Six tubes Connected To Lauren, Ouch!

By Shannon's Mommy:

Finally I am here to write about Lauren's big operation and I'm soo so so glad it's over, over, OVER!!!!

Her op was initally scheduled on 10th, but I guess from my last post, all of you would have known that we had to postpone it because she was coughing. Her rescheduled date was 24th March, though I was hoping we could get a earlier date.

As the surgeon only operates every Wednesday, the only earlier date I could bank on was 17th. Boy, did I pray and pray! Every night and morning without fail, calling the hospital without fail to see whether anyone pulled out on 17th so that we could get in, and God didn't dissappoint us! On 15th, Monday, the final day that we could reschedule the date, we got 17th! Thank you God!

On 16th, Tuesday, I bought her to KK for blood tests, oxygen levels tests, and to get her particulars recorded.

And on Wednesday morning we bought her down by 7am in the morning to be prepped and prepared for surgery. It was a draining experience, waiting and waiting and waiting, answering the same questions over and over and over again. I'm sure the hospital just wanted to ensure that no mistake has occurred, by answering the same questions like 6 times?

Anyway, we were the first people into the waiting area, and the last to be bought upstairs to the Op waiting area. And inside, I had to wait with her for another 45min.... turned out her surgeon had to do a last min case and hence the delay.

Inside the Op Waiting area, in her hospital scrubs

The nurses finally bought us into the OT at about 1030am. The nurse tried to get a vein in her hand without success, so in the end, they had to use the gas to put her to sleep.

The Op lasted beyond the 2 hours, and Mal and I got worried. The nurses finally called us in at close to 1pm. Lauren was really drowsy and slept on, crying a little at times. She had 3 big tubes protruding from her wound below her belly button, and her toe was hooked up to a sensor detecting oxygen level and heartbeat. She also had two IV tubes to the vein in her left hand, one for morphine, the other for fluids. That was six tubes connected to Lauren, ouch!

Down and Out, after the Op, see the tubes everywhere?

The 3 tubes from her wound, one full of blood

Closer look at the 3 tubes

They wheeled her to a high dependcy ward, making us concerned as the nurses had mentioned that only complications get wheeled to high dependency ward. I tried to query the nurses but nobody could give me a answer.

We spent one night at the high dependency ward. Lauren was cranky and thowing up as she reacted badly to the morphine. We were also concerned as one of the tubes seem to be draining blood, blood and nothing but blood. At one stage, her IV leaked and a fountain of blood pooled and stained my pants in a big patch.

Her wound also seemed to be leaking, and her hospital gown got stained with blood. It didn't do any good that one junior doctor opted to have her blood soaked dressing changed but was vetoed by another, saying it wasn't necessary at all. I got frustrated by the constant garble of different doctors coming and going, and nobody seemed to want to talk to us. The only way I could get some answers was to stop doctors and hound them for answers before they would entertain us.

Finally one doctor, a Indian lady, Dr. Rama or similiar, I couldn't catch her name, came by. She had a air of authority and made me feel at ease at once. She looked at Lauren's dressing, and decided to change it and she did a brillant job. She painstakingly removed the blood soaked dressing, cleaned her area with saline, and taped it up so nicely, that angel!

A Senior consultant also approached us and apologised that Lauren's surgeon was caught up in meetings and couldn't come by. She answered all our questions with ease, very different from the junior doctors.

On the second day, we finally managed to get a single room and was moved up to the General ward.

Her surgeon came by and told us that the Op was a success and was quite straight forward. She mentioned that the problem with Lauren's urethers was not because the valve could not close properly, but because her tube opening was unusually big, hence the leakage. The surgeon solved the problem by crisscrossing both tubes and making a longer tunnel in her bladder.

Lauren started feeling pain leter in the morning, and we got the nurses to page for a doctor to come and assess the situation. It took a full hour for the doctor to finally arrive. By that time, she was writhing around the bed, crying and hitting and pulling at her diaper area. The doctor looked at her, and said, 'Oh, don't let her do that!' Yeah, right, So why do you think we have been pushing for you to come?

I was at the end of my tether, and I have to say I snapped at him, 'yes, I know, she's been doing that for close to an hour already, just waiting for YOU to come! So how, doctor, can you do something? Like NOW!?'

