August 2011: The Second Opinion

August 2011

August 1, 2011:

My heart was racing as my mom and I drove to Dr. D.S.'s office. What was he going to say? My worst fear was that he was going to do another endoscopy, but I had no idea what to expect. My mom had been talking with my grandpa and Aunt Pat, and they both suggested that we get a second opinion. I didn't want to leave Dr. D.S. I had been gluten-free for almost three months, and there was no difference in how I felt. Reading food labels and thinking of cross-contamination was becoming second nature, and I knew I had not been contaminated with gluten. Shortly after we arrived, a nurse called me back. I had lost three pounds since my last appointment. Dr. D.S. entered the exam room and began his usual routine of asking me questions about how my summer was going, if I liked the hot weather, why I painted my nails green, etc. Then he asked about how I was feeling. My mom (who had been in constant communication with the nurses in his office) and I filled him in. Nothing had changed. There was still no pain; it was all nausea. After doing a physical exam, Dr. D.S. sat down on his doctor stool. 

"I do not want to do another endoscopy. I don't think Sarah's unending nausea is related to celiac disease."

His words hit me like a wall of brick. I had a gut feeling (no pun intended!) that there was something else wrong, but hearing it from the mouth of my doctor made it real. 

"I also think it's time to get a second opinion." Dr. D.S. added. 

My mom, who does better research than the FBI, immediately asked who his choice for a second opinion would be. She had heard bad things about other doctors in Dr. D.S.'s office. Dr. D.S. said that his top choice would be a Dr. Di-something in Des Moines or the Mayo Clinic. My parents had talked about taking me to the huge teaching hospital in Iowa City, mainly because it was much closer than Mayo. I thought it was strange that Dr. D.S. didn't recommend that we go to Iowa City. 

"I'm sorry that I couldn't fix the problem." Dr. D.S. said, and I could tell that he truly meant it. He decided to do one final round of testing before giving up and sending me to a new doctor. 

 When Dr. D.S. shook my hand and left the room, it never occurred to me that I would never see him again.

Normal, Normal, Normal....
Dr. D.S. ordered 11 tests: seven blood tests, one stool sample, one urine sample, an MRI, and a breath test, to check for bacterial overgrowth in my small intestine. All the blood samples came back normal-except for one of my thyroid levels. I already had an appointment with Dr. C., the endocrinologist, in September. The urine sample showed that I was not pregnant. Really?! The stool sample was lost by the lab so I had to submit another one, but it also came back normal. The last two tests were the MRI and breath test. 

I found myself hoping that one of these tests would be abnormal so I wouldn't have to switch doctors. The breath test was on August 5. I had to drink 1 1/2 cups of milk within five minutes at 7:30 in the morning. It was awful. After drinking the milk, I had to breath into a plastic bag at various times over the course of four hours. There was nothing worse than sitting in a freezing cold and germ-filled (remember, I picked up c.diff at this same hospital) for four hours while milk was sloshing around in my empty stomach. My mom and I came prepared with books, magazines, and iPods to keep us entertained. The weather outside was beautiful so we sat in a little flower garden in between breaths. We also shopped at the gift shop and found a magnet that says: "Grandmas are like moms with lots of frosting" to thank my Grandma for all her delicious gluten-free baking. I was not feeling well when the test was finally over, but I still babysat anyways. 

Gluten-free treats from Aunt Pat

 Three days later, my mom and I were back at the hospital for the MRI. Dr. D.S. ordered the MRI because "nausea starts in the brain". He wanted to get a good look at my brain to make sure nothing up there was making my stomach upset. Because it was a brain MRI, I had to be completely still. My head was trapped in a cage, and there was a lot of padding around my face. I am slightly claustrophobic so this was not an easy test to get through. The nice tech gave me headphones so I could listen to music, but it still didn't block out the loud and startling noises from the MRI machine. Halfway through the test, a dye was injected in to my veins to show contrast. By this point, I was ready to get out of there. I had a strong desire to move around, especially my neck. I'm definitely not used to holding still. I'm prayed during the whole time, and I could see my mom out of the corner of my eye. Finally, the test was over. 

"You are so brave." My mom complimented as we left the hospital. 

I've had some nasty tests ran on me, but the MRI was without a doubt the worst. 

