The $41 Mystery

As background, I should say that WB has always been a bit of a story-teller. He's always on the cusp of truth vs fiction and we often have to ask..."Are you telling the truth, or making up a story?"

Having said all that, imagine our surprise when we received an email from WB's teacher this morning. She said that WB appeared in class today with money in hand to spend at the school store. (That is a little PTO project which carries items from .10 to 2.00. It is "open" once a week, on Wednesday and students can buy candy/junk for after school.) The only problem...WB had $41! $41 which he was proudly flashing to all his classmates.

When asked, WB said that he'd asked his dad for $$ for the school store this morning. As is often the case as we try to rush out the door in the morning, Dad said, "When is it? We'll see...." When he arrived at school for "before care", WB was surprised to find $41 hidden in an interior pocket of his backpack.

He told the teacher, with his dangling tooth grin, that the money had "just appeared." Mrs. H. took the $$ and placed it in an envelope in her desk to hold it for WB. She explained that she didn't want him to lose it, that he wasn't in trouble, and that she would keep it for him. As luck would have it, the store was closed today due to standardized testing and all $41 returned home tonight.

When we got the email, JB and I were immediately worried. He said, "I didn't put $41 in his backpack, did you?" "Of course I didn't!" I replied "I don't have $41!" We guessed...where did he get $41?? He can't open his piggy bank, but he is famous for picking up $$ left on the counter or washing machine and "claiming" it as his. He sure has been fibbing a lot lately, but SURELY we don't have a thief under our roof???

This evening, we confronted the boy..."where did you get that money?.....I didn't put it there...Dad didn't put it there....where'd you get that money?" He stuck to his story...he "found it"...in the backpack..."I promise...I didn't take it...I didn't take it...I promise...I "found it"...I didn't put it there." He cried, he whaled...I felt terrible...He's fooled us before, but I wanted to believe him...he was seriously upset...but I'm tired of being lied to.

So I ask WB to go get his backpack and show me where he "found" the money. He bounds upstairs and returns. He unzips the bag, rips open a Velcro pouch, digs down and shows a little hidden pocket...he said he didn't even know it was there before today.

And then...

I remember...

as we frantically raced to pack for Vietnam...I didn't have a diaper bag...I dumped the boy's backpack and filled it with stuff for little sister. It was my purse and sister's diaper bag for two weeks. And I remember, when I was trying to organize myself, how pleased I was to find a hidden pocket (inside a pocket) where I could safely stash some quick cash for the trip.

It just took the boy three months to find it and he just happened to find it on a day that he'd asked for money. So today, he thought he had the best parents in the world, and we didn't even believe him because of all of his "stories."

Even though I know he was hurt that we didn't believe him, I think/HOPE the situation made an impression on him and he learned a lesson in the value of ALWAYS about telling the truth. Time will tell....


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We have the next available appointment with "The Man"...next Wednesday! I'm so excited! FINALLY! The lymph node is getting bigger, but it doesn't seem to bother her and she's still goo-free.


Marla, the BCG vaccine is given in developing countries to those that are at increased risk for exposure to TB. It isn't given (across the board) in the US, and (as far as I can determine) hasn't been given in modern history to babies here. There are some common side effects, mostly ulceration (to varying degrees) at the injection site. Since it isn't given here, there aren't many doctors with experience in dealing with the side effects. So, when a kid starts to have issues, it is very difficult to find credible answers. That's where we are, but hopefully we'll know more this time next week.

No News Is Good News

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I've just been trying to stay afloat.

Not much new to report on the lump. We are still waiting for the pediatric infectious disease specialist to work us in. We did see our pediatrician yesterday because sister woke with a swollen left eye. She's been congested for a couple of days. No one would have noticed the eye, except me. She just didn't look right...I'm da mama, I know. Turns out, her left ear is infected. One day of medicine and she already looks and acts better.


