Sweating the Results

Last week was "the week" we had been waiting for for a month. The kiddos had their sweat tests scheduled for early on Wednesday morning. So early that we went over the night before because there was NO WAY I was driving before the sun! I would love to say that I was calm, cool and collected Monday and Tuesday, but I wasn't. At least I knew that (add monthly hormones into the mix...jeez!). They had to drink 53oz of water each day, and poor Addie did not want anything else to drink, unless it was chocolate because she couldn't have that. Both kiddos still had activities after school Tuesday, so we didn't hit the road until about 5:30. Add in a stop at Target for a few activities to do during the test and we got to our room about 8:15. As I was driving, it dawned on me that they needed to shower the night before the test. So we started talking about that in the car...not received well from all parties. Jackson has his routine, and he showers in the morning. It took some convincing and explaining what the doctor must have been thinking when they wrote the instructions but we got there. Into the room, showers done and into bed. All electronics plugged in (you know, the important stuff) and I finally crawled into bed.

It was an early morning, but we made it and I even had time to get an extra coffee at the Hospital. I was glad I woke up calm because the kiddos didn't need my nerves in addition to theirs. We didn't have to wait at all and they got things ready. I was additionally glad they worked out how to do both of them in the same room at the same time. Addison was super nervous about the whole thing, Jackson was hanging tough. It didn't help anything for Addie that as they were finishing with another toddler, he started to cry. Addison followed suit, and nothing had even started. 

The first part of the test involved two electrodes on an arm with a solution on some gauze under it. The electrodes are turned on for 5 minutes. It is supposed to feel like it does when your feet fall asleep. Addison was not having it and cried the whole time. After they take the electrodes off, the nurse put a special collection paper covered with plastic and more plastic. They then added a heating pad and wrapped it in the stretchy medical tape. The nurses were awesome and did a great job trying to distract both kiddos. They do both arms, which I didn't know going into it. When Jackson found out, he said no. Then he asked the nurse to make sure she turns down the machine this time. She agreed, and then got called on it by him when the second arm started and it wasn't turned down. When Addison found out we had to do her other arm, she started to cry. She sat in my lap the whole second arm and cried. It was the longest 5 minutes. Once it was done and both kids had both arms wrapped, we put on their jackets and they turned on a space heater. It was Operation Sweat It Out! Addie colored and Jackson did Legos for the next 30 minutes.

Jackson, smiling before getting his second arm unwrapped.

Addie, so glad to be almost done!

Once they were all done, the nurse told me that she would get the results back from the lab the following morning and she would fax them over to our Doctor. We hit the road, stopped at Starbucks where Addison got everything chocolate she could. It made me laugh! I dropped them both off at school. Addison had already told her whole class about the test, and she got to tell them about the actual test which was good for her to talk about it. Jackson just moved on as if nothing had happened. 

My plan was to wait until 10 the next day to call the doctor's office to just "check" and make sure they got the results. Well, I only made it to 9:20. Let's just say waiting isn't always my strong suit (yes, I was the kid who unwrapped my Christmas presents under the tree and then rewrapped them very carefully). I left my message and moved on with the day.

God definitely knows what we need because the Doctor's Office called at 8:20am on Friday, just as Brandy walked into my office. The nurse said that both kids results were elevated, with Jackson's being more so than Addison's. She said our doctor was referring them for a pulmonology consult. I asked for their numbers, and she gave them to me. By this time I was crying. I asked her what the next step was. She said the referral should be in the system in the next 24 hours, and gave me the number of the pulmonology office to call if I hadn't heard from them by next week.

I waited until mid afternoon to call the pulmonologist's office. I thought I was doing pretty good. There was no way I was going to make it to next week. Luckily, they had the referral and the nurse booked us an appointment. She said they were booking into July, but was able to find one in mid-June. She also told me to let our doc know and he might be able to "pull some strings." So I left another message with them and I am crossing my fingers we might get in earlier. So I guess what we hoped was just a "phase one" thing has now turned into a multi-phase process, and we are waiting for phase two.