Kari's Visit to the Shriners

 Monday morning, Kari and I woke up kinda slowly.  We didn't have anywhere to be super fast, so we weren't too worried about it.  I didn't get to do my T25 workout, but I did still go downstairs and walk on the hotel treadmill.  Then we showered, and headed to the Shriners Hospital!  We were headed there for a check up on Kari's grafts.  It had been a few years since we had gone, and we wanted to check and make sure that everything was ok, and to see if she needed to have the grafts on her hands released.  Her appointment was at 11:30.  We had to check in, and go through a screening process to make sure we were clear to get into the clinic.  Then we sat down to wait for Dr. Warner.  As we waited, we had a visitor.  It is strange, because I had a dream about her the night before.  And, when she poked her head in, she was wearing a mask, so I could only see her eyes.  But as soon as Donna poked her head through, I said "Donna!"  And I knew it was her!  Donna had been our intake specialist/social worker.  She had helped us with everything non medical related.  We had been one of her first cases, and she had been super helpful and sweet.  She said she had just glanced over the schedule for the day and recognized the name, and figured she'd stop by to see if we still remembered anything about each other!  With masks, it is a bit difficult, but she remembered the family picture I showed her on my phone.  And Kari had grown quite a bit since she had been admitted, so it was a bit harder to recognize her.  But we visited for a while, and it was really nice to see her again!

The doctor said everything looked pretty good, but that Dr. Warner thought that Kari's hand could use a release.  She wasn't sure if they would just do a Z plasty (where they basically just cut the grafts {and, as far as I understand it} let scar tissue grow back in) or if she would need a small additional piece of graft to give her more flexibility and movement.  But we'd probably need to schedule it for the following summer (2021).  

It was a bit traumatizing to be there at the clinic again.  Not because they were mean or anything.  But because there were some pretty intense feelings and times there!  They also told us that they would be moving buildings after several years there, so I made sure to take a few pictures, for memories sake.

We were in patient in those rooms on the second floor.  We often would come through those doors.

There is Kari!  Sitting in the intake waiting room.  There were usually more chairs and more people.  Dang COVID!

Usually more kids playing, even though now everything was closed off.

You come and check in at this desk.

They had the offices in the hospital disguised as city shops.  The dress shop is actually where they make pressure garments.

And just one gratuitous picture of the fancy hats!

We left the hospital around 12:30 and started heading home. Kari is a goober, and put both our ID stickers on her knees.

On the way home home, we stopped to grab food at Fazoli's!

Then, because she has her permit, and because driving on the highway is a skill that needs to be mastered...  I let her drive part of the way home!

And, in all actuality, she did a good job! She drove for almost 2 hours!

We got home around 10:30 at night.  The kids were all in bed, and Kari went to bed soon thereafter.  But, hubby and I stayed up until almost 2am doing some work that needed to get done before 8am the following day.