2007 ~ 2010

I can't quite believe that 3 years have passed since I last posted here, and that my little man will be 11 in around 19 days time ~ where does it go? I really do need to make more of an effort.

Michael continues to go from strength to strength, and continues to amaze us. He is a lovely child who enjoys life and developmentally has come on in leaps and bounds, he still attends a school for children with ASD and Learning Difficulties, but has amazed the medical professionals involved in his life at just how well he has developed. As his Resp said a little while ago, "that's the first conversation I ever had with Michael." Michael views this Dr as his best friend, and is always really pleased to see him, on this occasion he wandered down the hospital corridor holding his hand and discuss the latest episode of Dr Who, you just got to know what to talk about!! Michael lives in a world of Dr Who and Sarah Jane Adventures, so mention those and he'll talk for hours! He loves playing Lego, and Playmobile figures, the adventures they have with the Dr in his Tardis.

Its been an eventful 3 years in more ways than one, too much to go into here in any real detail, but there are times during the last 3 years when I really could've done with here to vent my spleen at (as they say!!) The respite we spent so long waiting for, (almost 6 years) lasted all of about 6 months, before the wheels fell off and we found ourselves embroiled in a bitter war of words with the local authority......the long and the short ~ we gave up in the end, there's only so much talking to yourself you can do!

Update

This is the update I promised months ago!

It's quite honestly been a bad year this year, firstly with my own health, and having had viral meningitis which wiped me out for months, and I still get the occasional pain in my neck/back of my head which knock me out for 24/48 hours. I've also developed some other issues that my GP has decided is stress! So I'm now on reflux med's too, although mine are a stronger dosage than Michael's!!

Since I last posted Michael had his tonsils and adenoids removed at GOS, our over-night stint in hospital turned into a 4 day extravaganza!! Floppy airways tend to close off when there is nothing to support them, SAT's levels through the floor and 02 requirement through the roof!! This was followed a week later by a re-admission for bleeding; (We we're the less than 1% they mentioned when the discussed the possibility of a re-bleed.)

He's still in 02 at night, still has those big dark patches around his eyes and still has a runny nose - all the things we thought would go once his T&A's had been removed!

We've had another sleep study done which showed that Michael still has Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, admittedly it's better than it was before the T&A's were removed , but it's still there.

We also had a repeat videofluroscopy done - to see if removing the T&A's had improved things in the swallow department. I was quite optimistic, at the time when the SALT told me things looked good - but then the report came through which showed basically nothing has changed, there's no improvement.

We've also been through a stage of removing the reflux medication because he should have "grown out" of it now - and we've had to put him back on, so we have an appointment this month with the Gastro, be interesting to see what she says!

Back to see the Resp in December - be interesting to see what he has to say too, as it's our first appointment since the results of the sleep study came back!

Things have

been a little chaotic around here recently, and this is one of those things that slipped! As has Michael's website http://www.michaelrigaud.co.uk/

I am hoping to spend some time next week updating both here and the website - please come back soon

So much for

My New Year's Resolution that I would post regularly on here!!

Shortly after I made that post back in January I came down with some kind of virus, believe me when I say it has taken me this long to get over it!! Someone I know mentioned the words man-flu!! My Doc wanted to know if I'd been a car accident because he thought I had whiplash injuries to my neck. I hadn't....but I did do an awful lot of sleeping!

Now I am back on my feet, I am planing on updating things around here more frequently. We have a busy couple of months coming up with sleep studies and surgery!

So watch this space!

Update 3 - Lung issues

When I last posted here, Michael had just gone back into oxygen at night, and I was really struggling to comprehend how at 6 he'd ended up back in 02. I may be wrong but most prem babies have long since lost their 02 concentrators by now; and I had really hoped that we would be waving that machine good-bye once and for all this year, but the overnight SAT's reading kinda put pay to that - at least for the time being.

So here we are some 8 months later and Michael is still in 02; and due back to see the ENT next week.

