Routine check-ups

Somehow this is the magic week for check-ups.  Monday was Anya in oncology, me today, and tomorrow for Reese.  I really like the term routine, though, it lets me relax and assume that all is going well.  So far that is true.  On Monday, Anya and I went to Children's Hospital to see her oncologists.  We feel fortunate to have two lovely ladies looking after Anya.  One is Dr. A, who won Anya over the first day we met her by a) being the first lady doctor she met at Children's Hospital and b) wearing red.  The second is Anya's nurse practitioner, who may not share a love for the color red, but she does share a love for Anya.

What I love about these two providers is that they always talk to Anya first.  I think this is important because she is the patient.  Other people we have met during all our hospital visits assume that because she is a child, she can't give them the information they need.  In addition to talking to Anya, the oncology ladies truly listen, they engage her in conversation, and they genuinely want to know what is going on her life.  In return, Anya adores them.  She may even be plotting a takeover of their jobs.  As a parent, it means a lot to watch this interaction.  My feelings for the oncology team are similar - not only do I like them as people, but I trust them.  I have entrusted them with the care of the most important aspect of my life, and they have not let me down.

The upside to all of this trust and love is that on Monday we were able to see both the nurse practitioner and the doctor.  Anya told them about her Make-a-Wish trip, about learning to ride a bike, about dance class, about Anchor and Central, about Reese, and just about anything else important in her life.  The downside is that somehow a routine visit turned into two and a half hours.  While I may not have loved leaving the hospital right at the height of evening traffic, I do appreciate that Anya continues to feel comfortable with the medical world.  That made the visit worthwhile along with hearing that her blood levels are back to completely normal and everything else from their point of view looks perfect.