Back from Milwaukee...

Holy rain! Apparently it didn't rain as much up here today, as in Milwaukee. Visibility was very limited on the way there. A 1 hour 45 minute trip ended up taking two and a half. I'm glad we left early. There were a bunch of accidents messing up the highway. I've been in an accident in Milwaukee already, so I was even more on guard. (Um, yeah...and I still was willing to take pictures of myself driving, while I was actually driving. I'm a Smart Cookie!


Aristana was awake most of the trip, and did a great job! Granted,we played "I spy" for an hour...spying the same things over and over again. But it never seems to get old. We also sang a lot...she's so much fun! Even when she's sick...



When we made the appointment for Aristana to meet with the pediatric gastroenterologist at Childrens Hospital, it seemed as though she started to improve, having only a couple "bad diapers" a day. However, today, as soon as the nurse walked in, she needed a change. By the time we were done, they needed to redo the room, since the paint started peeling off the walls from the smell.
Aristana, needless to say, is no longer excited to see a doctor's office. She was by no means the princess she always acted like at prior visits. Dr. Venkat is a remarkable, and was able to check her belly, while she thought he was just tickling her. Okay, get this... his full name is Dr. Narayanan Venkatasubramani. Wow! He just goes by Dr. Venkat..thank God. Funny story though. He asked Aristana if she could say Venkat. She said "kitty kitty." Now he's Dr. Kitty Kitty. :)
He explained all of the possibilities, and what our path is from here. She had her first blood draw, and had three vials taken. We should have those results back by Monday. Thanks to her "bad diapers," Jean, the nurse, was able to collect four of the labs she needed. Unfortunately, it's my job to collect seven more. I'm getting very experienced at this...yipee. You don't learn this stuff at Mom school. We will also be heading back to Milwaukee in a few weeks, so she can have an endoscopy and a sigmoidoscopy. They will also do some biopsies during the scopes. She'll be put to sleep for that, so thankfully she won't feel or remember any of it. I'll keep you all posted throughout this ordeal.

She fell asleep shortly after we got in the van, to head home. Traffic was extremely slow, since the rain started falling heavier than before. There were a few accidents, and people were driving like complete idiots. I realized that my head was bobbing, and I didn't remember driving the previous ten minutes, around Cleveland. We stopped to get out of the van for a few minutes. We had to stop again in Manitowoc. But...now we're home. Aristana is in for a nap, and I'm going to do the same.
Thanks again for your prayers and caring! I know everyting will be fine. The process of getting there, however, doesn't seem to be so reassuring.
I'll write again soon