I wish you could meet Riley. He’s the little guy that made me Grampy in Chief two and a half years ago. He is good looking (he gets that from his parents), smart, curious and funny. He loves cars, airplanes and baseball. Baseball is in his genes, so his mother has become a fan too. If you met him you would be impressed but think that he’s just a normal kid.
On Monday we were abruptly reminded that he is not just a normal kid. Riley was born with a heart defect. He has a single ventricle and no spleen. So, even though 2005 has been hospital free and Riley has been thriving, the clock has been ticking. The two open-heart surgeries of his past lead to a third. His cardiologist scheduled the surgery. We were all taken aback because he has been doing so well. We thought we had more time. (His Mom and Dad have written about their reactions.)
On March 2, 2006 Riley will have a heart catherization. They will map his heart and the major blood vessels in preparation for surgery. The Fontan operation will be a week later, March 9.
Riley has the best care in the world. The staff at UCSF is phenomenal. His surgeon, Dr. Karl is one of the very best pediatric heart surgeons. The nursing staff in the PICU is highly trained, focused and caring. They operate on infants and children on a daily basis so they are skilled and experienced.
We want to protect our children and grandchildren. Handing Riley over to the anesthesiologists, waiting for hours during surgery, looking at the little guy with all the wires and tubes, and worrying when his temp spikes, those are the hard parts.
I have only about three months to get prepared.
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2 comments:
Does this mean you've accelerated your relocation plans? I vaguely remember something about you moving before Riley's next surgery.
We (especially Riley) will be happy to have you here to give support.
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