Oh my goodness! As life has been flying by, I have completely forgotten about our Tumblr community! I can't even remember the last time I posted. So much has happened since those posts.. gives me a headache just thinking about it!
Where do I start first? Good news? Bad? Exciting? Well, as I had gotten a new job opportunity as a pre-school teacher, Niko started day care last month. He was going to the same exact pre-school that my brother and I have both gone to, under same ownership! Little, cute, friendly & safe pre-school close by. It was all perfect, until we had a mad-dash to Bristol Myers Squibb Children's Hospital (Alternative to CHOP). I had gotten a call from his pre-school director, regretfully telling me that Niko had been exposed to the measles on May 29th, and he had 72 hours to get the vaccine. The call was on Friday, at 5:30PM and 72 hrs from exposure would land us at 6:00 AM, the next morning. The reason he had not gotten the vaccine in the first place was because he was too young for it, as they generally give it at twelve months of age. Of course, his pediatricians office was closed for the night, and after calling every doctor and hospital I knew, the only hospitals who carried the MMR vaccine were CHOP, and Bristol Myers Squibb. So, off we went to Bristol Myers, an hour away. At 7pm. As soon as we entered the ER, we were scurried to the Pediatric ER and whisked into an isolation room. Everyone who came in was dressed as if Niko was carrying swine flu, and everyone just kept saying, "I'll look it up". As all they kept ''oo-ing and ahh-ing'' about was the fact that he was the only measles case they had ever seen, as it almost extinct and only in textbooks. They forgot that Niko was the exception to rare cases. After weighing pros and cons about the vaccine, Niko received just the measles vaccine, and not the whole MMR. Off we went, at 11pm on the road to home, and we were to follow up with his pediatrician, Dr. Pawa on Monday morning.
Monday morning came, and as I described to the doctor what had happened, we were told isolation for 21 DAYS. The day the child had his measles rash, May 29, was the day they found out he had measles and reported it. It takes about two to three weeks for ANY symptoms to appear. So, the county health department, and Bristol Myers was wrong about giving him the vaccine. Three weeks in quarantine, and no day care.
Try and guess this one! We get an email LAST WEEK from his daycare director. "Good news!! The child's test results came back NEGATIVE! Measles free! :)". Awesome. After weeks of paranoia, throwing pity-parties, isolation, being petrified.. he didn't have measles. After mad-dashing to the hospital in fear that all of the bad complications would happen to Niko, having to put Niko through the pain of an un-necessaru vaccine, and thinking every teething/heat/normal rash was measles... the results of that boy were NEGATIVE. All of that, for nothing. I mean, I'll take that over him actually having measles, but why? Why the scare? As if I don't have enough on my plate.
I also got a call yesterday from one of the specialists of Niko's care team at CHOP. Had a heart attack seeing caller id, thinking it was his Cardiologist or something! Turns out, it was something good! It was a secretary for the Doctor asking my permission for Niko's images and speaking of Niko. They will be doing a case-study presentation on Niko's case and how to resolve his medical issues. So, that is another thing Niko gets to brag about when he gets older!! LOL. Kind of bittersweet, but if it helps others in the end, it's okay with me.
On a good, GREAT, note... Niko is eight months old, and a whopping 18lbs! Our days consist of him waking up smiling and laughing, eating Gerber 2nd Stage Foods, holding his own spoon, watching Cat and the Hat and Sid the Science Kid, sitting by himself, standing supported, and giving kisses! He has not mastered the crawling thing yet, though. Instead, Niko does things his own way! He will instead roll from one end of the room to his destination across the room. Go Niko!! :)
Days around here have been pretty darn good! Always a new adventure, and discovery every day for little Niko, but I could cry thinking about how much I will miss it ALL. My laptop is actually starting to get too full from all the pictures I've been taking daily! But, they are all memories, and if I have to buy a million and one flash drives to keep them all, so be it. :)
( If the pictures are distorted, you can click the picture for normal view :P )
Oh! & I forgot to mention this little munchkin has not one or two, but THREE sharp little teeth!! UGH! Where did time go!?
Hope everyone is well, and doing great! <3
snowghoul
jacobvanloon
yousharknotpass
kianamaiart
andulkaphoto
