Pre-op and Admittance Interviews

Today has been crazy for all the reasons I expected and for all the ones I didn't. We left the house we were staying at around 8:20 a.m. We got snow last night so our generous hostess(es) shoveled our cars from under the snow so we could get out. Kim, your dad and mom are the best! We headed to Burger King for breakfast and then went to the Ronald McDonald House to check-in. We got a room on the 3rd floor and though the room is very spacious, it is just a room so we ended up going with our new plan to have my folks and Nathan's dad return to the house we stayed at last night so we can all get some rest.

Unexpected Crazy #1 - We got to the house and had to register and get a tour, which were all great, but I was expected it to be like that so we were a bit panicked when we realized we hadn't actually seen our room and we had to be at the hospital in 20 minutes.

They called a shuttle to take us to the hospital and we all stopped mid check in, thanks to the understanding staff of RMH, and we shuttled over to the CC. We got to building A and headed to the 12th floor for our pediatric exam.

Expected Crazy #1 - Maddy gets antsy when anything medical happens so I expected this to be a little tense. Nathan and I took her back to meet this new pediatrician and our folks stayed with August and Emma, glued to the TV. She checked Maddy out and said she was cleared for the surgery the following day. The doctor was super nice and noticing Maddy's anxiety about the "blood shot" aka getting bloodwork, she had a nurse come in and put a cream on Maddy's arm so that the area would be numb when they did the procedure. They were so kind and made it look really fun -they put patches over the cream so she could doodle with the cream without it getting on her fingers. They told us to wait 20 minutes to go get the labwork done so she would be really numb in her arms. Both arms were numbed so they could later decide which veins were better.

We all headed downstairs and Nathan went to the admittance interview alone to answer all the questions they had. I had the RMH's complimentary bag with some goodies to distract the kids. After Nathan was done, I went to register Maddy for her labwork. At this point in time, I realized it was about lunch time and we had our last appt at 1 pm so we needed to get food in these kids' bodies. I passed Maddy off to Nathan and his dad so my folks and I could get food for all of us upstairs in the cafeteria.

Unexpected Crazy #2 - I never knew that hospital cafeterias could be SO overwhelming. They had 3-4 stations and each one was right behind the other and you only had like 3-4 feet between the station and the wall. There were no instructions on how it worked but everyone knew exactly what to do except us. I had mom and dad and August and Emma and we were looking so confused and no one really stopped to inform us on the right thing to do. We finally figured it out - after walking through the whole line once- and I frantically figured out what to feed all my kids and myself while the grill guy was throwing food and questions everywhere. I finally got all the food and realized I had no tray to put said food on - because they don't have trays - so I am awkwardly carrying the food and trying to keep Emma from getting run over (August was this dad) in this 3-4 foot space. On the wall were drinks options and when I thought I could find comfort in a soda I realized all the drinks were diet or water :-( So I had to get drinks for the kids - no juices but only flavored water - and myself and all the boxes of food with no tray and with Emma twirling like a ballerina around me. I had a man remark to me about how grateful he was that those days of small children were over because it was a three ring circus. We finally made it out of there and we did get food. We got seated just in time for Nathan and Maddy to arrive and for me to discover we have 20 minutes to eat and get to another building 2 blocks away for our next appt. We called the free shuttle, picked up our food and headed downstairs. My folks and Nathan's dad took the other kids back to the RMH for a nap and to finally check in to our room.

Expected Crazy #2 - On the way to the office I found out that the bloodwork went rough and that Maddy was panicky and moved during the first attempt that it yanked out so they had to do her other arm. :-(

We arrived at the appointment and finally sat for a good bit while we waited. I finally ate my lunch. Our appointment was at 1 but the doctor was running behind so we didn't get back till around 1:50. I was so grateful for grandparents to worry about my other kiddos. We met Nurse Ann, who was my first contact for this, who was super nice and made us feel comfortable right away. She gave us a surgery booklet with their contact and assured us that the emails go straight to their electronic devices so they will see them - I can vouch for this cause I had a question for Nurse Ann on her off day and I received an out of office reply but she responded a few hours later even though she was "off" that day. After she left the doctor came in right on her heels. He asked us lots of questions about what we do and how Maddy is doing and then he got to the details part.

Maddy will be put to sleep and they will make a small hook incision on the left side of her head, curved near her ear. They will have to cut her hair a bit but they said it would be able to be covered. We will come in at 6:30 a.m. to get ready and then the surgery will be around 8. It will take 3.5-4 hours and then she will stay in ICU for the night and move to another room the next day. We should be able to go home in 3 days. He assured us that this surgery is necessary because she will only get worse and that his desire is for her to be seizure free and stop having to take medicine eventually. The surgery is 80% effective and 2 out of 3 patients can come off medicine eventually. He talked about Maddy's case with confidence and said they are not concerned about verbal or physical delays and that it won't effect her memory. He said the spot that is no longer working needs to come out and she will improve after that. He asked if she was struggling in school and he said that this should help. Apparently most kids are recovered within a month but they take it on a case by case situation.

We shared a bit about Nathan's mother and her passing after brain surgery and he told us that in the 6000 procedures he has done like this, he has never lost a patient. Headaches are common and there is a 1% chance of bleeding or some swelling but he is confident everything will go well. Maddy even warmed up to him a bit and sat on his lap and talked with him. It was a comforting conversations and he assured Maddy that she won't remember what happens or that it won't hurt, which is her biggest concern. She just doesn't want anymore shots!

Right this moment my kids are in bed and I am sitting in a lobby writing this and trying to wind down for sleep. I feel very relieved and scared for tomorrow. I am hopeful because of the encouraging words of the doctor and because this path has been made clear. Nathan and his dad are going to take Maddy over for the pre-op at 6:30 while I finish up some work with my tutoring. My parents are going to stay behind with August and Emma at the RMH. We probably won't be able to update you much till tomorrow evening but we will try to keep you up to date of when she goes back and when she comes out. Thanks again for the support and messages to us. Today has been a daze and tomorrow will be a waiting game. Prayers for tomorrow:

1. Anxiety for Maddy - She knows somethings coming and she's glad the seizures are supposed to stop but she's nervous about shots and other things like that. She's also being a little bit more defiant since she's out of her comfort zone. Pray for her anxiety and for our patience.

2. Sleep tonight for all of us!

3. No spirit of fear. In the moments of waiting and when emotions or no word flood us, we can be consumed by fear. May we have eyes focused on the One who is in control through this all and live a testimony of faith to those that see us. May others be won over by the peace we show during the midst of the waiting. Especially with our one experience of brain surgery being a bad one, pray that we will not be consumed by doubt that this will be the same.

4. Strength for the days ahead. When we start taking turns sleeping at the hospital and staying with the kids, pray we can get rest and be renewed each day.

5. Pray for Nathan and I to be united as we spend time apart to care for our kids and are drained by taking care of the needs of others.

6. Pray for Dr. Bingaman and his team as they operate on her. Pray for steady hands and clarity in each step they take. May God guide their hands. Pray Maddy will recover quickly and that she will continue to fight, as she always does, to keep pressing on.

7. Pray for healing for Maddy that this surgery will be what we hope and that it will be what the Lord uses to bring about healing. This past year has been very rough on ours with all her ups and downs and we are hopeful that this will take us in a positive direction.

Thanks so much! Love from the Forrests!