She finally calmed down after the nurses inserted a supportiony to stop the pain and from then on, it was a cycle. The pain would ease for about 4 hours then she would start feeling uncomfortable again, It would get worse and worse until we could give her the next dose 6 - 8 hours later. The next two nights and days was crazy like that. And it didn't help that she couldn't get down the cot at all, with all the tubes. Doctors and nurses advised us not to have visitors to let her rest.

Luckily, she started feeling better on Saturday, the 3rd day. We let her watch VCD after DVD, and she started bobbing to music.

In a better mood, watching DVD, Hi 5

On Sunday, the 4th day, doctors removed two of her tubes, and her IV drip, leaving the last drainage tube from her bladder. She was stunned, and after she realised she could move her hand again. We bought up the pram and strapped her in for her first visit out of her bed, and ward. She was grinning from ear to ear, pointing at anything and everything in sight. We bought her down to the food court and she sat together with us for a first family meal in 5 days, clambering to taste everything.

Grinning away, happy to be out of her Cot and room

On Monday, the doctors clamped the last remaining tube and checked that she could pee normally into a diaper. After that, they removed the last remaining tube, and changed her dressing. FREEDOM! She asked for her socks and shoes and demanded we change her out of the hospital gown and into her own clothes. She stood up in her cot, and started dancing, hanging on to the bars for dear life. And when we got discharged and left the hospital, she waved goodbye at the nurses.

Since then, we have been back at home, letting her enjoy whatever she wants. this past week, she has been clingy and still uncomfortable with little pain. But yesterday, I stopped her pain medication, and she seemed to be doing fine. Her review will be in two weeks time, and probably we will need to schedule another test to determine whether the OP was a complete success. Can't wait for the surgeon to give the green light! Lauren has been wanting to dip in the swimming pool for the longest time! I hope to bring more good news soon!

Right, Hit Me Another time, Since We are Down

By Shannon's Mommy:

Right, hit me another time, since we are down and out. Just when you think it doesnt get any worse than this, it DOES get worse. What we feared would happen HAPPENED.

Lauren caught a fever and cold last week. With a sinking heart I called KK to inform them. We were given a reprieve when the nurse told us that as long as the doctor didnt prescribe antobotics for the illness, the Op could go on as scheduled. So we waited and waited, and the cold deeloped into a racking cough with phelgm.

Lauren VERY rarely gets coughs, and this was a bad cough. I hoped she would get better before the Op, but as of today, she still has phelgm in her throat. SO again, I called the hospital and got the confirmation from them that she WOULD NOT be able to go for the Op as scheduled on Wendesday.

We are now scheduled for 24th March, 2 weeks later. I pray that she will be in tip top condition as we really do not want to bring this to April, fingers crossed!

D- Day Is Finally In Sight!

By the mommy:

I know friends and family are anxiously waiting for me to update Lauren's test results. We went to see the specialist today and finally got back the report on her kidney function.

Well, the bad news is yes, her right kidney has sustained damage. There is scarring and the specialist estimates that about 10% of it is gone, as in not functioning. The damaged portion will never grow back or repair itself even given time, so basically she has to deal with that the rest of her life. That is the saddest news.

The good news is that everyone is born with two kidneys, so she still has her left kidney working hard, and 90% of the right one. Now our goal is to prevent another infection to come and further damage her precious tiny buds.

Surgery has been finally been scheduled for 10th march. I'm actually pretty anxious that we still have to wait one more month b4 we can do the operation, and two weeks before the surgery, she must be in PERFECT health. Any illness or fever, and the operation is OFF!

So the goal till 10th March? To prevent another infection from occuring and keeping her strong and healthy. That means little outings, short visits during CNY, and loads of good food!

I Pray for Bright Sunny Days Soon!

By the Mommy:

Life is full of Ups and Downs, and Downs and Downs! Today is the day we will get the test results back, today the knife could fall on our necks, if the report shows that Lauren's kidney has been damaged.

It's been a rough month! Her swollen eye, and fever that had us scrambling to the clinic. and yesterday another fever... yup, another one...

