Surgery date is...

November 16th.

Sooner then wanted but Dr. Bove makes his own schedule and you basically do it when he says which in the end is fine by me.  Not really the best time of the month for us but we will deal.  This date is also Grandma Barb's birthday.  Again, not a date I would have chosen.  But... his last surgery was June 12, 2007 when he was 10mo old, that day was also the 3rd wedding anniversary for Paul and I, and since it's been so long since he's had surgery, apparently it's good luck for his surgery's to be on an important date.

So we've got three weeks to make our arrangements.  Do I call the Ronald McDonald house and put or name on the list?  I'm going to call them tomorrow and ask, and call the hotel line and make reservations thru them for an area hotel for the night before so we'll get the discount.

Pre-op is the day before surgery.

I'm nervous, I feel like I am in a fog, like this really isn't happening, like it's a bad dream and I want to wake up.

David's Learning Wall

David needs help, the help he didn't get in pre-school.  Yes I am bitter about it too.  So... I made David a learning wall.  Matthew is more then happy to help David with it too.

I went to the dollar store and got the alphabet, I was glad to see it was already cut and not one long sheet.  I taped it onto the wall.  He has to get the stool to reach the top row but I've told him to trace the letter with is finger.  Matthew keeps pointing out letter and saying them out loud to David.  Hopefully this helps David start to learn some basics.

Exhausted

Exhausted
a: to consume entirely
b: to tire extremely or completely
c: to deprive of a valuable quality ...

That is how I feel today… exhausted. My energy is entirely consumed. I am extremely and completely tired and I have been deprived of valuable quality sleep. Ugh…

I should just go to bed earlier, like when the boys go to bed early. Yeah it would be nice but that’s when I get my computer time, when I get to spend time with the hubster, alone, no kids. I haven’t been crawling into bed until he leaves for work which is roughly 11:30 pm and my alarm goes off at six am.

All I want to do is go home and sleep. I can’t take any more time off work. I have four days and two hours of combined vacation and sick time that I am saving for David’s surgery. I know I will be off longer then that so those day’s I won’t get paid for. I’m supposed to get a bonus check the first pay day in November. I think we’ll cash that and put it in the safe to help cover when I am off. Sadly, Paul only has about four days too. It’s easier for him to leave and go to work, working midnights then it is for me to leave my baby in Ann Arbor without me. My Mom has offered to stay with him when I work. I ‘might’ take her up on that but I don’t know. I will go stir crazy not being there with him so we’ll see.

The weather is downright shitty. Rainy, windy and cold. Not my idea of a good time. I hate this weather with a passion, I hate fall and winter I could totally do without. I don’t like the smell of fresh falling leaves, I don’t like the crisp cool air, I don’t like the crunch of the leaves that make a totally mess of my front yard, I don’t like wearing more clothing, I don’t like wearing shoes and socks, I don’t like hearing my boys complain because it’s cold. Most of all I don’t like the fact they are stuck inside our tiny ass house with nowhere to run and play.

Well, here’s to better days and looking forward to spring!

David Update

I talked to Dr. Goble (our cardiologist here in Lansing) she has direct link to the cardiologist in Mott.  Surgery is needed.  They will be working on his narrow Mitro Valve and the narrowing under the Aortic Valve. They will leave the ballooning area of the Aorta alone (fixing the narrowing may relive some of that).  Do not know when surgery will be yet because I am waiting for them to call me on that. 

Paul wants to wait until after Christmas, Dr. Goble doesn't want us to wait that long because of the horrible cold and flu season and doesn't want him to get sick.  I see Paul's point in waiting but I'd rather get it done and over with so we can move on and get back to our normal lives.  So it will be after the new Mott opens which is around the 12th of November but I think we are going to try to hit for the week after Thanksgiving.

I cried after I got off the phone.  Why my baby?  Why does he have to go through this?  I know this is something every parent of a heart baby had thought if not said out loud.  But I know we can handle it. We've done it before even though it was four years ago but he's a strong willed kid.

I'm ready... let's do this thing so we can move on.

Surgery in the near future

So results are in... David is going to need surgery.  How soon we don't know yet.  The meeting between the cardiologist and surgeons happens Monday afternoon.  Our cardiologist will get a hold of me next week.  We are trying to decided if we do it right before Thanksgiving, between Thanksgiving and Christmas or just after the first of the year.  I'm rooting for the first week of December but it will NOT wait until spring.  We do know that much.  Here are some pictures of what his current issues are.

Don't know what to make of it really... Worried for one.

Well... onward with our life, day by day.

Almost D Day

It's Monday night, tomorrow night we back a bag to head to Ann Arbor for David's heart Cath.  He's ready to 'go to the doctor' but he has no idea what's in store for him.  I'm very sad he has to go through this but this is what makes him such a strong little dude.  He's been doing AMAZING in school and I am so excited that he's learing and catching up on some things that Matthew knows and Matthew is finally learning not to answer for David and let him do it himself. 

Example... Tonight we had steak for dinner, David was sounding it out and asked me... "does is start with an S?" and Matthew said "good job David!"

So tonight I relax, tomorrow I pack and get NERVOUS.  Wednesday bright and early the craziness starts.

Wish us luck.