A couple of my not-so-favorite places

One is large cities. Even though I grew up near San Francisco and spent almost four years living there during and after college, I have no fondness for metro areas. I just don't fit in, I'm not comfortable and it's too big, flashy and busy for me. It's okay if you don't feel that way about cities. Really. But we rural Skelly's all feel pretty much the same.

Another not-so-favorite place is hospitals--especially big ones and especially teaching ones. I know they have their place and I am glad they are available and do the work they do. But, I would just prefer to avoid them, if at all possible.

So, here we are--me and Hannah and James. In a big city, in a hospital--a big one (a REALLY big one), a teaching and research one.

To state the obvious, I am way out of my comfort zone. And you all know what an advocate I am of parents advocating for their children. As far as I am concerned, it is one of my most important jobs. When the battle is hot, it is my most important job. So today, I got to be a mommy advocate in a HUGE teaching hospital in a BIG city. And I didn't feel like I was making any progress.

About the time I didn't think I could handle it any more, Katie called. I shared with her what was going on, in a nutshell, answered her other questions and we got off the phone. Unbeknownst to me, the home folks stopped and prayed and I felt impressed to ask to speak with the resident overseeing James' care, nicely. It wasn't long before folks started listening, questions began to get answered and things finally made some progress. (I never did even have to talk to the resident, by the way.) And I didn't have to be mean or rude. Though I did have to step pretty far out of my comfort zone.

This evening, the charge nurse came in to ask how we were doing and I sort of hemmed and hawed before I felt impressed again to be totally honest, though kind and gentle, about my day and my perceptions of how things work (and haven't worked for me) in this big city teaching hospital. Thankfully, she was very helpful and open and validated my concerns. She took my issues to the nurse manager and began working on some more of my unanswered questions and James' unmet needs.

James is now much more comfortable and therefore, Hannah and I are too. Things will move slower here (larger things tend to move more slowly than smaller things) and that is okay. The key is that things need to be moving. The key I need to remember is to stop and pray. The blessing is when others remember and pray on my behalf, when I've forgotten. So if you pray for us today, thank you!

This evening, we met the Pediatric GI doctor and the resident who works with her. The initial take on James' case is that the nasty stuff leaking out of his tube site is bile. It may be mixing with other things, but they aren't sure. Bile doesn't belong in the stomach. It is made by the liver and secreted into the upper intestine where it is supposed to join up with other things leaving the stomach and 'run it's course', if you get my drift. Bile can do some damage to the stomach, even causing sores and bleeding. So starting this evening, James will get some other medications to help bring this under control and stop any damage to the stomach from the bile.

Tomorrow at 2:30 p.m., James is scheduled to have an upper GI--this will be his third ever. Lucky guy. The hope is that the test(s) tomorrow will give us some idea of what is causing this 'bile backup'.


Please pray:

1. that they would be able to get the information they need from the tests. That the tests themselves would be successful and not have to be redone.
2. for wisdom for the 'testers' and the specialists looking at the test that would be able to discern what is going on with James and recommend the next best steps for him.
3. that, while out of my comfort zone, I would still be the mommy, the advocate and the woman God wants me to be and that I would stay resting in Him and not get overwhelmed. (and Hannah, too, she says :*))
4. for James' comfort and good health through all of this.
5. for a private room and that Hannah can continue to stay with us.

Love, Stephanie