Because of Lauren's condition, we have to take each fever very seriously, cos it could mean she's having another UTI, and another UTI could do serious damage to her small kidneys. So we are in full 'combat mode' every time the thermometer registers a mild 37.5 degrees. As it means immediate rinse and urine collection for her, and a rush to the clinic to have it tested and cultured. It also means a possible change in antibotics and the gloomy prospect of admitting her to the hospital. So you can understand how my heart pounces when I feel her little body heat up.

I pray that her kidneys are fine, I pray that the doctor will give the go ahead for the operation ASAP so that we can get it done and she can get well soon. I pray that she will be able to go swimming as much as she wants and our family will have bright sunny days again soon. :)

Lauren the One Eyed Cyclops (No special effects/Makeup needed!)

By Shannon's mommy:

It seems that the funniest things always happen to our youngest one. Just when we thought nothing else could happen to her, something else did.

Don't be shocked, everyone. We did not punch her in the face, no abuse, no torture, no need to call Child Social Services. This is just the work of a tiny, teeny, winney mosquito. Yup, you read me right. A irritating, bloodsucking, mosquito did this to my daughter, it gave her a swollen eye which looks like someone socked her in the face, and turned her into Lauren the One Eyed Cyclops (No special effects/makeup needed!)

See how swollen her eye is, like a golf ball

It started out innocently last Tuesday. I put her down for her afternoon nap, and when she woke up, there was a tiny bump on the corner of her right eye. 'Oh, pesky mosquito! Hope it doesnt swell too much..' thought the Mom, aka me.

Lauren is not prone to mozzie bites, unlike her sister, who once had a record 22 bites in one night. But also unlike her sister, Lauren puffs up with every bite she gets. Her body reacts very severely to bites, and the bites swell up pretty big, sometimes with pus.

When we wet to pick Mal up, a corner of her right eye was a little droopy, and all of us had a good laugh looking at her.

Flash forward to Wednesday morning, when I was in the kitchen getting all the breakfast stuff ready, and disturbed by a stunned husband with Lauren perched on his arm. Ohmigod, her eye! It was swollen shut and looked the size of a golf ball. And she had another fever to boot!

A quick trip to the clinic and after all the exclaimations from the nurses and a gasp from Dr Tan, we were given a strong dose of antibotics and eye drops.

I had a tough time administering the eye drops into her eye the first day. Her eyeball was so swollen I couldn't even get to open her eye. It was folded and folded and folded! Even her long eyelashes were missing, that's how bad it was!

See, no eyelashes, all hidden under the swell

Luckily the meds helped, and her swelling went down pretty fast, she could finally open her eye after two days and her eyelashes finally reappeared.

Yippee, finally eyelashes are out!

By Saturday, she was looking close to normal again.

Whew, still pretty as ever.....

4th Birthday Party!

By Shannon's Mommy:

I'm heartened by the number of people who still visit this blog depsite my tortise slow updating, and even more when they leave comments, a footprint to show me that they were here and read what little I have to say :)

Despite our uncertainty with Lauren's progress and what's going to happen, life goes on right? So on a happier note, here's some photos of Shannon's 4th birthday party. We celebrated it in school for her with a cake from Prima, my choice when it comes to kids coz theiur cakes are light, airy and soft, perfact for kids. We also arranged a Art decor party and from the looks of it, the kids had fun! We ended up with 30 pieces, with even the playgroup kids particpating.

Shannon and her cake - Snow White and Seven dwarfs

Her classmates

Some of the finished works, all the kids did very well!


Shannon and me

Some of the kids and her posing with their work

What a Way to start 2010, with a Big Hill to Climb!

By the Mommy:

I'm blogging this down for the few of you who has been asking how Lauren is... and also to have this noted down as one of the memorable events.

What a way to start 2010, with a BIG HILL to climb! What started as a low grade fever in November for Lauren turned out to be something more sinister. After a bout of UTI which saw her being hospitalised for 5 days in November, our doctor, Dr, Terence Tan suggested we send her for some tests just to make sure she's ok.

Me, the unsuspecting mother, thought she would breeze through it since her first two tests came back negative. Well, the brick dropped and hit me smack in the face when her final test revealed that she has a congenital defect, called Vesicoureteral Reflux (VUR) which was unknown to us when she was born. Her right ureter is classified as grade 4, and requires immediate surgery to correct the problem. Non surgery will result in further infections, which will eventually damage and destroy the kidney.

