Brave Girl Chooses Blood Work

Sandra, you make me laugh! I tried and tried to post a comment back, but it wouldn't give me the little white writing window. : ( You have to get a haircut alone. Seriously. It is my private alone time. No kids allowed. I think it's the one sacred time a month (or so, more later..) that is for ME! I know you need time with Morgan, but schedule a family night, or better yet, a DATE night-even the night of your hair night! : ) Is Nora in a Mother's Day Out? You might need one! Ours is terrific! The ladies are so sweet, and it's church subsidized (I think) cause it's only $85 a month for two days out (9-1 on Tues and Wed)-that's only $2.65 an hour, so I don't feel bad if I skip a lot. You can't find a babysitter to do that for you. And I get a chance to breathe (or clean, or cry..). You should look into it. : )

Well, obviously I made it home. (Thank you God, and thank you for your prayers!) I was praying on the way down there-when I got sheets of ICE on my windshield! I even called and rescheduled her appt. till April 9th, but then the temp. came up to 32, and it seemed to be just rain. (Ches said my thermometer is off a couple degrees, but still!) Anyway, it was not so scary, so I kept on. I called back, got my appointment back, and we made it to Little Rock.

First, we met with Junko and her daughter, Emily, who has Type I Diabetes also! We had so much fun! We met at Chick-Fil-A and the girls got to play together. They'd never been to a CFA (my third home, especially on the road!), so we got to break them in nicely! They brought Mary Claire presents, so she has been so happy all day! She got a notepad (and used half of them writing me, the dr., and her teacher notes (to put on her homework) for tomorrow. She was just beside herself. She couldn't sleep last night she was so excited! She came in last night after nine, and couldn't go to sleep, then she met me in the kitchen this am, already awake! Her blood sugar was 360-adrenaline drives up her bs! It was crazy. I went ahead and changed her pump site, since I needed good blood sugars today. We weren't sure if we were going to make it home tonight. We packed to stay overnight, just in case. She was actually disappointed that we didn't stay somewhere!

Our appointment was just great. We went to the newest Circle of Friends clinic-just beautiful and colorful, and everyone was SOOO friendly (like at all the ACH locations). We got right in, but we were there for 2 and a half hours! It seemed like 45 minutes or so, but whew, did time fly! Mary Claire couldn't make pee to save her life, so we had to stay around till she did (for the microalbumin check)-it took a cup of ice water, an apple juice, and a small "we can't go to Target till you pee!" Then, she found it in her to go!

We were also informed that after you've been diagnosed for five years (this May 23, 2009-yucky anniversary), you have to start having blood work once a year to check for thyroid problems, Celiac disease, and for GFR (I think it was globulin filtration rate-how fast your blood is filtered through your kidneys) if your urine isn't just right. See? This is why we go to Children's! So thorough. We also adjusted her basal rate from 11am to 5pm, and we'll report blood sugars next week to see if it's working. Now, the call-in line is open from 8:30-5! Can you imagine? I get to call and talk to a real, alive human!!! Right then! Well, unless I'm waiting. : ) Still, a great thing.
So the downer is, when I went to schedule her next appt. I requested to make the next one at the new NWA satellite office in Lowell (my whole reason for spending 6 months getting readmitted and going to LR!). Get this. They are full. Yes, I don't "get" it, and reexplain that I live in NWA, and need to make future appts at THAT clinic, again, the "it's full". I search out Dr. Morales (so sweet!) and she explains: no more patients are being accepted. They are at capacity, and aren't taking new patients/appts there! Crud. So, I reschedule there for August 13th (same day as Ethan's next ENT appt, but they are easier to reschedule), but then Ches balks since he doesn't like how going to LR screws up the whole family for a day. : ( I'm sad, and find it hard to choose between good care for MC, and my family's health and happiness. It just sucks all the way around. I got the best charts of her pump activity, and they loved my charts and copied them, and I got to see Junko and Emily (and got my chocolate linen pants at the Park Plaza mall, haha Scottsdale Center!).
So, even if I don't get to go back, it was a good day, good experience. And God was willing, and we did have good weather. I was just thankful for the rise in temp, and dry roads on the way home.

We did look for the Fazoli's we used to go to in LR, and now it's something else. We ended up having Pizza Hut at Target, since I felt like my bs was low! : O Then, (oh, I forgot to tell you about the blood draw! see below) we shopped for her a :surprise: and a big Hershey's candy bar for her Famous American presentation tomorrow (which I should be preparing for..). Then, more gas, and back on the road home. We were home at about nine, so we did pretty well. Another late night for her, but she's pretty darn resilient, if I've learned anything!

Ok, blood draw. I mentioned above that she has to have blood work done once a year now. Dr. Morales said she could do it this time or next. I made up lots of excuses about how I'd have to "mentally prepare" her, bribe her with a surprise, etc. and we'd do it next time. She turned to MC and asked if she'd like to do it today, and she said -Get This- yes. Choke, cough-seriously? They came in, and got to work. She wanted to WaTcH! I was about to loose my lunch, and she could WATCH her self-made blood get drained? Ugh. She's my HerO! The nurse said that adults NeVER watch, but kids ALWayS want to. Weird, huh?

Ok, the hair thing: I used to go every four weeks, but Taylor only lets me go every six. Whatever. Now I make my next appt before I come in, so I get to choose. I NEED to go every four. But I'm compromising (out of some form of respect maybe) and only going every five. Blonde is high-maintenance, and you have to be willing to keep it up. And I AM. Who wants to look all goofy two-toned? (in all the wrong places of course) Bless the fairies who brought us pretty hair colors. Mmm...and smoothing hair products. Oh, and sparkly purses and shoes! I'm in dreamland, I'm so tired. Good night, safe night.