Your love is like bad medicine...

...bad medicine is what I need.

-Bon Jovi, Bad Medicine

Well, the medicine isn't all bad. But it ain't all good either.

First, the Jay update. We went to the cardiologist on Thursday and his heart is looking the same as it has for the last few trips. His heart function (how much it's squeezing) is still not quite up to the normal range, but it's not getting any worse. It squeezes hard enough for him to run, jump, wrestle his little brother, ride a tricycle, and fight like a dog to keep from having to go to bed at night. Guess that's all we really need it to do, eh? His coumadin levels are still swinging in & out of range like a crazed seesaw, but our cardiologist is way more laid back with that than the hospital was, so we're just hanging on for the ride. All in all, he's as great as a 3 year old with congenital heart disease gets. We got the 3 month pass, so we won't see Dr. M again until SEPTEMBER.

But we can't have the whole family healthy and hospital-free, can we? No sireee. Perhaps you remember that Luke has been to the pediatrician every 3 weeks or so ALL WINTER LONG. (Damn you $25 copay!) And all winter, the responses we got alternated between:

1. "Oh it's just a cold - suck it up you nutty, overprotective, worry-wart" or

2. "Yup, another ear infection. Here's some pink stuff which will be completely ineffective but should keep you out of our office."

(sidenote - I really do like my pediatrician - just setting the scene here. I gotta complain on occasion, 'k?)

So we went for his 15 month check up last week. He was completely well - or as well as he gets. His nose was dripping snot and he was still doing that Darth Vader breathing that he's done for his ENTIRE life. This is nothing new, folks! He's always had the snot and the congested breathing and the snoring, to which we got the "Don't worry, Be happy" responses listed above. But on this particular visit - this "well-baby" visit - the pedi completely freaks out. "He breathes like that all the time?!" (Look of horror crosses his face.) Ummmm, yeah. "Getting tubes and adenoids out didn't improve this?!?!" (I think my eyes rolled waaaayyy back in my head at this point.) Nope.

Next up, sleep study. Yes, you read that right. Electrodes will be taped to his tiny little scalp and wires sticking out all over, and we're supposed to somehow get him to sleep. Seriously?

SERIOUSLY?! I mean, we're healthy people! We eat vegetables. We don't do drugs. We don't let them gnaw on our lead-paint coated windowsills. Why in the world can't we get some time away from the hospital? I can't decide whether to be exasperated or pissed or just laugh at the insanity of it all.

Derek's response?
"Well, that's a specialist we haven't seen before."

Boy am I glad to be married to someone who is calm and even-keeled.

So, for your willingness to read this far about boring medical news, here's a couple of videos of my cute little brood...

Jay doing what he does, every single evening. We have the most well-mowed lawn in the zip code.

Luke grinning up a storm. (Does this look like a sleep-deprived kid?!)

Happy Memorial Day weekend. Enjoy it!

ps - you noticed that I posted 2 videos? Oh yeah. Camera is still MIA. I'm going to buy another. I feel sure that will cause the old one to reappear from inside that casserole dish or wherever it's been hiding. arggh.