Memories | Basekamp Laundry Mountain

The tapestry of the life of a medically complex family

Archive for the ‘Memories’ Category

Sandcastle by the Sea

My kids have been to the beach a few times. Sand and water are not a great accompaniment for a trach so we typically go only after it has rained- to make the sand wet and less of a flying powder. Also, my kids have put their toes in the ocean but we give it plenty of distance because we know how each wave can be bigger than the last. Today we went to the beach to remember our friends who have died- to “send off a wish” as my youngest calls it. To remember and to hope for peace for our friends’ families, while creating some peace for our own.

Today was perfect beach weather for my kids: cool enough & cloudy enough to keep crowds of people away, moist sand after a night’s rain, cool damp air to enhance the moisture of their breath into their lungs. We parked the oxygen tank, found “wishes” and threw them into the sea. The waves covered the bottom of their boots and frightened Trachboy, so we retreated to the wet sand and built my kids’ first ever sand castle. It was a wonder to them and magical for me- I’ve never felt that comfortable with all that sand and water with my trachees. We needed today’s magic to bolster us through the week ahead. Hoping the peace stays with us a while.

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Category:

Family, Memories, Preemie, Trach, Twins

A Second Helping

This weekend we got to go to pick apples again. It was a different event than the peaceful, leisurely outing of last year. Apparently, every weekend is a festival weekend at the apple farm. This weekend was also their community craft fair which made things EXTRA BUSY.

The highlights were the 3some enjoying their first “tractor ride” on a trailer pulled behind a red tractor – the DUSTIEST experience of my trached twins’ lives- & picking a GIANT bag of apples to bring home for making Gallettes and drying to eat for snacks. We will be needing to add some recipes to our repertoire in order to use all these up! Feel free to add some recipes in the comments- I can usually modify things to meet our grain-free diet. Enjoy our photos.

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Category:

Community, Family, Memories, Preemie, Special Needs, Trach, Twins

A First Glimpse Undersea

Our family is so thankful to Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary- yes, for their provision of life-saving medical intervention for my twins, as well as my youngest, but also for their continued caring & support to our family beyond the walls of their hospital. When I wanted to take my kids to the New England Aquarium, cost has always been prohibitive for a single Mom headed household of 5. I asked the hospital if they ever got passes for their patients and they found a way to help my children to experience the sights & sounds of their first adventure with undersea creatures. It was a HUGE hit with my children & a gift for me that we could go. Thanks again MEEI.

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Category:

kids, Memories, Preemie, Special Needs, Trach, Twins

Blueberry

For some reason, today’s weather thought it’d be nice enough to allow a breeze, maybe even keep itself 70 or so. As I watched the cloud cover, it seemed complete, but not “dark & threatening”. The planets aligned & we also had no doctor appointments & PT was done by 10am. This, my friends, was a day of opportunity!

As soon as the PT left, I gave Trachboy the rest of his breakfast & ran thru the shower. I packed oxygen tanks, suction & prepped a cooling vest just in case Trachboy began to fade. I ran a 5mL saline neb to clear any junk from lungs & airways, dressed the 3some and headed for the back door.

We tried out our local farm & had hoped to pick some of the last strawberries but found that their remaining plants were a long walk & near deplete- thank goodness for the employee who let me know they might not be worth the walk! She recommended we try blueberry picking instead and gave us a wagon for Trachboy & his equipment. Trachboy rode in style while the girls “helped” me to pull him up the sloping hill. We arrived without injury or excess fatigue & got right to work.

We managed to get about 3lbs to purchase and I’d bank the kids ate at least half that much in the field. Trachboy was fatigued but happy to kneel with his oxygen tank & eat purple berries from the bushes. Youngest certainly ate at least twice what she kept. Trachgirl was the champion collector moving bush to bush, occasionally escaping our row, as she foraged for blueberries. All in all, it was a memorable success and we are all so glad the weather cooperated.

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Category:

Environmental Challenges, kids, Memories, Special Needs, Trach, Twins

The Beach in 2 Speeds

Remember records? There were LPs and speeds of 78 – 45 – 33 1/3 … Find me a kid today who even knows those speeds have to do with RPMs – unlikely.

So many things in childhood come with their own speeds. Yesterday I went to the beach with my youngest and I was reminded that the beach in childhood has only 2 speeds: Run and Jump. She ran slowly through the loose sand, pumping her arms madly to help herself move forward. When she transitioned to the firm wet sand, the spring in her legs was transferred to the speed of jump- leaping up and down while running forward to the surf.
The hour we spent splashing & leaping at the water’s edge is better than any time spent talking about health concerns & ways to heal. To live these moments, ears buffeted by the sounds of surf & gulls, refreshes our wounded spirits to keep on another day.

Each day I love the memories crafted at the speed of childhood…

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Category:

kids, Memories