Showing posts with label Dr. Gustafson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dr. Gustafson. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Medical Records
Just read through 73 pages of Cooper's medical history encompassing his diagnosis in August, heart surgery in Oct. and his follow-ups. Needless to say, we have a lot to be thankful for this year. Great to read Dr. Gus's report and see "The aortic arch is widely patent (which mean unobstructed in this context - I looked it up) without evidence of residual coarctation."
Monday, November 5, 2012
The Bracelets Are In
We've had them for about a week now, but we felt with the devestation Hurricane Sandy caused last week, that wasn't an appropriate time to ask people to support us.
So the bracelets are in. They are $3 each or 2 for $5. If you are in the Waynesburg area, shoot me a message and we can meet up. If you are in Steubenville, my mom has some. If you are in NOVA, Pam's sister Sandy has some. If none of those options work for you, send me an email with how many you need and your address and you can either send me a check or pay via PayPal.
Thanks in advance for your support.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Giving Back
Today is Friday, Oct. 19. Cooper's surgery was Monday, October 8 and if
you've followed along, the surgery went well and his recovery has been
remarkable.
As I write this, I am still wearing my "parent" hospital bracelet. I've had quite a few people ask me if Coop is still in the hospital or why I am wearing the bracelet.
My answer is really, really simple. I wear it as a reminder of how lucky and grateful I am as well as a reminder to be thankful and prayerful more often.
I relied on my faith in God throughout our ordeal - Pam and I didn't shy away from making that known. But in reflection since surgery, I became even more thankful to God as I realized that my relationship with Him isn't even a fraction of what I thought it was.
My morning routine is pretty repetitive. Within the first 10 minutes of waking up (within the first minute if Pam is already up with Coop), I am on my iPhone checking my email accounts, Facebook, fantasy football teams and the weather. The first time I get in the car by myself on a road without a lot of stop and go traffic, I turn off the radio and have an audible conversation with God. It usually lasts about 10 minutes.
But that was it. God got 10 minutes of my day (Of course once Coop’s condition was known, God received a little more time throughout the day).
I listen to K-Love radio about 80 percent of the time in the car, and while some may say it's better than alternatives and it does make me feel better, it really isn't spending time with God.
Our family has been through a lot and the hospital bracelet has reminded me to be more prayerful and work on building a better relationship with God.
With the strength, calmness and peace of mind we experienced surgery day, it was evident that everyone's prayers worked. And one of the verses that kept appearing was:
Pray without ceasing - 1 Thessalonians 5:17
DR. GUS
We are also thankful for Dr. Gus. We are indebted to Dr. Gus for, in essence, saving Cooper's life. But how do you repay someone who has done that for you?
Since the night of surgery, Pam and I have been asking around trying to figure out what we could do to show Dr. Gus our appreciation. We were told by the nurses, cardiologists and the attending doctor that Dr. Gus loves WVU, golf, traveling and his grandchildren.
I had another idea. In our research of Dr. Gus, we knew he had a brother who was a veterinarian in his hometown. Why not call his brother to see if he had any ideas?
Pam called the veterinarian’s office Monday and asked for ideas. We were told that a gift was unnecessary. But if we were going to be persistent, Dr. Gus had three organizations close to his heart - WVU Children's Hospital, the Ronald McDonald House at the Children's Hospital and Camp Mountain Heart, a summer camp for kids with congenital heart diseases, cardiomyopathy and arrhythmias.
I'm involved in a non-profit, so I know every little bit counts, but how much could a $250 gift really help?
WHERE GOD AND DR. GUS COME TOGETHER
I mentioned in an earlier post before surgery about my dreams, so I find it a little ironic that I had this idea in a dream (there is also a follow up in another dream, but I'll get to that in a minute).
We felt our $250 gift wouldn't amount to much. But what if we could use it in a way that could raise more money?
On Wednesday night, Pam ordered 1,000 silicone bracelets that say "Pray Without Ceasing + 1 Thessalonians 5:17" (the + is actually a cross on the band). They are red - the color of the American Heart Association and the awareness color of congenital heart disease - with white lettering.
