CHECKING INTO BOSTON

Thursday we shipped out to Boston for our big trip with Isaac.  We got settled into a room in the evening, had pizza and we all got some much needed rest before our pre-operation appointments we had scheduled for the next morning.

Friday we arrived at the Boston Children’s Hospital around 8:30 A.M. and it was a sight to be seen.  There was a ginormous projector that depicted many of Boston’s “hot-spots” and places of interest that many tourists frequent.  There were aquariums everywhere you looked, and there were even stairs that played music as you took steps up and down them...needless to say we had to play on them for 10 minutes each time we used them.  First impressions were excellent; the atmosphere was PERFECT for a children’s hospital.  Here is a picture of Isaac and daddy in the main entrance of the hospital.

Our itinerary had five stops:  Nursing, Anesthesiologist, Admittance (paperwork), Blood Work, and a meeting with our Neurosurgeon. 

The nursing meeting (pre-operation review) was pretty simple.  A nurse practitioner asked Allison and me a bunch of questions about Isaac, our individual and family medical history, and weighed and measured Isaac.  Besides the time Isaac was checked, he colored in his Cars coloring book while Allison and I listened and jotted down notes.  Easy peasy.  

Next we chatted with Anesthesiologist who explained how Isaac will be sedated during the operation and we signed consent forms. 

Then came Admittance.  Signed more paperwork for 10 minutes…that’s that.

After this Daddy needed some caffeine so we headed down to the café to get some coffee before going to the Lab.  When we entered the Lab the nurse asked how Isaac did with getting blood drawn.  Allison told her that he had never had it done before and that he was probably going to have some trouble.  Much to our surprise Isaac was a champ.  He didn’t even flinch when the blood was being drawn.  Our boy is TOUGHER THAN NAILS.  We were so proud.  J

After going to the lab, we had some down time so we hung out in the Family Lounge, colored more and walked the musical stairs again.  Then we grabbed lunch while Isaac used his baby charm on the people sitting next to us…they liked him :)

Finally came the moment we had been waiting for.  We were meeting the Neurosurgeon that was going to perform brain surgery on our precious baby boy.  We had talked to her before on the phone but were excited to meet her in person.  She has been doing this for over 25 years and she portrayed a level of confidence that any parent would want in a surgeon that is going to perform an operation on their child.  We talked more about the surgery and what to expect.  So this is what we know.

Isaac’s surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, April 21^st at 7:30 in the morning.  She thought the procedure would take roughly 4-6 hours.  The intention is to safely remove as much of the tumor as possible by basically “sucking” it out. The surgeon was very clear and adamant that taking the entire tumor out during surgery is not a safe option.  Taking too much or all of it would severely put Isaac at risk for his long term health and development.  Prior to meeting us she took Isaac’s case and reviewed it with a tumor board she is a part of at Harvard University and they agreed on how to operate with Isaac.  After the surgery, Isaac will have a scar about four inches long on the back of his head and down his neck.  The tumor board also agreed that Isaac will need some sort of chemotherapy after his surgery.  What kind of chemotherapy and how long that will be is still to be determined.  Our surgeon and oncologist will provide us with options after the surgery.

One thing is for certain.  The road to recovery will be a long one, but one well worth it if our baby boy is healthy and alive.  We believe that God has brought us to Boston Children’s Hospital and feel confident that this is where He wants us to treat Isaac.  We continually see God working in this circumstance in so many ways it is unbelievable.  God is helping us through this difficult time mentally, physically, emotionally and also financially.  It is crazy to us to see just how much financial support Isaac has raised; we will forever be humbled and grateful for everyone who has contributed to Isaac’s cause.  Financial support will no doubt help us with the large medical bills that will be coming our way in the very near future.  We know God is at work and are excited how He will use this undesirable situation for His good.

Keep praying for our little guy.