The Downhill Slope to "Normal"

The past couple of weeks have been really hard for me and my family.

Two weeks ago, we lost my grandpa due to complications from a ruptured abdominal aorta that occurred right before Christmas.  Last week, we lost my grandmother to cancer.  My grandparents divorced years before I was born, and I never really knew my grandmother.  But my heart is breaking for my dad.  :-(  I can't even fathom losing one parent.  The fact that he lost both of his within a week of each other just doesn't seem fair.

In the midst of all of the loss, both Monkey and I got sick.  Me with a sinus infection and strep throat, and Monkey with some "mystery illness" that lasted all month long.  On the 31st, I took him back to Urgent Care for the 3rd time in a month.  This time was different almost immediately.  They took him straight from triage, bipassed the usual curtained treatment area, took him straight into an actual treatment room, hooked him up to pulse ox, and started running tests and treatments.

Five hours, one chest x-ray, one deep suctioning of his sinuses, one RSV test, one strep test, and two breathing treatments later, we finally got out of there knowing everything that he didn't have, but he was breathing much easier.  They sent us home with a home nebulizer and a prescription for more Albuterol than I've ever seen in one place. 

The good news is, after a week of treatments, Monkey finally seems to be getting better!  No more horrific coughing attacks at night...  No more wheezing and raspy breath sounds...  No more fever...  Finally taking his bottles again...  He still has the runny nose, but he's had that for nine months, so I'm not too concerned.  :-)  I'm just relieved that they finally found a treatment that would work for him!  I think Angry Bipolar Mama had finally had enough, and they were scared of me.  :-)

Needless to say, the past couple of weeks have been rough.  With all of the loss, the illness, and the big changes going on with Monkey's case, things have been pretty hard.  Fortunately, we seem to be on the downhill slope to "normal" now.  Well, as "normal" as anything ever is in Foster/Adopt Land anyway.  :-)