Our thought is to sell them for $3 each or 2 for $5 with the proceeds being donated in Dr. Gus's name to his three beloved charities.
We believe that the bracelets will not only be a reminder that we are called to continuously build and strengthen our relationship with God and Jesus, but they will also help kids and families.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
The obvious answer is to buy a couple.
A better solution is to let your network know about them – families, friends, church groups, social media connections, neighbors, co-workers.
They don't say anything about Cooper, so people don't have to feel weird about wearing a bracelet referencing someone they don't know.
After ordering them Wednesday night, I had another dream that said we would sell at least 10,000 bracelets. How awesome would it be to raise $20,000+ for these three charities?
It’s a tall order, but with God, all things are possible.
If you’d like to help out, please let us know. If you think you could sell 10 or 20 or 50, we'd appreciate your hard work.
Feel free to comment through this blog, the Coop Troop Facebook page, mine or Pam’s personal Facebook page or email me at perrycunningham @ yahoo . com (Sorry for the confusion. I did that so my email address couldn’t be easily harvested by automatic programs that comb internet content to create spam lists).
I hope to have a unique Facebook page up and running in the near future too.
Thanks in advance.
Perry
As I write this, I am still wearing my "parent" hospital bracelet. I've had quite a few people ask me if Coop is still in the hospital or why I am wearing the bracelet.
My answer is really, really simple. I wear it as a reminder of how lucky and grateful I am as well as a reminder to be thankful and prayerful more often.
I relied on my faith in God throughout our ordeal - Pam and I didn't shy away from making that known. But in reflection since surgery, I became even more thankful to God as I realized that my relationship with Him isn't even a fraction of what I thought it was.
My morning routine is pretty repetitive. Within the first 10 minutes of waking up (within the first minute if Pam is already up with Coop), I am on my iPhone checking my email accounts, Facebook, fantasy football teams and the weather. The first time I get in the car by myself on a road without a lot of stop and go traffic, I turn off the radio and have an audible conversation with God. It usually lasts about 10 minutes.
But that was it. God got 10 minutes of my day (Of course once Coop’s condition was known, God received a little more time throughout the day).
I listen to K-Love radio about 80 percent of the time in the car, and while some may say it's better than alternatives and it does make me feel better, it really isn't spending time with God.
Our family has been through a lot and the hospital bracelet has reminded me to be more prayerful and work on building a better relationship with God.
With the strength, calmness and peace of mind we experienced surgery day, it was evident that everyone's prayers worked. And one of the verses that kept appearing was:
Pray without ceasing - 1 Thessalonians 5:17
DR. GUS
We are also thankful for Dr. Gus. We are indebted to Dr. Gus for, in essence, saving Cooper's life. But how do you repay someone who has done that for you?
Since the night of surgery, Pam and I have been asking around trying to figure out what we could do to show Dr. Gus our appreciation. We were told by the nurses, cardiologists and the attending doctor that Dr. Gus loves WVU, golf, traveling and his grandchildren.
I had another idea. In our research of Dr. Gus, we knew he had a brother who was a veterinarian in his hometown. Why not call his brother to see if he had any ideas?
Pam called the veterinarian’s office Monday and asked for ideas. We were told that a gift was unnecessary. But if we were going to be persistent, Dr. Gus had three organizations close to his heart - WVU Children's Hospital, the Ronald McDonald House at the Children's Hospital and Camp Mountain Heart, a summer camp for kids with congenital heart diseases, cardiomyopathy and arrhythmias.
I'm involved in a non-profit, so I know every little bit counts, but how much could a $250 gift really help?
WHERE GOD AND DR. GUS COME TOGETHER
I mentioned in an earlier post before surgery about my dreams, so I find it a little ironic that I had this idea in a dream (there is also a follow up in another dream, but I'll get to that in a minute).
We felt our $250 gift wouldn't amount to much. But what if we could use it in a way that could raise more money?
