Greetings and great good wishes to all you folks specifically addressed and
any FML readers who, though not responding to me directly, kept my daughter
Rhea and her baby Meiko in your hearts.
 
Our thanks go out to all of you for your wishes, suggestions, concern, and
advice.
 
To update: Meiko is in excellent repair.  She managed to pass any remaining
carrot fragments through her stool.  (There wasn't much left, apparently.)
Very shortly after my emergency post she began showing an interest in food
and within days was eating gruel with finely ground solids, then finally,
too, the chunks.  She did vomit a little when she resumed eating, but this
quickly passed, as she seemed to relearn the joy and art of a good meal.
 
Rhea has been a wonderful nursemaid.  In fact, my post may have been
unnecessarily panicky as that was a day Rhea had to spend with her father
(having postponed a Fathers' Day event the previous week so as to tend
Meiko).  As Rhea was the chief attendant, and pretty much out of contact
for a good part of that day, I got very concerned and reached out wherever
I could, as Meiko seemed to worsen a bit in Rhea's absence.  A few days of
noticeable improvement had us rather optimistic, so this new lethargy really
got to me.  There has been some speculation as to this situation resulting
from Rhea's absence, plain and simple.  Meiko certainly perked back up after
Rhea's return that evening and resumption of the comfort that only a
"mother" can give.
 
A special thank you to those who phoned.  What angels you are to go so far
out of your way.  Apologies to those we missed and did not get back to.  It
was a pretty hectic week.  (Rhea had just been hired for a summer p-t job,
so I was able to rearrange some of my own summer curriculum writing
assignment so as to work at home when she could not be there.) We joined
FML the day after my original post, impressed by responses that were so
immediate, knowledgeable and sincere.  It's been a pleasure.  Thanks once
again.
 
Kathleen Wooddell, Rhea Drysdale
Meiko & Jimmy (dancing and dooking with the best of 'em)
[Posted in FML issue 2369]