charles statman

Thursday, 4pm.

A photo is worth a thousand words?


He made it home



And is back in his crib. though with nose tube and tape moustache (his eyes are not really glowing satanic red.)

this afternoon he took 2 bottles with no problem. However, this evening, he was back to his old habits. 1/2 bottle, then 1/2 through the nose tube.

We have learned how to insert and remove the NG tube, as well as how to check placement.

There IS a chance he will come home tomorrow, but need to be fed and monitored regularly. with nose tube if he does not finish bottle.

home = good news.

ok, quick, cause I am tired

eeg - good

cat & MRI - good

OTPT visit today - good with conditions

he eats the first ounce with vigor

when he is on IV and tube fed, he gains weight

so he can eat, and he can process the food


OTPT says his suck is strong. but he has low muscle tone, and may
want to be a couch potato growing up.

The thought is he has silent reflux. after the first ounce, he feels
good. the second ounce causes a burp or a reflux, and the acid hurts
a little, so he has learned, 1 ounce? no pain.

so we are feeding him 1 oz by bottle, next oz by NG tyube

he may be able to come home wednesday or thursday


The hospital Admissions called, and wanted me to pay the co-pay.

as of today, $2896. going up daily, and will cap at $4k

So I wrote a $1k check, and will write more later.

Yikes, what an expensive hotel! :)

had pizza last night.

Saras folks stayed at hospital, we slept at home

got to hospital in time for feeding, he took 2 oz normally, through bottle, but has NG tube

He got EEG, to test brian activity

Met with Nurologist to go over CT Scan & MRI. Everything is in normal limits. He has one part of his brian that is a little small, but nothing to worry about, and he will probably grow it bigger.

Neurologist will stop by at 5pm tonight, with EEG results.


I had to leave to go back to work, Sara meets with Occupational therapist to figure out ways to improve his sucking.

I'm headed back to hospital, we will see what we have learned. It is beginning to look like he won't get to go home till thursday.

then it will involve a feeding tube, schedules, etc. but at least at home


C

this just in.

MRI Results. Nothing is wrong with his brain. He has a little extra spinal fluid, that we will monitor, as it may cause pressure on the brain in the future, but not an issue now. We will watch it

But nothing wrong with his noggin.

He's just a lazy one like his old man

We'll continue to feed him, and hope he can come home tuesday or wednesday


and keep getting tube fed.

YIKES

Sara said he did not perform well last night, she looks wore out.

I got to the hospital after working the morning. Just in time to get him all prepped, and out to MRI.

MRI pulled his tube, so that has to be reinserted.

I took sara to lunch at Goodies Good Eats on Bascom, she had a tuna melt.

Back to hospital, he was out of MRI, recovery, then back to the room. Sara tried to get him to eat some pedialyte from a bottle. less than an ounce.

I left to come home & clean up before they re-inserted the tube.

No results yet

GI Doc McKracken suggested he may be okay to go home with tube on Wednesday

I do not know results from MRI

My head hurts

Photos Julz took 2 days ago:

Sara said he had a rough night last night, he does not like eating, still, and had to use nose tube. She did not rest at all.

I am at work now, and will head over around noon, to see what happens with him

She did say he was up to 8lbs this morning, so the nose tube and food in is helping.


Oh, and I downloaded SKYPE. it is a program that lets you call other skype users on your computer. Sort of a virtual IP phone service.

So if I am online and have time, I will try to chat on Skpe. If I am not able to, I'll mark it as busy, or I will be offline.

C

what a day.

I slept on the couch to try and keep any distractions (snoring, farting, rolling) from waking her. Sara seemed to get some sleep.

we got up, & I made eggs & Soyrizo for Kate & Sara. Then we went to the hospital to relieve Buzz & Sue. Tarzan was not eating his best, and they had to put in a NG tube (nose to guts but I am sure there is a better name)

It was out when we got there, and he was active and moving. But fighting eating.

The GI doc put him on a different breast milk enhancer formula, which should absorb, and taste better. Guess what? Still a picky eater.

Sara & I walked around the hospital, Mike & Evie showed up, then they took Tarzan for a walk around the hospital (on the outside, he loves outside)

I went to See's to get some chocolates for the nurses. YAY Nurses. If you know any Nurses, give them a hug. Nurses are the best.

