Random Updates

Vacation

I recently changed my Facebook profile picture to:

Yes, I know, adorable. I took this picture last week on our family vacation to Hilton Head, SC. I bought Jackson a pair of sunglasses because his eyes were very sensitive to the sun. My parents got him the cute shark tooth necklace. The hat came from H&M. Who knew they sold kid’s clothes?

The Drive Home from Vacation

Vacation was great until the 12 hour drive home when Jackson developed a fever and threw up on himself three hours outside of Cincinnati. Monday morning at 5:00 am, he had a fever of 102.7, so I frantically called the doctor’s after hours line. Apparently the doctor doesn’t worry unless a child’s temperature rises above 104.5?!? A trip to the pediatrician revealed an ear infection, in addition to the fever and cold symptoms. Jackson’s been doped up on antibiotics and advil all week. I’m happy to report he was fever free today!

Medical Equipment

We’re becoming BFF with our medical insurance company. We recently submitted approval requests for a wheelchair, a neck collar and a stander. When I say “we” I mean Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. They’ve helped us navigate through the insurance process and they’ve done most of the work. All Josh and I have had to do is write an appeal letter.

The insurance company approved the wheelchair but denied the transportation brackets, which secure the wheelchair to a motor vehicle. The insurance company will only approve one wheelchair every five years. If Jackson gets a wheelchair in the next few months, he won’t be eligible for a new one until he’s almost seven. He can start school at age three. If he goes to school, they can transport him on a school bus (scary thought, which we won’t discuss now) and he’ll need the transportation brackets. We’ve appealed the denial and the appeal is pending. I feel like this is a lawsuit, the judge ruled in favor of the opposing party and we had no choice but to take it to a higher court.

We also submitted approval for a neck collar and it was surprisingly approved. The neck collar supports his head and neck in the car. It was very useful during the trip to and from Hilton Head.

I may be able to use the neck collar for head/neck support if we ever get a jogging stroller. The neck collar is the sock-covered thing wrapped around Jackson’s neck with the green band in the picture above.

A request for a stander was also submitted and very surprisingly approved this week!!! I really want the stander. I like getting Jackson upright and on his feet. The stander will be able to grow with him, so we can use it for years to come. The one we have is a loaner from the Perlman Center. Jackson will get his in 4-6 weeks.

Aqua Therapy

Jackson starts aqua therapy next week! I’m not sure exactly what happens during aqua therapy, but I’m glad he’s getting the opportunity to try it.

Our Kitchen

I know you’re thinking this is HGTV, but it’s actually our kitchen! If you’ve ever been to our house, then you can see we got rid of the harvest gold refrigerator and yellow linoleum floor. The best thing about the kitchen is:

The dishwasher!!! I’ve NEVER lived in a place with a dishwasher before, so this is a very exciting time for me.

These are our updates. I’m hoping life slows down in the upcoming weeks. Vacation, sickness, new equipment and a home remodel are a lot to take in all at once.