On Wednesday night, Pam ordered 1,000 silicone bracelets that say "Pray Without Ceasing + 1 Thessalonians 5:17" (the + is actually a cross on the band). They are red - the color of the American Heart Association and the awareness color of congenital heart disease - with white lettering.
Our thought is to sell them for $3 each or 2 for $5 with the proceeds being donated in Dr. Gus's name to his three beloved charities.
We believe that the bracelets will not only be a reminder that we are called to continuously build and strengthen our relationship with God and Jesus, but they will also help kids and families.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
The obvious answer is to buy a couple.
A better solution is to let your network know about them – families, friends, church groups, social media connections, neighbors, co-workers.
They don't say anything about Cooper, so people don't have to feel weird about wearing a bracelet referencing someone they don't know.
After ordering them Wednesday night, I had another dream that said we would sell at least 10,000 bracelets. How awesome would it be to raise $20,000+ for these three charities?
It’s a tall order, but with God, all things are possible.
If you’d like to help out, please let us know. If you think you could sell 10 or 20 or 50, we'd appreciate your hard work.
Feel free to comment through this blog, the Coop Troop Facebook page, mine or Pam’s personal Facebook page or email me at perrycunningham @ yahoo . com (Sorry for the confusion. I did that so my email address couldn’t be easily harvested by automatic programs that comb internet content to create spam lists).
I hope to have a unique Facebook page up and running in the near future too.
Thanks in advance.
Perry
Monday, September 24, 2012
We Survived the MRI
Our day is finally over. Cooper was a trooper and Pam was awesome. The day was a little more hectic than we anticipated, but it also wasn't as difficult as we anticipated emotionally.
Cooper's appointment was supposed to be at 4:45 and because he had to be under anesthetic, he couldn't eat formula after 8:45 and couldn't have Pedialyte after 12:00.
He did great through the pre-admission. We were sent down to Imaging around 3:15 and told the pediatric anesthesiologist would meet with us around 3:25. We were a little concerned that maybe, if he was taken early, he wouldn't have fasted long enough.
I'm sure you already know where this is heading....
3:25 turned into 4:00. At 4:15, the anesthesiologist, Dr. David Rosen, came out and talked with us. He said they were just finishing up another pediatric case and they'd be with us "shortly."
By 4:00, Coop had had enough. He was screaming and crying. Pam pulled out every toy we brought. That eventually turned into walking up and down the halls and making a pass by the restroom to look in the mirror.
At one point, during his meltdown - he hadn't eaten for eight hours by this point - one of the employees asked Pam if she had brought any toys. I guess she had no way of knowing that he was the one having the MRI and maybe thought he was just fussy.
Finally at about 6:00, we were called back to a prep room. Dr. Rosen administered one anesthetic by nose, but, similarly to UPMC a few weeks ago, that didn't really work. About five minutes later, Coop was given a shot in his shoulder and within five minutes, he was out.
Pam placed him on the bed and we were able to kiss him as we made out way to the waiting room.
It wasn't as emotional as we thought. It was difficult to leave, but I guess we knew that he wouldn't be undergoing any surgery - just laying motionless in the MRI.
We were called back a little before 8:00. Dr. Rosen said that everything worked perfectly and the shot worked so he didn't have any anesthetic through the IV. But he did have an IV as that's how they administered the contrast for the MRI and gave him a saline solution.
Dr. Rosen said that they'd leave the IV port in for about 15 minutes just to make sure there was no reaction. Pam was able to feed Coop some apple juice, though he only ate about an ounce and half before falling back to sleep.
While we were waiting, Dr. Malek - the pediatric cardiologist making sure the MRI was taking adequate pictures - met with us to go over the "raw" results. He warned us that he had only briefly reviewed the images and hadn't done any measuring, so his information would be limited.
Dr. Malek said that Coop's body had produced extra vessels around the heart. This is most likely the reason he has shown no symptoms. But this could also be an indication that the coarctation - or narrowing - is severe.
I, of course, asked question he couldn't answer yet, just trying to get any details about surgery. From the sounds of it, a simple cut and stitch is most likely out of the question. They will either have to use an artificial graft or the subclavian flap repair, where they can use the existing subclavian artery to redirect blood.
