Dentists and Psychiatrists and Allergists! Oh my!

Sure, I had to do a play on the famous Wizard of Oz phrase. Why, I don't know. It just seemed right...

The girls have started seeing a psychiatrist to address their sleeping issues. In the month leading up to our first appointment they were sleeping okay two-four nights a week and very little and sporadically the other three-five nights a week. Two of the Sundays Lotus stayed awake until 5 am. Not sure what it was about Sunday that had her buzzed up so much.

Unfortunately the medicine is an antipsychotic, which comes with a myriad of potentially serious side effects. Among them: tardive dyskenesia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, high cholesterol, weight gain and diabetes. Nothing to worry about! (yes, that was a sarcastic remark) They are on a very low dose, so the odds of them experiencing one of these side effects is relatively slim. Still, I don't like any chance of getting them. However, sleep is a necessity for health and sanity, so we came to a time where I chose to make that trade off. Too many sleepless nights were getting to us all.

They are sleeping well now. We survived the blood draw to check liver function and other stats before being on the medicine for a while (though not without a fight).
The doctor prescribed an Ativan for Lotus to try to calm her before getting a blood draw, but it didn't work. I think she looked drowsy for about ten minutes, and then she was good to go. I think both girls have a ridiculous tolerance for sleep/calm inducing drugs. Needless to say, we were unable to get a blood draw. So I had to take the girls to Children's Hospital with a friend's help. Poor Lotus had to be wrapped in a sheet and held by five people in order to get the blood (that's probably from her dad's fighting genes- Thanks Thurman!).

Celest was able to sit on my lap and only have four of us holding her. :)
Lotus had a dentist appointment and it took three people to move her from the hall to the chair, where she was strapped to a papoose board (sometimes called a mummy board). She was fine the instant she was unrestrained. Poor girl. I hate having to restrain the girls, but they need certain medical care any way we can get it done.
I have to go to an allergist next month, in the hopes that it will help with my sinus infections and just my asthma/allergy problems in general. The initial appointment will take three hours. I imagine I will be poked with many needles during this time. Hmm...

I am finally down to two chiropractic appointments a week! This is great, since it will cut down on my overall appointment schedule each week. Last week between the girls and me I had nine doctor/dentist appointments. This week I only have three. Next week will be two or three I think. I'm glad for the break. I hate dragging the girls to appointments, since at some point I generally am literally dragging or carrying them (they each weigh 105 lbs now, so it's not so easy).

Celest will have to be put under anesthetics to have her two front teeth fixed. She chipped them when she executed a perfect face-plant off of a trampoline at school.
Anyway, that is what we've been up to the past month since I've posted. Nothing much fun, but our lives are getting a little order in them. For that I am grateful.