Another bump in the road. Lilly Style.

I have spent the past 16 months being the "sick one" in our household. I think I (temporarily) passed the torch to another family member today.

Yesterday afternoon, the 3 of us were enjoying a low key holiday party hosted by one of my friends. About an hour after our arrival, Lilly took a tumble down a few stairs and although I did not see what happened, it looked, well- not so good. We picked her up, and tried to "rub it off", but she was wincing in pain and started asking for "home". So we left.

Now let me say this- Lilly is one tough kid. She's always playing rough, running, tripping, and picking herself up with no tears. Heck- when she got her ears pierced a few weeks ago, the earring piercer gun got stuck in her ear. It took 2 Claire's associates to free her earlobe and Lilly just sat there. Not a single tear or complaint. She then got both ears done simultaneously (one ear was technically done twice since the first one didn't go through all the way).

So last night , we got home and made dinner. Lilly's arm was a little swollen and tender. She didn't complain much. Mike went out to CVS and got Tylenol and a stuffie "magic bear" to help her feel better. We wrapped her arm in an ace bandage and she pretty much sat on the sofa and ate mac n' cheese and watched tv until bedtime. She'd wince in pain if we tried to move her arm too much, but she was not screaming, or even crying. Mike and I debated what we should do. A) take her to the ER for what might just be a bruise, or B) wait until the morning and see how the night went. We opted for B. Lilly slept all night, well- she did wake up and ask for us to trim her fingernails, but I think that was some weird night- talking.

Today. Oh - today, how much you sucked. Lilly's arm was still swollen and she wouldn't let us touch her bandage to check underneath and see how things looked. Heck- we weren't even sure where she was hurting! So I immediately called our Pediatricians office to get an emergency appointment. They were able to see us within 2 hours, so Lilly and I lounged in bed all morning waiting.


We got in the car (note to self- 5 point carseat seatbelt does not work well with a injured arm). We got to the Dr. and saw the "on call" Doctor (NOT our regular Doc who I LOOOVE). Anyway, we got the bandage off and Lilly's arm was bruised and swollen. The Dr. poked around and asked Lilly where it hurt. Ok- asking a 3 year old where it hurts- seriously. She said yes to everywhere. You could have touched her toe and she would have said it hurt. So she ordered an X-ray. LUCKILY our Dr. office is all-encompassing and has a Radiology lab within it. So we went downstairs, I called Mike to high-tail it over for some much needed support and waited for Imaging to be ready for us.

So here we are, trying to explain what is going on, and what will be happening to a smart and inquisitive kid. Only 1 parent can go into the X-ray room, so Lilly picks me and we head on back. Back to the same place I had my CAT Scan 16 months ago. Lilly is such a trooper, she lies still for a whole round of x-rays, and then we wait for the results. Hmmm... this is oddly familiar. So we wait, and the tech comes back and says they need more. Ok- I know this now - MORE IS NEVER GOOD. So Lilly and I go back for another round of x-rays of alternate angles. And then we wait again. And then....they tell us to go back upstairs to talk to the Doctor.

Back upstairs we go, and the Dr. calls me into the hallway and says the x-rays are indeterminable and the Radiologist feels there is a "suspicion of fracture" on her elbow. Wow- way to be decisive. They want us to go to an Orthopedic Specialist. Ok- we can do that, there's a specialist in the all-encompassing one stop doc shop THAT THE PEDIATRICIAN TELLS US TO GO TO. Ummm...turns out when we go there that there's a problem- they DON'T take pediatric patients. They give us a phone number for CHOP and basically say good luck. Mike runs back to the Radiology lab to get a copy of Lilly's films. And we just stand there amazed that we are on our own to find someone to fix our daughter. It's now been over 2 1/2 hours at this office so we decide to go home, have lunch and find a Orthopedic Dr. from home. I will say this- my friend who works the front desk at our super fabulous all encompassing one stop doc shop was the only person there who genuinely tried to help us. But that didn't work too great because none of the Ortho. offices she gave me saw kids.

By now it's close to 1pm, offices are opening up from after lunch and I get ahold of the CHOP office in King of Prussia. Hey- they can see Lilly- ON THURSDAY! Wow- you are going to make a 3 year old with a possible elbow fracture WAIT 3 more days to be seen? We might be better off going to the ER!!! I ask if we can get in at the main CHOP or any other office location and she says- hey we can get you in the Bucks County office at 2:30 today. Fine- I don't care where we have to drive- my baby is getting fixed- TODAY! So we immediately get back in the car, put Lilly's lunch in a baggie and hit the road for our hour+ drive to CHOP. It's really not that far, but the 8" of snow from the weekend, holiday traffic, and the lack of a direct route there makes it a long trek.

