Earlier this week we received confirmation that Seth has a spot in the May session at the treatment center in North Carolina. So I am beginning to make plans to be gone for almost a month. It's a little overwhelming to think of all I need to do before I leave to make sure things go smoothly here and all that I need to pack to prepare Seth and I to be gone for a month. Fortunately my hubby is a total prince who can pretty much handle the homefront. He can manage a number of easy meals - although the older kids have already commented that they are excited to get to eat "junk" food more often. I may have to ban frozen pizza and hotdogs for a couple months after I get back just to try to offset any negative health consequences :) Mike already does most of the laundry for our family so he should be able to keep them all clothed and fed. If the house is less than clean while I'm gone - it really won't be anything out of the ordinary!
I'm making lists of things to get done before I leave and things to pack. One of the biggest challenges is finding 100% cotton clothing that does not have zippers or velcro. This is the clothing requirement for us while in the hyperbaric chamber. Shirts are fairly easy - t-shirts will do the trick. Pants are another story. I've already spent several hours looking at Goodwill and on E-bay for such clothing. I've found a few things cheap, but it's going to be a challenge. I'm also trying to start making mental notes of how much food Seth goes through each week as I don't know that we will have access to a store that stocks Seth-safe foods while we are there. There is a Whole Foods about 2 hours away if I can't find anything closer we may be taking road trips on Sundays when Seth does not have treatments.
Some friends offered to loan me a laptop, which will be a huge blessing. It will be great to be able to use Skype to talk with family and friends and keep in touch with friends through Facebook and email. And I plan to blog on a regular basis - hopefully with amazing stories of the progress Seth is making. Another friend loaned me her french press to keep me set on good coffee - I had seriously considered taking my 12-cup coffee maker along to ensure I have good coffee during our stay - I am serious about my coffee! I'll be buying several bags of coffee beans from the local roaster I love to take along.
I've been trying to figure out if there is some way to prepare Seth for the trip. But I'm not sure how to really go about that. Fortunately he does very well in the car, so that part of the journey will be okay. Once we arrive in North Carolina I think it will only take him a day or two to settle in, as long a we have his favorite things along. I do think he will miss his siblings the most. He has started to play more with them over the past 6 months and I think he will miss having them around.
The preparations have just begun!!
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