My story so far.

I realize over the past couple of days that I have had a lot of traffic on my blog.  Wow what a shocker when I kept seeing the hits go up.  I know a lot of that has to do with my friend Diana sharing the link to my blog and to my gofundme campaign on her blog's Facebook page.

In light of that I thought I'd give a bit more background information.  Our lives were not always this down and out.  Prior to 2012 I was the Assistant Manager of a Borders store.  When they liquidated in September of 2011 I not only lost my job, but my husband and I lost our apartment.  Our land lady just didn't want to help us out while I looked for work.

So we moved in with my parents.  Then in October I discovered I was pregnant.  Perfect timing right?  Looking back on it now, I can say it truly was.  I was due in June but I started having elevated blood pressure.  March 30th 2012 I was admitted to the hospital, although I felt perfectly fine.  Well on April 2nd I started going downhill with the heartburn that didn't want to end.  April 3rd I just felt awful and late that evening I felt so bad that I pushed the on call button and was then transferred to labor and delivery where I waited (high on a kite on morphine).

At 8:30 am on April 4th the decision was made to deliver my daughter Anastasia Zalene via C-Section.  She was 9 weeks early, weighing 4 lbs, 5 oz and was 17 inches long.

Ana had a 37 day stay in NICU and thank God I was unemployed because I visited twice every day. 

In November of 2012 I finally found my current position as a PT key lead at Hallmark.  I am lucky it is such a family company because in the past when I had not put myself and my family first I finally could.

So we didn't have a lot of drama in 2013...not that I can recall anyway.

That brings us to June of 2014.  June 6th I noticed that Ana wasn't her usual perky self.  She acted lethargic and very clingy.  She didn't want to walk or do anything that required energy. 

I thought she was just sick and let my husband know before I went to work that evening.  About 2 hours into my shift he called to tell me he was bringing Ana to the ER.  Her breathing seemed labored so he was worried.  I left work (after being kicked out by my boss), and we spent hours there to find out it was an ear infection.  We got antibiotics and went on our way. 

June 9th she didn't seem better so we went to the pediatrician.  There she was diagnosed as having a double ear infection.  More antibiotics are prescribed and again we are home.

Ana still isn't improving.  I call the pediatrician again on June 13th (Friday the 13th) and get an appointment with her primary doctor.  She tells me we need blood work and we need it now.  You have to go back to the ER and demand blood work and a urine sample.

So we head there, and wait.  Finally she is diagnosed as having Type 1 Diabetes and she was also suffering from diabetic kytoacidosis.  Had I not been persistent she could have died.

She was so bad that she was transferred from Vassar Brothers Hospital to Albany Medical Center by their (Albany) own team.

So now every 3 months we go to Albany to her endocrinologist.  She has been doing OK but the 5 injections of insulin are getting to her.  An insulin pump is more accurate and will help us have an easier time trusting people outside of our family to care for her.

So that's the story...

Just a note if you are interested in donating to our gofundme campaign the link should be on the right side bar.

Thank you for your interest, prayers and positive thoughts.  It truly means so much to me.

Overwhelmed

I'm embarassed to say, but I had a meltdown yesterday before my shift at work.  The fact is that we are now facing being 10,000 in debt not to mention the $260 we will need to have every 3 months to keep up with the pump supplies.  I managed to have a headache for 24 hours (Monday into Tuesday), pretty much due to the stress of this bigger financial burden.  In an act of desperation I started a gofundme fundraiser.  I did so after alot of thought.  Truth be told I really wanted to do it 8 months ago when the bills started rolling in, but me being me I thought it was selfish to do it for myself.

But I cracked and have been overwhelmed by the response I have gotten.  A former co-worker of mine donated right away.  Many of my Borders family started reposting my original post, my old friends from scouts as well.   The support from you all is amazing, and I hope you know that.  I am still researching some funding, and if we qualify for the financial aid (and we should) it will drop the price about $1100. 

I think I need to add that all these numbers are basically 50% of the total bills (the other 50% was covered by our medical insurance).  I was planning on using our tax refund to offset what we owed to the hospital (s), ambulance company, drs etc, but now I need to use it for the down payment of our pump.


I just want to thank you all, for what ever you have done for me, whether it be a prayer, positive thought, a share, or just a "hang in there."  The support means so much to me.  I am so very very blessed.

The Waiting Game

So a week ago Friday the call was made about getting Anastasia her insulin pump.  We filled out paperwork, and emailed it back to the representative.  This Friday we received a call back from a different rep (actually the one we were dealing with in June when she was first diagnosed).  He said all we were waiting for was the insurance company, and that would be finalized either that day or Monday.  We of course have questions (i.e. how much is this going to set us back) so Alex called back and of course we are still waiting for a response.  I guess we'll hear about that on Monday too.

So what happens now...well once we finally get the pump shipped out we then have to set a date to have someone come to the house and train everyone on how to use it...then and only then will we be able to use it.

It just honestly seems like we are always waiting for something.

I don't ask for a lot, but please pray (or send good thoughts) that most (if not all) of the pump and supplies are covered by insurance.  Anastasia is so set on having "no needles" so I would really like to let her have her wish.


Edit:  insurance is going to cover about 2,000 of the pump (its about 6000).  Please pray we qualify for  financial assistance as that will drop the cost we owe down another 1100.

Relieved but still impatient

So Wednesday we went and had the follow up blood work to our appointment from last week.  So stressful!  Thank goodness both Alex and I went because he ended up holing Anastasia while I held her arm out.  They took 5 or 6 vials of blood, I don't remember how much to be honest.  Then we were done and on our way.

I felt so bad for torturing her this way that we went to Wal Mart and bought her a stuffed Bubble Puppy (from Bubble Guppies), and also an Easter Dress.  Today after Alex and I both played phone tag with the pediatrician's office we finally got the results back.  Everything looks normal.

