DARTMOUTH DAY

Today I took my boys up to Dartmouth for some appointments.  Kaleb had his audiology test which...get this...came back NORMAL!  WHAT?!?!  Could this be why Kaleb's been balking at wearing his hearing aid...telling me that "Mom, I can hear fine without it".  Who knew?  We saw his ENT doctor right after and he was just as confused as we were.  He's never had this kind of result from surgery before...where one month he has a normal hearing test, the next it's poor and then good again.  How do you explain that to the teachers at school?  How do you work around that kind of result where one day he may be hearing and another day he doesn't?  Because of the inconsistency, he'll be going back under for a second surgery.

Benny.  He's a rolling Darth Vador.  It makes me giggle.  Everywhere we roll, you can hear his mechanical breathing.  What I don't find funny is the valet parking at the hospital lately.  They've always been so accomodating for 'handicap and elderly parking'.  The last couple of times we've gone, there have been some new guys.  I pull up to the curb and start to unload my cute package - wrapped up in tubes, wires and machines.  When the long process is complete, I stand there...in front of my car and look at the valet guy who just stares back.  I have to go up to him and practically beg for him to park my car.  He says to me..."uh, this is for disabled people only".  Wow.  I was totally speechless as I stood there with my completely disabled child.  Really?  So then I name drop and ask where 'Art' is...he's the one that has always cheerfully parked my car for me.  "Oh, he doesn't work here anymore...but he parked for you?"  YES I tell him.  I hand him my keys, tell him how much I appreciate him doing that for us and walk away feeling like I've just totally inconvienced a paid hospital employee.  (sigh)

Ben was there for a kidney ultrasound, repeat urine culture and a last minute pulomonology appointment with an added x-ray.  Made for a long day.  In the middle of it all I had to call respiratory to come help me with a vent problem.  While he was working with Ben, he stopped breathing and desaturated.  I was laughing at my son.  He likes to show off that way.  The therapist ran to get him some oxygen and by the time he got back he pretty much resolved on his own.  
Good times with Ben.