Big day for TLC

Happy Valentines...day after. Ours was spent driving up to DFW airport to pick up Gma and Gpa Bushman, who have come into town to help out during TLC's surgery, which was today...I guess I'll start there.

We checked into Children's Medical Center this morning with TLC. Back in the fall, an MRI revealed the presence of a "duplication cyst" behind his ribs; today was the day to have it removed. After some presurgical assessment, we met with Dr. Megison and his team one last time. TL was then taken to surgery and TE and I stayed in a waiting room where we did our best to focus on a Scrabble game and await phone calls keeping us up-to-date on the procedure.

Not long into the surgery we received a call letting us know that the cyst was significantly attached to the esophagus and that they would not be able to remove it lapriscopically--which more than anything, told us his recovery would take a little longer. I lost track of time somewhere in it all, but I think the surgery went from about 11:30 to 2:00 (TE may remember better). Dr. Megison met with us after and told us everything went well. He showed us some pictures--both those from the attempted thorascoscapy and from the actual thoracotomy (I've learned a lot today...my spelling may not be right on). The cyst was about 3 cm in diameter, which seems small until I look at TL and see how small he is.

I had to head back to the hotel to feed SCC, but TE stayed with TL to get settled into his room for recovery. We have been grateful to have my parents here--not sure how all this shuffling would have been possible. The plan this afternoon was for me to stay at the hotel until after dinner and then head back over to the hospital. Once I was back at the hotel, TE called me with the room information, but while he was on the phone with me, TL had a breath-holding-spell. TE later told me that within minutes the room was full with what seemed the entire hospital floor staff, including Dr. Megison. It had seemed like any other spell to TE, except for the fact that there hadn't seemed to be anything particular setting it off. I guess there were several more and it was determined that TL would need to spend the night in the ICU. They don't feel that anything is necessarily wrong, but just want to be extra cautious and to monitor him closely.

So, that's where we are right now. I went to see TL tonight in the ICU. Visiting procedures are a lot more strict. TE is still spending the night there. He's tired, but hanging in there. It is very hard for me to not be there. I feel like things are okay, but I want to just pick him up and hug him and take him home all better. He doesn't quite understand what is going on. While I was there, he mostly slept, but woke up a few times crying. We can't really explain to him what's happening, but we're trying to read to him and sing songs with him--that seems to calm him down. I'm anxious to see him in the morning.