Last week, we pushed our clinic to consider some additional therapies in the hopes of finally getting Lemon back to respiratory baseline after over two months of ups, downs, and various forms of antibiotics. We still haven't heard whether our insurance will cover the inhaled antibiotic Cayston for off-label use, but they did cover Flovent (a corticosteroid inhaler) without batting and eye. And, I'm glad they did--after 48 hours on it, Lemon was cough-free for the first time in ages. Of course, he's still on levofloxacin so the big challenge will be in 10 days or so when that ends, and we see if he can finally sustain his respiratory health on his own. Fingers crossed. At the moment, the plan is to stay on Flovent until spring, and we're still looking to get a second opinion with hopefully some additional new ideas (no progress on that yet, still waiting on insurance coverage). But, for the first time in a couple of months, I feel like we may be on the right track, or at least we've found the first step onto the right track. And I am very thankful for that.
Other than that, it was a fairly quiet week, in as much as having a one year old, a three year old, and a four-day holiday weekend can be quiet. We enjoyed a fast vegetarian Thanksgiving lunch with Nona and Opa, and then found various ways to keep the kids amused and out of trouble over the next three days. We went to the indoor farmer's market, the grocery store, the children's museum, and a donut shop. And we talked to friends and family scattered across this big country that we live in. I am very thankful for all of them, and their support. It is reassuring to see that even though we don't see each other in person quite as often any more, they are still out there waiting for us at the other end of the internet.Lime is starting to learn lots of words. As befits his Wisconsin roots, the first vehicle name that he learned was "tractor," followed in rapid succession by "bus" and "dump truck." He knows what the horse, the cow, and the sheep say. And, in true Badger style, the two foods that he can clearly ask for by name are "milk" and "cheese." All other foods he still asks for by pointing at and grunting with such vigor that his whole head turns red. And when I say all other foods, I mean exactly that. I kid you not when I say that this child was in tears the other night because I decided to limit the number of roasted Brussels sprouts that I was willing to give him as a snack before dinner. I'm thankful to have this lovely little person who appreciates food in my life!