We saw Dr. Gus in the hall before the MRI and he said he wouldn't see the MRI images until tomorrow.
So now we wait again. We aren't sure if we will get a phone call in the next few days or if we will figure out the course of action when we meet with Dr. Gus again next week.
 |
| Cooper appearing calm right after changing into his gown. |
He did great through the pre-admission. We were sent down to Imaging around 3:15 and told the pediatric anesthesiologist would meet with us around 3:25. We were a little concerned that maybe, if he was taken early, he wouldn't have fasted long enough.
I'm sure you already know where this is heading....
3:25 turned into 4:00. At 4:15, the anesthesiologist, Dr. David Rosen, came out and talked with us. He said they were just finishing up another pediatric case and they'd be with us "shortly."
By 4:00, Coop had had enough. He was screaming and crying. Pam pulled out every toy we brought. That eventually turned into walking up and down the halls and making a pass by the restroom to look in the mirror.
At one point, during his meltdown - he hadn't eaten for eight hours by this point - one of the employees asked Pam if she had brought any toys. I guess she had no way of knowing that he was the one having the MRI and maybe thought he was just fussy.
Finally at about 6:00, we were called back to a prep room. Dr. Rosen administered one anesthetic by nose, but, similarly to UPMC a few weeks ago, that didn't really work. About five minutes later, Coop was given a shot in his shoulder and within five minutes, he was out.
Pam placed him on the bed and we were able to kiss him as we made out way to the waiting room.
It wasn't as emotional as we thought. It was difficult to leave, but I guess we knew that he wouldn't be undergoing any surgery - just laying motionless in the MRI.
We were called back a little before 8:00. Dr. Rosen said that everything worked perfectly and the shot worked so he didn't have any anesthetic through the IV. But he did have an IV as that's how they administered the contrast for the MRI and gave him a saline solution.
Dr. Rosen said that they'd leave the IV port in for about 15 minutes just to make sure there was no reaction. Pam was able to feed Coop some apple juice, though he only ate about an ounce and half before falling back to sleep.
While we were waiting, Dr. Malek - the pediatric cardiologist making sure the MRI was taking adequate pictures - met with us to go over the "raw" results. He warned us that he had only briefly reviewed the images and hadn't done any measuring, so his information would be limited.
Dr. Malek said that Coop's body had produced extra vessels around the heart. This is most likely the reason he has shown no symptoms. But this could also be an indication that the coarctation - or narrowing - is severe.
I, of course, asked question he couldn't answer yet, just trying to get any details about surgery. From the sounds of it, a simple cut and stitch is most likely out of the question. They will either have to use an artificial graft or the subclavian flap repair, where they can use the existing subclavian artery to redirect blood.
We saw Dr. Gus in the hall before the MRI and he said he wouldn't see the MRI images until tomorrow.
So now we wait again. We aren't sure if we will get a phone call in the next few days or if we will figure out the course of action when we meet with Dr. Gus again next week.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Up Next: An MRI
After dropping off Cooper's images last week, we've been waiting to hear what's next. While we scheduled surgery, Dr. Gus and Dr. Einzig were still contemplating whether to order an MRI or a CAT scan.
We now know that Cooper will have an MRI late next Monday, Sept. 24. He will be under an anesthetic, but hopefully, because of the small dose, it will only take about 30 minutes to recover.
When I talked on the phone with Dr. Gus, he was still unsure whether he would be able to cut out the narrow section and suture the top and bottom or if he'd have to put in an artificial graft - the unknown being the reason for ordering the MRI.
We are continuing to hope and pray that in three weeks from this moment - 7:30 PM of Oct. 8 - Cooper's surgery has been a success and he is resting comfortably with his issues fixed. Thanks to everyone who is doing the same.
We now know that Cooper will have an MRI late next Monday, Sept. 24. He will be under an anesthetic, but hopefully, because of the small dose, it will only take about 30 minutes to recover.
