CT Scan done

We're home! The entire process took a little over 4 hours, with the actual test taking a mere 30 seconds. What a day! We got up at 4:30 this morning because UNM wanted us there and signed in at Radiology by 6:00 (we had to drive in from Edgewood). We signed in and sat; it was a typical day at the hospital. We finally got called back to CT around 7:15 just to learn that they weren't aware it was a sedated CT so we went back to the waiting room for more waiting while they figured things out. Once they finally called Brooke back and got her situated, things really slowed down. The nurse informed us she couldn't administer the sedation that Dr. Libby ordered; a doctor had to be present. Of course not...this is the one sedation that actually works on Brooke and without side effects! To make a long story short - the nurse finally gave Brooke a small dose of Adavan (Valium) to help relax her while they attempted to get an IV started. (This was a contrast CT scan so she had to have an IV.)

It turns out Brooke was veinless and bloodless today - go figure! No veins were to be found. The CT nurse called an ER nurse who stabbed her twice and never got a drop of anything (except tears from a screaming child). They all eventually had to swallow their pride and call in the "Rapid Resonse" team. I had never heard of such a thing until today, and let me say - it was impressive. These folks get called in for the really tough stuff like a kid with no veins. A young man shows up with his doppler machine and found a vein and proceeded to stick our child (with a really long needle I might add). One stick - and he drew blood. HOORAY! He was the day's hero!! By this time, the Adavan had fully kicked in and she was nice and relaxed. Since the Adavan worked so well to relax her, there was no need for the "second" drug they had planned to give her. Less is definitely more in this case! We went to CT, did the super-fast scan and back to the room to wake up a bit. Piece of cake. Ha! I will make notes of using Adavan for these types of tests in the future!

When we left the hospital we decided to surprise Brooke by taking her to see some of her favorite people...the Special Olympic New Mexico staff. They were kind and gracious as always and did some "Standing O's" which is a big hit with her. (It's a Special Olympic New Mexico thing.) If any of you ever have the chance to attend a state Special Olympic meet of any kind - I highly recommend that you do. It will change your life in ways you can never imagine. It opens your eyes and cleanses your heart. You'll leave a changed person. These athletes are truly incredible and their spirit of competition is awe-inspiring. Randy, Christine, Chris, Oscar, Jane and the rest of the staff do a wonderful job making the lives of our athletes meaningful and fun while creating a lifetime of memories. We love them for loving our kids!!! Thanks guys!!! I've attached a few pictures from some of our competitions, i.e. track, bowling and equestrian. Special Olympics is a big part of Brooke's life and she looks forward to competing, or should I say she looks forward to socializing, doing the "special o", playing with Gair in the Special Orchestra and to the dance. They all L-O-V-E the dance!!

Track practice starts March 17th, so we've got to get this blood thing figured out so we can get her on the road to recovery. Her team needs her and most importantly --- she needs them! Thanks for the continued prayers. I'll post as soon as we get the results.

We love you all -
Gena

P.S. Yes, yellow is Brooke's favorite color. And for the record, she expects yellow ribbons at any SONM event, no matter what place she gets. Red or blue is unacceptable...they must be YELLOW.