Pics promised

This is Ivee post her September 11th brain surgery.

Here she is after the shunt was put in.

At the hospital with Ethan and Britt visiting.

Once we got home, she got busy feeding the baby doll Ms. Savage gave her. Then she made daddy feed the baby.

Busy on the phone.
!

Then....we made Britt put all the hair stuff in our hair.

Finally, we rode a horsy the other day.

So, we are doing fine and are back in school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. MRI day is next Tuesday and we are trusting in the Lord to give us good news again.

Thanks and so on...

Thanks to those who have responded about having clothes. This will help out more than you know.
Well, this will be the kids (and my) last normal week for a while...if you can call it that. We leave next Monday the 3rd for Memphis. Ivee has a scheduled MRI for Tuesday the 4th...election day. So, we are praying for a day of great news...oh, are we praying!!! I had to do an absentee ballot for the first time ever. Who can even understand all those amendments?!
The Christmas production at church is underway. I am in need of assistance in many areas (or should I say I have places where I need people to serve), but the Lord is bringing it all together. I am not stressed...........yet!
That is it from the Foley clan. Thanks for keeping in touch.

Just Putting This Out There

Let me say first, I am not looking for financial donations. Just putting it out there if you have any!
The kids, all three, and myself are going to have to go buy new clothes soon with the fall / winter weather coming. If you have any hand-me downs, we'll take them. I'll put our sizes and the kids ages on here (sometimes age makes a difference in what a child will and won't wear...pre-teen if you know what I mean!) Ivee is 2 years old and in 24 months - 2t. Brittney is 12 years old and a size 10/12 in s. Ethan is almost 9 years old and a size 10/12 in boys, and I am a true 8/10 (not on the small size). Also, if you have it, Emmett is a 36/30 in pants and a size m to large in shirts.
Like I said, I am not looking for financial contributions!!! I mean that. But, if your like me, you may have bags and bags of old clothes, and your trying to find someone who maybe could use them. (Luckily for me, my sister has two s slightly younger than my s, and my friend Vicki gets Ethan's old stuff).
Now I just have the task of see what we all really have and what is really needed.
If you do have some, just email me (or comment with your name and email address/phone...if I don't know how to get a hold of you).
Thanks for keeping in touch!

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Tammy showed me this dress...it amazing!

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Getting Better

Two nights ago, I put Ivee back in her own room. She has done well. You can still her making noises in the night, but I haven't really heard any screams. Hopefully the nightmares are subsiding. She returned to pre-school yesterday and did very well! She didn't cry going in, cause her class was in the "Imagination Theatre" room dancing to music. For those who know Ivee, you know she loves to move it to the music!!! So, she didn't cry...she wanted to be a part of the party!
Yesterday, I got Ivee's shoes on her and she kept them on all day until we got home. This is a very big ordeal! Last night I dreamed that she walked. I have yet to have this dream when Emmett and friends have. Maybe it will all come to fruition now!
My wireless internet is down, so I can't post the cute pics I have of her until that is resolved. Thanks for checking in and talk at ya soon!

Update on the Family

We are getting settled back in at home. Ivee still sleeps in our room. She has nightmares every night! We are not sure what we are going to do about her right now. She is extremely clingy, but that is understandable. We just don't know how to make her feel safe, besides praying for God to give the poor baby peace. She doesn't seem to have the nightmares when she sleeps in our bed, but then we get even less sleep. She is not a great bed companion.
I am currently in crunch mode for the Christmas production. The hospital stay has put me way behind! I have decided that many things I will just have to delegate to other people, but there is so much still left to do. Be in prayer for me and the worship team at my church as we prepare for that night. It is on Sunday night December 7th at 6:00 P.M. for those who don't come to our church but would like to come see it. The Lord laid the whole concept of the play in my heart back in the summer, and as I was writing it, it all came pretty easily. So, I know that this is not something that I was pushing myself to come up with, but not to say that it isn't still "pushing" me.
On another note, congrats to my friends Deb and Blayne who are expecting their 2nd baby. I am so excited for them! And to Christy and Brad Benton who are expecting their 3rd...maybe a this time?!
Schooling is going well, and the kids like the new curriculum better. So, that is a positive thing!
Thanks for the prayers, and I promise a better update later, maybe with pics.

Just a quick note

We did get to come home on Wednesday. I have just been too busy to blog...so sorry. Ivee finishes her IV meds tonight. I'll be having a little more time once that is over, but then I need to get back to work and teaching the kids. Life doesn't slow down...it just sometimes takes a detour! Thanks for your prayers, and I will see many of you tomorrow.

The day is coming to and end...

and once again...the location is...THE SAME!
They took samples again, and the med was still in her system. So, they are changing to an different and new antibiotic. That means staying here at least another 24 hours to see how she does on that med, and take more . She has to be on antibiotics until Sunday, marking 21 days. At this rate, I'll never have to take any meds home, cause we'll be here FOR-EV-ER~!
And the day started with me not being able to get any return on Ivee's line, so we had to change out her access line. And then they wanted her labs drawn from her by needle for an exact reading. Couldn't get a vein, so they just stuck her finger and squeezed it out.