Following his surgery an over-night trace was repeated, which was excellent, Michael did really really well....the suggestion was to try him without 02 for two weeks to see how he went; can't say I was very happy at that suggestion, because I wasn't convinced that it was a proper reading done when Michael was imobile and just after surgery but what do I know? I may have been way off the mark in thinking that this perhaps wasn't/wouldn't be a "true" reading.

By the end of the second week off of 02 we had a child on our hands who couldn't walk far without tiring and was wanting to be picked up, whose energy levels had fallen, to the point where he was spending most of his time laying about. Fortunately it was school holidays so we could let him sleep in, in the mornings, and it didn't really matter that he was tired, and less than co-operative. So back into 02 he went...........

Since then I've taken Michael out of 02 for a week and monitored his SAT's levels, the night after he came off of 02 he did perfect 96%, and I was doing the happy dance, by the end of the week, he was spending longer and longer periods below 90 - with an increase in heart rate attached too.

We have been referred to one of the London Hospital's for a Polysomnography The hope is that this will show just what is going on whilst Michael is asleep, so we are currently waiting for our date to come around for this.

We were also referred for full lung function testing, this involved Michael sitting in a box, about the size of a telephone box, and breathing into a tube, amongst other things. We don't have the full results of this testing yet, and won't until our next visit with the Resp in February.

So I guess you could say our Lung issues are still ongoing!

Update 2 - Sleep issues

There was some talk of the possibility that Michael had Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

Arrangements were made for us to see an Ear Nose and Throat Surgeon, (ENT) at one of the Children's hospital's in London, we saw him in July.

This was another journey round the houses in the medical world, because we deal with different Health Authorities there is a question of funding, so we have to go from A via B to C, when for some things we are already at C, or we can go straight to Z. The best part is the Dr at A can't refer us directly to C, the hospital who know Michael so well and have been involved in his life since he was 11 weeks old - but they can to Z. Which is a completely different hospital that has had minimal imput since he was 4!

Anyway we saw the ENT, who recommended that Michael have his tonsils and his Adenoids removed, we received a date for Surgery in October.

Long story short, surgery; we were informed the day before, had been cancelled, when a letter dropped through the front door, this letter had been sent to everyone involved in Michael's care explaining why surgery had been cancelled a week earlier.

There seems to be some discussion going on as to what Michael's sleep issues actually are, the Resp is saying that he doesn't actually think Michael's sleep issue are actually anything to do with his tonsils and adenoids, but infact are down to lung issues. So the ENT wanted to review the results of the sleep study before surgery.

Although I was glad surgery had been put on hold, because if it's not necessary then there is no point in doing it, but I have to confess to being some-what peeved that everyone else had known a week before we were told that surgery had been cancelled.

Update 1 - orchidopxy/hernia surgery

I promised an update on why I hadn't posted around here for a little while, and what had been happening in our lives since I last posted. It might be easier to post the updates in different posts, so this I guess will be update 1!

Things have been as always - chaotic. I guess part of my reason for not posting has been 'preemie burn-out' as I call it. When we entered the world of prematurity 7 years and 2 months ago, I remember quite clearly asking when all this would be over. What I didn't realise at the time and no-one saw fit to enlighten me was, that it will never be over. The Consequences of Michael's early birth will be with him, and with us for the rest of his and certainly our lives. Every so often the enormity of this hits home, and I get to the stage where I don't feel like I can deal with it. I withdraw and take time out to lick my wounds, re-charge my batteries before I feel like I am ready to take on the world again.

When Michael was 19 weeks old he had his bi-lateral inguinal hernia's repaired, at the time we were told to keep an eye out for his testicles, because there was every possibility that they would not appear by themselves.

When Michael was 2 and they still hadn't appeared I mentioned this to my GP and was told that it was alright, they'd come down by themselves. To be honest over the years they have become the least of our worries. Until this subject was brought up by another preemie parent, it then dawned - like a little light bulb!! That at 6 I still hadn't seen Michael's! After a heated discussion with the GP about why they were not likely to re-appear by themselves, we were referred back to see the Surgeon. Our appointment was in Jan 06, surgery happened the first week of the school holidays. The older Children went to Grandparents for the week, whilst DH and I spent our time at the hospital - lots of fun for them, but not much for Michael, bless him.

