Read more about the article I’m definitely feeling rough this morning
My thoughts

I’m definitely feeling rough this morning

I'm definitely feeling rough this morning. No two ways about it. I'm not as bad as I have been after previous doses of the COVID vaccine but it's not fun. I'm up and got the dogs out, have my meds ready to take after I eat, and I'm starting the day with the knowledge that the podcast has cracked the top 200 kids and family related podcasts in the country on Chartable. I'm pretty stoked about that and it's motivation to keep pushing forward. My goal is to get way inside the top 100 and I'm well on my way, thanks to all my listeners. Emmett was up all night again because he couldn't sleep. He was doing so good for so long, and I'm not sure what happened. I…

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July 20, 2022
Read more about the article It’s gonna be an exciting day
My thoughts

It’s gonna be an exciting day

It's going to be an exciting day. The boys are having a friend sleep over and they're pretty excited. I thijnk everyone will probably camp out in the living room because it's going to be more comfortable. Lots of fun. ☺️ Before we even get to that part of the day, I will be working with the Stark County Health Department. I was asked to be on a vaccine panel for a public awareness forum. They're basically trying to increase the number of COVID vaccinations in our county and want my help to talk to people in the public forum. I don't normally speak publicly, at least in person, so I'm a little nervous but it's good experience and it's also an excellent cause. It's only an hour or so…

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March 26, 2022
Read more about the article A trip to the emergency room and 2 #covid shots later
My thoughts

A trip to the emergency room and 2 #covid shots later

It's been a crazy morning but we all survived. Emmett went to bed complaining about pain behind his ear. He had a really hard time sleeping and kept me up for most of the night. When we woke up this morning, he was in tears because it hurt so bad. I could barely keep my eyes open but the kids had to be at Akron Children's Hospital before 10am for their second COVID shot. That was an absolute priority but I was concerned because I didn't know what was going on with Emmett. Ultimately, I decided to drag Elliott out of bed early, which he wasn't happy about, and head to the ER at Akron Children's. My thought was that I'm only one person and I needed to be in…

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June 17, 2021
Read more about the article We had to break quarantine for the first time in 173 days
Akron Children's Hospital / My thoughts / Pediatrics / Vaccines

We had to break quarantine for the first time in 173 days

I'm absolutely exhausted but I wanted to share a quick update and then go into more detail later on if need be. We wore our KN95 masks and broke quarantine today for the first time in 173 days. That means we came into direct, sustained contact with other people for the first time since this all began. The reason for this was vaccines. Elliott and Emmett each needed a vaccine. Elliott needed his MMR booster and Emmett started his HPV. Elliott had his MMR delayed for health reasons when he was little and he needed to get caught up. Gavin needed labwork and all four of us needed flu shots. We visited Akron Children's Hospital for the boys vaccines and Rite Aid for our flu shots. I wanted to make…

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August 26, 2020
Read more about the article It’s been a really shitty week and I’m down but not out
General Update / My thoughts

It’s been a really shitty week and I’m down but not out

This week has been pretty rough, and that's by our standards. Thus far school has been a technical frustration for the boys and they're quickly forming an opinion that will be difficult to work through. The boys are very turned off to school at this point and there are only so many battles I can pick right now. I need this to work. Admittedly, I'm really frustrated with it myself and have questioned whether or not we chose the right school. I will say that the school staff seems really cool. I've spent a good bit of time on the phone with various teachers and administrators this week. Everyone is super nice and wanting the boys to have the best experience possible. These technical issues will hopefully be resolved in…

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August 21, 2020
Read more about the article We had some #vaccine related hiccups
Elliott / Emmett John / My thoughts / School Related Issues / Vaccines

We had some #vaccine related hiccups

I wanted to explain the hiccup with school that we ran into. I mentioned this in a recent post and never circled back to explain. I figured I start the day off with some writing and this is a good place to start. The issue we ran into is with vaccines for both Elliott and Emmett. Vaccines are extremely important and for the most part, we've maintained their vaccine schedules. There were, however, a couple of exceptions. Emmett's issues stemmed from his fever disorder. After consultation with his pediatrician at the time, it was decided to put off his MMR because he was constantly running a fever. We were trying to figure out his health issues and no one wanted to muddy the water. He eventually received his first MMR…

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June 26, 2020
Read more about the article When it comes to #vaccines, there are no opinions, only #facts
My thoughts

When it comes to #vaccines, there are no opinions, only #facts

I'm pretty excited to get this episode about vaccines out tomorrow. There's already been a constant back and forth on Twitter since I announced it last week. My intention is not to create debate but rather get the facts out and help people make better, more informed decisions for themselves and their loved ones. There's so much misinformation out there right now and I'm hoping to counter that with facts from experts in the field. I'm currently scheduling with an accomplished infectious disease epidemiologist. We will be discussing vaccines for her perspective and experience. Tomorrow I'll be releasing my interview with Dr. Ryan Marino, an ER physician and Medical Toxicologist. These are serious issues and we need to listen to the experts and not people posting on social media. When…

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January 2, 2020
Read more about the article How @AkronChildrens helped me protect my youngest son today
Akron Children's Hospital / Emmett John / My thoughts / Pediatrics / Vaccines

How @AkronChildrens helped me protect my youngest son today

For the most part, our morning has gone on without too many issues, and any issues that we did have were quickly overcome. That's a pretty good feeling. I dropped Elliott off at school before taking Emmett to get some shots and Gavin to flget his blood work. We headed to Akron Children's Hospital new North Canton office for a nurse only appointment. He was incredibly brave, especially for an anxious kid who's constantly worrying about everything. He did awesomely and I couldn't possibly be any prouder. ☺ ♥ Today he received his Meningitis and Tetanus vaccines. That amounted to one in each arm and he didn't feel either of them. Our nurse at Akron Children's Hospital was fantastic and helped Emmett feel comfortable. The process was quick and painless.…

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September 3, 2019