Continued from the previous posts.

G6PD (Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase deficiency) is, apparently, the most common enzyme deficiency in humans, with an estimated 400 million people worldwide affected. It is most common in Blacks and inhabitants of the Mediterranean region, although Asians are also impacted.

It is sometime also called Favism, as many people who have this condition are also allergic to fava beans.

Like ... more

Continued from the previous post.

By the time I arrived home in the evening, word was starting to come in from doctor friends to whom I'd passed all the info I had and asked for opinions, strategies, and so on.

Being that medical care available on this island is limited, it is often necessary for patients to seek treatment abroad ... my cardiologist is in Singapore, for example ... so figuring out how soon T could be well enough to travel had to be a consideration.

A look at his chart had told me that his ... more

Continued from the previous post.

Although I thought I'd prepared myself, I was shocked when I finally did see T. Looking small and frail in the hospital bed, he was yellow and very weak ... and scared to death.

Because his mother didn't understand what was happening, no one had been able to explain anything to him. Well accustomed to my 'take charge' personality, he looked to me to give him a picture of what was happening. Unfortunately, I knew nothing.

Preparing to hang a second unit of blood for him, there was a problem with his IV ... a minor blockage... more

For anyone who happened to notice that I've not posted a darn thing in a while, my apologies. I've been in the middle of a situation here that required my full attention and most of my energy.

Being that I've been dealing with circumstances that could potentially happen in a number of international adoptive families, I'm taking the time today to share the experience and what I've learned so far.

As long-time readers know, Mark and I were foster parents before we adopted. Our foster son, T, went back to his mother, then to Thailand, but eventually returned to Seychelles a couple of years... more

I would so love to write a profound, informative or entertaining post today, but that's just not going to happen.

Sorry 'bout that. My brain has been stuffed and roasted and is no good for nuttin' this morning, and it's not going to get any better any time soon.

First, I have the cold to end all colds ... okay, not, but that's how it feels. My sinuses have been inhabited by a fleet of Volkswagons and my face weighs thousands of pounds. (On the upside, I can make a snorting sound that Sam says is just what a Triceratops would... more

What a weekend! And I don't mean that in any gee-whiz-we-sure-had-a-blast kind of way. It was awful. And what can shoot a perfectly good couple of days all to pieces faster than anything? Having a sick kid.

Now, I'm well aware that the usual healthy state of my children is a blessing I can never repay and that other families deal with some truly devastating circumstances I don't even want to begin to contemplate. Even more reason, I suppose, that illness makes us a little crazy around here ... we're just not in shape for it.

Saturday was rolling along pretty well, with Dad and his... more

Over on my older parent blog today I've posted about beach time in Seychelles and some innocuous happenings while wallowing. As a balance, and for those who may think all things are rosy, peachy and sunny all the time here, I'm dredging up an old post. This one quakes me to my bones ... now, if you'll excuse me for just a moment, I need to hug my son.

Okay. I'm back. This was a personal blog entry for December 04, 2005:

From the ... more

The topic of fevers has come up in one of my groups lately. Forever a product of my time, like many Boomers my gut reaction to an elevated temp is to take whatever steps available to get it down as soon as possible. In the early 1970s when my first kids were little, the drill was to reach for the bottle of little orange pills, the baby aspirin, and start dosing with those.

Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen are today’s drugs of choice. I have these sent over from the States and keep a good supply. Along with the new drugs comes a new perspective: fevers are good.

I understand the concept; it makes total sense, is completely logical and comes from qualified sources I greatly respect.... more