Thing 1 and I have returned from Chicago where we saw her Juvenile Myositis specialist without drama. We’ll reserve that for when the blood tests come back next week and we learn whether she can finally get out of this holding pattern on the tapering of her medications.
However, that did not mean the weekend was not without its moments:
- Finally made it to the original Pizzeria Uno – the birth place of Chicago deep dish and, I must say, the pepperoni almost made me switch allegiance from New York thin crust.
- Then I took a bite of a leftover slice right out of our hotel room’s mini-fridge the next morning. When it’s not suitable for a cold breakfast, then it’s second rate.
We learned Thing 1 and I will be appearing in a medical publication. At least her eyelids and my photos of those eyelids will. Her doc has a study theorizing that the spots that many JM kids get on them might be a key to understanding the disease’s activity.
- Then I got hit up to give some of my own blood and let them take photos of the capillaries in my fingernail beds for a different study involving JM, genetics and possible links the disease has with lupus. My only request was that at some point I get to slam a cane on a table and yell at a doctor, “It’s never lupus!”
- The American Girl Place lost a little more of its must-visit status for Thing 1 once she discovered that Water Tower Place also has a Justice clothing store. Either way, I lost financially.
- The observation deck of the John Hancock Center offers awesome views and a goofy, guided MP3 audio tour by ex-Friend, David Schwimmer. I guess if you are dweebie enough to take the audio tour, then you deserve Ross Gellar.
- David Schwimmer also does promos on one of the hotel’s in-house tourism channels. Talk about whining and dining.
- My learning-adverse daughter actually seemed to enjoy the audio tour, though all she could recall from it was that Chicago claims to be the birthplace of the Twinkie and the ice cream sundae.
- On that note, Thing 1 becomes very chatty once you load her up with sugar and carbs. In these tween days of grunts and one-word answers, that’s a good thing.
- For the first time ever, I did not have to hold the urine specimen cup for my daughter, which is good because at her age that task gets pretty creepy for a dad.
- Not a single issue with airport security or elderly passengers on either end of the trip. However, just as boarding started on our return flight from O’Hare, Thing 1 realized she left her jacket on the back of her chair. In the food court. Half a terminal away. I’m still catching my breathe.
This David Schwimmer saturation of a perfectly nice city like Chicago has got to stop.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't that fall under some Homeland Security rule or something?
Humph.
Glad your trip went well and thanks for the thumbage!
:-D Anna
The urine cup situation - I'm sure you're thankful for the progression of age there! I'm still laughing.
ReplyDeleteWord of advise, grab the chatty cathy moments while you can. Once they reach around 15 or 16, no amount of sugar can pry the info out of them. :)
"birthplace of the Twinkie"
ReplyDeleteI feel so enlightened!
I'd keep dropping the $$$ on AGP or Justice and hope that those are the "Bonding Moments" with her dad Thing 1 remembers about Chicago - not the cup holding urine samples.....
1. Schwimmer must be doing well, eh?
ReplyDelete2. Thank God you came to your senses i.e. pizza
3. What the hell else is worth remembering about Chicago other than Twinkies and the birth place of the ice crean sundae? Learning isn't just about absorption and regurgitation, it's about critical thinking.
Seems to me she knows what's important.
From Band of Brothers to the Hotel Channel... well, we know which Friends star is making good for himself these days.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to the day when my girls can handle a sterile sample cup on their own... the fact I'm their stepdad ups the creepy factor.
Pizzeria Uno: one more reason I need to move back to Chicago.
All in all, is sounds like you had a wonderful time just father and daughter. You're a good dad sprinting through an airport like that.
Fingers crossed for good news next week...
ReplyDeleteMy wife will never switch to that thick pizza, so can relate to that comment from her perspective.
ReplyDeleteMy own perspective? Can't relate, but can relate to leftover pizza. Now I want some.
I will eat any kind of pizza in any thickness or temperature. I'm pizza-easy.
ReplyDeleteHere's to good news and burning off those deep dish calories in your sprint. I plan to put those pre-teen chat spirits in motion tonight with a trip to Burger King because, as you can clearly tell by the choice of restaurant, I've reached desperation point. Here's hoping I don't have to run anywhere when it's all over, though.
ReplyDeleteWhat?! The American Girl place is awesome!
ReplyDeleteOh man I miss Uno's pizza!!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the medical publication!
And Justice kills me. I have to avoid it any time I go to the mall with my kid (which isn't too hard since I loathe and avoid the mall, in general, but still.) That place is PRICEY.
Despite the nature of your trip, it sounds like a wonderful time. I love that town.
ReplyDeleteI hope they figure out what is going on with the Myositis. Or more about it.
ReplyDeleteAs for David Schwimmer...he makes me want to poke my eyeballs out....argh!
I know how these trips go. We've got a son in a holding pattern with a begnign brain tumor that initially was associated with a genetic disorder until we finally found someone (in LA - we're in Texas) who knew what he was talking about and said it wasn't associated with the dreaded genetic disorder (it would have been nice if the geneticist we'd seen had known as much) and now we hop on a plane every year to see this guy and find out how long we can remain in the holding pattern of putting off surgery. So I know how it is to be all cool and loosey goosey with the trip and expecting the best results each time only in the pit of your stomach you're like pretty dang sick with worry but then everything is okay and so you go out and cruise Holly Blvd and Rodeo Dr (at least that's what we do). Last year was a bonus trip as we enjoyed a tiny earthquake while we were there, once again making our kid with the brain tumor the envy of all his sibs. Wishing you much continued good luck on the journey and good trips to the doc.
ReplyDeleteMr. Schwimmer and I are alumni of Northwestern University, which probably explains his love of the Chicago metropolitan area, why he's the voice of the audio tour, and also why you can hear me in the background, ever so faintly, saying things like, "yo, yo, wassup fools" and "Chicago's hella cool."
ReplyDeleteYou should try Giordano's pizza, it's slightly better than Unos.
Glad you got your exercise in after that deep dish pizza. LOL
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it went well. And I also test a pizza's worthiness by pulling it out of the fridge the next morning to eat it cold. TMI?
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing worse than boarding a plane while you are hot and sweaty from running... seriously, nothing worse...
Okay well maybe sitting next to the person who is sweaty could be worse, but that is all!
I'm glad it was good trip, all in all. :)
ReplyDeleteEh...Chicago deep-dish pizza is all fine and well, but it ain't pizza, my friend.
ReplyDeleteIt's some kind of odd pizza-like substance. Similar ingredients, but they get it all wrong.
Now a Chicago-style hot dog? THAT is something that I can throw my support behind. Yum!
Your blog is slowly becoming a daily habit . . soon you'll be part of my blog list. .. just when I told myself no more blogs . . .just when I thought I was out . . they pull me back in!
ReplyDeleteUno, huh? What about GINO'S? They have some mighty fine pizza. Lou Mal's, too. Chicago, my kind of town. Well, you know, especially since I live here.
ReplyDeleteYou and I have so much to talk about in regard to pizza. Why didn't you tell me you needed my help??
ReplyDeleteNow I really want cold pizza.
Never heard of "Justice". If it survives as Cool for another 10 years, I'm sure I'll hear too much about it.
Glad the trip went well and you guys are making noteworthy progress on this thing-- keep it up!
It's so fascinating that thing 1 becomes very chatty once you load her up with sugar and carbs. In these tween days of grunts and one-word answers, that’s a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI love this game :)
ReplyDelete