Thank you all for your posts and encouragement. We are very confident that the lump is related to the bump, which is ultimately related to the BCG vaccine. The DNA test performed by the Health Department has ruled out TB, so we are no longer concerned there. The only question which remains is where the red bumps come from. Little sister routinely breaks out in red blotches...sometimes on her face, often on her torso. They aren't really a rash, they are more like whelps. We are still waiting to see "the man" in OKC and hope that he will fill in all the blanks for us.

Our Dr. continues to be very complimentary about DG and her motor skills and overall development. Although she was slower to sit up than WB, I can say without a doubt, she has surpassed him in everything else. She is the strongest, most stubborn child I've ever met. It is cute now...at less than 14 lbs, but we are surely in for a lifetime of challenges with this firecracker!

This girl, she's just such a mess! Such a perfect, incredibly beautiful, unbelievably unique, and totally lovable MESS. She has more "little" issues, and I've learned more from her in four short months, than I thought possible. Don't worry about us...we're good. I'll let you know when we see the specialist. Thanks again for the support....

A Bump In The Road

I've purposefully hesitated in writing this post because I didn't want to alarm any one, but now that I've briefed Aunt LJ, my sis, and my mom, I'll go ahead.

Last night, while putting lotion on DG after her bath, I found a marble-sized lump under her left arm. It is firm/hard and immobile. We have no idea how long it has been there, I can't imagine very long though because it is very noticeable. If you've followed our crazy history, yes, the left arm is the "green goo" arm.

We were at the doctor as early as possible this morning. Almost immediately I heard him say, "I am very concerned." (I heard the term "very concerned" about ten times today.) He called in another ped from the practice to consult. They agreed that the lump likely related to the green goo (which is what we believe to be where she received her BCG vaccine) and the red blotches which come and go.

They immediately sent us across the street to the hospital for a chest xray. Fortunately, the report on that is all clear and normal. We are patiently waiting to get into the city's leading infectious disease specialist. Based upon our conversation, I was under the impression we'd be seeing him today or tomorrow. However, it doesn't look like we're gonna be that lucky and it may be sometime next week. Our Dr. still needs to get the info from the dermatologist on the biopsies from last month so that we have all the pieces of the puzzle for "the man" to evaluate.

Like I said, I am a little freaked out by the lump. I have done some more reading on the internet, (I know, I know, Dr. G00GLE is was very dangerous guy...)and I do feel a little better. The ulcer-like sore is a fairly common side effect of the vaccine. Swelling in the lymph nodes is a little less likely, but it does happen. I can't find anything about the mystery spots, but our pediatrician is pretty sure they are related. At this point, we've tested both positive and negative for TB...and that is also common for infants that receive the BCG vaccine. So, I am feeling calmer than when I first felt the lump and my mind immediately jumped to "tumor" which was closely followed by "cancer." I don't feel that freaky now, but I'll sure feel better when get some answers. It seems hard to believe that she would still be actively reacting to a vaccine that was administered six months ago!

In addition, Dr. A. wants to proceed with the GI study to try and figure out the bowel issues but he wants to wait until we figure out about the arm/lump/mystery spot issues. DG is gaining weight, she's up to 13 lbs 10 oz, and eating well. She can't handle cereal and doesn't like fruits, and as long as we put Karo syrup in a couple bottles a day, the poop screaming is "less" bloodcurdling.

I know that several APs and PAPs still read my blog and this BCG info may be valuable to someone down the road. I guess I say all this because I want to reassure those in this process. I am totally confident that DG was a healthy (although tiny) baby and that she received good care in Can Tho. She's still a "healthy baby"...she is totally on track with all her developmental milestones...but even after we get this arm-thing figured out, she's got some "issues" that are gonna take a while to work out. I'm thankful we are in a position to do that, and I hope and pray it is that easy.

I guess it is like LJ reminded me today, since we don't know her history, we are probably in for a lifetime of surprises like this with our little girl. In the almost four months since we've had her, she's brought more joy than I imagined was possible. She amazes me everyday and she brings so much light and joy to our family. So, tonight I remind myself that this "bump" under the arm is really just a bump in the road...

A bump that knocked the wind out of da mama,

A bump that scares the daddy more than he lets on,

But, it is just a bump...and this too shall pass.