Another Trip, another doctor's visit

    Today has been a busy day. When I called the nurse at Scottish Rite yesterday she spoke to the doctor and asked if we could be there today at 8AM. "Sure" I said.  She said they may need to give her a steroid injection in her knee, but they wanted to see her.  So, we loaded everyone up in the van at 5:15AM....let's just say that's way to early!!!!  We ran into more traffic than usual but still managed to make it there just before 8 and dressed the girls. We had literally picked them up out of bed and put them in the van, so the 10-15 minutes it takes to wrestle them in clothes was done in the parking garage.  The really were troopers and just went with it.  We got checked in at the main desk then headed to the clinic to check in.  The gentleman at the desk talked to Will and Caroline, then told Caroline that she could have the pink bear he put on the counter.  She ran to Will and said "I want you to go with me..." so he did. He really is the best big brother! Then he gave Will a really cool batman toy. Molly also got a teddy bear.  I'm not sure what we're going to with them all, but I'm thankful that it gives something for Molly to look forward to.  Molly starts whimpering every time someone walks in the door and then starts screaming and crying when they touch her, even if it's literally a small 1 finger touch.  She likes to make her protest loud and known! The nurse came in, then the nurse practitioner (NP).  The NP said she felt like she did need a steroid shot in her knee.  Not exactly what I was thinking or hoping for, I was thinking a little physical therapy first.  I guess since the Naproxen doesn't help much just by itself and the Methotrexate hasn't had time to get into her system, the best thing would be the steroid injection to kind of jump start things.  We were educated on what side effects to watch for, we were also told she would need to wear a brace for 24 hours just to try and keep her from bending her knee and that she needed to rest it. The doctor came in to say hi and brought 2 students to take a look at Molly. She explained to the students that when the knee is swollen there is extra blood flow and sometimes it can actually cause that leg to grow longer.  That's not what I thought....I thought it would stunt the growth because of the inflammation.  They do measure around her knee and the length of her legs every time we go.  Then physical therapy came in to fit her brace, she laughed when she came in and looked at Molly, the brace she brought with her would have fit around her entire body.  She came back with a much smaller brace and we got it fitted. They put numbing cream on first and we walked around a little bit and ate some breakfast in the cafeteria.  When we got back a Child Life Specialist came to talk to us. Her specialty is child development and how to help children cope with being in the hospital or clinic. She was great! She talked to Will and Caroline a little bit about what was going on, she also gave me her card and said as things change and progress if I have any questions or concerns about how to explain things to Molly and help her cope just to call her.  When it came time for the injection, Chris took Will and Caroline out of the room.  The Child Life Specialist got on one side and I was on the other, she talked to Molly and rubbed her head while they were prepping and during the injection Molly grabbed her hand. It was really sweet! The really do care for every aspect of the child at Scottish Rite. They try not to upset Molly. That's an impossible task...she has a lot of anxiety about doctors right now, but as soon as they're done she's ok and stops crying, today she even gave everyone high fives when we left.  I really am amazed at the helpfulness of everyone.  When we were finished I was carrying Molly and getting the stroller to push and they nurse insisted on pushing it for me to go and find Chris. How cool is that!?!?  Then she took us to the front desk to get coupons for free popcorn, they kids thought that was the coolest thing ever, they all LOVE popcorn.  Here are a few pictures. (I finally figured out how to post pictures!)



Here is our crew with their toys! They really were excited.



We were told to try to make her rest her knee as much as possible. No problem I thought, she's stuck to me like glue anyway, she's been ultra clingy lately.  I was wrong, oh so wrong! She did not want to be held...even with that huge brace on her leg, she wanted down. She hobbled around and I should really video tape it because it's kind of funny, but at the same I'm thinking this girl is awesome! She really doesn't let anything slow her down! It makes me proud to be her momma, she's a fighter and an overcomer.

Sweet girl cheesing...she's resting on me, for about 10 seconds.