We were told to expect surgery to last roughly an hour, not sure if someone was being slightly ambitious, because 4 hours later we were being called to recovery, where the dreaded "word" 'PICU' was mentioned. Michael's testicles were buried in the scar tissue from his hernia repair, it appears the surgeon had to dig them out of the scar tissue and then sew them into place, also re-doing the hernia whist he was in there, so I think it may have turned out to be slightly more complicated than was first thought it would be.

Michael spent the night in hospital and was discharged the following day, he squeaked all the way home in pain, at every lump and bump in the road, and then spent 3 days sitting on the sofa before we finally managed to get him up and walking with support, gradually reducing the amount of support, until he was managing by himself.

He is very proud of his scars, and is quite happy to show them to anyone!

Neo Doctors Blogs

Someone sent me the link to these two Blogs, both written by Doctors who work in Neo-natal Units - there have been some interesting discussions going on within the comments, about outcomes for extremely premature infants.

I have to confess to having taken part in some of the discussions going on in there. I have no problem with saving premature babies at all, BUT I am a strong believer in parental involvement, Especially as a parent who discovered things about their child by accident, with my limited knowledge of prematurity, and my ignorance yes I honestly thought that it was just a case of putting him in an incubator and waiting for him to get fat, fit and healthy!!!

I have to be honest and say I also think that most of this information needs to be shared far earlier than when you find yourself hurtling towards the world of prematurity like a speeding train. The more who are aware of what can be a very real outcome of prematurity then maybe just maybe people will come to understand what the reality can be for many of us.

Unfortunately prematurity does not appear to be something we are ever going to be able to prevent, and younger and younger babies gestation wise are being saved. I've posted below the research done here in the UK the EpiCure study which has, been ongoing for the last 10 years, they have tried as far as is possible to keep track with all babies born between 22 & 25 week gestation; in order to see how these little ones develop.

The figures from the Epicure Study show the following levels of disability, within babies born at those gestation's:

Combining learning problems with physical difficulties allows us to calculate the overall disability rates which are shown below. Although disability affects a high proportion of surviving children, it is most important to remember that most of the children in the EPICure study were doing reasonably well at school, keeping up in the classroom and had normal behaviour patterns. This is something that is often not emphasised in discussions.

Percentage of Children with different degrees of disability


Gestation at Birth No Disability
23 weeks or less 24 weeks 25 weeks
12% 14% 24%


Mild Disability - e.g. low normal IQ scores, wears glasses & has a squint, mild hearing loss, minor neurological abnormalities
25% 36% 35%


Moderate Disability - e.g. moderate learning problems, cerebral palsy but walking, hearing aids, some vision deficit
38% 22% 22%


Severe Disability - e.g. severe learning problems, cerebral palsy & not walking, profound deafness, blindness
25% 29% 18%


Chance of Survival without Severe or Moderate (i.e. serious) disability

Chance at birth going onto survive without Serious Disability

22 weeks 23 weeks 24 weeks 25 weeks
1% 3% 9% 20%

Chance after Admission to NICU of going onto survive without serious disability

5% 6% 12% 24%

Note - these figures relate to the EPICure children born on 1995 and how they were at their 6 year follow up. The reason why the chance of surviving without disability goes up for babies once they are admitted to a Neonatal Unit is that this group has already excluded those babies born alive but who, sadly, died very quickly after birth.

It is obvious from the Trent Neonatal Survey information on the previous page that survival has improved – with this the chances of surviving without serious disability have improved a little but as yet we can't really tell you the exact figures as yet.
What happens if we use the Trent survival figures rather than the EPICure survival figures as they show some improvement?
If the disability rates have remained the same as in EPICure then the equivalent figures following admission for neonatal intensive care will be approximately:

Disability free survival

23 weeks - 11%

24 weeks - 20%

25 weeks - 32%

So it's been interesting to read some other parents points of views. Anyway if you want to check them out here they are!

http://neonataldoc.blogspot.com/

http://bulgingbag.blogspot.com/

Wow

Things have moved on around here, since the last time I posted, so I've spent this evening playing with the new format for the blog.

