Update of my trip to the NIH so far

We arrived safe and sound and checked in at the N.I.H. Everything is all set for tomorrow. I'll update about Day Two etc. a little farther down the post. Another article may be created if this one gets long.

View from my lodge window.

Check in at the lodge was crazy. We didn't know that we had to give two weeks advance notification about a service dog. Our daughter bailed us out but I was in tears before it was resolved.

So for now, everything is quiet. Wake up time is 5:30 am. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Day Two (yesterday) was crazy busy.

• I was NPO midnight, then had labs at 6:30 am. 
• Day hospital had to send me to VED because my veins wouldn't cooperate with the IV. 
• I returned to the day hospital unit for a resting blood draw. This is where you lay down for 30 minutes and then they draw the labs. It was kind of strange.
• The CT had to be canceled because contrast dye doesn't get along with me.
• Next up was a PET Scan. 
• Breakfast was a little before 2:00 pm. after the scan. 
• We then had to pick up our Extended Visitor badges from security. It takes awhile because they have to do a background check on everyone before issuing them.
• Our next stop was the outpatient pharmacy.
• Back to the lodge room at about 2:45. 
• Then, we headed back to the NIH for an MRI at 4:00 pm. 

NIH atrium.

Day Three (today): 

A pet scan is scheduled for early this afternoon. I'll be able to grab "breakfast" after that. We may have time to buy groceries before the evening scan. It's a little uncertain. 

The part of Washington, D.C. where my daughter and service dog are has a boil water alert. I always bring bottled water on any trip. We may take that to her if there's enough time before the scan.

On an upbeat...

Interstates were clear so we drove in without a problem. We left home at 4:45 am and arrived here around 3:00-ish. The lodge is gorgeous. It runs and looks like a hotel with upscale amenities. It's as ideal a place to relax and you could hope for (except for the nightmare check-in). 

Everyone so far has been really nice and friendly. Traffic in Bethesda is difficult but not worse than we expected.

Thank you all for your prayers! I can't imagine where we would be without them.