portland

Well, we're all packed and ready to head out the door at 6am tomorrow. It'll be interesting to see what we forgot (last time it was diapers...oops) this time around. I'm betting we'll remember something about two hours into the trip! Luckily I've programmed Target and Winco (grocery store) into the GPS, so I'll know right where to go to pick up whatever we forgot. I love my GPS! Not sure how I ever survived without one....

Tomorrow we'll be getting up a 5am to try to get as much breakfast down the boys (and us) before 6am when we'll be out the door. Alex can have apple juice and jello from 6-9am, and then nothing after that. We check in to the hospital at 11am, after which they'll put the EMLA cream on Alex's arm/hand to numb the spot where the IV will go in. Then we'll sit and wait. And wait. And wait some more. They'll come out eventually and tell us that it took an enormous amount of drugs to get him completely knocked out (as usual) and that he's taking his sweet time waking up. Then we'll go back and try to help rouse him for about 45 minutes, when he'll finally start trying to sit up. Once he can keep down liquid and some graham crackers, we'll get to leave. Finally. It'll be a horribly long day, especially for Ben. This time around I'm hoping the weather will cooperate and I can take him to the playground at Washington Park (not sure we have the cash for the zoo or museum this time around...but the museum would be great if it's raining like they say it will be). Since someone has to stay at the hospital, Jeremy will work on some contract programming he's doing, assuming he can find a wifi hot spot.

Then on Thursday morning, we'll be back at the hospital to meet with the neurologist to go over the MRI results (to see if anything has changed), and see if we'll be turning the VNS either down or off altogether. Afterwards, we'll eat a quick lunch and then see the nephrologist to go over the renal ultrasound results and talk about any possible blood pressure issues. Then it'll be the horridly long drive home. The boys keep it together fairly well until we're about 45 minutes from home and then they lose it. Screaming and crying and speaking in tongues. It's horrible. One time, they were good the whole way and we wondered whose kids we'd accidentally stolen.