New Years resolution is to get back to posting on here regularly as I had been doing.

It's been 8 months since

I last posted here, I am amazed that I've not posted in so long, I have no excuses other than those of life getting in the way.

Since I last posted things have moved on a pace, so please bare with my while I put something together to update on all our news!

this made me cry

THE FACES BEHIND THE NUMBERS.......

Is there a fine line between crisis and epidemic?????…

The most current statistics read. 1 in every 8 babies is born premature.

1 in every 28 babies is born with birth defects.

Approx 4000 of these babies lose their fight for life.

Many times I sit and think about these numbers, the statistics of a crisis that is still far too silent. The numbers are staggering. The facts are truly heartbreaking.

And the reality….

Means ….

Somewhere right now…..A couple is celebrating the news they are expecting a Baby, unknowing to them their world is about to change forever.

Somewhere right now…..Bililights are being turned on.

Somewhere right now…..A Mother is on total bed rest.

Somewhere right now…..Blood gases is being drawn from a tiny life.

Somewhere right now…..An expectant Mother is sicker than she has ever been before.

Somewhere right now…..Cryotherapy just began.

Somewhere right now…..An expectant Mother is lying in a hospital bed praying for more time.

Somewhere right now…..A baby is being diagnosed with IURG.

Somewhere right now…..Parents sit hypnotized watching a fetal monitor

Somewhere right now…..A Mothers water just broke many weeks too soon.

Somewhere right now…..A Mother is experiencing pre-term labor.

Somewhere right now…..Parents are decorating a nursery for a baby who will never be using it.

Somewhere right now…..A baby is being placed on high frequency ventilation.

Somewhere right now…..A Mother is watching an ultrasound realizing something is terribly wrong.

Somewhere right now….. A Mother’s baby just stopped kicking.

Somewhere right now….. Expectant parents is given no hope.

Somewhere right now…..A Mother is receiving medication in hope of keeping her pregnant.

Somewhere right now…..A toddler still wears a pulse oximeter.

Somewhere right now…..A Mother is lying in a hospital bed crying in fear of what is soon to come.

Somewhere right now…..A baby is receiving Surfactant Therapy.

Somewhere right now…..A mother is being forced to birth a still born baby.

Somewhere right now…..ADoctor is performing an emergency C-Section.

Somewhere right now…..A Mother is having an amniocentesis.

Somewhere right now…..An umbilical catheter is being inserted.

Somewhere right now…..A Mother is diagnosed with preeclampsia.

Somewhere right now…..A baby is being taken from it’s protective world, and placed in a very clinical environment.

Somewhere right now…..A Mother is standing next to a plastic box looking down helplessly at her baby, making deals with God.

Somewhere right now …..A baby is being baptized in a NICU.

Somewhere right now…..A neonatologist is painting a grim picture.

Somewhere right now…..A Parent never imagined they could feel this kind of heartache

Somewhere right now…..A parent lives in fear, of all they do not understand.

Somewhere right now…..A baby has just exceeded its parents insurance limitations.

Somewhere right now…..Regardless of the diagnosis a Parent refuses to give up hope.

Somewhere right now…..A Baby is receiving Nitric Oxide.

Somewhere right now…..A Baby is having a G-Tube inserted.

Somewhere right now…..A Baby is being given a diuretic.

Somewhere right now…..A Baby just crashed.

Somewhere right now…..An apnea monitor just alarmed.

Somewhere right now…..A Mother is frantically dialing 911 because her baby just stopped breathing.

Somewhere right now…..A Baby is being placed on echmo.

Somewhere right now…..A baby’s life hangs in the balance.

Somewhere right now….Parents are rooming in with their baby.

Somewhere right now…..Parents dreams of taking their Baby home is being shattered.

Somewhere right now…..A Mommy is longing to touch her baby, that is too fragile to tolerate her touch.

Somewhere right now…..A baby is being placed on a vent.

Somewhere right now…..Parents are looking for someone to blame.

