Adventures in a different type of blogging

Each time we've adopted I've attempted to "do better" keeping track of the kids' medical visits and upcoming appointments and when each kid saw who and what was determined.

Each time it has lasted a VERY short period of time before it was "lost in the busyness".

Now I'm attempting something completely different which I hope is going to be more possible to upkeep since I can access it anywhere even from my phone, at the doctor's office, during a visit!

I've started a blog to use for our kids' medical needs.  Each entry subject line is the child's name and the type of appointment, and then 2-5 lines of info about the visit including reason for visit, the outcome, and when a follow up is scheduled for.  If any meds are changed or surgeries scheduled, etc...

We'll see how it goes!  This will keep things automatically categorized by date and child (because Blogger keeps up with the dates and posting will be done per child).

This year, so far, we've had 7 doctor's appointments.  Tomorrow we have 2 more.  And yes, I mean this calendar year.  It's only January 5th!

Blogger now allows "pages" which are tabs at the top of the blog (this blog has the Normal Family blog link and a few others at the top).  In each tab I have each child's info.  It allows 10 tabs- so a home page and 8 kids, then I have one with "scheduled appointments."  In that I've written all of the appointments scheduled already for 2011, by month then by date, each child listed separately.  For instance:
January 2011
1/3 Brianna 5 year Physical Rashid 10:15 PSJ
1/3 Micah 5 year physical Rashid 10:45 PSJ

1/5 Emma ENT 8AM 
1/5 Brianna ENT 8AM 
1/5 James ENT 8AM 
1/5 Micah ENT 8AM 


Those are the appointments we've had so far this week, and we ended up having a sick-visit to test Emma for Strep on the 3rd as well.  


Then, for each of those appointments there's a blog entry.  I chose a basic blog design with no sidebar so more 'fits' in the published space.  On the very bottom of the blog is a blog archive and labels list and I "plan" to label each appointment both by specialist and by child.  I haven't done that yet with the 7 appointments already in there :).


As for the appointments today... we had 4 kids see the ENT.  ONE had a clean bill of health.  ONE had only an upper respiratory infection which we'll "wait and see" if that's the culprit for failing the tympanogram (meaning she has fluid) in one ear.  She'll follow up in one month to see if she needs an ear tube or if it's situational fluid.  ONE we were told had a "foreign object" in her ear at the pediatrician a few days ago.  As of today I was able to hold her still while the doctor removed said "object" which was hardened wax.  She has pus and ick behind it, now on Ciprodex drops for 10 days and follow up at that time.  ONE failed both tympanograms and failed the OAE (hearing test) and will be scheduled for ear tubes shortly.   FUN STUFF.


(If you're wondering, Micah 'passed' everything, Emma has one ear icky, Brianna had the ick in the ear, and James is getting new tubes).


On to tomorrow when Aleksa and Wesley both go for their initial appointments with the pediatrician!