Imagine I had sent Mal off to Golf on the day of the test thinking everything was gonna be all right...in the end I struggled not to cry and focused on asking all the important questions to Dr Tan. (I have to say, Dr. Tan is our angel!)

We scrambled to get a opinion from a specialist ulurogist who initally felt that we could wait two years while placing her on a nightly low dose antibotic. Who knew another ton of bricks fell on us on CHristmas Eve. She came down with another fever, and this time it was a super agressive bacteria which nearly invaded her blood stream. Her bacteria count was over 100,000 and she required over 48 doses of two different antibotics, inserted directly to her vein to kill the nasty bug and make sure it doesn't come back.

So, we spent Christmas in the hospital and after 5 days, she was finally discharged with a tube in her hand as we still had to come back to the hospital for morning and night antibotics. Thankfully, today morning was the last dose.

Today afternoon we are seeing another specialist who will most likely schedule surgery for her this month. While I worry and am scared thinking the surgery, I know non surgery will be disastrous for her small kidneys.

So a big hill to climb in 2010. But I know with our family and friend's support, we'll make it through :) Pray for us ya?

Spooky Halloween, Check out my graveyard and choppedup fingers!

ByShannon's Mommy:

I started this entry in December, but never got around to finishing it... so it's late by a couple of months, sorry! But I have to say the photos of the kids and the food are great, so this is worth a look-see...!

Our Condo had a Halloween party on 24th Oct. It was supposed to be 31st, but the function room was booked. I'm happy we have some pretty friendly neighbours, so this is actually a annual event. Last year, not much thought went into the food preparation, but this year, we really tried hard to make it a thematic party...and it was overwhelmingly successful.

All the kids came dressed, and almost ALL the girls came as Fairies and Princesses.. not much of a scary costume, but I guess at that age, all girls just aspire to be that. I went as a fat pink pig, even got fattened especially up for the part... :)

Lauren as a fairy
Shannon as a fairy princess

Me as a Fat Pig



Some of the kids

Ghosts, Witches and bumble bees come out today!

Ultraman and a Angel to the rescue!

Don't the kids look adorable!

The food was fanastic, we tried to make it as gooey and gory as possible, check out my Brownie grave yard and chopped up fingers! Not bad for a creative first attempt I think .. :)

And after that, what else but trick-a-treat!

Abino Peacock?I Kid You Not!!!

By Shannon's Mommy:


I haven't blogged in over 6 months! It's gotten to a point where I had to think hard what's the website address to get here, oh boy!


Anyway, want to get off my butt and start the ball rolling again, I realise that its sad when I can't record down all the memories that the two gals and us have been making.... so bear with me while I start my rusty brain and hands moving...


What have we been up to? Well, the latest thing was our 3 day trip to Sentosa from 27 to 29th Nov. I booked us into The Sentosa Resort, formerly known as Beaufort, the place where we had our dream wedding in 2004. Going back to the hotel was great, the place is still beautiful and serene, the service is still top notch and the experience still memorable.


We checked in on the first day, and saw families of peacocks, usual for this peacful and tranquil place. I remember clearly the mommy peacock and the two half grown babies strutting across the lawn when we had our wedding here. So it was nice to see another mommy peacock, this time with three tiny babies , two spotted and one abino, I kid you not! rumaging through the grass.





We spent the afternoon after checking in at the pool, followed by a lesisurely stroll from Tanjong beach to Beach station for dinner. We tried to get tickets for Songs of the Sea but no luck as it was fully sold out! So we bought tickets for Saturday and went back to the hotel lounge for a coffee before hitting the fluffy king sized bed for the night.






On Saturday, we had a lovely buffet breakfast before bringing the kids to the beach. After that, it was more time at the pool before heading to Imbiah for lunch and a try at the Luge. Shannon wanted to try it out, but after seeing that we all had to don one big bulky helmets, she bailed out on me, leaving me stranded, and having to do the Luge all by myslef. It was fun though, and after that we headed back to the hotel for a nap. In the evening we headed for Songs of the Sea before calling it a night




All too soon, Sunday came... we went to Underwater World, and beat the crowds to it. I had a fun time feeding the stingrays,and Shannon was intrigued by the Sea Angels, who strangely enough, reallky looked like little tiny cute fat angels! We walked over to the new Dolphin lagoon and got a rare treat seeing the dolphins do some practise jumps.