When we got home, there was a huge box on the counter for me. My 16th birthday was two days away, but I rarely get packages in the mail for my birthday. My wonderful Aunt Pat had sent me a box full of gluten-free treats! There were cookies, pretzels, granola, and snack bars. It was a  treat after that scary MRI. My Aunt Pat is the best aunt ever! :)

The next day, the day before my birthday, I went on a bike ride with my mom and brother. I was getting ready to go when my mom came upstairs to talk to me. Dr. D.S.'s nurses had called, and every single test came back normal. He was sending a referral to another pediatric GI doctor who was in Des Moines. I couldn't believe it. 11 tests and they were all normal?! I did not want to leave Dr. D.S. at all. How could somebody as smart as him run out of ideas? I was angry about having to see another doctor, but at the same time I was scared. What was wrong with me? Was I going to live like this forever? 

Daniel's Last Supper :(

Meanwhile, summer was winding down. We had our tradition "last suppers" with Daniel and Rachel before they headed back to college for another year. We dined at Biaggi's for Daniel's last supper and P.F. Chang's for Rachel's. Both restaurants have gluten-free menus (the food is so good!), and the kitchen staff handles GF food correctly so there's no cross-contamination. We also had our second annual Back to School party at my grandparents' with all the family gathering for a meal and afternoon together before we went back to our schools.

A birthday picnic with my favorite
kids and their mom

 My sweet 16th birthday arrived on August 10. The only thing I wanted for my birthday was to feel better. My mom said that she would wrap it up with a bow on top if that was possible. I still had a great birthday, though. I was babysitting Lucy and Collin that morning so I brought muffins (GF of course) to their house. Erika (the kids' mom) treated me to a gluten-free pizza from Felix and Oscar's (another safe GF restaurant) and a picnic at a nearby park. The weather was perfect, and the kids were precious as usual; it was a great morning. After our picnic, my mom picked me up at the park and we went to get my driver's license. I made my first solo journey to one of my many favorite places--the library. For dinner, we grilled out and made Curits Stone's delicious Greek salad. My mom also made Hawaiian bread and a unbelievable gluten-free cake. Seriously, this cake tasted just like the chocolate cake from Sam's Club! It was incredible! Rachel decorated it with a pink Harry Potter theme. The meal tasted amazing; even to someone who didn't have an appetite! After opening my presents, my parents and I went to see Josh Groban in concert. His beautiful voice, along with his songs, was the perfect way to end a great birthday. Since it was my birthday, I decided that we were not talking about anything medical. No discussing my stomach, leaving Dr. D.S., going to a new GI doctor, absolutely nothing! It was a nice break, but I did not feel good that day. I felt like my stomach was trying to ruin my special day, but there was no way I was letting that happen.

Sweet 16!

 The day after my birthday, everything medical was being discussed. My appointment with the new GI doctor was set for August 26. My situation was not deemed an "emergency" so I couldn't get in any earlier. My mom had also made an appointment for me in Iowa City. I did not want to travel to get medical help, but my mom knew that there were often long waiting lists to see the specialists in Iowa City. We both wanted to give the new GI doctor a chance, but we also wanted to have a back-up plan. My appointment was scheduled on September 13 with whichever doctor had the closest available appointment. The receptionist informed my mom that the doctor that I landed with was the "best". I started praying that we could cancel that appointment. I just had a bad feeling about it.

 So now it was up to me to distract myself until August 26. I went to the famous Iowa State Fair, which was fun, but I was feeling awful. I brought a pillow to hold against my stomach in the car on our way there. This year, there was no deep fat fried fill-in-the-blank on a stick for me. No corndogs, ice cream (hello cross-contamination), Twinky log, Fair Square (a giant rice krispie that has malt in it), or any other traditional fair foods. Instead, I ate a salad-on-a-stick. Yes, you read that right. It was good, but not what I was used to eating at the fair. I didn't have much of an appetite so all the greasy, fatty, gross foods on a stick didn't look that good anyways.

Salad-on-a-stick

 I had a Harry Potter themed Sweet 16th birthday, and that was a lot of fun! I really threw myself into creating hand-crafted invitations, decorations, and games. My mom and I made Butterbeer, chocolate frogs, and cupcakes with the sign of the Deathly Hallows on them. Each room of our house was decorated with streamers in each houses' (Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw) colors. I also hung pictures of characters throughout the house. The party was great fun, and it was also a great distraction for me. 

 That terrible economics class ended in August--hallelujah--so there were no more three hour classes.

