Dear Noah.........your trip to the ER last night...

About 11:30 you flung open your bedroom door and was crying....I came running out asking what was wrong. You said you had really bad stomach pains......and could not stand up.....could not sleep. I grabbed a bucket asking you if you thought you were going to get sick. You said you did not think so. I said maybe since you ate more than usual yesterday you just needed to go to the bathroom and once you had a bowel movement you would feel better. You had already gone a couple of times earlier in the day and said you did not have to go again. You cried and cried saying you should never have eaten FOUR breadsticks at Fazoli's yesterday for lunch with your entire bowl of spaghetti...and then a piece and a half of pizza for supper. I asked if you could try standing up but you could not. You had to pee but could not get to the toilet. I had to carry you in a squatted/semi-seated position to the toilet and sit you on the toilet. You peed. Then fell back down to the floor. I told you we needed to take you to the hospital to find out what was going on inside your tummy area. You were so upset about this prospect. I sat on the floor talking with you, explaining what was going to happen and how and why. I told you I would carry you to the truck and take you to the hospital but if I could not get you in the truck in a comfortable position we needed to call 911 to have the ambulance come and take you.

I then prepared you for that since I tried to get you to the front room and you were screaming in pain. I told you to think of this as a big adventure.....and not every kid got to ride in the back of an ambulance. That this was only for the MOMENT and once these moments passed you would not remain in pain or in this state forever.

SO I called 911 and explained NOAH to the staff there and told them to NOT have the sirens and lights going (though you said maybe the strobes on would be okay). When the 3 paramedics got there they found you at the end of the hallway in a fetal position on your hands and knees.....bent way over........not able to get up.....not able to move. So the man just picked you up in that position and carried you to the cot. They strapped you in and wheeled you out.....I grabbed your shoes and jacket and got in the truck to go to the hospital. I reassured you everything would be fine and I would be right there.

Well I BEAT the ambulance to the hospital ....even though I had to drive super slow behind this other car and then it poured down rain. I registered you and was ready to go back to see you about the time the ambulance finally arrived with you. Not sure what took them so long. The doctor examined you......took an x-ray of your abdomen.....and you had stool all the way from your rectum to your stomach. No wonder you were in pain. They gave you a Fleets enema which you also handled better than most adults.....not even acting like anyone was doing anything to you.......you were able to go to the restroom once there and started to feel much better. Then once more at home......

sigh......

We finally got home around 2:00 a.m. this morning. You were excused from school again today. And finally even though this was hard and difficult for you or me....you handled it all so very well. You retained control and stayed calm. You allowed things to be done to you that in the past would have had you screaming and in fits.

I am using this situation to finally...FINALLY....did I say F-I-N-A-L-L-Y get you to EAT BETTER and healthier foods. I explained the importance of food as fuel for your body and how you NEEDED to eat some real fruits and vegetables and drink more water and exercise with me and take walks with me and today...for the first time in your entire life.......you were willing to try new foods and taste and actually even EAT some new things. You have not eaten any vegetables since you were a baby....unless one would call Ore-Ida frozen potato hashbrowns or fries a veggie. You do NOT eat any real fruit. You drink apple juice or orange juice but that is about as close as you will get to real fruit.

Today....you ate some apple slices and tasted a piece of a banana and ate some more apple slices and carrot sticks and even some LETTUCE (which you said had no taste really whatsoever and of course it doesn't)....and you drank lots of water and ate shredded wheat for breakfast and had some GRILLED chicken for lunch WITH marinade which you loved.....

I am thankful to GOD for actually allowing this experience to happen to you...to us......so we can move you past unhealthy eating into healthier eating and taking care of your body and self and life.

I love you Noah.......and am so thankful you are feeling back to yourself...even before we left the hospital while in the bathroom you started giving me the low down on the toilet.

I love you very much....even if you are full of shit (sorry.....had to say that!)

***Meanwhile please keep grandpa L. in your thoughts and prayers as he is still in the hospital with pneumonia and blocked heart arteries. AND our aunt....as her lung cancer has also spread to her brain now. ***

Mommy

XOXOX