After that, we headed back to the hotel for a quiet room service lunch. The hotel surprised me with a birthday cake, and we had sumptious Fried rice and beef kway tiao together with complimentary black forest cake. The food is still sooo yummy....




After a late check out at 3pm, Shannon suddenly announced that she was ready to try the Luge again. I was figuring that she would play me out again, but this time, she went through with it, and had fun doing it, that's my girl! After ice cream in the hot sun, we hauled the kids back into the car, and said goodbye to Sentosa, amid Shannon's waililing ' Iwannna gooo backkkkk..........'

Blogging Back With A Vengeance!

By Shannon's Mommy:

After a absence of six months! I figure I better get back to blogging with a vengeance! I do miss the constant updating and seeing the no of visitors jump, but it's always a hassle to downsize photos... and with now with two active monkeys running around, its tough to even sleep in peace, much less blog in peace!

But anyway, am gonna try to update this blog, so here goes!

I Will Be True To The Promise I Have Made To You And To The One Who Gave You To Me

I just wanted to touch on the songs which I tagged in this blog.... in particularly the first two. They were part of our wedding and I found them especially meaningful. Both are from Steven Curtis Chapman, a Christian singer.

'We will dance' talks about a couple going through thick and thin together until 'they grow old and their steps grow weak and slow' ....while 'I will Be there' is exactly how I hope our marriage will be, to always be there no matter what happens.

No sun bursts and fireworks and grand notions of romantic love for me thank you! And who cares about Valentime's when its just a hyped up commerical event for flower shops and restaurants to dig into your pocket.

I just want a love and marriage that will stand the test of time, and grow deeper with each passing year. I love the songs because the lyrics are all about just that.. growing old together and going through thick and thin. Sure there will be ups and downs, and there will be more times when we'll be screaming our heads off at each other (lost count on the no. of times that happened!), but ultimately, it just come down to us, through the years, until we are old and grey and wrinkled.

Love You, Dear.

We Will Dance

I've watched the sunrise in your eyes

And I've seen the tears fall like the rain

You've seen me fight so brave and strong
You've held my hand when I'm afraid

We've watched the seasons come and go
We'll see them come and go again
But in winter's chill, or summer's breeze
One thing will not be changin

'We will dance
When the sun is shining
In the pouring rain
We'll spin and we'll sway

And we will dance
When the gentle breeze
Becomes a hurricane
The music will play
And I'll take your hand
And hold you close to me
And we will dance

Sometimes it's hard to hold you tight
Sometimes we feel so far apart
Sometimes we dance as one
And feel the beating of each others hearts

Some days the dance is slow and sweet
Some days we're bouncing off the walls
No matter how this world may turn
Our love will keep us from fallin'

And we will dance
When the sun is shining In the pouring rain
We'll spin and we'll sway
And we will dance

When the gentle breeze
Becomes a hurricane
The music will play
And I'll take your hand
And hold you close to me
And we will dance

The music will play
And I'll hold you close
And I won't let you go
Even when our steps
Grow weak and slow
Still I'll take your hand
And hold you close to me
And we, will dance

I Will Be There

Tomorrow morning if you wake up and the sun does not appear
I will be here
If in the dark, we lose sight of love
Hold my hand, and have no fear'
Cause I will be here

I will be here
When you feel like being quiet
When you need to speak your mind
I will listen And I will be here
When the laughter turns to cryin'
Through the winning, losing and trying
We'll be together
I will be here

Tomorrow morning, if you wake up
And the future is unclear
I will be here

Just as sure as seasons were made for change
Our lifetimes were made for these years
So I will be here

I will be here
And you can cry on my shoulder
When the mirror tells us we're older
I will hold you
And I will be here

To watch you grow in beauty
And tell you all the things you are to me
I will be here
I will be true to the promise I have made
To you and to the One who gave you to me

Tomorrow morning, if you wake up And the sun does not appear
I will be here Oh, I will be here.

Looks like a Gangster???

By Shannon's Mommy:

Finally, all the scrambling is done... I have been up to mischief again, so poor Mal and his wallet! Been dying to get some R & R ever since L came, and after hearing about J's poor niece and her sister's trip to Turkey and back again, we are starting to doubt whether we REALLY wanna go Canada in September with a rowdy 3 year old and a cranky 5 month old.

