Sunday, May 9, 2010 – Today we celebrated 2 birthdays and Mother’s Day. Kellee and Kerry share the same birthday only they were born two years apart. I used to say it was just great planning on our part for our first two boys to be born on the same day but I know better. In the morning Kellee went to The Bridge in Ottumwa and Heidi, Kory & I went over to my sister Cindy’s house for a visit. Cindy’s son Marc was there with his wife Mandy and their 5 month old daughter Henley Joy. We had not had the opportunity to meet their little bundle of joy yet so it was a good opportunity to finally see the baby we had heard so much about. Plus my other sister Sue was there too. After visiting there we left and went to grandma Faithe’s for a combination birthday and Mother’s Day meal. Grandma had fixed one of the boys’ favorite meals, ham balls with cheese potatoes. However, Kellee said that he could not taste it very well, all he got out of it was the texture, but very little taste. Now grandma thought it was because she didn’t use enough salt, but Kellee said that wasn’t it. Another side effect is appearing, his taste buds are being impacted and food does not taste the same. (On a side note, certain smells get to him as well. He said he even does not like the smell of his deodorant now because it reminds him of the treatments. He is going to change brands once treatments are completed. Heidi also picked up a room air freshener refill to take along to the Hope Lodge this week because Kellee mentioned the “sanitized” smell in the room there as a potential annoyance as well.) After we ate, there was the opening of cards and gifts and a there was much rejoicing. Kellee was tired and was leaving to go home and take a nap when Kelsey asked Kerry, what about the photos? For about every year since grandma moved to Pella when we celebrate the boys’ birthday, she has them hold up a piece of paper with their age on it and she takes a photo. We were able to catch Kellee before he left and took a couple of photos, of course they don’t always cooperate by standing still and holding the signs in the correct orientation!
Kellee and Kerry with their birthday signs.
The rest of the afternoon was a combination of naps, laundry and other prep work for the week. Heidi accompanies Kellee this week to Iowa City and will need to go through the Hope Lodge orientation as care giver there. Please pray for them this week. Heidi is still concerned about finding and preparing food for Kellee which is healthy and now with the new wrinkle of his taste buds throwing him a curve ball, it just adds to her concern over the food issue. The focus of the radiation this week is the ventricles of the brain, it is possible the side effects of being tired and nausea will be lessened, but the doctor was sure to warn us since everyone is different and reacts differently, don’t get our expectations up too high thinking it will automatically be better.
