Isn't It Ironic?

There is my princess, fast asleep, but yes, unfortunately those are medical cords attached to her.  Which means, yes, we pounced on the opportunity to take full advantage of our great medical benefits as early as we could this year!!  Pretty sure the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital was not offering any weekend lodging deals this weekend which makes me fairly certain we'll meet our deductible by tomorrow morning!  KJ surgery #4 unexpectedly occurred this evening around 7pm after Nurse/Doctor Shawna noticed her scar getting very red this morning and starting to shine up like it did a few months ago when it became extremely infected, leading to a surgery to drain all of the "gunk" (I'm sure there is a medical term for it but us normal people would identify better with that).
So, she packed up Myles and a duffel bag (Vera Bradley of course) and headed over to GR where she figured another surgery would be needed and sure enough, she was spot on.  Our typical neurosurgeon (that's not typical to have a "typical" neurosurgeon, is it?) was on one of his two monthly visits to see patients in Traverse City so his "sub" performed the surgery to re-drain the infection just underneath KJ's scar on her lower back.  Sorry, Doc, but I can't remember your name, but kuddos to you...another rockstar in terms of personality, bedside manner, patient care.
As we all get a touch frustrated when these things pop up, although it's sort of becoming the new norm that have our cheese moved, I think Myles was the most upset.  His buddy, Aiden Damstra, was over on a play date as his Mom (Julie) and Dad (Marc) were at home with their newborn Jordan (congrats!!!).  So, Shawna had to call that early and bring Aiden home which apparently, according to Myles, interrupted a hockey game (which I later found out never was played) and a basketball game.
He told me he was pretty upset, although this was in a mood you can only imagine at around 2:30 this afternoon when he and I left the HDCH to get back to Zeeland to pick up Peyton from the bus, with no nap (and as you all may know by now, Myles takes long enough naps on a daily basis - still - for our whole family)...in fact, a short 5 minutes into the trip home....

Success scrambling, though, got him home and another hour of sleep, Peyton off the bus, and the boys to Papa Bob and Grandma Sue's house with their suitcases packed (they each got suitcases for Christmas from my parents with their names on them in preparation for the Carlson Family Odyssey to visit Aunt B and Uncle Brookie in San Diego this summer).  Yes, suitcases for a one night overnight with cousins Bryce and Brielle.  Peyton has had his suitcase packed for San Diego for a few weeks now....that is definitely the Shawna in him...her countdown to New Smyrna Beach for spring break is up on a chalkboard in our kitchen/dining room and I already see signs of packing around the house that have taken place.

I was able to make it back to GR to see KJ just before she went into surgery as I was called out to by a nurse in the waiting room to go back and see Shawna and KJ...."Are you Jeff....the really tall dutch looking guy?"  Thanks Shawna, that's the best you could do to describe me?

So, we waited for about 1:15 minutes while KJ was in surgery, got some Zoup for dinner and watched Fox News in the waiting room (I became a bit nauseated while doing this and I'm pretty sure it wasn't the Zoup...Oh yeah, may have been that Kellyanne Conway was being interviewed....sorry, shouldn't bring politics into this).  Well, Fox News for a few minutes at least until Shawna went out of her way to turn it off.

Which leads me to the title of this blog...Isn't It Ironic, like the Alonis Morrissette (yes, spelling is way off) song.  We found ourselves chuckling at the fact that our daughter and Shawna will, more than likely, be spending the next 72 hours in a building providing us the best medical attention in the world while the boys and I will be spending the greater part of our afternoons and evenings tomorrow in buildings with "DeVos" (Helen DeVos Children's Hospital/DeVos Fieldhouse) on them while there may have been a chance that, had this medical setback not occurred, Shawna may have had the opportunity to participate in a march in Holland protesting, in large part, against someone with the same last name....huh.  Interesting.  Not that I'd support BDV in her nomination for a job, but I will say thanks to the DeVos family for putting forth the funding to provide great facilities that we've been fortunate enough to be the positive beneficiaries of (not sure if being a philanthropist qualifies you to become Secretary of Education, though).....shoot, said too much.  Sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone, just stating my, what some may call, "alternative facts"....shoot, did it again.

The sun will rise tomorrow....KJ's healing will continue under the great medical team assembled at HDCH, Shawna will become more knowledgeable of medical procedures and how to best survive in a children's hospital (Ah ha, dear, that is what you should do....write a survival guide to children's hospital and I'll publish my survival guide to traveling cross country with a 5 and 3 year old - Chapter 1...How to Use the Same Diaper Numerous Times Over for Numerous Different "Accidents"), Hope will play Albion (come out to the game as it is a purple night in support of the Van Andel Institute for Cancer Research...and who doesn't love purple....Go Cats, who by the way, are 17-4 in Men's hoops right now), and the Carlson's will keep:

Choosing Joy

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!

-Jeff