• Post category:Holidays / School
  • Reading time:6 mins read

Our New Addition

Well, we did something that we have been talking about for years. We finally got a dog! I’d like to introduce you to the newest member of our family, Maggie Mae.

 

Say hello to Maggie Mae

 

She was found as a stray in Alabama and transported up here by a local dog rescue. They think she is about five years old and a sheepdog/terrier mix. One of our main concerns about getting a dog was how she would react to James, and all of the noises his machines make. We arranged for her foster mom to bring her over to see, and she passed the test with flying colors. She didn’t pay much attention to James and suctioning James and making his pulse ox beep didn’t faze her at all.

Before we adopted her, they told us that she was heartworm positive and that the rescue was going to pay for the treatment so we wouldn’t have to worry about it. She received her first injection to start killing the worms today. I think there is a series of three injections she will need, spaced a month apart. Please say a few prayers for quick and full recovery.

 

Maggie keeping James company

 

 

School

First day of hybrid 6th grade

 

Although the school went to a hybrid format at the beginning of the school year, where the kids go to school two days a week and do remote learning the other three days, James was unable to go to school until the school district found a one-on-one nurse for him. After six weeks of being completely remote, they finally found one, and he got back into the classroom on October 5th. He will be in school for about half a day on Mondays and Tuesdays and then be remote the rest of the week.

That first day back in the classroom was very rough on him. He was not doing well at all when he got off the bus after school. His heart rate was around 150 beats per minute and his 02 sats were in high 70s/low 80s.

 

Rough first day back in the classroom

 

Stacy did her thing and about an hour and a half later, things were mostly back to normal, he was content, and sleeping. We think it was a number of things that contributed to his “episode” when he got home. He had been out of school for about six months, so he probably wasn’t used to all of the “moving and shaking”. He had a very busy schedule and didn’t get a chance to get tummy time before he came home. That’s one of the things he needs to help drain his secretions. And he had a new nurse that hadn’t dealt with all of James’ needs.

He got a good night’s sleep and was ready to get back to school Tuesday morning. His schedule wasn’t as busy, so he had a much better day. After he got home from school, we had to go on a nature walk for an assignment for his science class. Good thing his slippers didn’t scare away any of the plants!

 

Went on a nature walk after school for a homework assignment

 

It was just that first day of going back to school that was rough on him. He’s been fine ever since.

For the most part, Maggie is a pretty low-key dog, which is good because she isn’t supposed to get her heart elevated while she has heartworms. She doesn’t pay too much attention to James and couldn’t care less about his virtual classes…until this past Thursday. James had a virtual music class and they had to use wooden spoons as drumsticks. All of a sudden Maggie was interested in what James was doing. It took us a few minutes to figure out why. She is on a special diet while she is fighting the heartworms and Stacy uses a wooden spoon to mix her dinner. We think she thought that one of those spoons was her dinner spoon and was going to get dinner soon. Sorry Maggie, you have to wait a little bit.

 

Virtual music class

 

 

Halloween

For Halloween this year James was an FBI agent. Since Halloween was on Friday, which was one of his remote learning days, he was able to wear his costume to school on that Tuesday before Halloween. His nurse was his prisoner. Her mask works well with the costume. Kind of reminds me of Silence of the Lambs.

 

James was a FBI agent, and his one-on-one nurse was his prisoner for Halloween

 

On Friday, which was actually Halloween, they had a virtual Halloween party. Maggie played the part of his prisoner this time. She does look a bit guilty, doesn’t she?

 

James, the FBI agent, and Maggie, the prisoner for Halloween

 

 

Epilepsy Awareness Month

November is Epilepsy Awareness Month. As usual, Stacy will be posting daily facts about epilepsy on James’ Facebook page. I, in turn, will take those daily facts and create two blog posts. The first one I’ll plan to post on the 15th and will include the daily facts from days 1 through 15. On the 30th I will post the remainder of the daily facts.