morphine and martini drips

I had such high hopes to tell you all about my productive weekend.

Like,
to tell you that I made a double batch of cookie dough
and wheat bread for the freezer.

Like,
that I organized 3/4 of my troops to pick up sticks
and hedge apples in the yard.

Like,
that I planted my fall garden.
Spinach, lettuce, broccoli, and carrots, thank you very much.

Like,
that I ordered my grain mill.
OH, YES I DID!

Like,
that I actually went through every stack of papers
in my living room (and elsewhere)
and filed, trashed, and mailed every last bit of it.

I wanted to tell you all that.

But instead,
I'm catching my breath from having spent the ENTIRE DAY
in the ER with Lucy-bug.

People, can you please understand that this child cannot,
I repeat,
CANNOT, handle any amount of pain?

She was up ALL NIGHT Sunday night with severe abdominal pain
and fever.

We got up with hopes that she would bounce back
but she didn't.

She couldn't.

She couldn't.

So off to the hospital we went.
We feared appendicitis.
(Again)
But it turns out, after two rounds of IV fluids,
blood work, MORPHINE (for her, not me...dang it) and an xray,
that our darling daughter has a stomach virus
and was (IS) loaded with gas (and other such things).

Bless her stopped-up bottom.*Photo taken after Morphine drip for Lucy and Martini drip for Mommy.
Partially kidding, of course.



Then, after five hours,
I said, FIVE HOURS, in the hospital, I had to meet up with Nick
to take him to the podiatrist.


Of course I did.

What else would I do?

Does life ever become simple?

Don't answer that.



*A big thank-you to my in-laws who came to stay all day with
the rest of our kiddos at home!

Lucy update

All seemed to be fine and good with Lucy-bug
yesterday...then she started complaining
every now and then that her tummy hurt.
She would even wince a bit
and bend over.

Then, it would get better.
Weird.

Yes, her BMs are normal and regular (believe me).

Anyway,
the doctor called to set up her ultrasound
AND more blood work.

UGH.

Turns out,
her glucose level was high and they want to
rule out diabetes.

MY STARS.

Plus they want to check her kidney and liver function.

Anyway, Monday morning we go in for her blood work.
No need to set your alarms to get up for the day,
Lucy will provide you with a complimentary wake-up call.
You're welcome.


Tuesday morning she is scheduled for an ultrasound.
They told us to have her drink 32 oz. of water
beforehand.

Ha.

Sure, that will happen.

For goodness sake,
she's the size of a 32 oz drink!!!

We'll do what we can.

Oh and we are NOT going back to the children's hospital.
Just a regular hospital who agreed to
do a pediatric ultrasound.
I'm thinkin' since they're probably used to seeing
bladder-bulging cranky pregnant women all the time,
a cutie-pie Chinese girly might make them roll out the red carpet.

We'll see.

Please pray!!

thank you for praying....

The last couple weeks Lucy has complained of
a tummy ache, here and there.
Nothing ever became of it but I did make
a mental note that she had complained several times.

Then today, which began way earlier than planned,
Lucy woke up in great pain.

She had a low-grade fever and vomited.
I definitely knew something was up,
especially when she doubled over in pain every time she
stood up.

Somethin' wasn't right.

The doctor wanted to see her right away.
They ruled out a UTI off the bat.
Next they suspected her appendix or an unwelcome
comeback of an ovarian cyst
(that was her "special need" when we adopted her).

So blood was drawn.
Oh how I wish you all could have seen the drama
that unfolded with that.

It was a sight to behold.

Her white blood cell count was elevated.
Off to the nearest children's hospital we went,
doctor's orders.

A simple CT scan.
No problem, we told them.

Ahem.
The aforementioned drama was just the warm up.

We got checked in and they stuck us in a pleasant
but claustrophobic room,
gave Lucy a plethora of over-sensorizing toys
AND
a big-gulp size "fruit punch" (aka, dye to read the scan easier)
and told us to have her drink it over the next
1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Say what??

She "chugged" away at it for a good
45 minutes until we were alarmed at how
little she had actually drank.
Seriously.
They can put a man on the moon but they can't figure out
an easier way to make a four year old
get a simple x-ray?

The nurses gave up on this idea
and decided to do an IV with dye in it instead.

All the while,
she is making an incredible recovery thanks to prayer, no doubt,
and apparently our extended stay in the 10x10 room
with her as the total center of attention.

After about 3 1/2 hours,
they came to get her for her scan.

Yeah.

She cooperated for all of about 3 minutes as they
overly talked to her to prepare her for this.

Good golly.

Then she fell apart, latched onto Dad and wouldn't let go.

One of the gals actually had the gall to ask me if
they should tell her that mom and dad would have to LEAVE
if she wouldn't lie down.

Yes, that sound you heard around 4 PM was, in fact,
me coming unglued.

No, sweet but completely ignorant lady,
I will NOT tell my adopted daughter that I will
LEAVE her side if she doesn't cooperate.

We finally said, ENOUGH.
Take the IV out, we are leaving.

The radiologist, bless his very kind and patient heart,
came to our rescue and didn't leave our side
until we finally got Lucy an ultrasound.

Her bladder was empty so they couldn't see her
ovaries and her appendix didn't make an
appearance either, leaving the doctor to conclude
that it wasn't inflamed.

Very long story short,
we are home now.
Lucy is playing outside as if nothing happened.

Of course.

The doctor is still concerned about her ovaries so
we will go back for a better ultrasound.

Anyway,
THANK YOU ALL
for your prayers.

I have NO DOUBT that they made all the difference.