Public Service Announcement Time

In the wee hours of the night of October 10th something woke me from my sleep.  I am not sure what it was.  Bubba was wedged in between us (as he normally wanders down the hall at night).  The TV was on (as it is when Hubby and I both crash hard and forget to turn it off. And Hush HUBBY, I am getting better about turning it off.) 

I woke up, my hand went to my right ta-ta and I felt a lump.

I had never noticed it before and I knew it wasn’t there at my annual exam back in the spring.

I felt physically sick.  Maybe I was dreaming?? 

I didn’t fall asleep and spent most of the what remained of the night in a state of worry.

As soon as it was 8:30 in the morning I called my GYN office.  As you may or may not recall I’ve spent some time with them over the past couple of years with this idiot uterus of mine…(that issue is all fine for now if you are wondering….)

And since they know and love me – they worked me in that morning. 

FYI – all this happened the morning the preschool teacher wanted to have a chat with me about Bubba’s fine motor skills…I told you it had been a BAD morning…

When my favorite gyn doctor came in the first thing he said was “let me just say – regardless of what I find you will go to have a DIAGNOSTIC mammogram”. 

Dr. J felt the lump to – he said he was quite sure it was a “nothing” lump (benign cyst) but again – he was sending me for the mammogram that they would schedule.

Well – today was my DIAGNOSTIC MAMMOGRAM.   The gals in the office are so nice and so caring as they mash the shit out of my boobs…..which is NOT a complaint but a fact…….from the mammogram part I was then put in another room for an ultrasound.  The tech then left and went to get the radiologist who read everything right then and then came in and did another ultrasound.

All tests show that I am FINE – it is a tissue mass (think she called it a lobular tissue mass).

I got a big check mark on my sheet that said NORMAL.

So ladies……as a reminder – go get those ta-ta’s mashed!  Please!  If you think there is a problem – call your doctor – call my doctor – call somebody – but don’t wait!

Dear Preschool Teacher

Dear Bubba’s Preschool Teacher,

Thank you so much for offering to have Bubba evaluated for fine motor skill delays as I dropped him off for school this morning as you stood in the doorway wiping your runny nose– in front of the other mother’s who cannot seem to just drop their kids off and leave.  (but that is a story for another day)

You pointing out that you think he is delayed was so very uplifting to me this morning.  I said, “thank you but no. We have had him evaluated – many times- and he passes all benchmarks as far as fine motor skills go.  It’s his gross motor skills that we KNOW are lagging.”  Thank you for repeating yourself…..several times.  Even after I said “no thank you, he’s fine”.  Thank you for then saying “but they would come here, to school, do it”.  Again, I said “no, he’s fine”.  You forced me to pull out the big guns.  “HE HAS BEEN EVALUATED.  HE HAS A NEUROLOGIST and and ORTHOPEDIST that say his fine motor skills are just fine.”  I am more aware than most parents what his skills are……

I am sorry that when you sat him down to watch him, to evaluate him, that he didn’t want to do it. You wanted him to cut that paper.  Guess what – he isn’t the most compliant kid in those situations.  Maybe because HE HAS DONE THIS PLENTY OF TIMES…..he has been asked more times than the rest of the kids in the class combined to stand up, sit down, hop, touch his toes, make a circle, draw a line, cut paper, bounce a ball and catch a ball….he knows the routine.  And guess what HE DOES NOT LIKE IT!

But since I know he can use a pair of scissors, and does so quite nicely- let it go.  He colors and draws when he wants to.  He has NO interest in learning to write letters – NONE.  Let it go.  He will – whether it’s this week, this month or next year. He will.  Just as every child does – in their own time…and guess what…. I don’t really give to rats butts. 

What you don’t know is that his fine motor skills work just fine – when it’s on his terms.  Ask him to play a PS3 round of FIFA 2014….Ask him to use the touchpad on his brother’s laptop and pull up Nick Jr games all by himself.  Ask him to call his dad at work using my smartphone.  Get in the floor with him and color – don’t ask him to write his name….ask him to stand on a kitchen stool and help you cut veggies for a salad  (because yes I do let him do that).    

What you seemed to forget is that while YOU think I care two hoots if he is writing his name at 4 years old – and I get that a lot of parents are hung up on this….but not me.  What I really care about is that he is around friends and can play and have some fun.   What I care about is that my child, born “just a tad too early'”, survived a GRADE THREE freaking brain bleed with very little long term damage done.What I care about is that he has no long term lung damage.  What I care about is that he has no heart problems.  What I care about is that he has no problems eating, nope, no food aversions here. 

What I care about is that my little miracle baby is ALIVE and well.  Because he is well – and he is going to be JUST FINE –

Even if he doesn’t want to cut the damn paper!

Thank you again,

Bubba’s mom

 

(Disclaimer – I do know that she had he best intentions when she talked to me this morning.  Swear – but when I said no thank you for the 3rd time…she should have stopped)