Check Up!

Eli recently had a routine check up at Primary Children's Medical Center. What a trip! Because we live a few hours away, Eli and I left the night before and drove down that night. Luckily Idaho Medicaid will reserve and pay for a hotel room if one is needed. And one was needed! It was actually quite nice: two queen size beds, a clean bathroom, and a little kitchenette. I forgot to bring a pack-n-play for Eli. He kept rolling all over the place and unable to go to sleep. I called Matt at 1am just wanting to complain. Matt then suggested a prayer... oh yeah! After the prayer Matt proposed taking the comforter off the bed, folding it up, and if the bath tub was dry, lay Eli in there. This I did, and Eli fell asleep in a matter of minutes. 

Wake up was 7:30 am. Was a breeze to get ready, and we were off at 8am. I arrived at PCMC at 8:20am, was able to a scrumptious breakfast at the cafeteria--the food there is so good!--Eli gagged a bit on a napkin and threw-up all over the place, and we checked in at 9am. I need to remember to bring a stroller. Carrying a baby with two big bags without any help was not fun. 

First to Chest X-Ray. Every time we go he gets one. Just need the shirt off, then two nurses hold him down and still. Eli gets up set! But typically it only takes 5 minutes. 

Back down the hall to wait for a basic Heart Function Echo. No sedation this time, so Eli was able to eat when hungry. When Eli's name was called we were led to a small dark room with a huge bed for Eli. Shirt off again, bottle made, TV on for distraction, and the Echo began. Eli stayed pretty still while the ultrasound (echo) was performed. He just drank his bottle, which I held, and watched a bit of Mickey Mouse ClubHouse. Only took 20 minutes at most. 

Then off to another room. Eli was weighed and measured, coming in at 18.9 lbs! and 27 inches long. That is pretty big for a heart baby. Stickers were then placed all over his chest to perform an EKG, and a blood saturation  toe measurer was placed on the foot. EKG takes five minutes, but taking the stickers off afterward is killer! Blood saturation is kept on for a while--maybe 10 minutes--to figure out a good average. Eli's was a bit lower than wanted, at 80%. Doctor came in, listened to the lungs and heart. And we were done. 

All in all, two hours long. 

Eli and I got back in the car and started to 3 to 4 hour drive back home. Phew! It was exhausting.