Aubrey Surgery Update

We met with Dr. Kelly at Vanderbilt Children's on Wednesday, March 2. First of all, good lord the traffic there is crazy - leave early just b/c of the traffic situation. Finally found the office and got in there - they are the quickest office EVER. Appointment at 11 doctor in the office seeing us by 11:20 (he apologized for being late)...I was like ummmm can you talk to my other doctors!? He was very informative, friendly and put us at ease for what he was doing.

He's been a surgeon for 30 years and he does this specific surgery 3 to 4 times a week. 98% of his patients with Aubrey's condition only need 1 surgery. We will visit him every 3 to 4 months until she is 2 years old and then yearly until about 7 or so. Just to check on her head and catch it early if something is growing incorrectly. Her surgery is scheduled for April 19th, preop on the 18th. They will shave her head. Its a 5 hour surgery and it will be him and Dr. Tulipan (a neurosurgeon) and a full pediatric anesthesia team. GREAT TEAM!!! She will be getting a blood transfusion (scares me to death but I know that they screen it well), she will be in the hospital for a total of 7 days - 4 of them in the Pediatric ICU. Needless to say we'll be living at the hospital. He said he will fix her skull up where she can take bumps and falls that normal 10 month olds take. Obviously she can't fall off a roof or anything. The first week home we have to watch her close. She will be fragile for about 8 to 12 weeks after. Thank God she doesn't go to a normal daycare - kids after having this can't go back to daycare for 8 to 12 weeks. She's at an in home sitter where she's the only baby so we'll probably keep her home about 6 weeks (including hospital time). After the 12 weeks - she'll be just like any other kiddo. :)

**Side note - we are on the cancellation list so if another child gets sick we can have their spot or if there's a cancellation we get their spot - that being said this could all change if we get "the call"**

We are hoping this will be all that Aubrey has to endure and like I've said before I'm sure she'll recover quicker than we will. Her scar will be covered as soon as her hair begins growing back. Until then we'll be sporting our same hair bows but on headbands and crocheted hats instead of clipped to hair. We are taking her tomorrow to get her first hair cut. No way that I'm letting her surgery be her first haircut. Its cute b/c her hair is starting to curl up - I can't wait to see how it grows back. Its going to be thicker but I can't wait to see if it grows back curly or straight.

On the flip side - Aubrey's 1st birthday party is still scheduled for May 14th and we're going to party extra praising God about how healthy she is.

We have a ton of support, friends and family and prayers surrounding us. We are so blessed b/c of that and you really realize what you've got during times like these.

We are leaning on God to take care of our baby girl and leaning on our faith to know that regardless of what happens he will be there walking with us. Please forgive me - I know my thoughts are sporatic.