At 3pm, he would not eat. we had a fight to get in the food.

4pm, Matt, Racfhel & Hallie arrived, and forced us to go to? CRAZY BUFFET! Buzz, Sue, Kate, Rachel, Matt, Hallie & I went to CRAZY BUFFET. Hallie tried an Oyster! Woo HOO.

Then back to the hospital

Dr. Contini stopped by arond 5:30. He incredibly helped calm Sara. WOW, YAY.

At 6pm, we decided to put a 30-day NG tube in him. It was a difficult, but the correct decision. He how has a tube sticking out of his nose, and we got 27 calories in 2oz in his guts in record time, no fight, no calories burned trying to get them in.

No MRI today will scheudle for tommorrow. And tomorrow he meets Occupational Thearpist, who will try to improve his suck.

The night nurse met with Sara, and we decided her push tonight will be let Sara sleep, while feeding Tarzan.

Then I went to the restaurant we ate Wednesday to get her sunglasses.

Then home. I took a hot tub. But we have not been in it for a month. Lots of buildup of salts, I scrubbed with a brush and rubbed it with a rag so it will be smooth.


Tomorrow? Work for me till noon.

Sara will watch the kiddo, he will have OTT and MRI

if he eats enough? He may get to come home.

We seem to know what coctail to drop in the feeding tube.

He should gain 1-2 oz/day. He was 7lbs, 1oz at birth. He was 7lbs 11oz today. 5 weeks 1 day after his birth. We gotta get him up to weight.


go thank a nurse. think "eat eat eat" for Saul.


C

tarzan is not so well. he is not eating as well as he should

he is up to 7lbs 11 oz,

the neurologist will run MRI tomorrow, that will require him being sedated.

either:
there is something wrong in his brain
he has silent reflux, and it is hard to eat
he is underweight and not strong enough
there is another reason we do not know, why he is not processing food

i think they will put a tube in his nose soon if he does not eat more, and feed him with that.

i am tired

(pardon my spelling, I am tired)

Yesterday (Friday) Saul ate a little, gained a little weight, and made a little progress.

We saw Dr. McCracken, the GI. She theorizes that he "got behind in his feeding schedule" and dropped weight. Just like Dr. Contini, she wants to see what happens when he comes up to weight.

He had a CT Scan, all the nurses went on and on about how cute he is.

In the afternoon, we met the Neurologist, Dr Ted, I forgot his last name, but it is written down somewhere. He rides motorcycles. He checked out the kid, and said he seems mostly normal. But he does have "large equipment". yay. :) Tarzan will be popular with the ladies.

There was also some commenting on how he has his head turned left too much, so we prop him up to turn to the right now.

Matt came by, Sara, her dad, Matt & I went to Cardinal lounge for early dinner.

When we got back, there was a party in the hospital. Sara's mom was there with Julia & Mike & Evie. So Tarzan had lots of attention.

It was a struggle to get him to eat his last feeding, so everyone left, and we got some food in him.

Then I went home to sleep.

This morning, we are on our way back to the hospital, and will pick up Kate at the airport.

Sadly missing our pal Marra & Kenyon's wedding tonight, but phoned, they understand.

Hope all's well for everyone else.

C

Don't PANIC

Saul is back in the hospital for the weekend. Sara went to see Gastrointerologist on Thursday. Saul was a little deheydrated, and not eating. And still only 7lbs 4oz

So he got checked into Good Samaritain Hospital Thursday at 4pm. He has an IV to give him fluids, and he is on a very strict feeding schedule, every 3 hours, ~2oz+2packets breast milk enhancer, so he is getting ~24 calories every 3 hours.

Friday (today) at 2pm, he weighed about 7lbs, 8 oz

so he is gaining weight

This morning he had a CT scan, and his brain is normal.

The Gastrointerology team wants to watch how much he is eating, and monitor his weight gain.

He will probably stay in hospital till Sunday or Monday.

worst case? feeding tube in nose to stomach.


I am scattered, I will try to keep updated, thanks for all good thoughts

C

Fight Terror with? Anti Terror!


YAY, a kindred soul. He UNDERSTANDS

I'm not quite sure what it is, but the video is great. My sister sent me this link, about "redneck games" in Longview, my home town
(turns out its in Kilgore, close to my hometown)

I spoke to my Uncle Irv yesterday, then my dad today, always great to hear from them

Tarzan is doing well.

poop. clean poop.