FINALLY- we get to the CHOP office. And wow- everyone there is so helpful. Unfortunately our Doc has 2 concussion patients he has to see before Lilly so we wait around. Lilly is mesmerized by the toys in the waiting area. He right arm is just dangling down. That does not stop her. Amazingly enough- she has become quite dexterous with her left had. She is playing, drawing and even coloring "south paw". We brought the x-ray films with us and the nurse had the doctor take a look really quick to see what's going on. She came in and said Lilly has a fractured elbow and we'll be putting on a full arm cast. Mike is so relieved- he was terrified that Lilly would need surgery. Apparently elbow fractures can be pretty bad, but lucky for us, Lilly's was non-displaced and a Level 1 fracture. I was pretty annoyed because not like I am a doctor or anything - but it looked pretty evident to me that there was a fracture from the x-ray. We found out (on the DL) that when you deal with kids and bones most docs will pass the buck and send you to a specialist.

***NOTE TO PARENTS- if your child is getting an arm/leg x-rayed. Insist that they also take an image of the non-injured appendage for comparison. I did not know about this but it makes total sense.

Allright- we are ready for our cast-y "craft time". I tried my best to explain to Lilly was is happening and how the cast is going to go on and will make her feel better. Lilly picks a HOT PINK cast- yeah- big surprise there. And we get her all prepped. I even get to partake in the cast making and am handed gloves to wear so I can help support her arm and fingers while the Dr. mummifies her entire right arm. Wow. So if my kids elbow heals wrong and then needs surgery to have pins put it, it's like- kinda maybe a tiny bit my fault??? Oh- I am NOT liking this. Well- Lilly was a total trooper, not one cry or complaint. And- we get to go back in 1 week for more x-rays! Yay! The fun never ends! So from the appointment at CHOP, Lilly got to visit the "treasure chest" and got to take home 1 coloring book, a big pink "diamond" ring, a mini camera and a blue starfish. Plus a sling (which sucks) It's like mesh- and the cast is meshy- so it's constantly sticking to one another. Hmmm- seems like the Diaper Bag Wrangler needs to step in and create some funky cast sling!!!



It's now nearly 5pm. And the day is not done yet. We need to swing by Mike's office to get his laptop since he bailed from work to come and assist with the x-rays. So we go from Colmar, PA to King of Prussia, PA. We also promise Lilly that she can pick anywhere she wants to go for dinner tonight because she was such a super brave girl. And- she picks McDonalds. Another big surprise. Geez- what is with this kid and McDonalds!!!! So we get to hang out at Mike's office for a few minutes. Of course cast or no cast- Lilly still wants to play golf (Mike is a sporting goods buyer and has a mini putt down the aisle of his cubicle). Hey- she's pretty good left handed. She also likes to use the fax stamps that say "reply", "faxed" and "urgent".

FINALLY- home - 6:00pm.

So there's some lessons to be learned today:
1. babylegs make GREAT cast cozies/covers.
2. the super fabulous all encompassing one stop doctor shop sucked the big one today.
3. CHOP is great, especially when you get to go home, and your child goes home with you.
4. Ponchos will be coming back into style in our household for the next 4 weeks.
5. Chicken nuggets and fries cure all.
6. My daughter is the toughest kid on the face of this earth.

Indiemade Craft Market 2009

Oh yes- the Diaper Bag Wrangler was in full effect this past weekend! I don't do many shows anymore but I really wanted to do this show. So here's my set up:

The great thing about this show is that it caters to a younger crowd, but they still have vendors that appeal to everyone. It is juried, so all the vendors were selected from the applicants which creates a great balance. A lot of the shows I have done in the past are over-run by jewelry or the "direct sales" vendors that manage to sneak their way in.

I met some fabulous other crafters: be sure to check out some of my faves:


There were 40 vendors and the first 50 attendees got swag bags filled with coupons and samples. The line started at least an hour before the show opened! I don't know how long it was, but there was a HUGE rush of customers at 10am when the doors opened.

Unfortunately Mother Nature unleashed her fury in the form of snow late in the afternoon, so that slowed things down. At 5pm we were packed up and out the door! I am thankful for 3 things: 1. My husband who packed and unpacked the car and worked the show with me from 8am-5pm and barely complained, 2. Garmin GPS, 3. Subaru all wheel drive.

Once we left the show were were planning on going home, unloading the car, feeding the dog and THEN get Lilly, but the snow and roads were awful so we decided to go straight to Grandmom's house. Here's our trip:

15 months later....

Wow, I haven't written much about the whole breast cancer thing in a while. There hasn't really been much to update about besides the blood work I get done every 6 weeks and the Herceptin treatment every 3 weeks. I have only 2 more Herceptin treatments to go, my last one will be December 28, 2009. I kinda got screwed over on the dosage schedule. Some doctors do just 17 treatments, some do a calendar year, but mine does it this way- my last dosage has to be after the date of my first dosage. My first one was December 15, 2008, #17 was November 16, 2009, #18 is December 7 and #19 is December 28. NINETEEN!!!!!


