Cate’s Trip to Pittsburgh- Part 1: We Arrive

It took all day Sunday to get to Pittsburgh and through today to settle into the Ronald McDonald House.  We drove to Dallas, flew into Pitt, and rented a car to drive into the city.  Coming out of Ft. Pitt Tunnel into view of all the big steel bridges of this city was impressive.  University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is an amazing, inspiring place.  Our RMcDH is attached to the Children’s Hospital.  Signs say it is one of the Top10 children’s hospitals in the nation.  I learned from a historical mural/timeline that some famous favorites of mine are from Pittsburgh: Mary Cassat & Jimmy Stewart, as well as some children’s medicine innovators.  Mr. Yuk was created here!  RMcD House is a special place and we have felt so welcomed and supported from our first moments inside.  Meals are even prepared daily by volunteer groups.  Cate was a great little traveler and JP has been a huge help hefting our bags and installing her car seat, etc.  My back is holding up.

Today was her VEP (Visual Evoked Potential) Test, one of the reasons we came here.  Basically, they put electrodes on her head to measure her brain’s response to light.   Knowing how much light is reaching her brain through her problem eye will help determine the urgency of her treatment.  As I’ve learned, the critical window for the brain development/neural connections associated with infant eyes is through three months.  Her results are being read tonight in England and will be part of Dr. Nischal’s (himself originally from England but he fled socialized medicine) exam & consultation tomorrow. Cate tolerated the first half of the  test well but started crying & even cried herself to sleep in my lap during the latter parts.  The lights were intense and I looked away myself.  I’m taking pics but not able to add them from my phone, so I plan to add them from home later.