Somewhere right now….A parent is signing consent to let their baby go.

Somewhere right now…..A mother is replacing bandages around her baby’s newest procedure.

Somewhere right now…..A Baby is being buried.

Somewhere right now….The pain, uncertainty, and fear has become more than a couple can bear.

Somewhere right now…..A Baby is graduating to a C-Pap.

Somewhere right now…..A Mommy is singing to her baby in a whisper.

Somewhere right now….A parent is being awakened by an apnea monitor.

Somewhere right now….Medical staff are trying to stabilize a baby.

Somewhere right now….A Mother is longing so much to hold her baby, it hurts.

Somewhere right now…..A parent is speaking to a medical supply company.

Somewhere right now…..A Baby is being bagged.

Somewhere right now….Parents are being medically trained to take their baby with special needs home.

Somewhere right now…..A baby is getting their heel stuck again today.

Somewhere right now…..A Mother is experiencing Kangaroo Care for the first time.

Somewhere right now…..A baby is experiencing tachycardia.

Somewhere right now…..A baby is getting their first bath in a plastic spit tub.

Somewhere right now…..A Babys nursery light remains off.

Somewhere right now….A nurse is inserting an IV in a baby’s tiny head.

Somewhere right tnow…..A central line is being inserted.

Somewhere right now…..A candle is being lit for a baby.

Somewhere right now…..A Mother is giving her child a breathing treatment.

Somewhere right now…..A family is having a picnic at a grave site.

Somewhere right now…..A home is being remodeled to accommodate a special needs child.

Somewhere right now…..Parents are walking out of a NICU for the last time with empty arms.

Somewhere right now…..A Parent is wondering what if???

Somewhere right now….A Mother is placing a teddy bear on a tiny grave.

Somewhere right now…..A Mother is awakening in tears from a nightmare.

Somewhere right now…..A child is being given Botox injections, in hopes of easing the effects of Cerebral Palsy

Somewhere right now…..An infection is developing around a central line.

Somewhere right now…..A respiratory therapist is adjusting pressure on a vent.

Somewhere right now…..A baby is going home after months in the NICU.

Somewhere right now…..A Baby’s feeds have just been stopped.

Somewhere right now…..A neonatoligist is sitting silently in prayer.

Somewhere right now….A Mother is feeling guilty.

Somewhere right now…..A Baby is experiencing Bradycardia.

Somewhere right now…..A Mother is walking into a NICU for the very first time.

Somewhere right now…..A small child is being fitted for leg braces.

Somewhere right now…..A Baby is enduring the examination for ROP.

Somewhere right now…..A Father is balancing a role of primary care giver to siblings at home, and work to allow Mom more time with her baby.

Somewhere right now…..A Mother is pumping breast milk to put down a feeding tube.

Somewhere right now…..Parents are searching for a pre-school that will accommodate their special needs child.

Somewhere right now….Siblings are being sent to stay with Grandparents for reasons they do not understand.

Somewhere right now…..Parents are trying to explain to a small child their sibling will never be coming home.

Somewhere right now…..A home is being remodeled to accommodate a wheel chair

Somewhere right now…..A family is living in hibernation to protect their Baby from the health dangers of the outside world.

Somewhere right now…..A Baby is being intubated.

Somewhere right now…..A parent is searching for some kind of normalcy.

Somewhere right now…..A parent is hearing their baby will be severely visually impaired.

Somewhere right now……A surgeon is operating on a heart the size of a strawberry.

Somewhere right now….Part of a baby’s intestines are being removed.

Somewhere right now….A parent is replacing monitor leads.

Somewhere right now….A child is playing as far as it’s oxygen tubing will allow.

Somewhere right now…..A parent is picking out a tiny casket.

Somewhere right now…..A shunt in being inserted into a tiny baby.

Somewhere right now…..Faces are being missed from a family gathering because of the health risk it poses to a Baby.

Somewhere right now…..A baby is aspirating.

Somewhere right now…..A Mother is deciding which one of her babies in the NICU needs her more.

Somewhere right now…..A Mother is too frightened to go home

Somewhere right now….. A NICU nurse is consoling a Mother.