 As much as I tried not to think about it, an important date was coming up: August 21. My sister was going to turn 19, but if you remember from "Mono Sucks part one", August 21 was when I came down with mono in Wisconsin. I had been sick for a year. Sure, there were high moments when I was feeling better than usual, but in the long run I had been chronically sick for one year, 365 days, and 52 weeks. My mom told me that Rachel didn't want to do anything special for her birthday because she didn't want me to think about what happened on her birthday last year.  As sweet as that was, I wanted her to have a nice birthday. I tried to distract myself as much as possible on August 21, but I was still down in the dumps. I'm sure it was just a coincidence, but I started to feel worse on August 21. I found myself almost unable to eat. I had absolutely no appetite so I had to force down food, even though I started eating tiny, pathetic amounts of food. I was also cold all the time. Iowa summers are known to be hot, but I was covered in goosebumps. I had a constant daily headache, and I was dizzy a lot. I noticed that I felt weak all the time. Lifting Lucy or Collin was difficult, and I couldn't carry my laundry basket. I would be out of breath after climbing up a flight of stairs because I was so weak and out of shape. Even though I had my license, I didn't feel up to driving. That appointment on the 26 was coming closer, and I was starting to get nervous.

The Bad Day:

A very sick 10th grader

August 24 sticks out in my mind as I terrible day. I couldn't drive myself to babysit so my mom drove me. The weather was beautiful so I took the kids outside to play. I felt terrible not running around with them, but I was feeling worse than I had ever felt. I text my mom, and she suggested that I get a class of Ginger Ale to see if that would calm my stomach down. I was still drinking clear fizzy pop and peppermint tea daily even though it never helped my stomach. I helped myself to some Ginger Ale, but it did nothing. My mom sent me encouraging texts and called my grandpa. My grandpa was calling my mom every day to check on me. After hearing what was going on, he told my mom to call the new GI doctor's office and see if I could get in early. My appointment was only two days away, but I was feeling so terrible that I couldn't wait two more days. By the hand of God, there was a last-minute cancellation for an appointment right after lunch the very next day, August 25 so my mom quickly grabbed the appointment. When my mom picked me up from babysitting, we went to register and get school pictures for the home school group that we're part of. I got done babysitting at 12:30 so my mom packed me a lunch. This is a weird detail to remember, but it clearly shows how terrible I was feeling: I remember eating a few bites of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, one apple slice, and a couple chips. I had reached a new level of nausea. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the worst), my nausea was at an 8-10. Everybody said I looked good in my school picture, but they were referring to just my hair. I looked terrible! I had dark circles under my eyes, and I looked so sick it was sad. I was hopeless.

The Second Opinion:

My mom had made a reassuring discovery about my new pediatric GI doctor--Dr. Di. In "The Aftermath: To Talk of Things to Come", Dr. S. (my pediatrician), wanted to send me to a pediatric GI doctor that was in the same building as he was, but there was a two month waiting list. Now I was on my way to see the doctor that Dr. S. (who has never been wrong) first wanted to send me to. Also, the doctor that I had an appointment with in Iowa City trained Dr. Di. I started to see a tiny glimmer of hope as we parked in the familiar parking lot. Instead of going upstairs to see Dr. S., we walked in the building and headed straight to Dr. Di's office. 

"Now remember, there's a reason these guys go into pediatric gastroenterology." My mom reminded me as we walked through the office doors. I was terrified. What was this new doctor like? Would I like him? Would he be slightly eccentric like Dr. D.S.? What was he going to say?

As my mom checked me in with the receptionist, she pointed out a little box. There was a sign above the box saying that this office prays for patients and their families. If there was a specific prayer request, paper was available. I wrote down my request to feel better and have no more scary tests and tucked in it the box. I sat down with my mom in the waiting room to fill out paperwork since I was a new patient. 
"Do you do drugs?" My mom asked me, jokingly, as she looked through the question.
"Yes." I said sarcastically.

It turns out my mom was just as nervous as I was: she checked "yes" instead of "no"! We had a good laugh about that before turning in the paperwork. Shortly after giving the paperwork over to the receptionist, a male nurse opened a door and called me in. He was very nice as he took my vitals. Surprisingly, I hadn't lost any weight since seeing Dr. D.S. at the beginning of the month. The nurse (we'll call him Nurse J) led me through a hallway and into a small exam room. He looked over my chart for a while and doubled checked who referred me.