When I talked on the phone with Dr. Gus, he was still unsure whether he would be able to cut out the narrow section and suture the top and bottom or if he'd have to put in an artificial graft - the unknown being the reason for ordering the MRI.
We are continuing to hope and pray that in three weeks from this moment - 7:30 PM of Oct. 8 - Cooper's surgery has been a success and he is resting comfortably with his issues fixed. Thanks to everyone who is doing the same.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Let the Countdown Begin...
Our long wait is over. Cooper has a surgery date. We found out that Cooper will have his surgery the morning of Monday, October 8.
After the saga of the picture CD, Dr. Gustafson's PA, Tammy, called us this evening to let us know that both Dr. Gus and Dr. Einzig reviewed the disc. She said that it appears that Coop's coarctation is long, which means that they will more than likely have to insert an artificial graft instead of simply cutting out the narrowed section and attaching the top to the bottom.
Dr. Gus and Dr. Einzig are supposed to meet again to discuss if a MRI or CT scan is necessary. Tammy said that an MRI will provide much clearer images, but a CT scan will allow them to view pressures.
We let her know that, for our own peace of mind, we would be on board with either to ensure a clear plan is in place before surgery and there aren't any surprises in the operating room.
Although the thought of him being put under is scary, if that makes his surgical team more prepared, then we are ok with that.
After the saga of the picture CD, Dr. Gustafson's PA, Tammy, called us this evening to let us know that both Dr. Gus and Dr. Einzig reviewed the disc. She said that it appears that Coop's coarctation is long, which means that they will more than likely have to insert an artificial graft instead of simply cutting out the narrowed section and attaching the top to the bottom.
Dr. Gus and Dr. Einzig are supposed to meet again to discuss if a MRI or CT scan is necessary. Tammy said that an MRI will provide much clearer images, but a CT scan will allow them to view pressures.
We let her know that, for our own peace of mind, we would be on board with either to ensure a clear plan is in place before surgery and there aren't any surprises in the operating room.
Although the thought of him being put under is scary, if that makes his surgical team more prepared, then we are ok with that.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
It's Not About Me
As I sat in front of one of the sweetest people we have dealt with through this entire process, I had the heartbreaking realization (no pun intended) that this is not about me anymore! I keep saying - suck it up and get on your big girl pants. By the way, my pants are getting tight from all the chocolate deliveries in the past week - I'm certainly not complaining. In fact, I received a one-pound Reese's cup last week - how do you even begin to eat that???? It looks like a birthday cake sized Reese's cup.
ANYWAY. . .back on track. . .
Have you ever received news you didn't want to hear, and immediately following you just shut down and feel like you're in some tunnel with voices echoing around you. I almost picture myself sitting there shaking my head as if to clear something from my ears like I didn't hear this woman correctly when she told me I wouldn't be able to hold my baby for two to three days. WHAT???? I never signed up for that part, come to think of it, I never signed up for ANY OF THIS. How does a mommy just accept the fact that she can't hold her baby. The crazy thing was, in that moment, as I sat there dumbfounded crying, I looked up at Perry and he had tears in his eyes and he said those tears were for me, because at that moment he felt my sadness and I know it hurt him. I've always known how incredible my husband is, but at that moment we connected on a level far deeper than anything we've ever experienced. We know that we have to be strong for our baby, and we also know that we have to hold each other up. There is no doubt in my mind that we will do that.
I heard so many things I didn't want to hear today and I'm still processing what they mean: tubes, IV nutrition, 48-hours with no "ba-bas" or his favorite food (what we call "squishy, squishy squash"), blood pressure medication, pain medication, a three-day sedation, and the list goes on and on.
SO - we wait for tomorrow or maybe Thursday. . .
ANYWAY. . .back on track. . .