Somewhere right now…..A Baby’s kidneys are failing.

Somewhere right now…..A child is being made fun of because they are different.

Somewhere right now…..A Mothers heart is breaking for them.

Somewhere right now…..A Baby is having a feeding study.

Somewhere right now….A mother is watching anxiously as her near 2 year old child takes its first steps.

Somewhere right now….A Mother is untangling her child from it’s oxygen tubing.

Somewhere right now….A child has just pulled out its g-tube.

Somewhere right now…..A parent sits anxiously awaiting test results.

Somewhere right now…..A baby is being extubated.

Somewhere right now….A Baby is having an echo cardiogram.

Somewhere right now…..A Surgeon is performing a lifesaving procedure.

Somewhere right now…..A Child is being fitted for hearing aids.

Somewhere right now….A Child is having a sweat test.

Somewhere right now….A baby is receiving a blood transfusion.

Somewhere right now…..A Mother is kissing her baby for the very last time.

Somewhere right now….A parent is inserting a feeding tube.

Somewhere right now…..A parent is feeling like they can’t go on.

Somewhere right now…..A Nurse is drawing blood from a tiny little vein.

Somewhere right now……. Grandparents watch helplessly.

Somewhere right now…..A parent is picking out frames for the new glasses their small child will be wearing.

Somewhere right now…..A child can only sit and watch children play.

Somewhere right now…..A Baby is being released to come with feeding tubes, oxygen, and monitors.

Somewhere right now…..A Mother is putting hearing aids on her Child.

Somewhere right now…..Parents are sitting with a Social Worker.

Somewhere right now…..Parents are holding a Memorial instead of a birthday party.

Somewhere right now ….. So many babies are enduring so much more, with some procedures surpassing the imaginable…..

Far too many.....................

Taking an overall average, the average person reads approx 200 words per minute. In the length of time it took you to read this.

7 Babies have been born premature

2 Babies have been born with a birth defect and

1 Baby is preparing to receive its wings.

Getting my head around things

What can I say?? We went to see the Resp on Monday 24th, and got the results of the recent 24 hour study! Not sure they got the full 24 hours because Michael was in a mood the day it was done! But there was enough....

We're back in 02 at night, when Michael's Heart Rate drops so do his SAT's. In order to keep his SAT's rate up, his heart rate is high, the resp said he would discuss this with the Cardiologist. He asked if Michael's heart-rate ever dropped into the 80's, and the only time it appears to do this is at night in his sleep, taking his SAT's with him.

So the 02 is our friend again for the foreseeable future, although it kind of feels like we've taken a step backwards, it's not one I am totally surprised about, given the difference in him when he was back in it a couple of weeks ago, but I have to confess it's not one I ever expected to take.

Imagination

There is something to be said for developing an imagination while playing, any ideas??

Internet Trolls

There seems to be something in the air at the moment, one of the forum's I belong to recently had a woman claiming to be the mother of twins...she had built a website for them, pictures were posted, and hey presto, here's who this child really belongs too.....the devastation that the child's real mum, must have felt to see a picture of her child, with the words, died this afternoon, written underneath them.

When it was revealed that this was a hoax, there was a sense of shock, disbelief, and anger floating around, from the members there who had believed this womans story, who had offered support and who despite their own experiences had been able to offer support to someone they believed needed it, in the same way as we did when our babes were tiny. The people who know what it's like to really experience this, who still carry the scars of their experience are now left wondering and questioning everyone else around them, and how genuine these people are.

I've read and re-read the article two posts down about the Sarah Everson and her partner, who faked the birth of 6 babies, and one quote leapt out at me.

"I’m so afraid they’re not going to make it," she sobbed. "Nobody understands how hard this is. I know that they’re here. I know what I had to go through to get them here."

There are genuine preemie parents who do know how hard it all is, who know what their babies went through to survive, who sat and watched their little ones undergo numerous painful and distressing procedures in their fight for life, there are preemie parents out there who sat by helplessly and watched, as their little ones lost that fight.