"Dr. D.S. referred you? Man, I haven't seen that in three years." Nurse J. commented. He told us that the doctor would be in shortly. 

 There was a short  knock at the door, and a tall Italian doctor in scrubs walked in, introducing himself. After reviewing my lengthy medical history, Dr. Di said that even though he just met me, he could tell that I didn't feel good. I had purple circles under my eyes, my skin color had a gray tint to it, and it was obvious that I had lost a lot of weight-26 pounds by this point. He asked if I had a colonoscopy or just an endoscopy. I told him that I just had an endoscopy, but I knew what was coming.

 I have a terrible habit of getting a heart murmur when I'm nervous. I had another heard murmur when Dr. Di was doing his physical exam. Dr. Di said that an enlarged heart could cause nausea ("you have a big heart" he joked), and he wanted me to have a chest x-ray after our appointment. My mom explained that I heart beats really fast when I'm nervous, but he still wanted me to do the x-ray just in case. After the physical exam was over, Dr. Di gave us his possible diagnosis: Crohn's disease.

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Crohn's disease is an autoimmune member of the IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) family. This lifelong condition causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive track. There is no cure for Crohn's disease, but there are several medicines and treatments for Crohn's disease.
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I have some "experience" with Crohn's disease. When I was in second or third grade, I became good friends with Megan, a girl in the home school group. One summer, Megan was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Since I was so young, I really didn't understand the disease. I just knew that she was sick. My mom, sister, and I walked with my friend in a Crohn's walk, we visited her in the hospital, and got together a lot. As Megan and I got older, we lost contact. As soon as Dr. Di said he thought I had Crohn's, I made a mental note to Facebook message Megan.

Through my health journey, I have become e-mail pen pals with a girl named Hannah. Hannah also has Crohn's disease. We have become very close since we share a common bond of stomach troubles.

Dr. Di told us about a case he had: a young boy's only symptoms were nausea and unexplained weight loss. Dr. Di scoped this kid and found out that he had Crohn's. Dr. Di said that he wanted to do a double scope: endoscopy and colonoscopy. I had been preparing myself for something like this so I wasn't too surprised. If I did have Crohn's, I would immediately be put on steroids. Dr. Di said that I could be feeling better in a couple days! In addition to his Plan A, Dr. Di also gave us his Plan B, C, D. Plan B was a check into my thyroid, Plan C was a certain gall bladder test (Dr. Di said that sometimes gall bladders that aren't working right can cause nausea, but most gall bladder problems produce pain on the right side under the rib cage), Plan D would be the last resort: Iowa City. Dr. Di told us that he knew the doctor who I was scheduled to see, and he might even be able to get me in sooner if need be.  He was also going to put me on some prescription anti-nausea medicine after the double scope.

 The endoscopy/colonoscopy was scheduled for Tuesday, August 30. I would have to go through colonoscopy prep for the next five days. Nurse J came back in and instructed us on how to use and measure Miralax.

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Miralax is a laxative that is comes in a powder form. It can be mixed in with any drink.
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 The last step for the prep was to drink a bottle of magnesium citrate; apparently it was going to taste very salty.

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Magnesium citrate, or mag citrate, is a strong laxative used for colonoscopy prep or extreme constipation. It irritates the bowels into moving. The taste is salty and sour.

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 As my mom and I left the office and went over to the hospital for the chest x-ray, we talked about the visit. There are several key things that I want to point out about Dr. Di:

*His plan. So many times, Dr. D.S. would say "come back in two weeks", but we never knew what the next step was. Dr. Di revealed his whole plan, start to finish.

*He understood us. I was in absolutely no pain. My main problem and concern was nausea. So many doctors want to know, "where does it hurt", but nothing hurt on me. My stomach was severely upset, not severely painful.

*His personality. While my mom and I waited for the chest x-ray, my mom made the comment that Dr. Di seemed like the dog in the Disney movie "Up": "I have met you, and I love you." Dr. Di was instantly likable. 

*His genuine concern. My mom and I could tell that Dr. Di was concerned about me. Several times he said, "I don't want you losing any more weight." This dude was as real as real can get.

