Last week Sydney had some blood drawn to determine her blood type. We found out she is A+. Brian was able to go on Wednesday and donate a unit of blood for her. His blood type is O+ but apparently with A+ blood anyone with A+, A-, O+ or O- can donate. He donates to the blood bank on a regular basis so it worked out well for us. We are thankful to everyone who volunteered to donate if neither one of us were a match.
We learned some things yesterday that made Sydney feel a little bit better. First, there will be no external stitches on the incision. They will all be internal so she will not have to have them removed. Second, she has the option of being put under anesthesia with a mask and then having the IV hooked up while she is already "asleep". She had been concerned about having the stitches removed and having an IV put in so this was a relief to her. Third, she can bring a stuffed animal or favorite blanket with her in to the OR which is definitely a comforting thought. Lastly, they have therapy dogs that go around and visit the patients! Nurse Amy asked Sydney if she liked dogs, which is like asking Sydney if she likes to breathe. Anyone who knows Sydney knows that if you give her a dog or a baby she is happy. So when we check in we can let them know she is interested in having a visit from one of the therapy dogs and they will bring one to her room.
We are scheduled to meet with the surgeon on Thursday to discuss the specifics of the surgery and get any of our remaining questions answered. At that appointment they will take a final x-ray of Sydney's back and some "before" pictures. She still has a pulmonary test to do but we are waiting to hear from their office so we can get it on our calendar. On the Monday prior to the surgery she will have to go in for more blood work. That will be the last thing we have to do before getting to the hospital on Wednesday morning.
She will be in the hospital any where from five to seven days after the surgery. We are told that by six weeks post-op most patients feel back to normal. It will be one year before Syd is released to do whatever she wants but she will be able to be active much sooner than that.
It's all very real now and the anxiety level in all of us is definitely rising. Brian and I were reminded by our visit to the hospital yesterday just how lucky we are to have Children's Hospital here in San Diego. We feel fortunate that if we must go through this we have a facility near by that is equipped with doctors and staff that specialize in working with children and their families.
I, for one, will be glad to be on the other side of the surgery and updating on the progress Sydney is making in her recovery.
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