On Our Way

Audrey is going to Primary Children's Hospital today to have her esophageal stent removed. While she is still under general anesthesia they will check to see if the leak is healed by putting barium liquid down her throat and watching on a live x-Ray screen. If the liquid contrast stays where it belongs instead of creeping outside the walls of the esophagus, they will remove the picc line in her arm and let us resume using her stomach for g-tube and as much food by mouth as she can tolerate. Our hope is also that having had the stent in for two weeks plus changing her antacid medication (starting tomorrow) will mean no more strictures for a long, long time.

I am heading to the hospital in a few minutes. Very hopeful that by the end of the day she will no longer be crying when she sees or smells food, but can join us instead. We've tried hard to keep her away from our meals but she is such a smart kid, it's been hard for everyone. (Thank heaven for Dora the Explorer!!) Favorite "sad but cute" moment of the past week: as she's reaching for food we said "I'm sorry sweetie, but the doctor says no." And she replied angrily in her little voice, "Doctor says yes!" We've been extra patient with our funny little miss contrary this week... her "no"s to virtually everything under the sun when she's tired or put out have been so much work to manage but SO FUNNY. We've even gotten "no blankie"s out of her! I think none of our kids have ever been the stereotypical two year old the way she has, and we feel so seasoned as parents now that it's easy for us to laugh at and take with just the right mix of salt and seriousness. As Lynn so wisely put it, "You don't suppose she thinks the world revolves around her, do you?"