Things I learned the “Summer of 1984”
Even angels need birthday cake.
(Recipe included http://judethefoodie.com/2012/07/02/rich-golden-cake/)
Just because he only got three cakes does not mean we should stop celebrating that he was born!
Our overuse of the word awesome has actually devalued it.
Incorrect use: Oh wow, this movie is awesome!
CORRECT USE: It’s so awesome that she can operate on a babie’s heart, the size of a walnut!
Incorrect use: You got us tickets to the game? Awesome!
CORRECT USE: He’s breathing on his own? Awesome!
Today is the best day I’ll ever have.
There are no guarantees so make the best of every day.
Karel Soucek is one crazy dude.
http://www.infoniagara.com/niagaradaredevils/karelsoucek.aspx Tom came into the recovery room at Mt. St. Mary’s Hospital and told me this guy went over the falls and lived. Six months later tries to jump into a ten foot barrel in the Houston Astrodome and hits the side. He was no Nik Wallenda!
Pediatric Cardiologists and Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgeons are two different specialties.
I had no idea that first you see a cardiologist who performs the diagnostics then you see the surgeon (who often has the bedside manner of a brick).
McDonalds has great coffee.
In the lobby of CHOP (http://www.chop.edu/ Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) there was a McDonalds. We got a coffee and cinnamon rolls every day. Never underestimate the power of good coffee.
If a surgeon offers to try the newest surgery on your child…run, don’t walk to the surgeon who does.
The surgeon at the time at Buffalo Children’s Hospital had never done the surgery called the switch. In fact, it had only been performed fewer than two dozen times. He said he’d try.
Mortality rates become a sobering statistic when you are talking about state of the art medical intervention.
We said “no thank you” and became the first family to take our child away from Buffalo for open heart surgery. I guess all legacies come to an end.
Sometimes a hole in your heart is a good thing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashkind_balloon_atrial_septostomy Tommy’s pediatric cardiologist turned out to be a world renowned doctor. My sister-in-law Mary had not been at CHOP for a month when Tommy was born. When his diagnosis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transposition_of_the_great_vessels) was made she went directly to Dr. Rashkind’s office and is singularly responsible for having him take her nephew on as a patient.
In the end, faith is all we have.
Things are often not what they seem.
I saw a man tossing a little boy up in the air in an enjoining waiting room and felt a pang of jealousy. My husband reminded me there was likely a very serious reason why those two should be in that room. Reframe: thank God they had that playful time together.
The sound of laughter in a hospital is not at all strange.
Superheroes wear masks…and scrubs.
When it’s too hard to pray, too hard to think beyond the next moment, I discovered there are countless and nameless people who are doing the praying for you.
July 2, 1984 – Happy birthday Tommy III – forever young…
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