But, he did get to go out to a schmancy Italian joint for a business dinner last night? And behaved perfectly.


though I am not sure about his wine selection. He may need to wait a while before ordering again. :D

ya always read in the news about some guy in Los Angeles freaking out with a gun, then being swarmed by officers, and taken out.

Well, in Texas, they teach boys how to shoot. Sadly, 4 officers down, and the suspect is still in his apartment.

California - bad aim, good for news report
Texas - good aim, bad for news report, bad for officers.

And Texas cops are a heck of a lot more competent than California cops, from my experience.

I am tired. I don't know why I am so tired. Sara does the work. I just lay around and clean stuff. But I am tired.

Thursday we weighed in. 7lbs. almost 4 weeks, and he is almost back to his birthweight. Dr. Contini is still concerned, but I take it as a very good sign his appetite is up, and he is gaining.

Today our pal Liza drove over from Santa Cruz to visit. She and Sara made some costume implements, I'll let the photos speak for themself



arts & crafts on a Saturday afternoon


dressing for the fashion show


Tarzan does not seem to like the one mommy made, OR! He is practicing his jungle call


He does like the one Auntie Liza made


Closeup Detail


Posers


Dad, is this the Shocker?


Why is he flashing bright lights in my face? WHY?


looking at you

fascinating story on NPR today, on magicians and card sharks

text here

so if you did not already know, yes, I am a NPR listener and geek


Sara just sent this photo from last Sunday Saul's first trip to the Sherwood for Steak & Eggs & Bloody Marys

of course, he is sitting at the far end of the table, hiding out in his car chair, pretending he is not there.

in shock at being allowed to hang out on dad's bed

Sorry folks, today's post is actually more for my pal Flash, and some information transfer. (click for bigger pix)


right side view slash 2 frame, slash 5 750 motor


rear view


closeup of drieveshaft detail (rear brake needs to be hooked up. Will also have 'outrigger' foot pedal for sidecar brake


left side view


front


coil mounted in case


tryng to preserve vintage lines


powder coated frame, triple clamps, swingarm. painted tank, headlight & fenders

cable to master cyl mounted under tank, dual disks

taillight will be slash 5 pod with signals, and seperate wire to sidecar brake light

has bar-end turn signals

has 'heavy duty' sidecar springs for rear (phil has offered to rework suspension)

Mikuni carbs

all slash 5 electrics

slash 6 5-speed tranny? Motor & tranny rebuilt by Bob Grauer (Sara's mechanic) then about 10k miles as solo, disassembled for paint & powder, coming back together


also has 15" wheels laced to matching hubs, if I want them, with car tires mounted, your advice on those?

Has both solo & wide long touring seat

plan is to finish bike ~ september, in parallel, disassemble Jupiter sidcar, powdercoat sidecar frame to match, have tub painted.

YAY, Saul is gaining weight


in other news? I am totally speechless about this.

who knew the market even existed

artwork from David Malki

because truly, it is not about how many died, it is not about how horrible it WAS.

Terrorism is about getting Americans to willingly give up their freedoms, and slowly erode the democracy our forefathers fought to build

Every thing you cannot do:
take nail clippers, fluids, etc on a plane
take photos in a public place

Everything you willingly submit to:
national ID cards
unlawful search & siezure

Every little idea you give up on:
I am responsible for my own freedom
I have the right to choose
the government should not have 'secret laws'

all these things? Are signs the terrorists have won.

Every idiot I see interviewed on TV saying "oh well, if it makes things safer...." makes me want to barf.

Saftey is an illusion. Freedom is what you should be fighting for.

Say Kids, use caution at all times




Cause ya never know.


Well, today Tarzan got a breast milk supplement that adds calories. We'll see if it brings his weight up.

and I am having an interesting adventure, but I am not yet ready to post about it

C

photos for people


Sara & Saul (the awake Monkey)


What we had for dinner tonight


sleepy monkey


sleepy Tarzan on his play mat from the Rabasa Family


Practicing his racing tuck, on Mom. Actually, that's more of a landspeed record bike position....

Six Sigma. Brilliant Management Style, or Failing Management Strategy.

