A day...

That's all it is right?  A day.  So why do I feel sad?  

We got Graham's surgery date and I am having mixed emotions.  While I am excited that the taping, the NAM, the fighting to put it in, it's all going to end.  But to do that, my little baby has to go into surgery.  Being a nurse I know what that means... IV's, sedation, intubation, pain.  It scares me.  It's just one more thing that my sweet little baby has to endure.  It's hard to think that there is anything that NEEDS to be fixed.  Graham is beautiful, his cleft is who he is.  I actually can't imagine him without it.  Will he look like a different baby?  Will he still look like Graham?  All these questions are floating in my head.

I know this is the right thing, but that definitely does not make it the easy thing.  

We met with Dr. H and some plastic surgery fellows on monday.  Funny thing is, the fellow that will be working with Dr. H is actually the plastics fellow that I insisted come to the ER to stitch up Alex's lip the month before G was born.  Dr. H is very happy with Graham's progress and a little surprised that it went so fast.  They rarely are ready to do surgery before 4 months of age on clefts.  We may have been able to do it even sooner but the risks of putting a baby under 3 months under anesthesia are far too great for an "elective" surgery.  We will have one more adjustment of the NAM with Dr. K prior to surgery to get just a bit more lift to his nare.
Wow, I just can't believe we are already here.  It seems like yesterday Dan and I were sitting in the office, just having gotten the diagnosis, waiting to meet with Dr. C.  Now, the consent paper have been signed and our sweet little guy is ready for surgery.

September 22nd, 2011
Keep us in your prayers.