Drama or Trauma?

Prince of Drama or Trauma Baby? I can't decide.

Maxim and I rolled into Kansas City about 7pm last night. His bed at the children's hospital was all ready to go. First order of business...the hospital armband. You would have thought we were trying to murder him!! The screaming! The tears!

Once the band was covered by his sleeve, Max was fine. Then the care assistant arrived to take his vitals. The blood pressure cuff on his little leg sent him over.the.edge. I warned her that she would not get a reading through his Ukrainian man tights, but she didn't listen. Sigh. She tried again on his arm. I could feel his little heart pounding as he strenuously protested. They got a reading that time...some number over 161...not exactly normal.

I rocked a thoroughly worn out Max on my lap and he fell right asleep, just in time to go downstairs for x-rays! He actually slept as I carried him down. He woke up when I sat him up for his first photo, but he didn't cry. Three views, easy and no drama at all!

Upon returning to his room I was able to talk to the doctors on his team. Here is where I have to work really hard to stay calm and extend grace as they interrogate me. I understand they are just doing their job, and not an easy job. When I was asked to explain my reasoning behind my decision on vaccinations for him, I just said, "sorry, I'm too tired to get into it. You'll just have to accept that we won't be doing any additional vaccinations for Max."

The team and I were not on the same page. They were concerned about refeeding syndrome and I was thinking "bowel obstruction, celiac disease, or Hirschsprungs." They wouldn't let Max have any food or drink until after getting blood chemistry information.

Our nurse was amazing and friendly. I LOVE nurses. She took Maxim to a procedure room to get blood samples. This was so he would not associate this room with painful procedures. Also, I did not go with him for this. I don't want him to associate ME with painful procedures!

The problem was that I could hear sweet Max the whole time. Through two heavy wooden doors and down a hallway I could hear him screaming with every breath. What the heck were they doing to him? The boy is LOUD!!

Awesome nurse brought him back to me and reported that the blood draw was easy. They put in a hep-locked IV, got blood samples and another blood pressure reading. Apparently it was the tourniquet that he hated the most!

We both got to sleep around midnight. I expected to see Max on IV fluids sometime during the night. He had nothing to eat or drink since 3pm the day before. When I woke at 6am, no IV? Awesome nurse was still here and came to get Max for his 6am blood draw. She explained that his orders were changed in the middle of the night. Apparently his blood chemistry is fine and he can have whatever to eat and drink now. Sheesh.

I just fed my little sweetheart some applesauce, apple juice and vanilla pudding. When room service begins at 7am I will order him some scrambled eggs and biscuit and gravy! Yeah baby!

Today Max has a heart echo and scrotal ultrasound on the plan. I told the doctor at the embassy medical appointment in Kyiv that lump on his hip was a testicle. She poo-pooed me. Looks like I was probably right. I wish we had more GI testing on the plan for today, but I'm not in charge here.

As difficult as this is, I am so grateful that Max is finally getting the care and attention that he has desperately needed for years. When I feel anger rising, I try to remember to direct it in the proper direction. This is not the hospital that traumatized him with rectal tube treatments and God knows what else. This is not the facility that neglected him for so long.

More about the orphanage soon. I learned some things the day I took custody of my son. Things that give me confidence in my decision to not donated Max's bank account funds.