This is what it's like having a child with a medical condition.

Well, we got to spend an unexpected 5 hours at Children's Hospital on Friday.  Isn't that what you do when your child has a tummy ache?  No?

Unfortunately because of Bailey's shunt every tiny headache and stomach bug is probably going to mean a trip to the emergency room.  See, some of the symptoms of inter cranial pressure are headaches and vomiting.  So when she woke up Friday morning crying and then threw up before I could even get her some breakfast I called the pediatrician.  I'm assuming that's pretty routine.



The doctor said that it was probably just a virus (which was pretty much what I thought except maybe not even a virus because she only vomited once and seemed to feel fine after that) but because of the risk of inter cranial pressure we would have to go to the emergency room to have her shunt evaluated.

Fantastic!  That means we get to hold her down while they do a CT scan of her head and X-rays of her head, chest, and abdomen.  It's a horrible feeling for your child to be crying because you're holding her down on a table.  I don't know which is worse.  They strapped her down completely for the CT scan but I had to hold her chin still, but with the X-rays they only strapped her feet and I had to hold her arms down.

Anyway, the good news is that all of the scans came back normal.  Her shunt seems to be properly placed and functioning normally.  Just like the pediatrician said, it's probably a virus.  Other good news is that even though she cried when they put her hospital bracelet on and during the scans, she seemed pretty content to sit in the exam room with me and Yaya.

Before the scans she kept sticking her head through the bars of the bed.  She was talking and laughing and even watching a little television.

After the scans we couldn't help getting a few pictures of her in the adorable hospital gown, diapered behind hanging out and all.

Right before they discharged her we played with some bubbles.  Yaya was trying to take a video of it but the iPod died before she could.

Even though it was a long day (and Bailey didn't nap except for the ride home) it's good to know that her shunt is still doing well.  It was also nice to spend the day with Yaya.  She even ate lunch (well, a very late lunch) with us when we got home, and we were home in time to have dinner with Aaron.