Will try to bring you up to speed a bit about our busy week. Our flight went very well Sunday morning. Northwest Airlines has a program that payed for Zach and one parent to travel round trip to NY. We are very grateful for their help. We arrived at the RM House in the late afternoon. It is ideally situated about 5 blocks from Sloan. Everyone who works and volunteers at the House has the biggest heart, just like the House in Rochester. It feels a bit like Survivor here. As long as you don't plan to cook or eat, you are fine. They are woefully short of cutlery, and anything thing that can hold anything (bowls, pots, pans). I may run out and buy a couple pans. The parents here learn to collect plastic silverware at the hospital. Fortunately, there are often community meals, with silverware included! NY really supports the House and we are grateful. On Monday, Zach had his first MRI without anesthesia. He was nervous about it, but did very well. He also met Dr Kramer. He met her once briefly in January. He was thrilled to see the Sloan playroom again. On Tuesday, we were up at the crack of dawn to report to Cornell (NY Presbyterian.). The day started with a CT, for the purpose of planning the Ommaya surgery. I think the worst part was when they put knobby stickers on Zach's head, and drew around them with a marker. He was so upset!!! The Dr promised to take them off during then surgery, and he kept his word. The surgery took longer than I expected. You mind goes to a lot of bad places during the wait. I was so relieved when the surgeon came in and reported that it all went very well. Zach woke from anesthesia with his usual yelling and screaming. His throat hurt a lot from the breathing tube they put in for the surgery. Otherwise, his recovery was uneventful. The surgeon was able to re-open the site where Zach had the tempory shunt placed 2 + years ago, so Zach was spared another nasty scar. We were released Wed. afternoon, just in time to catch a nap before Mary Poppins. We had amazing seats. Some very generous party donated 75 tickets to the House- we were right up front. Zach thoroughly enjoyed himself. The NY City Police donate the use of their bus to get everyone there. The show was terriffic I just wish Kent, Alex, and Kendall would have been with us. Gotta run! Zach needs me. Thanks for checking in on Zach, and for the prayers and support. This is a big week- we will find out for sure if Zach can be on the study. We need his spinal scan to look good. It has not been an issue in the past. We hope it stays that way.
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