Under the knife

After getting up at 4am (not really even sleeping) and getting here for 5:30 check-in, then being admitted & prepped, we were told by the anesthesiologist that since Alex is sick (with RSV) he didn't think it was a good idea for her to go under. Not exactly the thing we wanted to hear after everything it took to get her scheduled for this surgery. He told the nurses to hold off on the pre-op stuff while he went to talk to the neurosurgeon. A bit later he came back in & said that apparently this procedure is urgent enough to outweigh the risks associated with sedating a baby with respiratory problems (most importantly that she would likely need to be on a ventilator for a few days - ah...the good old vent). So needless to say, this wasn't the ideal start to our day.

But the show goes on, we let them do their thing while we went downstairs to get some breakfast. Then we saw Jane (from Neurosurgery - the one who originally ordered the MRI, and pulled all the strings to get it and this surgery scheduled asap) who came to sit with us at our table. Jane is so sweet, we like to think of her as Alex's Aunt Janie. She explained the butts she's had to kick in order to make all this happen, and the importance of this surgery - how it could be the solution to so many of her problems (although it's no guarantee of course). It was much-needed reassurance, and she's so nice that it really put us in a positive mood about the experience.

So now we're waiting, half asleep, for what will likely be a 3-4 hour surgery where they are opening up the base of her skull and making room for the fluid to flow freely.

Thanks to everyone for all the prayers, we sure need them. We'll keep you posted as soon as we hear anything new.