I know it's been a while since we've updated this blog but that's mostly due to the fact that there haven't been any updates. Ever since Lucy's surgery date has been set we've been in a bit of medical lull.
But not wanting to make things too dull Brian has decided to resign his current job at Oracle and has accepted a new position at Traust Consulting. He will finish out the month at Oracle and begin at Traust as soon as possible. If you've ever switched jobs in the middle of a medical ordeal you know this means headache upon headache when it comes to insurance. But we both know this is a great opportunity for Brian in the long run so we couldn't let the surgery make the decision for us.
We opted to use COBRA until Lucy's surgery is complete. This will provide the smallest out-of-pocket expense to us. The last thing you want to worry about when your baby is hospitalized is medical debt so we're very thankful it has all worked out for the best.
On Friday we received Lucy's pre-op packet of information in the mail. Packet? It was more like the size of the entire set of Encyclopedia Britannica.
I immediately opened it and started reading as much as I could. Brian got mad at me because we were supposed to go out for happy hour that evening and I developed a touch of the Debbie Downers after looking through the information.
It's been so long now since we've learned of Lucy's condition that it's been easy to continue on with our normal daily routine. But the whole idea of surgery has been a bit of a nagging hangnail. Some days I just want the whole thing over and done with and other days I wish November 16 was a bit further off in the future.
Lucy's pre-op appointment is set for Tuesday, November 10. We'll see her regular pediatrician and double this up with her normal 6-month well child exam. At the pre-op appointment her pediatrician will clear Lucy for surgery. This means she can't be sick in any way. No fever, no runny nose, etc. I'm very nervous about this with November being the height of flu season and with the H1N1 virus hitting its peak across the Twin Cities.
William, Lucy and I do attend Early Child Family Education classes once a week but our last day prior to the surgery will be November 3 just to ensure she isn't exposed to anything. If you or your family is sick please take caution in stopping by our home.
Following her pre-op appointment we will need to go to Gillette's on Friday, November 13. Lucy will need a blood transfusion during her operation so she needs to be typed beforehand. We've had multiple offers of people willing to donate blood but after reading the information that was provided to us Brian and I have decided to use Gillette's blood bank. This day and age, blood from a blood bank is actually cleaner and safer than blood from a relative. William also received a blood transfusion when he was in the NICU and we used the blood bank at that time as well.
Thank you all for your continued support and prayers. We will be updating the blog more frequently now that the surgery is just a few weeks away so check back often.
