January IV

We're back from the trip and starting to get back to normal. We got back in Dallas about 8pm Wednesday night then home by 10pm. At 8am the next morning, however, the nurse was here to start this months IV pulsing. Gracey was tired but in a good mood. It took three sticks this time to get started and these seemed to hurt a little more than before. Once in, though, the IV went as planned: Solumedrol for an hour and a half then about seven hours of IVIG. She did great with no bad side effects other than getting tired (no energy). She did start running a low temp on day two and later started getting an upset stomach but these were experienced during previous IVIG/Solumedrol pulsings. Since she just got back from meeting Jennifer Love Hewitt she spent all day Thursday and Friday watching every Hewitt movie we could find (kid appropriate, of course). She also took the opportunity to finish the last of her homework. Gracey is extremely serious about getting ALL of her homework done! :) The picture to the right shows Gracey before the IV with saran wrap covering numbing cream on both of her lower arms. We do this because we never know where the best vein will be so we prepare a larger area giving more options.

Methotrexate injection was also last night. Since we started numbing the skin on her arm she hardly even feels the injection. This one went well.

We were supposed to head into Ft. Worth today for a gathering of several JDM families but Gracey got a little sick last night and this morning threw up a couple times. After the IV was over and removed she started feeling much better but her stomach was still somewhat upset. She was very disappointed to miss meeting the other kids - but there will be other times.

Her rash flared up about three weeks ago but there appears to have been no muscle involvement. Currently the rash is still visable (in the JDM butterfly pattern) but it is dimming considerable. We go back to the ped. rheumatologist in a week and I expect Gracey will look even better while there.

This last picture was just after getting the IV started. Gracey likes to sit in mommy's lap while starting the IV. She's always very brave!