Doctor Appointment Day, Part II

   I feel like I will end up having five doctor appointment posts, each with two speciality doctors. The Part 1 post included ENT (ears, nose, and throat) and OT (occupational therapy), although that is more about getting her leg splints made and adjusted and does not involve any actual therapy movements. Yesterday we went to the pediatrician and then to her surgical appointment.
   The past two nights Emma has been sleeping so well that her heart rate drops to 64 beats per minute and her alarm sounds until it jumps back up a few seconds later. A couple times we went into her room to make sure it wasn't another issue because the alarm sounded more than twice. But she was just sleeping very well and even stayed asleep when I did her treatment at 7:30am.

 We got to the pediatrician for our appointment at 9:20am. The main entrance is by the parking lot and has stairs, but Emma's way is through the door closer to the road because we get to go straight into a room and don't have to wait in the lobby near any kids that could have germs. We like that! :)

 She got weighed again, then measured. 14 pounds, 9.5 ounces, 23 inches, and a head circumference of  18 inches ~ She's growing!! We accidentally forgot her glasses this morning because they weren't on her dresser like they normally are and by the time we realized it we were almost at the appointment.

  A lot happens at the pediatrician, probably because he checks everything and is not only focused on one part of the body. He says that her lungs sound the best he has heard for a kid on a ventilator! He is good about listening to what we say and after he asks a bunch of questions, then repeats back everything we just talked about, as a recap. However, he did mention that we should take Emma to the dentist so she can get fluoride and to make sure her mouth is clean considering she has 16 teeth already. All she's missing are her 2nd molars! He gave us the name of the best pediatric dentist in Orlando.

   He also asked if we had talked to anyone about Emma getting jaw surgery, but we have not and that is not something that Michael and I feel is necessary. Her mouth definitely looks suitable for eating, once she learns to do that. The only person who has mentioned her jaw before was the geneticist in Michigan, but he only pointed it out and said she may have gotten that from my genetics because he said my jaw is back(?) too. So if mine never got fixed- aside from any movement while having braces- then Emma doesn't need jaw surgery either.

  She was a big girl and handled her shots well, although she did make her loud, extra sad cry compared to her cry that is silent. She had to get shots for Pentacel, flu vaccine, and the one against MMR (measles, mumps and rubella). They also had to prick her finger for a Hemoglobin reading which was needed for her updated WIC records. We get her super expensive formula for free through WIC.
  The pediatrician gave Michael and I some homework: to go on 3 dates before the next appointment in January, including receipts and pictures. We have not been on a date without Emma since she came home five months ago. Michael's 30th birthday is tomorrow, which would be a great thing to dress up for and celebrate. I'll have to contact our nurse friends to see when they are available! :)

   The surgical appointment was scheduled for 1pm, but while we were walking around in Target to kill time, the office called asking if we wanted to come in at 12:15 instead, so that was nice. From the window in the pictures below you can see Winnie Palmer (Emma's NICU hospital). Emma used this time to take a nap. She takes mini-naps on doctor appointment days, then takes a long nap at home.

  This appointment was frustrating yesterday because they made me fill out the packet of Emma's life history again. (It's a long history for a 16 month old girl.) That felt like such a hassle when we went to all of the out-patient offices for the first time in May, especially when she had 8 doctors and she was on more medicines then. She seems to gets a new doctor added each month. I couldn't recall filling these papers out at the appointment last month, but they switched offices in August -- so they shred every patient history?! Then the front desk lady said they didn't have her pediatrician's name on file, so I told her the name, but then saw it on the papers she handed me. When another girl called us back she said, "Why did they make you fill this out again?" Ugh... It was more frustrating when we found out that we were there "just to talk about Emma getting a G-tube" when we thought we were there for her to get it!! (The yellow one she has now is more of an after-surgery place holder until we get the real one.)

   The doctor was out of town so we didn't even get to talk to him.. The nurse said we would have to schedule an appointment in the ER to get the G-tube in two weeks, but if we want the Mic-Key button, which Michael does, then we might have to talk to the doctor at the office again so he can measure her abdomen wall and see which size button she needs. So now we're waiting for her to talk to the doctor and then call us about what we're doing and when to schedule the next appointments.
  On the way home we stopped by a work friend's apartment. She met us downstairs to give us two cans of EleCare formula that she had left over that her son didn't use. She and I were pregnant at the same time, her son was born in August last year. She has been so kind to keep updated and texts me every so often to see how we are doing. She texted me a lot while I was in the hospital in May before Emma was born and sent Emma Christmas presents in Michigan. Thank you, Valeska!! :)