A Trip To Bay Area

Monday Treva, Bella, and I headed out for a long trip to the Bay Area to stay with Heather and her parents for a night before Clarabella's appointment with a urologist specialist none other than at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.  She has had some urology issues since April that have not resolved.  I have taken her to 2 different doctors in town, we probably have had four urinalysis tests that have all come back perfectly clear, had an ultrasound of the renal area, and finally encouraged our pediatrician to have us referred to a specialist. 

On the way down, I was really rethinking if it was a good idea to have been referred to LPCH because of our time with Kohlie there, but the thing is that we knew from our time down there that it is a very good hospital!!  That was the deciding factor of choosing them over Sacramento, which is a bit closer.  It is a long ways down there!

Anyway, it was complete de javu returning to the same exact clinic that we took Kohlie to (across from the hospital) for her very first appointment down there.  We could have been in the very exact room that we were with Kohlie, and if not, it was a room down.  Needless to say, there was a pit in the bottom of my stomach.  

Thankfully, Heather made the trip with us on Tuesday to the doctor's office!  It was nice to have her with us.  You can imagine my tremendous relief to hear the nurse tell us that this is a very common thing with little girls, especially early potty trainers like Bella.  

We were told that the maximum bladder capacity for a little 3 years old Bella's size was around 185 cc.  In the renal ultrasound that we had done, Bella was holding 255 cc in her bladder!!  Of course, she was told to be well hydrated and when we got to the hospital she had to go potty very badly.  She even went a little bit before the ultrasound (and then held it!!)!!    

So, she definitely seems to be in a holding pattern (which I knew) and has been encouraged to go potty every 2 hrs, or at least sit on the potty!  The first day at it, we are not doing very well!!  She tells me, "Mommy, I don't have to go!"  Since she has been doing the "potty thing" all on her own for quite some time and is very independent, this should be interesting.

Without invading my little three years old child's privacy, I will just say there was some other interesting findings, but much to my relief, it seems like everything should resolve with time and a little extra help, but nothing dehabilitating for now, or the rest of her life!!  Thank goodness!!

Bella felt pretty important to be at the doctor's office!!  Very serious about her job as the patient!

 Bella took this picture of Heather.

 This picture was taken our first night, chillin' out at Joel and Kathy's house, showing pictures of Eden and Bereket.  Treva snapped this picture!

Saying good-byes on Wednesday morning before our long drive back.

 Heather and Treva.

 Bella was already snapped into her car seat so Heather had to get a picture in the excursion with her!!  LOVE IT!

So we had a long journey home to think about many things, some of which were our time in the pretty neighborhood of PaloAlto in the cottage doing hospital runs back and forth for chemo, endless blood draws, blood and platelet transfusions, stem cell transplant time, radiation, nuetropenia hospital stays with fevers, walks through the neighborhood, our special meetings (the ones we were able to get) at Stan and Arla Rypkema's house, hospital visits with special friends and workers, having a sick child, feeling thankful and relief again to be headed to my home (away from the city) and being able to stay home more than a week.....looking at my sweet Bella and Treva in the car with me and being a little more thankful for my children once again!!