I am so relieved!  Well except for the fact that my daughter probably has alopecia, Now our pediatrician, (who by the way I love...she is the one who sent us to the ER in June when she knew something was not right with Anastasia) is looking into finding us a dermatologist who takes our insurance.  So thankful that she is doing the leg work on this one because it's frustrating sometimes finding a doctor!

I am impatient though because I just want this resolved...but at least its not another auto immune disease so I am thankful....

Every town, has it's ups and downs...

...sometimes the ups, outnumber the downs......but not in Nottingham....

I love the Disney version of Robin Hood.   It is by far my favorite Disney film.  This song hit home this past week, as I dealt with yet another medical situation with Anastasia.  However this week has been such a roller coaster with ups and downs.  Tuesday was my lowest point.  We had just gotten our bad news and then I had to go chorus and focus at rehearsal because we had coaching.  

I cannot express how very hard it was for me to focus with this bad news dwelling on my mind.  Then Wednesday I had to work a long shift.  When I saw my phone and all the support I had gotten from my friends it brightened me (and in true fashion some of the support made me cry).  I cannot tell you how grateful I was for even the smallest prayer.  Wednesday night I found out a friend of mine was expecting, so happy for that good news!  The rest of the week was actually pretty dull after that, days off and work.  I got to spend some quality time with Anastasia today and Thursday which was nice.  

I am slowly introducing Anastasia to Nick Jr shows, as I am pretty sure I have seen almost every episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sofia the First, & Doc McStuffins.  She has taken a liking to the Wonder Pets, and Blues Clues...probably because the songs are easy and repetitive.  

I also gained a member to my March of Dimes team, Amanda I cannot tell you how excited I am for you to join us this year!!!!!!

I am blessed by my friends and family, and if I continue to remember this the ups will outnumber the downs....

And now for something else different..

So the past month we have noticed that Anastasia's hair has been thinning a lot.  Almost to the point where she has bald spots.  We finally went to the doctor today and it is possible that my 2 year old may have alopecia.  Great...guess what could have caused it...yup T1 diabetes.  Even better we don't even have an answer if her hair will grow back. 

I miss fixing her hair.  I hate how this disease keeps changing our life. 

I am sorry for the vent but I just am so upset about it. 

When it hits close to home..

This blog post is written today with a heavy heart.  I have had a lot of craziness the past few days but I felt it was important to get this message in particular to my Facebook and blog followers.

You often hear about pet shops, of dog brokers who sell animals who are ill, sometimes they recover other times they don't.  A while back I remember a former boss of mine getting a dog for their family.  After a bit of time I asked how the dog was and they told me it had passed away.  That story has been on mind as of recent especially now.

A long time friend of mine (Girl Scout sister to be precise) received a Mini English Bull Dog who she named Bruno.  The following is paraphrased from her Facebook Wall.

Bruno was born November 9, 2014 in Missouri, my friend became his human mommy on January 11, 2015.  He had a respiratory emergency on January 17th, just shy of being 10 weeks old.  On January 24th he was admitted to the hospital.  On January 28th he was transported to an Animal Emergency center as he was in respiratory crisis.  He was required to stay in an oxygen tank 24/7.

Bruno passed away yesterday February 18th, 2015.  My friend knows for a fact that this didn't have to happen.  During his stay at the emergency center there were many tests done on him.  The one infection that ultimately led to his passing was Comamonas Testosteroni, which is not common in the  United States!!!!

So either of the following scenarios caused this-

1)  Bruno was either transported from Missouri to New York with cargo that included exotic animals from overseas that were not quarantined for the required amount of time.

2)  The broken in Westchester (where he was purchased) houses/sells exotic animals and did not quarantine them for the required amount of time.

Either way someone is at fault and it is not fair that my friend has to suffer the loss of her fur baby!

But she is a woman of action, which is what I love most about her.  She is raising money in memory of Bruno three ways.  This I am copying and pasting from her page, because it is just easier for me.  Please keep my friend and her family in your thoughts and prayers as I am sure this is not an easy time for them at all.  Bruno had many people praying for him.  I only wish the outcome was better.

The following is from my friend's Facebook page and is how she is going to make some good out of this tragedy---

1.) The 1st Fundraiser is via One Hope and will not only benefit our Charity of Choice ( Take Me Home Pet Rescue ), but with every purchase you are able to pick the charity of YOUR choice to receive a donation as well.

All you have to do is click on this link and place an order:http://www.viaonehope.com/sites/neta-lamas

2.) The 2nd way to help is by placing an online Party Lite order, which will benefit "Bruno's Buddies." I was very blessed throughout this process to have people help me cover the over $20,000 in veterinary bills and hospital costs. Had I not had somebody step up to help me try and help Bruno... he would have been gone weeks ago. I want to be able to pay this forward, by establishing a fund for somebody in need of an emergent procedure, exam, or medicine for their dog.

So how do you help?
Go to: http://www.partylite.biz/sites/nlamas
look for the box that says "Placing an Order for a Party"
Click that. Enter: Bruno Cortijo, as your host
Shop away.

100% of the profits of this event will go to Bruno's Buddies!

3.) The last way you can help is by helping us CELEBRATE each adoption / rescue at Take Me Home Pet Rescue! We are collecting NEW Blankets, Toys, Food, Clothes, Bowls, Towels, Buckets, Baskets, Treats, Leashes, Harness, etc. We want to make sure that each puppy has an easy transition to their forever home and the rescue has supplies that they need to continue to do the AMAZING work that they do (which is ALL completely based on DONATIONS)! 

Author's note-If you are interested in the third option please contact me either through my blog or my Facebook and I will make arrangements with my friend to get this done.