Freaky Friday

OK, so it's not really all that freaky but today we learned all about enemas, and it's not exactly a comforting bunch of information.

Heath and I attended the bowel management lecture this morning, while my mom had the boys, and Tabitha played in the kids room.  I'm very thankful that they had that available because it would've been VERY hard to listen if we had her with us.  We learned a lot, and we were reassured that this is the best place for Tabitha to be.  We're very grateful to have found out about Cincinnati's Colorectal Center, and that our insurance company agreed to cover it!

After the lecture Tabitha had an abdominal x-ray, and then we met with the doctors.  Dr. Breech and Dr. Levitt and a few nurses came and taught us all about Tabitha's insides and outsides what to do about everything.  Tonight we start the enemas, and for the next week we'll do an enema every night, followed by an x-ray every morning to see if it's working to fully empty her colon.  If not, the enema "recipe" will be tweaked.  The goal is by next Friday to have it working perfectly so she's completely clean for 24 hours.  I'm not very excited about this enema thing (I'll spare you all the nasty details), but I AM excited to have her out of diapers by the end of the week! 

The greatest thing about being at this clinic as opposed to another hospital is the way the doctors work together.  We still have to do the urology stuff next week, but today the colorectal and gynecological issues were all explained to us.  Several things in those areas, and probably some in urology, will all have to be taken care of.  So they'll plan a surgery that takes care of everything at once, with all of them working together.  Even beyond surgery, just having the 3 types of doctors all working on the interrelated issues and knowing how they all interact is very reassuring.  I feel like we're finally getting our questions answered and making progress on Tabitha's issues.

Dr. Levitt said that the rectum (created by the doctors in China) is not perfectly located, which means right now she has no chance of bowel control.  However, after the surgeries are done everything will be re-evaluated and we'll see.  Sometimes, even with correct surgery, these children have no continence; other times they do.  So we won't know until later.  But for now they just want to get her socially acceptable and out of diapers, and I couldn't be happier about accomplishing that!

Please pray for us tonight and the coming days though.  I'm a bit terrified of this enema business.  Not only do I find things like this really gross, but it'll take an HOUR every single day!  Pray that my attitude will be positive, that Tabitha will be cooperative, and that Heath does all the work!  (ha ha ha...just kidding Honey).

On the non-medical side of things, the little ones are napping now, and then we're going on a grocery shopping adventure at Jungle Jim's.  Should be fun!