A challenge will bring out either the best or the worst in a person. We are pleased to report that today it brought out the best of Wes. It had all the potential to be fraught with meltdowns but he put his magical twist on things once again.

We arrived at 9am as requested for the sedated MRI and echo. Wes had fasted since dinner and had a little Pedialyte before 7am. After that we pretended we didn’t know what food was. Except for the Starbucks coffee and snacks we snuck while walking behind the stroller. Unfair, we know. The unit was running an hour behind schedule, so we hung out for a little over an hour with a hungry kid who was in the middle of missing a nap. Meltdown? Crying disaster? Nope. He was a DOLL. Completely.

At 10am we were called and, after re-reviewing the surgical consent form re-signing some papers with Dr. Nuri since yesterday Dr. Lee forgot to sign his papers, we met Nurse Mike. He and the other various people who came through, introduced themselves, and told us what their jobs were (don’t quiz us) all joined the Wes fan club. Anesthesiologist Al gave Wes a cocktail which he gulped down and then Wacky Wes showed up. The kid got super loopy and I’m sure we were supposed to be very concerned and serious, but we couldn’t help but laugh at his little drunk face and smiles. We kissed him goodnight at 11am and headed out for some air and lunch.

We received updates each hour and were back in the waiting room when Mike came to get us around 2. Wes was still pretty out of it but adorably cranky and hoarse (from the breathing tube) and snuggly. He had some milk and we were on our way by 3:15. We kept a close eye on him when we got home as instructed since his balance and coordination was still messed up from the anesthesia. By dinner he was feeling like himself with large smiles of mouthfuls of food. Wes played in his last bath for a while, things went a little sideways, (why wouldn’t you poop in the tub the night you’re supposed to wash with the special anti-germ soap?), but he’s clean, pj’d, and sleeping happily.

Tomorrow we will arrive at 7am for his 8:30am surgery.

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Our first day was a long one and started early, we had to be at the hospital at 7:30 am. We started out in Cardiac Pre-op where we met Alia, an NP who would guide us thought the day. First was Dr. Lee, a cardiac surgeon who provided a quick overview of the procedure, discussed the risks and expected outcome, and guided us through the consent forms and other paperwork. Next we went to the lab where Wes had some blood drawn which was about as popular as you can imagine. Then we met an anesthesiologist who talked about the anesthesia plan for his MRI scheduled for tomorrow and the surgery itself on Wednesday.

From there Wes had his height (29″) and weight (18 lbs 5 oz) taken along with an EKG, oxygen saturation and an attempt at blood pressure which was as popular as the blood draw. Next was a chest X-ray taken by two extremely nice older women who were straight out of an episode of Coffee Talk. After, we sat down with Alia to discuss the preparation for the next couple days, review family history, and ask some questions. From there we were able to take a quick break and finally get a coffee before taking a tour of the cardiac ICU and recovery rooms. To wrap up the morning we met with Dr. Levine, the cardiologist we first met in August. Dr. Levine has been renting a house on Long Beach Island, where we also vacation, for the last twenty years so part of our discussion was recapping last summer (she was leaving the day after our first appointment) and talking about the coming summer where we found out we’ll be there at the same time.

After a quick lunch we met with Dr. Emani, the surgeon who will be operating on Wes. We discussed the procedure, the different approaches available to him and asked a lot of questions. He also got to meet Wes for the first time since Wes did not make the trip with us in August. Dr. Emani seemed taken with Wes’s big smiles and endless energy even after missing his morning nap.

We left the hospital at 2:00 and made the short walk back to our apartment, stopping at Star Market along the way for milk, cheese, fruit, pistachio muffins and vodka. Just the essentials.

Wes fell asleep in the stroller before we were off the hospital grounds and is now napping in his crib. The sun has come out so we may take a walk when he wakes up.

Tomorrow we have to be back at 9:00 am with an angry Wes who will not have had breakfast. Luckily we will be able to hand him off to the nurses for his MRI, and luckily for them anesthesia will be administered shortly thereafter.

We left for Boston around 1:00 pm on Sunday, March 29th. It was an uneventful drive with a snack stop along the way. Because of the overwhelming generosity of our family, friends and co-workers we were able to lease a corporate apartment about 3/4 of a mile from the hospital (only 15 minute walk) in the Fenway area of Back Bay. We checked in, moved in our stuff and had a nice dinner before putting Wes down for bed. From the window of our apartment we can actually see the entrance to the hospital.

Tomorrow is an early start to a long day at the hospital. Wes will have a chest x-ray, blood work and other pre-op procedures. We’ll tour the cardiac surgery center and meet with the surgeon, Dr. Emani.

Although nobody would choose to go through a situation like this we always remember how fortunate we are to be so close to a world class hospital and, because of the excellent health insurance offered by the Village of Scotia, not have the added stress of the enormous cost of Wes’ procedure. It’s humbling to think of the families that have to travel from much further distances to an unfamiliar place without knowing how they will be able to afford their child’s procedure much less the trip.

Thank you to all of you who have made this as best a situation as it can be.

Who:  Andrew and Emily.

What:  Starting a blog, with technical assistance from Auntie RaRa.

Where:  Home in Scotia, Boston Children’s Hospital, and then home again.

Why:  Update our family and friends on our son’s open heart surgery.

When:  Now! And continuing through two days of pre-op testing, surgery on April 1, and a speedy recovery.

Wes:  Our sunny, mischievous 13 month old son who keeps us on our toes and eggs-on his 3-year-old brother Henry every chance he gets. We’ve never met someone who smiles as big, drinks as much water, gets as offended at not being allowed to splash in the toilet, or loves baths and peek-a-boo as much as you, Wes. Wesley Ryan, Messy Wessy, or whatever your name is, you leave us shaking our heads in amazement and laughter, and we are silly in love with every bit of you. We know you’ll do great!

Love, Ma and Da