So anyway, I went searching for a cheap holiday getaway and found a good deal to Phuket... Tiger Airways was selling their tickets at $100 for a return trip ($150 when you add all the extra charges that they can think of charging you!) and Hilton hotels worldwide was having a 50% January Sale!

So for just slightly over S$1k, the whole family is off to Phuket in April. It could have been under 1k, but we decided to splurge a bit and chose a Deluxe Plus Seaview Room (62sqm) at the Hilton... really worth it right?

Only after we had decided on this did I realise that L doesnt have a passport! A mad scramble followed, applying for her passport online immediately. Luckily, it's done now, and we are picking it up on Monday.

Check out her passport photo as compared to S. ... Not as 'gung ho' as S', which my mum constantly grumbles 'looks like a gangster!'

Lauren followed by Shannon... does she really look like a gangster in the photo?

And One More Makes FOUR!

This post is long overdue. I have been wanting to update the blog but I have been so sleep-deprived lately that I started to have hallucinations about Facebook!

And here's the reason why I haven't been getting my zzzzz.....

Looks like an angel right? Couldn't be further away from the truth.... So one more makes four! We are now a merry family with two girls, though I suspect the merry part will only come later, like when the little one starts sleeping through the night and when she stops going through a 100 diapers a day.

I'm officially a mother of two, though that sounds scary, say that aloud and it makes me sound like a naggy 40ish housewife.

So far little Lauren has been very different from her older sister, from being a total piggy when it comes to latching on to feed, to having a fiery hot temper when she doesnt get her way, which is often when she doesnt get her milk FAST enough to suit her. From her weight and size, lots of people have been saying she will grow up to be bigger than Shannon. But she just lovvvvvvves attention! Talk to her, and she will coo back at you and smile incessantly. Her big eyes will follow you everywhere you go, and when you glance at her, she will give you a 'come here for chat with me, please...' look.

Shannon has been a total angel I have to say. She treats her little sister with so much love its incredible to see. SHe kisses and hugs her, and squashes her with all her might. She pinches her cheeks, and proclaims 'mei mei is sooo cuuuttte!' *pinch, pinch, pinch* She will come to me and whisper in my ear 'Mei mei likes me, mei mei loves me..' and she creeps into our room in the morning and perches on the edge of the bed, looking at the little one sleeping.

I can only hope that this will continue on and the two sisters will grow up close as can be.

Extreme Makeover : Shannon's room

By Shannon's mommy:

Finally, after ONE WHOLE YEAR, I am able to blog this down as a achievement. I had been itching to do up Shannon's room since she turned 1, and we started on the project in October last year, after much persuasion and convincing on my part to Mal. Men are just... men.... they will sit on their butts and procrastinate until the cows jump over the moon and nothing will happen.

Anyway, we finally got started with the wall painitng, and the gradual improvements took place over a year. I was really undecided as to what theme the room should have, coz what if we had a 2nd kid and it turned out to be a boy? No princess theme then? Luckily, that problem solved itself eventually... :)

I also had a super low budget and a hard time finding stuff which I thought could fit into her room decor.... Luckily, my SIL gave Shannon some wallabees which fit right in to brighten up the place.

And the rest finally pushed its way through when we decided it was time for Shannon to have her own bed rather than sleep cramped in her cot... The bright curtains was a find from Ikea and gives the room a nice cosy look, appropriate for a kid her age.

The result? She loved it! She had no qualms about giving up her baby cot for the 'princess bed' and the hanging drape-around curtains, all done up with minimal fuss and cost, even for a fashion idiot like me. :)

BEFORE look: The white walls and the baby cot with boring beige curtains

BEFORE Look: The messy place we used for her changing cum computer table!

TRANSFORMATION: Painting and fixing up of new drawers, courtesy of moi

MADEOVER!: Bed and drape-around curtains from IKEA, see the monkey sleeping in it the first afternoon.

MADEOVER: Wall lamps and a bright cheery curtain sets the mood

MADEOVER: Gone is the messy table, now with wallabies and a happy watermelon pig holder

MADEOVER: Scrap book pictures framed up for her wall