I have thoroughly enjoyed writing my blog posts...it's more just therapeutic ramblings of my life and thoughts, but I've missed it this week...and what a week it's been. Shanna, our daughter, is 16. Other than a knee injury in December 2006 (she dislocated her knee), she has been a remarkably well child. She's been complaining of a stomach ache for several weeks, along with a headache, so I made a doctor appointment for her last Monday...she loves the idea of going to the doctor but the reality is far less wonderful. I knew going in, after talking to the advice nurse, that they would be doing lab tests so I told her not to eat anything. So, we get to the doctor, they usher us into the little room and the nurse takes her vital signs and asks her to remove her pants and shirt, which was no surprise to me...but she was resistant. She's a very modest person, and it's fairly petite...of course the gowns are one size fits all...so she was less than thrilled with the hospital type gown (but really no-one likes those open in the back, drooping at the shoulders gowns). In comes the doctor and she spends several minutes asking Shanna questions, looking her over, etc. Then comes the inevitable...we'll need you to do a pee test and some lab work. The urine test was fine because she had to go so bad...but the blood work...oh my gosh.
The lab people at Kaiser are so awesome...I should know. Since my Hep C diagnosis and my year of chemo type treatment, I have had more than 150 lab draws in the last five years...to the point where my veins have all but collapsed and are very fragile, so me having lab work is an ordeal, but not horribly painful. Shanna and I had blood work done at the same time. It took them four times before they could find a viable vein for me, so I now have an armful of bruises...and Shanna...she was so freaked out and upset that the receptionist came and held her hand while the other gal took her blood. So...my daughter, who was so "brave"...got a handful of stickers and a cute stuffed giraffe (not one of those ugly, cheap things you get at the fair but a soft cuddly stuffed animal). She named the giraffe "Walowitz" and he's her new best friend. Hellooo...I've given more blood than she has running through her body and she gets the stuffed animal and stickers...there's something wrong with this system...so here she is...recovering from her traumatic ordeal at the doctors. Wait till I tell her she has to have blood work done again in a month...
On a more serious note, they thought she had diabetes, but thank the Lord she doesn't. She is being treated for an ulcer and she's anemic...so medication, some changes in her diet and she's supposed to reduce the stress in her life (hello...she's 16, which means life is full of drama and stress).
My work has been crazy busy and with the buyout of my company, our jobs are being "realigned", which means more changes for all of us. A band parent meeting, private saxophone lessons, grocery shopping, and getting ready for this beach trip and of course, my internet at home was acting up, so I've not had a chance to blog all week. I think I'm back on track though...
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