"The Prep is Worse Than the Procedure"

I lost track of the times people said that to me. I was learning the hard way that colonoscopy prep is crappy--literally! :) I messaged my friend Megan on Facebook and found out that she also sees Dr. Di, and her family also really likes him. Megan's mom called my mom during the prep to encourage us and give us more information on Crohn's disease. My e-mail friend Hannah was also very encouraging and full of information. While chugging 20-some ounces of Miralax twice a day, I helped move my sister back into her dorm. Well, I didn't really help. I stood by the car and guarded her stuff because I was too weak to lift anything. I also went to my grandparents' for a special lunch for my grandpa's sister, Connie. My mom and told all the family not to say anything about my upcoming colonoscopy, and everybody obeyed. My Uncle Roger gave me several of his famous bone-crushing, eyeball-squeezing, breath-taking hugs because he knew. Those hugs are the best hugs ever! My grandma also told me in a whisper: "Now Sarah, I just want to let you know that we'll be praying for you and your doctor on Tuesday." Then she added, "and that's all anybody is going to say about it!" with a tone that suggested anyone who broke the rules would be cut out from her will. I love my grandma!

Moving Rachel into her dorm :(

 The last day of the prep was Monday, and it was the day before the scope. I wasn't allowed to eat anything solid that day, and I had to drink a bottle of magnesium citrate around noon. It didn't smell bad, but it was the worse thing I have ever tasted! It was saltier than ocean water and very sour. Dr. Di said that I could "chase it down" with something to help me get it down. As I sipped on my magnesium citrate and ate jello for lunch, I couldn't help but cry. My mom checked out a DVD of the show "I Love Lucy". I had to stay by the bathroom all day on Monday, and my mom thought it would be nice to laugh for a change. It was nice. I will always have a special place in my heart for the "I Love Lucy" shows. I laughed so hard at the things that Lucy and Ethel came up with.

The Endoscopy/Colonoscopy

We had to be at the hospital at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 30. My plan was to wake up, check my e-mails and Facebook, and get ready to go. My brother, Daniel, sent me a Facebook message wishing me good luck. As I got out of bed, I suddenly felt like I was going to pass out or throw up. I sat down on the floor and crawled over to where my cat, Oliver, was sitting outside my bedroom. Everything was turning bright yellow, and I was so thirsty. I remember sitting by the toilet in our upstairs bathroom, but I have no memory of how I got there. I crawled on the floor back to Oliver. I called for my mom, and the panic in my voice sent her flying up the stairs. I explained what was going on, and she helped me stand up and get into my closet so I could get dressed. I did not trust myself to stand up so I got dressed while sitting on the floor. My mom drug a chair into my bedroom closet so I could brush my teeth and comb my hair. I desperately asked my mom if I could have a drink of water, but she told me that I might throw it up during the scope. I so wanted to open my mouth and place it under the facet while I was brushing my teeth, but I didn't want to be the rebel patient who chokes on her own vomit so I obeyed. I was so dehydrated, nauseous, and weak from the clean out. My mom didn't even know if she could get me out of the house. She was worried that something would happen to me on the way to the hospital. Even though I was fully awake, I do not remember most of the car ride to the hospital. My only memory is sitting in the passenger seat clutching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (which felt like it weighed 500 pounds since I was so weak) with a waste basket by my feet in case I threw up. I remember walking through a skywalk with my mom literally holding me up. I also remember getting sympathetic looks from other people as I passed them. I made it to the endoscopy waiting room thanks to my mom. While she checked me in, I told her that I had to sit down right away. I shuffled over to a couch, sat down, and immersed myself in the world of Harry Potter. Everything around me was spinning, but my main focus was on Harry riding on the Hogwarts Express. We had been waiting for about 10 minutes when Dr. Di came in, gave me a nice smile and a wave, and went to talk to another family. I had to go to the bathroom so my mom helped me get there. En route to the bathroom, my mom remembers that I also collapsed. Thankfully, it was time to start the IV. I had a funny and sassy nurse with a Southern accent who instructed me to change into a hospital robe and gross tan socks. 

"I know...they do not match the robe whatsoever." My nursed commented.

Two other nurses drew blood (Dr. Di had ordered some thyroid levels) and started the IV. One nurse oddly commented me on my veins and how they were so easy to see. She then proceeded to completely miss the vein. After the IV was started, I was sure I was going to throw up. My mom quickly got up and found a nurse who brought me one of those poop containers. I pushed my Harry Potter book out of the way and dry heaved into the container. My stomach was killing me. The nurses were so kind and compassionate to me. With the dry heaves out and the IV in, I was starting to perk up a little bit. I had to give a urine sample to prove I wasn't pregnant. I almost laughed at myself as I tried to maneuver around the IV pole in the bathroom. When I was settled back in my curtained off section of the pre-endoscopy room, the nurses kept me distracted. One nurse and I had a very pleasant conversation about Harry Potter and homeschooling. Dr. Di soon came in and went over the procedure, the risks, and the plan. If he saw Crohn's, he was going to prescribe Prednisone right away.

