What the heck?

...is going on with the grandkids? My brand-new grandson (5 weeks old today) is just out of surgery to correct a pyloric stenosis. I got the call from my frazzled Elder Son yesterday. He and his wife had spent the afternoon and all night in the Childrens' Hospital. Baby was diagnosed with pyloric stenosis and booked for surgery this morning.

Geez- what a way to begin life!

And my granddaughter (who just had her 1st birthday) has GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). What's with these babies and their tummies?

Fortunately, this stuff can be corrected today. Baby Grandson with surgery. Baby Granddaughter hopefully without surgery.

My younger son asked "what happened years ago to babies like this?"
"They would die". I told him factually.

He doesn't know what it's like living in a world where babies die routinely from infections or conditions correctable only through surgery. Come to think of it - neither do I. I grew up with antibiotics and vaccinations. I remember my mother giving me horrible-tasting medicine in the middle of the night. In those days they had to wake us "round the clock" for antibiotics. My sister and I had our tonsils out and one of my brothers was rushed to hospital for an appendectomy.

Today, not only do we have state-of-the-art equipment, diagnostic tools and medications, but internet information, message boards and support sites for every condition under the sun.

There's a strong wind howling outside today. Treetops blowing around crazily like upside down brooms, look like they might snap off and zap our roof! A downpour of freezing rain kept me from going out this morning; not only because of hazardous driving conditions, but also the constant fear of a power outage. It's always worse in winter. Ten years ago we had that famous "ice storm" that plunged us in darkess for almost 3 weeks. Fortunately, Hubby did not have COPD then. A power outage was inconvenient.
Now it's life-threatening.

This weird weather usually brings on headaches. Hubby feels out-of-sorts. But today, he's having a Good Day. His rehab exercises went well this morning. And when he can do his exercises without fatigue, or having-to-stop-because-his-heartrate-is-too-high-or-his-oxygen- sats-too-low, we celebrate!!

Strange weather, sick babies, and well COPD'ers. Is this how we learn to "expect the unexpected"???