to a minimum.  Hopefully he will be all healed up in about 5-6 weeks so we can take him to the neighborhood pool.

The doctor said everything went well and Connor was able to return home with us this afternoon.

Here is a short video of Connor recovering in bed with Mommy and Daddy this afternoon.  As you can seen, he is not quite his normal self, but he did manage to play peek-a-boo with Mommy and Daddy.

We would like to thank everyone that had us in their thoughts and prayers!

Love,
Donnie