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Prednisone is a steroid and an anti-inflammatory medicine. Its side effects include increased appetite, swelling, weight gain, blurred vision, and nausea.

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If he did not see Crohn's, he was going to prescribe an anti-nausea medicine. He also said that he was going to lo0k at my villi (what absorbs calories and nutrients from food) to see if they were standing up. He was going to take biopsies to make sure that celiac disease wasn't present anymore. If the biopsies showed celiac disease, he was going to have me talk to a dietitian. After reviewing his plan of attack, Dr. Di casually asked what book I was reading. I told him it was the fourth Harry Potter, and he said that those are "good books". My jaw almost dropped. A totally awesome doctor who also likes Harry Potter?! SCORE!!

Nurse J popped in and said hello before an anesthesiologist came in and talked to me about being put under. I would have a breathing tube put in my trachea, and the anesthesiologist would stay in the room. I wasn't nervous about being put under, I was more nervous about what Dr. Di would find inside me. About five minutes later, a nurse came and said that they were ready for me. I hugged my mom goodbye and walked with a nurse down the long hallway with curtained off sections. We stopped to get a warm blanket and then made our way through some doors and into another hallway. Shortly we were in the procedure room. It was a very busy room: the nurses were getting things ready, the anesthesiologist was writing something down, and Dr. Di gave me a reassuring smile. I laid down on the table, and some nurses put pillows under my knees and covered me with a warm blanket. While the nurses stuck heart monitor stickers on me, I noticed that there was music playing quietly and softly. I last thing I remember was somebody saying: "okay Sarah, here we go."

 Meanwhile, my parents were sitting in the waiting room for me. Dr. Di told my mom that the scope would take 30 minutes. If it took longer than 30 minutes, that meant that he probably found something. Right at 30 minutes, Dr. Di waved my parents to follow him back to the curtained off recovery room. I opened my eyes with a start, and saw my mom was smiling down at me.

"Where am I? What happened? I'm so cold. It's too bright in here." I was so confused.

My mom answered my questions and asked the nurse to turn the lights down. The nurses had clipped the white oxygen clip to my ear because I kept taking it off my finger. I fell in and out of sleep for a couple hours. I woke up when the nurse brought me a 7up to drink.

"Mom...is this gluten-free?" I asked. I remember being very concerned that it wasn't. My mom assured me that 7up is gluten-free, I took a few sips, and fell back asleep. I remember hearing bits and pieces of Dr. Di's conversation with my parents. Everything looked normal: my villi were standing up and there was no visual presence of Crohn's disease. Dr. Di took 20 biopsies. The blood that was taken before the scope showed that my thryoid levels were lower than they were at the beginning of the month. I had an appointment with the endocrinologist (Dr. C.) in two days. Dr. Di also revealed that he tested me for cancer, and it came back (thank God!) negative. Dr. Di was prescribing reglan for nausea.

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Reglan is most commonly used for nausea and heartburn

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As I drifted in and out of sleep, I asked my mom if my cat, Oliver, was okay. I was also very concerned about a baby that I could hear crying. Dr. Di came into my little cubical, and asked if I was okay. I mumbled that I was fine. Then he patted my head and told me that I did "very good."

 The nurses soon came and told me that it was time for me to go home. I remember getting dressed and sitting in a wheelchair, but I don't remember the ride home. For the rest of the day, I slept on the couch with my pillows and Hedwig, my stuffed owl. My dad brought me some beautiful flowers, and I received a special package in the mail. Daniel and Meghan (my brother and his girlfriend) had sent me a little care package! There was a heartfelt note, a beautiful purple and white scarf, and a cute hair bow. How sweet! :) I watched "I Love Lucy" in the evening, and I talked to my grandpa and Daniel on the phone.

 Now that the scope was over, we just had to wait a few more days to find out if I had Crohn's. I did not want to have another lifelong autoimmune disease, but I did want to feel better.

TO BE CONTINUED....

Flowers, scarf, and bow from
my family!