Correction from a doctor: there was no contamination, the gram stain was misread. There are at least four or five doctors involved in his care (usually they know why he's in so there are only two or three) so any information is subject to revision. The best current guess is that Alex had a viral infection that progressed to a secondary bacterial infection which resulted in septicemia and a shunt infection. Because it was so early, it's possible the IV antibiotics were able to knock out the shunt infection before it could get well-established. If results for the samples they collected during yesterday's surgery are negative, we will consider ourselves to have dodged the bullet. We still won't know for sure about the bloodwork until tomorrow sometime. I might not be able to post as frequently once Alex is moved out onto the floor because right now I'm piggy-backing on someone else's unsecured wireless network (Thank you permasteelisa if you happen to read this!) and I don't know if I'll be able to get a signal in his room. Ryan

Thank you all-- I am researching what everyone has mentioned to see if anything "fits." Carol, I will keep in mind what your friend went through, in case it progresses. We saw a neuro at a nationally famous children's hospital. She does NOT think they are migraines, as the symptoms don't fit, and the typical migraine treatment doesn't work for DD. She thinks the pain is very real but that they are stress-related. :( Hard to say. We are going to be keeping a journal to try to figure out why some days are better than others. However, her treatment is to lie down in quiet for 30 minutes (along with meds/water) and DD is now avoiding complaining because she does not want to lie down. I can see on her face and in her behavior when she is in more pain, even when she does not talk about it. It's still a mystery at this point. I am thinking of alternative medicine next-- maybe acupuncture, and other stress management sources. I am just still worried they are missing something. I know of too many cases where the person was not given a correct dx.

Camp, I see no problem with anything you're doing. So long as a grower is not purposely malforming their young stock to make it look a certain way, no issues. And of course we're going to see variation across species. Trees start out their lives with something called apical dominance. This consists of a chemical control of side buds-by chemicals produced in that apical bud at the tip of the plant. In effect, that growing tip hinders the expression of all others, for a time. In pine-family members and really, most conifers, this apical control is retained very long into the tree's life, hence the strongly excurrent growth form of most conifers. And you can see the opposite-the loss of this apical control-in very old pines, with their now-rounded tops. But they don't develop that until very far into maturity. Other tree groups more or less do the same. If it were not for this apical control, the title of this forum would be Groundcovers, lol!

Sure headmotty, NP. I'll give it a shot here. Feel free to ask for any clarification. Before we start, fight the urge it get adjustments done ASAP and in one shot. Keep in mind that it is best to make changes slowly. This avoids imbalances in the soil and stresses to the turf and gives the amendments time to work their way into the profile. Especially true when changing pH. Also keep in mind that there are maximum yearly/per app amounts that should be made for the various amendments, however this is not an issue for you. The method: 1. Determine the amount of phosphorous in P2O5 needed to reach your goal. In your case you selected 200 lbs/acre of P2O5 as your goal. Your test reports a current value of 106 lbs/acre. Your soil is 94 lbs/acre of P2O5 short of your goal. 2. Calculate the amount of P2O5 needed for 1000 sq feet by dividing the needed/shortage acre amount by 43.5. 94 lbs/acre shortage divided by 43.5 = 2.16 lbs/k of P2O5 is needed to reach our goal of 200 lbs/acre. 3. Determine the amount of potassium needed to reach your goal. You've selected a goal of 300 lbs/acre of potassium. Your test reports a current value of 198 lbs/acre of potassium (K). Your soil is short 102lbs/acre of K and 102lbs/acre of K is needed to reach your goal. 4. Calculate the amount of K needed for 1000 sq feet by dividing by 43.5. 102 divided by 43.5 = 2.34 lbs/k of K (potassium) is needed to reach your goal of 300 lbs./acre of potassium. Caveat: What follows is only true for NPK fertilizers. It is not necessarily useful for the use of SOP, MOP or TSP (sources of pure potassium or phosphorous fertilizers). 5. Make the numbers match: The test reports P as P2O5. NPK fertilizers report P as P2O5. We're good with the numbers matching up. The test reports K as K, but NPK fertilizers report it as K2O. Need to convert. To convert K to K2O, we need to divide K by .83. So, 2.34 lbs/k of K divided by .83 = 2.81 of K2O. 6. Determine the total amount of N to be applied and the number of application of fertilizer to be made this year. This will depend on the type of grass and, as NPK fertilizer contain N (nitrogen), the recommended N schedules for the grass in the lawn. (e.g KBG: 4-5 apps Memorial Day, Labor Day etc.) However, as a one time off situation, we can digress a bit. We could add an extra 1/2 N app on May 1 or add the 1/2 app for July 1 or August 1 or both, etc. We want to avoid applying when the ground is frozen or within 6 weeks before the ground freeze or at the peak of summer or we cpuld cram 5 N apps into 4 by applying 1.25 lbs in each of 4 apps. Just to make this more complicated, it is best to spoon feed by applying an app every 2 weeks rather than all at once. 7. Once you determine the total annual N amount you wish to apply, divide the P and K amounts by that total N amount to find your ideal NPK ratio. Example: Assume 5lbs/k of N is your desired annual N amount. Divide 2.16 lbs of P2O5 by 5= .432 Divide 2.81 lbs of K by 5 = ..563 So your ideal ratio is 1:.432:.563 Round off as fertilizer only comes in whole numers, I suggest rounding down, as you can always add more and it's impossible to take it out of the soil. So, 1:.4:.5 (1 nitrogen, .4 P and .5 K), 10-4-5, about 15,-6-8, 20-8-10, about 25-10-12, 30-12-15, etc. Shop around. For 10-10-10: For every 1 lb of N, you'll apply 10 lbs of product. 10lbs of product times 10% = 1 lb of P2O5 will be applied. You only need 2.16 lbs of P2O5, so 1.16 lbs of P2O5 left to apply to reach the target. One more app and you should quit or you will go over. For K, 10 lbs time 10% = 1 lbs of K2O has been applied. Target is 2.81 lbs of K2O, so 1.81 lbs K2O left to go. Still need two more apps to slightly exceed our goal. For 10-20-15: For every 1 lb of N, you'll apply 10 lbs of product. 10lbs of product times 20% = 2 lb of P2O5 will be applied. You only need .16 lbs of P2O5 left to apply to reach the target. Slightly under. No more apps needed. For K, 10 lbs times 15% = 1.5 lbs of K2O has been applied. Target is 2.81 lbs of K2O, so 1.31 lbs K2O left to go. Another App will moderately exceed your K goal, but immensely exceed your P goal. Remember, these are ranges. Trying to be exact if somewhat futile, but we need something to guide us. It's up to you to decide how much over or under your target is acceptable, but do stay within the guidelines and try to accommodate spoon feeding. If you get P within around 200 + or - 20 to 30 (an addition of 1.6 lbs of P2O5) and K anywhere over 220 (that would take only an addition of .6 lbs of K2O), you're in great shape. The wild card, unfortunately, is that lime. Look for something with a lower P (second number). That way you can make up any P shortage with a starter fertilizer. (kind of a mix and match approach.) The lower the overall numbers, the more you can spread it out with spoon feeding. Does that make sense? If not, ask away.