I’ve always admired parents whose children are medically fragile or who have some chronic medical conditions that require frequent visits to doctors and hospitals. But this week, I really admire them.

Despite any plans I’ve had to the contrary, this week is officially “doctor week” around here. It started Sunday night in the ER, then 4 hours at the pediatrician’s on Monday. Tuesday was spent with the school psychologist and trying to contact the pediatric GI specialist.

Today was LuLu’s eye exam. This was the only scheduled appointment of the week. However, I had no idea it would take 2 ½ hours! Her eyesight has changed significantly, and because she can respond a bit “uniquely” to some of the things they do during the exam – like checking the eye pressure with the little puff of air – they took it very slowly. (Yes, that freaked her out.) But she got to pick out a new pair of glasses. And the optometrist kindly suggested the less expensive, more durable frames!

We saw this doctor last spring for a visual processing evaluation. She is used to working with many special needs children and is ultra patient and kind. She also urged me strongly to work vision therapy into my schedule (and budget) in the coming months. Something I hope we’re able to do. (Maybe we’ll win the lottery????)

Because the appointment lasted so long, and the eye doctor is clear across town, I had to keep my next appointment while making sure LuLu had lunch. I called her DAN! Doctor from Arby's for our 1 pm phone consult. He patiently continued the conversation as we ordered lunch, and LuLu was able to chow down and calm down.

Then my last medical stop of the day was to swing by the pediatrician’s to drop of stool samples. They reported that her blood tests from Monday were normal, except for one that was slightly elevated, but no cause for alarm. So, we’re just waiting to see if she has any more symptoms, or until our scheduled appointment with the GI doctor…8 weeks from now!

I would love to declare that doctor week is over…and right now it appears so. Except…I got a message today from her speech therapist who says it’s time for her to come in for a post-Fast ForWord evaluation. So, maybe it’s not over yet!

How do you all do this!?!?! All the driving, waiting rooms, paperwork – it makes for a really long day!