GOT SOME DUCT TAPE I CAN BORROW?!

This good mood I'm in? I'm determined to stay in it. After all, life is too short not to be happy, or at least try to be happy. Shit's going to happen. I can't prevent that, and I certainly can't control it. But I can control how I react to the shit happening. I've really been working on that lately. And of course we know I'm mainly talking about the trouble I have getting Colby the supplies and equipment he needs. It's all part of taking care of sweet boy, so I better suck it up and deal with it. Trying! I'm really freaking trying!

The last couple of months have been brutal for Colby's equipment. Seems like every week something else breaks. Getting new stuff approved by insurance has been hit and miss. One morning last week I was in the middle of suctioning Colby and boom, his suction machine stops suctioning. Not cool! That was an easy fix. Called the company that we use for Colby's respiratory supplies, and they overnighted one to us. About a month ago, we noticed the lid on Colby's feeding pump was getting harder and harder to close. Finally one of the hinges broke. We were using a rubber band to hold the feeding pump together so it would work. Nothing like a little redneck ingenuity. That was another easy fix. Called the company we use for feeding supplies, which of course is not the same company we use for respiratory supplies. Another feeding pump was shipped about 3 days later. Boom! Success. Colby has had this really cool alternating pressure mattress for years. Well guess what, yep, it went out over the summer. Getting a new one took some work, but that issue also eventually got resolved. That leaves Colby's wheelchair, a new Mount'n Mover stand and his eye gaze that all need repaired and/or replaced. Lord help me. We have been waiting, and waiting, and waiting for wheelchair parts and labor to be approved. This mess started in March, yes, that's correct, six months ago! Oh no problem, we'll just keep changing the duct tape that holds Colby's power box onto the chair as needed. Seriously, that whole box is about to crap out. I've been calling the wheelchair company twice a week for the last four weeks to check the status. And I'll continue to call twice a week, every week, more if needed, until it's approved and Colby's chair is fixed. Hey, that's just the kind of mama I am. Furthermore, Colby's speech therapist ordered him a new stand for his eye gaze months ago. It's called a Mount'n Mover, and we mount it on his wheelchair to hold his eye gaze when he's sitting in his chair. Again, lots of time has gone by. Waiting for insurance approval. Waiting, and waiting, and more waiting, only to have insurance deny it. Fudgy McFudge Fudge!!! And now, as of five days ago, Colby's eye gaze isn't working. O.M.G. This one is going to be a total mess. The eye gaze isn't under warranty anymore, which means we can't get a loaner. I can't find the original box and shipping material to send it back. Blah, blah, blah.

But am I going to let any of this get on my nerves? Heck no. Not worth it. I mean yes, Colby is worth it, of course. I'm just going to keep making the phone calls, do the follow-up and keep my fingers crossed that the power chair and eye gaze can be fixed in a somewhat timely manner. My new mantra: I refuse to let this stuff get to me. How's that for a new attitude? Yeah, I'm sure I've said that before. Need to remind myself everything will be okay. Colby will get his power chair and eye gaze fixed, somehow, some way. Hoping it's sooner than later.

But on a side note: nursing is going really, really well around here. Hate to even say that, might be jinxing it. We have 2 full time and 2 part time nurses who work specific shifts on specific days. We only have one shift opening per week. I can't tell you the last time we had this much coverage. Probably never. Very pleased will all our nurses right now. They all do a great job caring for Colby, and they seem to accept my cra-craziness rather well.

Okay, enough for today. I've done a lot of phone call making and e-mail sending this week. I think tomorrow I actually may get the day off from it all. I won't know what to do with my time! Kidding! I have laundry and yard work waiting on me. Good night, blog readers.