Cincinnati!!!

After 4 LONG months of insurance red tape, we finally have scheduled the dates for Grace's initial evaluation at Cincinnati Children's Hospital!  Grace and I will be there from October 3-5...still a ways away, but oh well.  She'll be getting some hi-res xrays, a bronchoscopy and probably a dozen other tests during those few days.  The bronchoscopy will be the hardest since she's had two really bad reactions to anesthesia in the last year. 

I've been trying to just take one step at a time in this whole process....but I can't stay at one step for very long!  So of course, as soon as we got the dates, I started thinking "HOW are we going to pay for all this?"  We'll have at least 3 trips to CCH over the next few months, and the cost of travel, hotels and food is going to add up!  We've been talking about doing a fundraiser, or using my parents' non profit organization for donations...but I've still been a bit stressed about how we're getting there!  For those of you who don't know, Greg lost his job back in January, and has been doing some touring jobs with a band, but things are pretty tight for us!  We even sold our second car a few weeks ago, so driving to Ohio to save money is out unless we buy another car in the next month.

Today, I received a phone call from someone at CCH, letting me know that Grace's insurance has travel benefits!  WHAT?!  Apparently, they will pay for a hotel, and reimburse for food and mileage (and sometimes flights if convinced of the necessity).  Could there be better news than this?  I'm still so blown away by all the puzzle pieces coming together in this!  I also found out that the ENT doctor assigned to her case, the one who will be treating and operating on Grace, is the Director of the ENT Dept, Chair on the ENT Board, and the Director of the Aero Digestive Clinic!  He's led the medical field in developing techniques and equipment for children with obstructive airways.  So essentially, we have one of the BEST (literally voted Best in the country for several years) doctors possible treating Grace!

I'm so excited for Grace's future, and the possibility that she will have a louder voice and be able to drink normal liquids again!  I'm definitely nervous about upcoming procedures and surgeries, and we may also have a tonsillectomy in the next few months.  But, as always, she will be covered in prayer and come through better than anyone expected :)

My little girl still amazes me and yes, STILL, bring tears to my eyes on occasion when I sit and watch who she is today.  The child who said 2 words last July?  Now she DOES NOT STOP TALKING.  When I find myself getting annoyed by the incessant, rambling conversation of a 3 year old, I remind myself what I would have given for this just last year!  Grace continues to be the kindest (except for occasionally biting her sister:), most gentle (again, 95%) and sensitive 3 year old.  If I'm in a bad mood, or upset, she is upset and acts out, and is very clingy.  I think that someday her sensitivity will transform into a compassion and deep empathy for others.

Chloe, Grace and I are headed out to California in a couple weeks for some fun times with my family and our friends...I can't wait for everyone to see how much Grace and Chloe have changed since last December!