On another note, I had all three kids in the room today. That was interesting. Especially when Ethan went into the bathroom to read something in his school work (cause it is quiet in there) and he dropped his mechanical pencil in the toilet, which or course he got out by hand. So dramatic Brittney starts over reacting, cause Ethan is touching stuff...all the while the nurse is trying to prep Ivee for a lab draw from the port line, so Ivee is screaming, and Brittney is still doing some ridiculous..."Ethan is disgusting" dance and song, which is extremely loud and over exaggerated. So, of course I had to scream at her to calm down, just as people are walking by the open door. Hope you enjoy my "run on" story.

So, that is the news from the newly named "Foley" wing of USA C&W. I hope lifetime maximum on insurance change soon, cause Ivee is approaching the million dollar max pretty quickly! We guess that if she continues down this path, by the time she's 5, she will reach it!

'Tis not the day...

why does it allude us?
Her levels for the antibiotic were still too high. The doctors just can't risk kidney/renal failure, and that is what can happen if the dose stays too high.
Ivee is in high spirits, even though they had to stick her this morning. They have removed her bandages, and now I know why her belly hurt so much. The 2 inch scar is in her lower abdomen and it is extremely bruised, so the poor baby was just hurting! She is a trooper though! One tough cookie!
We are stuck at USA, whats new, for at least 24 more hours. Thank God there is a window in the room, or the walls would be closing in.
My older kids are really missing their family, but my mom has taken on the responsibility of helping with them. They are trying to do school, but it is difficult when your teacher is in the hospital. They are holding their own, though. When I get home, I will concentrate my time and focus on them and their studies as much as I can.
In the words of my Natalie...so yeah. That's it.

Will it be tomorrow?

The doctors took Ivee's culture last night and said that her levels of vancomycin (antibiotics) were too high. So, they are adjusting her dosage and times of dosing, and are trying to get her on a 24 hour watch. If tonights labs are still not right, we try again for another 24 hour period. So, I am asking...once again...that you join us in prayer that her levels will be right tonight so we can go home tomorrow.

After Surgery...11?

Post Surgery...loving on dadda and loving being held!

I think it is 11...could be more. She came through fine. She hasn't been out of a bed in 10 days, so as soon as we walked in recovery, she wanted to be held. She wouldn't let us put her down for 4 hours. Finally, after everyone had left, and daddy had to go back to work...I had too. The bathroom was calling. After crying for about 5 minutes the pain meds kicked in. She relaxed and is now sleeping in her crib.
We hopefully will be going home Monday. The doctor of infectious disease here wants her on 21 days of antibiotics (we are on day 11), but he said that we continue/finish that at home. It will have to be done through her port, but I can handle that. One of the medicines, vancomycin, has to be monitored though. If not given in the correct volume and strength it has to issues. 1. If not enough, it won't make it to the brain to treat infection or 2. If too much, it can cause kidney damage. So, it is definitely a science.
She should have a pretty descent recovery, but her neck, head and abdomen are sore from fresh incisions. Em and I are trying to careful with her. At least our home is pretty clean, so that will not be a huge issue when we get there.
The poor baby is 50% bald again. I'm not sure what we are going to do, but I do know I am not making any final discussions on it soon.
A special thanks to the Faith Family Preschool (Bright Beginnings) for all the pictures, banners and food. Also, to all the kids in Extended care for making get well pictures of Ivee. To my brother Dave, Becky and Kids: thanks for the care package. That was one "HUGE" bag of dark M&M's. To the Hillard's and Back's: thanks for the candy and balloon. And thanks to all our family! You are always there for us.
My dad is leaving for Mexico tomorrow (he offered to stay home, but some people in Mexico are in need of homes), so pray for safe travels.
That is the news from USA C&W.

The News...

Dr. Martino has come by and has even consulted with Dr. Sanford. They both decided that a shunt will be needed. Ivee already suffered from hydrocephalus (the swelling of the ventricles) because of her tumor and first surgery. This is one of the reasons she always had the "cyst" (pocket of fluid) on the back of her head. Since she already had this problem, when her head was reopened the pressure decided to find a new way out to remove the fluid. She was doing well with the ventriculostomy, but when we raised the bag yesterday to see if she would absorb the fluid, it then began to leak from around the external catheter. So, her head is not absorbing the CSF. The surgery will be tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. It will talk about 1 1/2 hours. She should be able to go straight to the floor instead of ICU. Once she is off antibiotics (Sunday will be the 14 day), then we'll get to go home. We are looking at (probably) Monday or Tuesday. They will have to shave the other side of her head and make two incisions and then an incision near her collar bone. Then the will run the catheter across her stomach to the other side (cause of her g button and scar tissue from the fundiplication. There they will make a final incision.
We were really hoping and praying that she would not need one, but it is just not working out like last time. Could be because it is the 2nd surgery, or cause of the meningitis...just not sure and I guess it really doesn't matter. Please pray as we go through another surgery. Ivee is in a really good mood today, and Dr. Martino is very impressed at how well she has done with this. Em and I are unhappy that she has to undergo another surgery, but what can we do? Nothing. Just pray. Please, keep mommy and daddy in your prayers. Ivee does struggle with being here, but like any other young child, she just goes with the flow. We are the ones that under go the mental and emotional .