Our visit to Dr. J in DC was encouraging and educational. We will be using the treatment protocol outlined for Josey there and will return for an in-person visit in August, with a phone visit in July. In the meantime, Jo gets a break from antibiotics for four weeks to allow her body to rest and to add other medications that hopefully will help with her pain, inflammation, and moods. In July we reassess and decide whether an IV is needed or what oral antibiotics to re-start. She was comfortable in the clinic and they made sure she understood the information given. Usually she leaves a doctor appointment completely overwhelmed and anxious. Mostly, she was overjoyed that she can have a little bit of gluten now and then during the med hiatus.
We were able to sight-see for a while Sunday afternoon. This consisted of me taking advantage of handicapped parking and then pushing Josey around the National Mall in the wheelchair, but we both liked that the monuments are wheelchair accessible, thus using minimal time and energy and allowing her to take advantage of a couple hours in the city. Plus, it was a beautiful day. A few places we just drove by since she was getting tired and achy. Another time we will go to the zoo and the museums. Looks like we'll have several visits in the future.
Our plane rides were a different story. The first leg, out of Memphis, was delayed due to storms in Atlanta. This left us sitting on the runway longer than we were in the air and ate up almost all our layover time. Dashing through the Atlanta airport pushing a teen in a wheelchair, we just made our DC connection. Josey wheeled herself some, until her shoulders hurt, and I ran behind her. We must've been funny to watch! Then, the DC flight was taxiing down the runway and we heard the engines die down. A sensor in the cockpit apparently said a door was open. So, we sat at the gate again while a crew checked that out. Poor Josey was absolutely at her wits' end and worn out. Thankfully the woman sitting next to us was cheerful and funny, and she helped relieve some of Jo's stress. Arrival time was about 12:30 a.m., just after the last hotel shuttle from the airport! Everything else went smoothly and after driving around DC some, I can at least feel my way around. Washington, D.C. must win the prize for most one-way streets, though.
Currently, Josey is feeling better than she has in six months. She's taking full advantage of it and will even get to take a trip with the church youth group next week. Yay!
We were able to sight-see for a while Sunday afternoon. This consisted of me taking advantage of handicapped parking and then pushing Josey around the National Mall in the wheelchair, but we both liked that the monuments are wheelchair accessible, thus using minimal time and energy and allowing her to take advantage of a couple hours in the city. Plus, it was a beautiful day. A few places we just drove by since she was getting tired and achy. Another time we will go to the zoo and the museums. Looks like we'll have several visits in the future.
Our plane rides were a different story. The first leg, out of Memphis, was delayed due to storms in Atlanta. This left us sitting on the runway longer than we were in the air and ate up almost all our layover time. Dashing through the Atlanta airport pushing a teen in a wheelchair, we just made our DC connection. Josey wheeled herself some, until her shoulders hurt, and I ran behind her. We must've been funny to watch! Then, the DC flight was taxiing down the runway and we heard the engines die down. A sensor in the cockpit apparently said a door was open. So, we sat at the gate again while a crew checked that out. Poor Josey was absolutely at her wits' end and worn out. Thankfully the woman sitting next to us was cheerful and funny, and she helped relieve some of Jo's stress. Arrival time was about 12:30 a.m., just after the last hotel shuttle from the airport! Everything else went smoothly and after driving around DC some, I can at least feel my way around. Washington, D.C. must win the prize for most one-way streets, though.
Currently, Josey is feeling better than she has in six months. She's taking full advantage of it and will even get to take a trip with the church youth group next week. Yay!