 

After we left the appointment, my plan was to have a picnic at the park they have there but the park is closed for construction. Boo! Since the kids were happily eating their popcorn and weren't really ready for lunch since it was 10:30ish, we decided the Dallas World Aquarium would be fun. And it was! The kids were surprised and loved every minute of it.  A few times I thought Caroline would end up in the water because she kept climbing on the outside of the exhibits. I am relieved to say that it didn't happen.  I tried holding Molly or pushing her in the stroller but she only wanted down...to walk around.  I think Will's favorite part was the sharks of course and Caroline and Molly's favorite part was all of it, LOL! If you haven't been, you should go!



Molly relaxing when we got home with her huge brace! She is tolerating it much better than I anticipated.



  

I really thought they would be exhausted and ready for a nap, I know I was, but Will stayed awake most of the way home and Caroline talked to herself or us for 2 hours, all the way home. Molly closed her eyes as soon as she got in her carseat.  We got home and played for a little bit, Molly who was supposed to be resting was busy climbing and jumping on the couch, I think it's safe to say she may be feeling better.   She also got her Methotrexate injection, she was really upset about it today, but we did it quick and then I got to snuggle her.

Pictures

This is what Molly thinks of fevers, LOL. Mostly I needed to test posting pictures from my phone to here.

Phone calls and Prayers

      OK, obviously I'm not the best at writing a post daily. Life happens and the past couple of weeks have been super busy and I'm now exhausted!  We've had some play dates, we sorted lots of garage sale stuff, had 2 days of garage sale at our house. We only hosted, it benefited a ministry called Legacy Closet which helps foster families with beds, bedding, clothes, shoes, car seats, and pretty much anything else they need when the get a placement. I've been volunteering with them and they are awesome ladies who are foster/adoptive moms themselves, they truly are amazing! We've also sold my husband's truck and bought a new (to us) Jeep. We celebrated Memorial day at my parents house with lots of great food and great company. We've celebrated my dad's birthday. I've gone to a homeschool used book fair with some great friends.  It's been fun, but I'm hoping this coming week is a little more laid back and I can get my house back in order.
       Tomorrow will be full of phone calls. A call to set up well child appointments for my 2 girls, a call to set up dentist appointments, a call to our Rheumatologist at Scottish Rite, and I feel like I'm forgetting about something else.  I need to call the Rheumatologist to find out if we need to start physical therapy or if they want to see her sooner than July. Molly will no longer able to straighten her right knee at all, this was the first joint to start swelling. I tried stretching it out and gently pulling it straight and she started screaming.  :(  It breaks my heart to see her in pain.  I will also need a new prescription for the Methotrexate. I have one week left in the bottle I have.  The last dose I gave her I didn't bruise her leg, so I think we're getting the hang of this new normal.  We also just finished another fever episode. It started on Tuesday night and yesterday, Saturday, was the last day of fever.  It was more severe than the last one, her fever did get up to 105 several times, but came down quickly with Tylenol, and was less severe than they were before the diagnosis. She still takes Naproxen twice a day and I think it really helps with the fevers since it's an anti-inflammatory.  I have noticed that during a fever episode her joints really hurt and bother her. She refuses to walk most of the time during her fever episodes and wakes up frequently still saying "owie".  She doesn't eat much, so she doesn't have a lot of energy but she doesn't want to sleep either. It's a vicious cycle of a hungry, uncomfortable, sleep deprived toddler....it doesn't make for a very pleasant household those weeks, but we manage and my other 2 kids are so compassionate and do what they can to try and entertain her or bring her things to help her (and me). Those 2 older kids of mine, Will and Caroline, truly are amazing and God designed them to be Molly's big brother and sister.
        Until next time...I ask that you pray for peace and understanding for us as we still travel through diagnosis and treatments and possible physical therapy.    I also ask you to pray for our pediatrician who lost her son to suicide. It's a tragic situation but I know God is holding her and her family in His hands, helping them through this struggle.  I also ask that you pray for the Eynon family, the father was killed in a car accident that also injured 3 of his children. The little boy is fighting for his life on life support. The mom and another daughter were not in the car. Our whole community was touched by this man and his family, I did not know them personally but so many people I know did and talked about what an amazing chiropractor and Godly man he was.  One last prayer request...a sweet little girl we know, Kassidee, was transferred to Children's Hospital in Dallas. She's a sick little girl but they're not sure what's going on. Pray for peace and understanding for each of these families dealing with tough situations. God has a plan for each one.