That's One Big Boy!

 

I took this picture several months ago when the kids and I went with my mom to Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC. Believe me when I tell you that this turtle was huge!  He was right up against the fence, and we all got to reach over and touch his shell.  I made certain we all stayed away from that mouth, though.

My son has been having some health issues.  I know, what does a huge turtle have to do with Ryan?  Nothing really, except that they are both big boys.  

Last weekend, Ryan started complaining of chest pain.  He said it was hard to take a deep breathe, and he felt like he wasn't breathing right.  I assumed he was getting sick, so I told him to take it easy and rest.  Monday, he came home from school with a migraine level headache, and all he wanted to do was sleep.  I was trying to figure out what was causing him to feel this way when it occurred to me that he recently started back on his ADHD medicines.  

Tuesday morning I called my doctor, just to see if he could suddenly develop side effects from medications he has been on for years.  When the nurse called me back, she informed me that the doctor wanted to see him ASAP.  Since I was at work I couldn;t get him up there before about 5.  They stop seeing patients at 4.  

This should tell you how awesome my doctor is...he waited on us to get there.  They checked Ryan's blood pressure, and it was 156/94.  Yeah, way to high for a 15 year old boy.  They said it was probably higher the night before, which would have been the cause of his headache and chest pain.  He told me to stop both medications immediately, and to bring him back Thursday morning for blood work.

I wasn't able to get off work, so my mom took him.  When they got there, not only did they take his blood, they also did a chest xray and EKG. They are waiting for the results from the blood work before they decide whether or not to do an echo-cardiogram.  Scared me to death when my mom called and told me.  My doctor also sent a note to Ryan's school asking the nurse to check his blood pressure several times a week and fax him the results.  When he had it checked Friday, it was 112/60, which is a lot better than what it was. 

I can not tell you how relieved I am, since it kind of confirms that it was his medications causing the problem.

That said, my doctor also wants Ryan to lose weight.  He put him on a strict diet, especially watching his sodium, which contributes to the high blood pressure.  He recommended walking, so every day Ryan has been doing just that.  This morning, I joined him in a walk to the grocery store.  It was nice spending time with him without the girls.  It gave us a chance to talk about anything he wanted to.

So, for now, I am waiting to hear the results of all the tests, keeping my fingers crossed that everything comes back normal, proving he is a healthy teenager.

Kinda Wordless Wednesday

When we went to the zoo a couple of weeks ago, the kids had fun milking the fake cow. It was actually kind of gross...it really looked like utters. They squeezed, and some kind of milky liquid came out. When they were done, we went and fed the real cow, which was just as gross. You had to see the tongue on that thing!

Wordless Wednesday ~ 9/16

Check out the baby flamingo. We were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of this little fellow. The zoo keeper said they only let them out for a few minutes every day to be with their moms, and we just happened to be there at the right time. There were two babies, but one kept hiding in the tall grass. As cute as they are, I have got to say that the whole exhibit smelled horrible...it was the worst smell in the whole zoo!

Conquering The Rock Wall

We were at the zoo yesterday, and my kids spotted the rock wall. All three wanted to try, but I knew Brandi wouldn't get two feet up it. Ryan and Kasi, however, are big enough, so I let them have a go at it.

I took this shot right before Ryan looked down and lost it. He didn't realize how high he was, and it freaked him out.

Of course, as soon as Kasi saw him drop, she dropped.

I am pretty impressed they made it as high as they did, because I know I would never be able do it. I am petrified of heights.

Maybe next time he won't look down until he's at the top.

My Favorite Picture From The Zoo

My mom getting attacked by the birds! They sell little cups of nectar, and send you in an enclosure with all these birds. The past few times we have been, the birds weren't hungry. This morning, though, they acted like they were starving, and attacked us as soon as we walked in. At one point, I had about five lined up on my arm and shoulder. This is my sister Colleen. She had six on her arm. Poor Carson (her son) didn't know if he should laugh or cry, until one landed on his head, then he was screaming! I thought it was funny!

Zoo

We didn't end up going to the zoo last Monday, so we are going tomorrow. It should be interesting because I still can't really take a deep breath. I'm hoping the walking won't kill me, and that the fresh air will do me some good. I would stay home, but come on, you all know I can not pass up an opportunity to see the elephants.

Don't worry. I plan on taking lots of pictures.

Fun Day At The Zoo

We had a great time at the zoo yesterday. It rained for a few minutes while we were waiting in line to go in, but that was it. The rest of the day was comfortable...not too hot...which was great. We ended up going to a little zoo in Greenville, but they had elephants, so I was happy. It was small enough that the kids didn't get bored, and they had a huge playground outside of it where we had a nice picnic lunch, and the kids got to play. Brandi started running a little fever while we were there, and was complaining of a tummy ache, but she toughed it out, and feels 100% better this morning.

We are about to head of for a day of fishing, swinging, and duck feeding. We're meeting my mom at the park in about an hour, so I really need to get a move on....

Well, This Sucks

What happened to thursday thirteen? I know it's been a few weeks, but now I can't find them. Did I miss something?

****Tammy answered and said TT is no more. This really sucks, because it was the only weekly meme I consistently participated in. What do you do on Thursdays?****

You can tell which kids are mine...the rest are their cousins.
We had such a fun time.
Going on New Years Eve, there was hardly anyone there.
Or maybe that was because it is wintertime.
Whatever the reason, we got to see all the animals, and it wasn't crowded.
And...as a bonus...it didn't have that summertime smell!

Watch Out Elephants, Here We Come!

We are headed to the zoo tomorrow. By we, I mean all 17 of us! That's five adults, and twelve kids. It's about an hour and a half drive, so that's not too much fun. I love seeing the elephants (of course!) and hate the penguin house. It always smells like poop. The reptile house is fun, and the kids always ride the carousel. We pack a picnic lunch, because the zoo has a wooded area with picnic tables where we like to sit and have lunch. Of course I will take tons of pictures, so I will have lots to share in future camera critters!