In every new endeavor you have a learning curve at the beginning. What you want to accomplish takes longer because you are learning as you go. The process is slowed by lack of practical knowledge and limited skill. I’ve learned this the hard way this week and my little Jakester has paid the price.
After the jaw wiring along with the hospital and doctor visits, we were finally able to be at home to relax and let Jake start the healing process. Round one, “No, Mommy, I don’t want the medicine!” Calling the doctor, Shawn found that the pain should be subsiding at about a week. I gave the decision over to Jake. You want the medicine or not, your choice. Once or twice he took it, but most of the time he turned it down. As long as he’s sleeping through the night, I’m not pushing the drugs. I don’t take them myself, why be ‘mommy, the drug pusher’ if it’s not necessary?
Round two, the liquid diet. Oh, strike fear into the hearts of all who love to eat. Jake is not a picky eater, he loves to eat and is very active…pan back to 3 accidents in 3 years… yeap, very active. So, he eats well and still maintains his svelte figure. If only I had a bod like that. I suppose I did once…long, long, long ago. (Big sigh.) Eh well, I’m over it. For the first couple days all I wanted was to please my little man, put a smile on his wired grill. “Chocolate milk and chocolate shakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Of course sweetie, anything you want.” I’ll admit, it wasn’t my best choice but he was smiling again, life was good!
At about this point I’m realizing that a child can’t live on chocolate milk alone. I whipped up a mean puréed vegetable soup and Shawn dazzled us with several fruit smoothies. Jake was less than thrilled, but he slurped down enough to get us out of the line of sight of the Disney Channel.
Day three of the liquid diet extravaganza dawns and all hell breaks loose…or rather comes to a screeching halt. After several days of meds and a less than stellar diet my little guy was completely constipated. Now what? I’m no dietician but I know I’m doing something wrong. Back to the drawing board. Now we’ve added prune juice to every smoothie along with fiber. Replaced the milk with Ensure shakes and soymilk. At this point, I’m sure I’ve lost some weight myself. I seem to be on a liquid diet too. Everything Jake doesn’t like or doesn’t finish, guess who gets that? By now, I’m feeling pretty ‘regular’ myself.
Cod liver oil, glycerin suppositories, Phillips Milk of Magnesia…tried them all. The Phillips was the last resort yesterday, watch out for that stuff, I’m tellin’ ya right now.
After a week off, my husband and I had to return to work. Now each morning I am training a different Grandma, Uncle, or Aunt how to do “The Diet.” Every one of them has been on “Poop Patrol.” You really know your family loves you if they’re willing to sit on your dirty bathroom floor and entertain your 3 year-old while he tries to do the deed. Yesterday, Grandma Susie, Uncle Mike and Aunt Kat were all in attendance in my little closet of a bathroom whilst the little guy grunted. It’s unbelievable how one little event can take on such meaning.
Today, life is good again. The little man is on his way to healing, on his way to being ‘regular’ and I’m optimistic that whatever comprises “Round Three,” we’ll be ready.
After the jaw wiring along with the hospital and doctor visits, we were finally able to be at home to relax and let Jake start the healing process. Round one, “No, Mommy, I don’t want the medicine!” Calling the doctor, Shawn found that the pain should be subsiding at about a week. I gave the decision over to Jake. You want the medicine or not, your choice. Once or twice he took it, but most of the time he turned it down. As long as he’s sleeping through the night, I’m not pushing the drugs. I don’t take them myself, why be ‘mommy, the drug pusher’ if it’s not necessary?
Round two, the liquid diet. Oh, strike fear into the hearts of all who love to eat. Jake is not a picky eater, he loves to eat and is very active…pan back to 3 accidents in 3 years… yeap, very active. So, he eats well and still maintains his svelte figure. If only I had a bod like that. I suppose I did once…long, long, long ago. (Big sigh.) Eh well, I’m over it. For the first couple days all I wanted was to please my little man, put a smile on his wired grill. “Chocolate milk and chocolate shakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Of course sweetie, anything you want.” I’ll admit, it wasn’t my best choice but he was smiling again, life was good!
At about this point I’m realizing that a child can’t live on chocolate milk alone. I whipped up a mean puréed vegetable soup and Shawn dazzled us with several fruit smoothies. Jake was less than thrilled, but he slurped down enough to get us out of the line of sight of the Disney Channel.
Day three of the liquid diet extravaganza dawns and all hell breaks loose…or rather comes to a screeching halt. After several days of meds and a less than stellar diet my little guy was completely constipated. Now what? I’m no dietician but I know I’m doing something wrong. Back to the drawing board. Now we’ve added prune juice to every smoothie along with fiber. Replaced the milk with Ensure shakes and soymilk. At this point, I’m sure I’ve lost some weight myself. I seem to be on a liquid diet too. Everything Jake doesn’t like or doesn’t finish, guess who gets that? By now, I’m feeling pretty ‘regular’ myself.
Cod liver oil, glycerin suppositories, Phillips Milk of Magnesia…tried them all. The Phillips was the last resort yesterday, watch out for that stuff, I’m tellin’ ya right now.
After a week off, my husband and I had to return to work. Now each morning I am training a different Grandma, Uncle, or Aunt how to do “The Diet.” Every one of them has been on “Poop Patrol.” You really know your family loves you if they’re willing to sit on your dirty bathroom floor and entertain your 3 year-old while he tries to do the deed. Yesterday, Grandma Susie, Uncle Mike and Aunt Kat were all in attendance in my little closet of a bathroom whilst the little guy grunted. It’s unbelievable how one little event can take on such meaning.
Today, life is good again. The little man is on his way to healing, on his way to being ‘regular’ and I’m optimistic that whatever comprises “Round Three,” we’ll be ready.
No comments:
Post a Comment