Metrics. I hear it over and over. You have to measure and improve. And I must say, it's got me burning mad.

Jack Welch turned General Electric around, on his Six Sigma approach. Then he began management practice of grading on a curve, and whacking the bottom 10% of managers. Sadly, many corporations interpret this as whacking the bottom 10%.

Jack Welch also divorced his second wife Jane Beasley in 2003, to marry Suzy Wetlaufer who resigned from the Harvard Business Review in 2002, after admitting affair with Jack.

Wait a minute. Divorced in 2003, affair in 2002? Anyone else follow that math?

Well, what's happeining to Jack's students? Some of them are failing. Here's my favorite summary paragraph from Slate Magazine

A judgment on the success of the former GE hands shouldn't be made simply on how faithful they were to the Gospel According to Jack. Instead, it should be based on how judiciously they apply Welch's lessons to their particular situations and how well they develop their own strategies. The test is not how well they can manage like Jack, but how well they can manage like themselves.

who knew? Listening to sexually explicit music can cause teens to go on a rampage, according to the washington post.

1 in 5. where were these girls when I was a teen?

Vandals! Have struck my office. When I got in to work this morning, I discovered vandals struck and turned my office into a jungle, to celebrate Tarzan's arrival.

Sunday, Sleepy Sunday!

Last night Dale & Joan invited us over. Steak AND Halibut, on a bed of green polenta. Yummy, oh Lord, he possibly saved my life. Tarzan sat in the car seat and was quiet, polite and napping.

All this past week I've been getting grumpy. Sara gave me a hall pass for today, and Tia Julia & I went to Metcalf Motorcycle Park, and rode dirtbikes. She was borrowing Sara's TTR, you know, to keep it running.

I am convinced, there is something in my brain's chemistry that gets shaken up and rewired by riding motorcycles. Julia's knee was hurting, so we called it a quick and early ride. Got there at 10 till 8am, left at 9:40.

I rode trail #1 to warm up, we did it twice, then Julia needed a rest, so I went out on the motocross track. I still can't hit the double, but I got some nice airs, and was having fun. Went back to parking lot, and took her on trail #2. She was not enjoying it, her knee reportedly felt like "jello". So back in to the parking lot, 2 more laps of MX track, 3 quick runs on trail #1, and I was almost out of gas.

Which is good. You don't want to store mixed 2 stroke gas, it gets gummy and sick.

So the KTM is nearly empty, and we load up and head back home. I managed to have everything washed, cleaned, and in the garage by 11:30.

And mentally? I feel great. I'm tired all the time, even though I sleep through the night. When I am up, I clean bottles, breast pump bits, do laundry, change diapers, rock kiddo to sleep. But that is about it, and mentally it tires me.

So a quick dirt bike ride was just wonderful

Sara is spending the afternoon talking with her pal Skye, who also just had a baby a few months ago. They are chatting all about stuff, it is good, makes Sara happy.

I went to the grocery store, with baby barf on my shirt. The cashier noticed, and was about to say something as she picked up the diapers, and it all made sense to her.

YAY kid.

Yay Sara!

Yay Dirt bike ride

why haven't I been up to date?

I am tired. VERY tired. And really? I am sleeping through the night. Sara handles the 2 late night feedings. I ask her to wake me up, but she just takes care of it.

however, I am very good with bottle washing, diaper changing, baby cleaning, laundry, and stuff like that.

Next week I go back to work. ugh.

oh, my Flickr Photosets

So a long time ago, I had the discussion about young kids riding motorcycles. I know there are some sponsored motocrossers at 3 yrs old. Here are some pics of some Japanese pocketbike racers. Say what you will, but these are young kids, on very fast bikes.

Tarzan will learn on dirt first.

doodlebug wheelie!

Michelle sent me this. With the recent heat wave in San Jose, I thought it was appropriate

YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN TEXAS IN JULY WHEN....

The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.

The trees are whistling for the dogs.

The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.

Hot water now comes out of both taps.

You can make sun tea instantly.

You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron!

The temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little chilly.

You discover that in July it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.

You discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.

You actually burn your hand opening the car door.

You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m.

Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end
up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"

You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.

The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out
and add butter, salt and pepper.

Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from
laying boiled eggs.

The cows are giving evaporated milk.

Ah, what a place to call home.

God Bless Our State of TEXAS !!