All Clear

Note to self: when taking your child for a procedure that involves, basically, drinking chalk, do not wear a black shirt.

The upper GI showed nothing bad. This is good. The procedure itself involved strapping LittleSister to a board, forcing yucky chalky barium stuff in her mouth with a syringe, and turning her from side to side and taking pictures. Needless to say, she didn't like it.

I take LittleSister to a big teaching hospital nearby, because BigSister had such a positive experience in the NICU there. I truly believe they have the best care around. But every time I go there it is the same experience: the administrative staff are evil and surly, then the doctors are patient, informative, and lovely.

There's also a very evil parking deck that involves circling, but not circling exactly because that would be too organized. It is more likes swirling. In a toilet. And you aren't ever quite sure where you are, but you finally put the car somewhere and hope to find it again. Then you can wait for a shuttle, which may or may not come, or walk a very windy bridge carrying a grumpy hungry child to the hospital.

I got there and asked at the "outpatient clinic" where I should go for an upper GI. She said "downstairs" so down I went. At radiology they said "you have to check-in upstairs at the outpatient clinic." Do you think they could have mentioned that. So we go back. "Do you have your patient card?" says the woman. "She doesn't have one," I say. "She's never been here!?!?!?" says the woman, as if I'm trying to score another plastic card because I so like having duplicate cards in my wallet. "She was born here, but she hasn't been back," I say. The woman sighs deeply. I've been through this before; I have a patient card and BigSister has one. Once the nurse dropped my card behind a machine and I found out they are very easily replaced. But I don't say this. I just wait and in less than 30 seconds she produces a card.

Then we went back downstairs for the strap-to-the-board experience. I'm glad it is over. LittleSister is glad it is over. Now if she'd just quit throwing up.....