So here's an overview of my treatment so far:

1 mammogram
1 biopsy
1 CAT scan
1 MRI
1 bi-lateral radical mastectomy
1 power port insertion
3 echo cardiograms
4 chemo doses of Adriamycin
4 chemo doses of Cytoxan
4 chemo doses of Taxol
19 chemo doses of Herceptin
17 blood lab draws
332 Tamoxifen pills (to date)
1 Trans-esophageal echo cardiogram
1 MUGA Scan
1 genetic test
1 consult with Radiation Oncologist
1 consult with cancer genetics specialist
4 post-op follow up appointments with breast surgeon
1 consult with Gyn Oncologist for Oophorectomy procedure
1 consult with Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon

Today I had a follow up with Dr. Bob- my breast surgeon. He's awesome- what else can I say. He checked me out and said I look great- no lumps or bumps...and come back in a year. A YEAR! It amazes me that after all of this I'm pretty much just walking away, completely cured. No follow up mammograms, no MRIs, no ultrasounds, no scans, nothing. Just following up with Dr. Bob once a year.

The fun starts up again in January when I go into the hospital for a "2-for-1" surgery special. I am electing to have my ovaries and fallopian tubes removed now rather than wait until the typical age of "40". Because I am at an increased risk for ovarian cancer, and because that type of cancer isn't east to detect I am choosing to cut my losses. Plus I don't want to be the "1 in however many million patients" that would be diagnosed with ovarian cancer at age 35- or whenever. True- I may never get ovarian cancer. But I feel like I have done anything and everything to live a healthy long life- why take any more chances. So I am having a laparoscopic Oophorectomy. Hopefully that goes better than my laparoscopic gallbladder surgery! Basically my surgeon will make 3 incisions - 1 in the bellybutton for the camera, 1 pinhole sized one for a tool and 1 1" or so one for the organ removal. It's an outpatient procedure. Crazy.

HOWEVER- I am doubling up procedures and starting my breast reconstruction at the same time. My plastic surgeon will be inserting skin expanders to stretch out my skin for some bionic silicone implants. That procedure requires a 2 night hospital stay. Yikes. Once the skin expanders are implanted, they are like little baggies that will be under my skin. Every 2 weeks I will go to the surgeon and have saline injected into them to slowly stretch the skin. Once I am happy with the size we wait about a month and then swap them out for the implants. The reconstruction is going to be a long, and uncomfortable process. And I'm sure it will give me lots to write about.

"Win Your Purchase" Promo WINNER

Congrats to cherrypicker72 who is the winner of the Diaper Bag Wrangler Thanksgiving "win your purchase" promo!

Look Out Picasso...

Allright- this drawing may not be on it's way to MoMA, but I'm always a fan of the subtleties in art. I went to The University of Kansas School of Fine Arts and have a BFA in Design, so it's no surprise to me that my 3 year old daughter has inherited my artistic flair.

Last week Lilly drew this picture, and what I love about it is this: not only did she draw a picture of me wearing a headband. She drew a Little Lesiw Bloom ON THE HEADBAND.


The best part- I wasn't even wearing a Bloom at the time. Headband- yes. Bloom- no.

Want your own Bloom? Swing by Little Lesiw's Etsy SALE and stock up on my favorite hair flair.

Thanksgiving Diaper Bag Wrangler "WIN YOUR PURCHASE" Promo!

I have so much to be thankful for...so to share the love, I am hosting a one week promotion! Here's the diggity-dee-tails:

From Tuesday, November 24 through Monday, November 30 you can WIN YOUR PURCHASE.

One karma-rific shopper will receive a refund for 100% of their ENTIRE single purchase transaction (yep- even the shipping costs). Every individual item you purchase from either the website (www.diaperbagwrangler.com) or the Etsy Shop (www.diaperbagwrangler.etsy.com) will earn you an entry on the Master Item Spreadsheet. On Tuesday, December 1, I will use the random number generator from random.org and whichever single item is selected, that shopper will have their entire purchase refunded to them. So - you're not just being refunded the price of one item, you will be refunded for ALL ITEMS FROM THAT ORDER!

The fine print: If you make several purchases, you will get one entry for each item. But if you win, you will only be refunded for the single purchase from which the winning item was selected. Not valid for purchases made before the promotion. Your purchase will be refunded via the method you paid.

Holiday Collection

Our Holiday 2009 Collection is now available!

We are offering Reversible Tie Back Headbands, Snap to it! Aprons, Doll Aprons, Aprons for Little Kids and Big Kids plus Baby Booties.

Our featured fabric is the Red Snow Buds fabric by Dena Designs. It is a red fabric with a geometric off white floral print. The coordinating trim on the aprons is hunter green with a stylized ivy/floral print.

All items are available at www.diaperbagwrangler.com and www.diaperbagwrangler.etsy.com