This week, we knocked out the last few medical bits and pieces that needed to be taken care of before summer started in earnest, namely a quick visit to the dentist and a liver ultrasound for Lemon. I had carefully scheduled the dentist appointment to be on the day after the last day of school, and then of course the school year got extended by a day thanks to all the days we missed because of the polar vortex. Luckily the appointment was at 7:30 a.m. so Papa Bear was able to get Lemon to and from the dentist in time for the new last day of school. Good thing, since those key instructional hours without which our school would have lost accreditation or whatever were spent at an indoor playground/arcade, and we would not have wanted Lemon to miss such an important educational experience.
On Friday morning we had the liver ultrasound. Lemon was not keen on going (although these days he is also not keen on leaving the house for bike rides, swimming lessons, or the library, so I try not to over-interpret). The technician that did the ultrasound was really amazing. She quickly put Lemon at ease, let him touch everything with his fingers first, and held the probe up to his arm so he could see inside his arm before she did his belly. That totally calmed him down, and then he just looked transfixed at the screen as images of his liver and pancreas whizzed by. He was so still and cooperative that both the technician and I were kind of shocked, and he was rewarded with a selection of 8 stickers from the prize area. We don't know the official results yet, because of course the images have to be read by a doctor, so stay tuned on that. We are following up with the GI doctor in November (gee, I guess I should schedule that appointment), so at that time we can evaluate our strategy going forward and decide if we want to try tapering ursodiol in light of the combination of the blood tests and ultrasound results.
In the meantime, I've been trying to get everything organized for the start of camp, which is Wednesday. I ordered the 10,000 things the kids apparently need for this experience (ie spending the day playing at a Montessori school), and tomorrow I'm driving out to the camp to drop off some of the gear and meet with the camp instructor to hand off enzymes and instructions in that regard. At least I finished filling out the myriad different online forms that are required!
Last but not least, happy belated Father's Day to all of you meeting that description. I am beyond lucky to have two great dads in my life. Papa Bear, who fills our kids days with love, fantastical stories, bad puns, and handles all the behind-the-scenes paperwork that a household like ours requires to keep running. And my own dad, also known as Opa, who raised a girl who is unafraid to wield a pickax when the situation calls for it, and is an amazing grandfather and role model to Lemon and Lime. Where would we be without these guys? Nowhere.
