I truly feel that our lives run in time from treatment to treatment. I always think to myself things like, "I will start that after the next treatment." Or, "I need to get that done before the next treatment." They are a measurement of time, like months, or years. I set new goals or resolutions after each treatment trying to make our life in between treatments most efficient and enjoyable. I feel like I want to be able to fit everything in and be able to take care of everything despite our trips.
As usual we took off Sunday (December 5) morning. We dropped Izze off at Grandma and Grandpa Dahl's house with her suit case and "comfy cosies." (blanket, nightie, baby,...) Then we were out on the road, the long, long road to Englewood, Co.
Our first landmark this trip was a Golden Eagle. It was in Spanish Fork Canyon devouring the carcass of a deer on the side of the road. Once Ben pulled over so I could get a picture it took off in flight in a hurry! My lens doesn't have a large enough zoom to sneak up on this type of predator. It was cool to see anyways.
As we drive the long drive we try to set check points, or find land marks to hopefully pass the time. It usually ends up with Ben and I squirming and fidgeting for excitement while Gabi calmly entertains her self with her bucket of goodies and entertainment. She is definitely a much better traveler than her father and I! Even with bathroom breaks, Ben and I are crying to stop, and she never complains, ever.
Once through Spanish Fork Canyon we set our next check point; Wellington. This is a comical story. It all began back in October/November when a man was giving a talk in church and was telling the story of when he would travel though Wellington on a very regular basis, and while traveling frequently for work through this town he would consistently be pulled over for speeding. You see, the speed limit through Spanish Fork Canyon is 60mph (approx.) and as you round the bend you enter Price, where the speed limit is still 55-60mph (approx.). What happens to the road next is what will kill you if you don't pay attention. In the mans talk he said that he quickly learned to NEVER speed through Wellington because they will ALWAYS and I don't mean most of the time, I mean ALWAYS get you. So there we were driving through Price and into Wellington, I was on the phone and Ben just received a text and was trying to get me to read and respond to it. While that situation was going on we passed the Price/Wellington border speed limit sign. Which goes from 55mph to 35mph. The next thing that happened is I saw an officer on the left-hand side of the road with his speed gun out. We knew we were goners. Even though he was going 49 ( because it is a very natural reaction to slow down while entering Wellington, if you've ever traveled through) it wasn't enough to slide by those officers.
Gabi, was not impressed by the whole turn of events in Wellington, if fact she was slightly afraid that the officer might take her dad in cuffs, and lock him in the slammer. Once I assured her that would not happen she sat in silence waiting to get back on the road.
After the unnecessary loss of time in Wellington, Ben felt it would be a frivolous waste of time to stop at our next check point, the border of Utah and Colorado. So I had to quickly scramble to the back of the car, dig through the luggage, find the camera bag, lunge back to the front seat, whip out the camera and snap this odd photo of the border sign, with who knows who standing at the sign. Oh, yes, and me in the side mirror, just glamorous.
Because I put up a big fuss about him not stopping at the border sign he thought it would be funny to do the same at the following check point, Eisenhower Tunnel. Luckily I know Ben better than he thinks I do, possibly better than he knows himself. So this time, I was prepared and got a better shot. Also, I thought it was quite interesting at the elevation this tunnel is at. 11,150ft. I believe that is about the same height at Mt. Timpanogos.
On the other side of the Continental Divide, or tunnel, there was this awesome ice formation. Could help but snap a photo!
***
As the schedule goes we checked into the hotel, ate some dinner, went shopping, and swimming, then off to bed. Monday morning comes early each time, and this Monday was no exception. We have made this trip so many times it's becoming second nature to know exactly what we do at what time and who does it. I will get ready and then wake up Ben, who then starts getting ready while I pack the hospital day bag. When he is ready he takes the bag and other necessary items to the car to warm it up and pull it to the front doors of the hotel. I put on Gabi's warm socks, say a prayer with her, wrap her in her blanket and carry her to the car on her pillow. Then it's on to Swedish Medical Center. We are admitted between 5-5:30am. We wait in pre-op while the nurses prepare all their paperwork, we say a quick "Hi" to the anesthesiologist and Dr. Yakes
An average dose of ethanol that she receives each treatment is around 5-7ml. When I was allowed into her recovery bay I knew she had received much more, by the swelling that was already apparent. After talking to the nurse she looked at her chart and confirmed that she did in fact receive much more, 10ml. That may not seem like much difference, but it is. I knew there would be a long recovery ahead after this treatment. She already had blisters forming in her mouth and on her cheek. I was worried about scaring, infection, *sigh*, ugh..... She recovered her vitals quickly to normal. I spoke with the P.A. about the best option for Gabi's recovery considering her current circumstance. We decided on Orapred ODT (a desolvable steroid) for swelling, and Motrin for pain. When we got to the hotel her blisters when growing and looking very sore. I was a bit concerned. Over night she popped the blisters on her lips and cheek from moving around while sleeping. I happened to bring along some of her prescribed Silvadine (from a previous treatment) and applied some to her cheek blister. During the drive home her blister was dripping and dripping clear fluid ( a good sign compared to pussy dark fluid). She went through 3 boxes of tissues and I felt horrible because she was so worried about not having control over it. We were very consistent on giving her her medications on time and she was very good to take them. I believe this helped with her quick healing.
The weather on the way to Colorado was very fair. The way home, was another story. This was on the flip side of the Eisenhower Tunnel Tuesday morning. These roads are very steep and very dangerous without snow and ice. When you factor semi's, snow, ice, mindless drivers and steep grades I believe we were all lucky drivers on that road to have not been in any accident.
Even though the roads were not perfect travel conditions, it did make for some beautiful scenery.
Gabi is a trooper. She watched movie after movie during the ride home. Her swelling was so much so that she was only able to eat and drink through her syringe. Luckily before we left the hospital I asked for their largest empty syringes, so she was set up.
Gabi is a testament of the resilience of children. She continues on without complaint of having a dry mouth, pain, uncontrolled drooling, one eye swollen shut (for days), not being able to eat the foods she wants to, and list of course goes on and on. Instead, she is so grateful and excited about when her eye opens, and when she can eat what she wants, and when she can stop drooling and close her lips. She is so excited when she reaches those benchmarks during her recovery each time it's like it's her first time being able to do it. She was more excited about her eye opening and her lips touching than when she learned to tie her shoe by herself or zip or button a jacket.
As she would lie there watching her movie I would fill her syringes to her hearts content of whatever she wanted in them. Ben gave her a new idea when we stopped at Wendy's on the way home, ice cream. We let it set and melt a bit and then we sucked that frozen goodness into her syringes. She loved that idea from dad so much that it carried into the days following.
She got tired of me trying to feed her through the syringe that she took it into her own hands, I was doing it all wrong I guess.
The final checkpoint of the trip are always the windmills at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon. I finally feel like we haven't been driving forever because we are nearly home to our comfortable home and family.
For the following day or so Gabi milked the ice cream and got every kind she wanted, for whatever meal she wanted. She typically ate every meal very well before she asked for ice cream, making it much easier to say yes.
We kept her syringes full of all the many liquids she loves, including green juice and water. Thursday afternoon I decided that it would be to her best interest if I had her open oozing blister looked at by her pediatrician, and they agreed as soon as they saw her. She was then prescribed an antibiotic in case of infection. Her blister was 2in in diameter and very tender and sore from the swelling and ethanol. They also prescribed her bactoban to help the healing of the blister.
She was great to take all her medication and allow me to put on her topical ointments, and by the end of a weeks time her swelling was all but gone and the blister had scabbed over and was mostly healed. She truly is a little miracle.
