Good day with my kids yesterday

I took off work because Elvis had a neurologist appointment. Last time, Alli took him by herself but this time, I had some questions I wanted to ask. Beth needed an orthodontist consult so I scheduled it for the same day - killing two birds with one day off, so to speak.

We had to leave home at the regular time to get to Elvis' 8:30 appointment that was well over an hour from home. We got there just in time. We parked in the giant garage and got into the medical building and signed in at 8:29. Perfect! As I was signing in, I heard crying. Yep, Alli had lost it in the waiting room. See, Elvis' neurologist just happens to be located in the medical building attached to the hospital where Blair was born and died in January. Beth took Elvis and I hugged Alli. There were no words for that situation, just hugs. The actual doctor visit went well. The doctor (who has NO personality and seems to have written Elvis off as just above vegetable status) was actually human! SHOCK! It did help that Elvis (who usually just stares at him like a lump) was "on" during the appointment. For the first time ever, he interacted with the doctor - responding to to him when spoken to, refusing to cooperate at times, and even sticking his tongue out when the doctor teased him about looking like a monkey. He's referring Elvis to a surgeon for a surgery that I had asked about years ago and am now terrified to even think about. To reduce the tight muscles in his thighs, the surgeon will take out a few of his vertebrae and cut the nerve rootlets that control those muscles. Freaks me out just to think about it. We also have to settle where this surgery will take place. This surgery, a selective dorsal rhizotomy, was pioneered by a surgeon in Missouri. He's perfected the technique and has had huge success rates. I'd much rather make the drive to have the surgery done by the expert. However, Elvis is on our state's version of Medicaid. They used to pay for the surgery in Missouri but now, a hospital in our state has sent surgeons to study under the expert so the state insurance generally refuses to cover services in Missouri. Hmm...I'm asking a human being to remove my grandson's vertebrae, go into his spinal column and trace nerves past their roots into their individual rootlets. Do I want the master or someone trained by the master? Duh. So, the battle is on. The neurologist made the referral to the Missouri hospital. We're waiting for them to contact us. We'll start the process and see what they'll do. I think as long as I'm willing to cover the costs of transportation and lodging, I don't see why the insurance won't cover the medical and hospital costs of the far-away surgeon.

After Alli's mini-breakdown in the waiting room and the decent (for once) neurologist appointment, we went to a nearby park, armed with two loaves of cheapo bread to feed the ducks. This is one of my favorite things to do and, thankfully, my girls have come to enjoy it, too. After the bread was consumed by various forms of fowl (ducks, geese, blackbirds, and pigeons all joined in the fracas), we loaded back into the van to hit another park near the hospital. This one has a handicapped-accessible playground so it was worth the drive. We took turns entertaining Elvis on the various play structures before heading to a shelter for our picnic lunch. We ate sandwiches, chips, and lots and lots of strawberries.

We still had time to kill before Beth's orthodontist appointment so we headed to a mall about half way between the two appointments. We spent the extra time wandering in and out of stores. Alli bought herself a pair of shorts but we didn't spend any other money. They mall had added a play area since I'd been there last. Elvis and I hung out in there for a while. There was a little boat I could prop him up in. He loved it. The other kids were good to come and sit with him a bit and entertain him some, too. we window-shopped and people-watched until time to move on.

Beth's appointment went okay. It was just a consult. The doctor talked to us and looked at her mouth. He took pictures and made impressions to send off to the insurance company. Now, we wait 4-6 weeks to see if insurance will cover the braces. The doctor did say he felt fairly certain with her issues, she would get approved.

Driving home, Cori's social worker called and asked if I could "run by the office" for a quick meeting. Cori was released from the hospital and they were placing her in a higher-level foster home. They needed me to sign a form, waiving my right to 14-days notice before moving her. I did. It was a stressful meeting. Cori was agitated, to say the least. My heart breaks for her, but she needs more than I can give. The sad fact is, she's not going to have her needs met at the home they are sending her to, either. She's been there before and the placement failed miserably. Pray for her. She certainly needs it!

So, my day ended. I'd had a great time with Alli, Beth, and Elvis. We got some things accomplished. I wrapped up some loose ends with Cori. All in all, it was a good day. I need a few more of those! I guess we all do.