Update: Emme’s Surgery

Written by Melissa on 5/26/09

Well, let me start by saying I had a little bit of a meltdown today.  Vanderbilt called and told Shannon they would be rescheduling Emme’s surgery for August 11th.  What?  So he sent me an email at school and told me about the new date.  I immediately picked up the phone and got the numbers for the doctors office.  When I called, the lady seemed quite unmoved by my plea for an earlier date.  After a few tears (well more than a few), an explanation of my job (I’m a teacher), Shannon’s job (he’s on the road most weekends and is scheduled months and months in advance), and letting her know we couldn’t make it without my income if I had to take off of work in August; she said she would see what she could do.  Two hours later, she called back to let me know that another family had volunteered to let us have their surgery time for June 23rd and they would take August 11th.  Praise the Lord! Problem solved.

So Emme’s surgery will be on June 23rd at 7:30 a.m. and all of her pre-op festivities begin on June 22nd at 8:00 a.m.  We will be at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and Dr. Kelley will be her plastic surgeon.  I have not met the other “team members” for her surgery but do know that they are all great doctors.  It’s a bittersweet thing to know others who have dealt with neurologists and anastesiologists at Vandy.  It means somebody elses kid has been under the knife too, and that’s no good. 

After they rescheduled Emme’s surgery today, I could feel my stress level begin to rise.  I guess the reality is setting in that in less than one month, my child’s life will be in somebody elses hands for at least 7 hours.  However, I know that God is in control and just as someone elses hands are touching my sweet baby’s face, so are His.  That gives me hope. 

I know that I will only get the real picture of what she is going to endure when surgery day comes, so Shannon and I are preparing for that now.  School is finally out on June 6th.  On June 10th we are leaving for Florida for 12 days.  We will spend one week in Holmes Beach and 4 days in St. Augustine.  We are combining a wedding and a road apperance for Shannon in the trip, but most of all we are looking forward to making some great memories with our baby girl on the beach and getting some much needed R&R before a long week at Vanderbilt. 

Please keep us in your prayers as we begin this journey.  Pray that Shannon won’t have to take any extra time off, pray for our surgical team and their precision, pray that Emme wakes up the same sweet girl she is today, and pray that we can continue to rely on God for our strength.  We appreciate all of our dear friends and family.