We have enough in our lives, and on our plates, without the sad people in this world, like Sarah Everson who seem to think it's ok to make up a whole new alternate life for themselves, and take advantage of what in reality is a situation beyond comprehension.

Reached by phone late Tuesday, Sarah Everson offered no explanation. "I’m not talking to anybody right now," she said, "because nobody gets it."

No Sarah, I don't get it, I really don't understand why you felt it was ok to do something like this. I'm sure I'm not the only preemie parent who will struggle to understand why you thought this was ok......perhaps these people need to walk a day in our shoes.

X-Factor

I don't watch these reality tv programmes, so I had no idea who Shayne Ward is ~ but I really like the current single ~ no promises.

So I'm tempted to go buy the album tomorrow when it's released!

I am speechless

Herald

Couple’s 6 babies were only a hoax

By Matt Sednesky
Associated Press

GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. - The library books on multiple births crowded the couple’s coffee table. The bedroom-turned-nursery awaited the arrival of six newborns.
But in the end, authorities say Sarah and Kris Everson never had the sextuplets as claimed. All they had was what appears to be a big lie.

The couple’s dramatic story had holes in it from the start - from their mysterious withholding of information for more than a month to the unanimous response of area hospitals that they hadn’t helped deliver the newborns.

On Tuesday, authorities said the mystery had been solved - the entire tale was deemed a hoax aimed at tapping the generosity of others to pay the couple’s mounting bills.

"I have never dealt with anything like this," Police Chief Aaron Ambrose said. "The level of fraud like this involving people, I have not."

Gary Bradley, the city administrator, said charges against the Eversons were forthcoming. Prosecutors had not yet determined how much the couple profited from the scam or whether they would qualify for charges beyond the municipal level.

The Eversons - Sarah, 45, and Kris, 33 - claimed to have given birth to four boys and two girls on March 8. The babies were apparently in intensive care.

The tale exploded in the local spotlight Monday when The Examiner in Independence ran on its front page a photograph of the couple holding six one-piece baby outfits and announcing the births.

Hours before admitting it was a scam, Sarah Everson showed an Associated Press reporter pictures of her in maternity clothes, her baring a huge pregnant-looking midsection, even sonogram images she claimed were of her infants. She showed off a tiny nursery, a closet full of baby clothes and the tiny diapers premature newborns must wear.

She said the entire story of her children’s births was being kept secret by a court order enacted because a member of her husband’s family was trying to kill the Eversons and their new sextuplets.

"I’m so afraid they’re not going to make it," she sobbed. "Nobody understands how hard this is. I know that they’re here. I know what I had to go through to get them here."

Sarah Everson said a detective begin questioning her Tuesday evening; Bradley and Ambrose said the Eversons were interviewed at the police station for about an hour, during which they revealed the story was a scam. They were released pending charges.

After the Examiner’s initial story, the AP did not publish a story or transmit photos about the sextuplets over concerns of accuracy.

Reached by phone late Tuesday, Sarah Everson offered no explanation. "I’m not talking to anybody right now," she said, "because nobody gets it."

The Web site soliciting gifts was taken down Tuesday night.

Examiner Editor Dale Brendel said he was considering a front-page column to readers addressing the issue. He said the incident would force a review of his reporters’ verification practices.

"I think that we fell victim to the hoax. There were people out in the community who were doing fund-raisers already, and we feel bad for them and for us that we were the victims of that," Brendel said. "In retrospect, there were things we could have done better from a newspaper standpoint, in terms of our investigations and trying to flesh out some of the red flags there were about the story."

A&E again

So todays little bit of excitement, to liven up a fairly boring day was a trip to A&E. To have this removed from the right nasal passage.  We haven't been to A&E for a while to have things removed from body orifices. I guess Michael kinda figured it was time for another visit.

Not sure you wanna hear the wise cracks flying round the office DH works in!!

Spring

The sun has come out, spring has sprung, and Michael wants the paddling pool out

Parent of a Premature Child

If you're the parent of a Premature Child and your reading this. Then please drop by, say hello, and come and meet other preemie-child parents.

Fun day

Today we made Gingerbread