Excuses, Beckham update, and a true story...

I know that it's been a while, but after over 2 weeks, I am finally back to blogging. But before I start I would like to thank everyone that contacted us, concerned because we have not posted anything in so long, and hoping that the absence was not a bad sign. I can reassure you that we have not been in the hospital and that Beck is doing well, but I can also say that our lack of blogging has been from other crazy mishaps that have happened to us (mishaps I'd gladly take in place of being in the hospital!). So here are a few our "lack of blogging excuses."

First: A few weeks ago Beckham had a great hospital visit in Iowa City. His transplant doctor was so impressed with how great he looked, acted, and how great his labs (platelets over 300, and hemoglobin over 13!)and ECHO looked. I went home that night, planning on updating the blog with the good news the next day, but was unable to do so because I dislocated my shoulder while playing with the kids at the park (seriously, all I did was reach for a plastic rock on the kiddie rock wall and my shoulder dislocated...so weird). Because of this, it was super painful to hold my arm up on the computer desk and type a post (I know...super wimpy!) and so my post was put off for a week. I am fine now and feeling great and obviously able to type on the computer.

Beckham during his ECHO. I had to document this because he actually fell asleep during it, which is something he NEVER does!

Second: We experienced a week of...hmm...well...it was just one of those "one thing after another" weeks that threw us for a loop and reminded us that we are normal humans that don't just deal with hospital stuff. It started with our dishwasher door breaking (because our little Beckham decided to sit on the door and break it) causing water to seep out all over our kitchen floor when it runs, then our bathtub cracking and sending water flowing through our ceiling and into the kitchen (lovely), then one of cars decided to stop working, and then our internet getting turned off for 5 days. Too much fun for one week right? I hope that was an adequate amount of excuses, but honestly, we're home and healthy, and that's what really counts!

Next, to just give a Beckham update, he is doing great and loving every second of being in his own home. He is currently on his last week of his steroid taper and is tolerating it better than in the past. He is experiencing steroid withdrawal symptoms (nausea, loss of appetite, shakes, mood swings), but they are much milder than the last time and we are sure hoping and praying that he will be able to get off of them and stay off of them for good this time. He is also loosing weight like crazy, at almost a pound a week, and he weighed in at 29 lbs today (that's a loss of eight lbs!). He actually looks like Beckham again and not the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man (I mean that in a loving way). I Actually hope that his weigh loss starts to slow down. I would love for him to keep some of his chub and not turn back unto his skinny self again. But other than that, he is doing great, but still severely immuno suppressed because his B-cells have still refused to come back.

THE RAPID WEIGHT LOSS OF BECKHAM:

One month ago

2 weeks ago

Yesterday

Lastly, I would like to share a story, a true story, that happened yesterday. My mom used to tell my younger brother and I (who are only 13 months apart - just like my kids) a story about how when we were toddlers we, instead of taking a nap, pulled off each others diapers and painted each other and the bedroom in our diaper contents. My brother and I would always laugh at that story, but my mom would not...and today, I understood why!

I put the kids down to nap today and heard them laughing about 15 minutes later (never a good sign). I then went upstairs, opened the door, and then heard Gwen say "he stinks." I then looked in Beck's crib and felt my felt my eyes pop out of their sockets. Beckham had stripped off his pants and diaper (his new favorite trick is stripping off his clothes and diapers. So much fun..ha ha!) and had panted all of his bedding, his crib, himself, and much of the wall with his diaper contents. Luckily, Gwen was not involved in this mess, but I am sure she would have been if I had not come up when I did. But suffice to say, I had a huge job of cleaning and disinfecting their room, something that I never want to do again! Don't worry though, I did NOT take a picture, for it was not something that I wanted to remember. Yuck! So, I want to officially apologize to my mom for what John and I did as toddlers. Please forgive us!

There you have it. I hope that I did not bore you with my excuses for not blogging, I hope that I gave you enough of an update of Beckham, and I hope that I did not gross you out too much with a Beckham poop story.

-Beckham & Co.

Utah Baby Guide article

I was contacted in January by the Utah Baby Guide and asked if I would be willing to write an article telling Beckham's story for their February magazine. Naturally, I said yes, and was excited to write something for the state where I grew up, but then was unable to do so because of Beckham's health. I was contacted again in June, and again, I said yes, but I asked if I could have a little time to finish, knowing that our lives might turn upside down again. Luckily, I was able to finish, and the magazine is now available.

Click here to view the website, and then click on the September 2009 magazine. Beck's article is on pages 46-50. If you are unable to view it for some reason, contact me and I will send you a copy of the article.

Thank you Utah Baby Guide for allowing us to share Beckham's story, and allowing me to do it in my own words!

-Kim

Oh, just a side note: at the bottom of page 47 there is an error. It is supposed to read:
"He was the first infant transplant patient ever (in the University of Iowa transplant program)that went home without any tubes, including feeding or breathing, and was even able to nurse and take a bottle (another first for an infant transplant patient)."
But instead, the part "that went home without any tubes" was left out.