A friend wanted to interview me for a project she is working on. It was kind of neat to take some time to answer her questions... I honestly surprised myself on how deep down I really feel about this...my life. Just thought I would share.


1. I have heard you coin yourself a "medical mommy". What does that mean for you and your family? What is a normal day like for you all?

Medical mommy is a term I dubbed to explain what I do for a living. Perhaps to be eknoledged for what I do, its more then just running to and from play dates. We don't have that life style. Im not your typical stay at home mom. I have no choice as to what I want to do in the day with the kiddos. Jonah's health always ranks number one! I do not have an in home nurse, I AM THE NURSE, THE PT, THE OT , THE SPEECH THERAPIST & THE FEEDING SPECIALIST! (not to forget my other "normal" mommy jobs) I do not get 15 min breaks for every 4 hours I work, I am with Jonah 24/7. I am the medical mommy!

2. Is it difficult to balance Jonahs needs with the rest of your family?

Balancing Jonahs need with the rest of the families will never happen. Everyone has to sacrifice when you have a special needs child. He will always come first. I know that sounds jaded, but its the cold hard truth. Do I feel guilty? Most definately, it eats me alive every day. The fact of it is that Jonah's life is more delacate, and so we must parent to that. My hope is that we (my husband and I) are doing the very best that we can do to help each child feel important, loved and listened too. Even if this has to happen over the phone, while I am at Jonah's bed side in the hospital.



3. In one of your blog posts you wrote "I believe it will get better". Is that your motto or is their something else that moves you?

I do believe it will get better, Jonah's illness may not change, but I will adapt, I will learn how to be better at what I do, how to care for him, and how to become fully excepting of these circumstances. In time it will all get better.

4. What would a perfect day be like for you?

I offten dream of what the perfect day would be. Funny, if you would have asked me this a few years ago (pre Jonah) I would have had answers that were full of worldly things, dropping my daughter off at daycare so I could go shopping, shopping, more shopping, having the husband pick her up and then have a beautiful dinner in some fancy resturaunt... But now, a perfect day would be a day much more simplified. A day where I didn't wake up and frantically run into Jonah's room to make sure he was still alive, to make sure I didn't sleep over his sat moniter, a perfect day would be being able to spend the day at the park and not have children point or run away from my son because of his oxygen and walker. A day where we as a family could enjoy the day to ourselves with out the interuption of therapists or doctors, we could just be us, a family, a family with a special needs child.

5. Have you had to take classes or anything else is order to better care for Jonah?

I haven't had to take a class, rather some medical training to help prepare me for some of Jonah's medical needs. ie: learning how to place a feeding tube for when he pulls it out (they always pull them out!), how to place an NG tube, how to properly care for his feeding tube placement, I was trained on how to deep suction (threading a tube down his nose to the lungs and suck out mucus. On my own I have taken a few CPR classes, and I read read read like a mad woman on lots of medical web sites.


6. What message would you like to share with other parents? Or people in general?


My message to others would be: No matter what life throws your way, laugh, don't lose your sence of humor, nothing is possible when you see the world in a negative light. As hard as this may be some days for myself, it's what keeps me going. laughter is medicine for the soul!