Have you ever received news you didn't want to hear, and immediately following you just shut down and feel like you're in some tunnel with voices echoing around you. I almost picture myself sitting there shaking my head as if to clear something from my ears like I didn't hear this woman correctly when she told me I wouldn't be able to hold my baby for two to three days. WHAT???? I never signed up for that part, come to think of it, I never signed up for ANY OF THIS. How does a mommy just accept the fact that she can't hold her baby. The crazy thing was, in that moment, as I sat there dumbfounded crying, I looked up at Perry and he had tears in his eyes and he said those tears were for me, because at that moment he felt my sadness and I know it hurt him. I've always known how incredible my husband is, but at that moment we connected on a level far deeper than anything we've ever experienced. We know that we have to be strong for our baby, and we also know that we have to hold each other up. There is no doubt in my mind that we will do that.
I heard so many things I didn't want to hear today and I'm still processing what they mean: tubes, IV nutrition, 48-hours with no "ba-bas" or his favorite food (what we call "squishy, squishy squash"), blood pressure medication, pain medication, a three-day sedation, and the list goes on and on.
SO - we wait for tomorrow or maybe Thursday. . .
How Far is 100 Miles?
On Thursday, September 30, we headed to WVU to go over Cooper's echocardiogram with Dr. Einzig, Cooper's cardiologist. When we arrived at the hospital, we expected to receive information related to his echocardiogram which was performed the week prior. Perry and I fully expected to learn more about Dr. Einzig's professional opinion, and we hoped to leave WVU with an idea about when Cooper's surgery might be performed.
We checked in, waited for a short time and were called back by one of Coop's FAVORITE nurses. A few tests were performed and we were put into a room to wait for Dr. Einzig. We were told that Coop would probably have his FOURTH (one at WVU and two at Children's already) echocardiogram. For those of you familiar with Cooper's story bear, "Cooper did not want to do that."
We hadn't been waiting long when Dr. Narumanchi, Coop's pediatrician, stopped to check on him and say hi. In all the ups and downs, it meant the world to us that she had made time to stop in because she truly and genuinely cared about him.
Dr. Einzig arrived and asked if we happened to have Cooper's echocardiogram photos from his appointment at Children's the same week (September 27). Although a release was signed for the photos to be sent, they had not arrived at WVU. One of the nurses called Children's for us, they faxed over the report related to the echocardiogram right away and said they would "mail" the CD with his photos. SO, we left WVU after Dr. Einzig decided not to put Coop through another echocardiogram. Instead, he decided to wait for the photos from Children's and make a decision as to whether or not Cooper would need to be put under for an MRI to get better photos before surgery. We left the hospital expecting a call by Tuesday or Wednesday, September 4 or 5.
Today is September 11 and the flippin CD is STILL NOT AT WVU. I called WVU EVERY DAY from Tuesday through today to see if they had received the CD, driving everyone crazy I'm sure. Yesterday, when the CD was still not at WVU, I called Children's to see what the heck was going on. At that point I found out that the CD was sent SNAIL MAIL with no tracking number. HOW ON EARTH do you send someone's medical records through the mail with no tracking number.
SO - after waiting a week and a half for a CD and wondering if our baby was in danger, I called Children's to let them know that someone would be there to pick up the CD today. The woman I spoke to on the phone was seriously the most insensitive person I have EVER dealt with. As I'm sobbing and telling her that the cardiologist at Children's recommended surgery within a week (which would have been last week) and that I was concerned that Coop was in danger, she proceeds to cut me off and ask what time the CD would be picked up with absolutely no response to anything I said about my child being in danger. It felt as if she had put the phone down while I was talking - it was the only explanation I could think of considering I cannot believe that people are truly that insensitive. Today, Perry drove to Pittsburgh to pick up the CD so that we could make sure the CD was in the hands of Coop's cardiologist at WVU TODAY.
The surgeon's assistant at WVU (Tammy) was the SWEETEST and sat and answered EVERY question we had and said Dr. Gustafason (the surgeon) would be reviewing the CD this evening or tomorrow, and they would be in touch soon.
So the question for this past week is - HOW FAR IS 100 MILES and HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE A PIECE OF MAIL TO GET FROM PITTSBURGH TO MORGANTOWN.
SOOOOO - we're closer to a surgery date.
We checked in, waited for a short time and were called back by one of Coop's FAVORITE nurses. A few tests were performed and we were put into a room to wait for Dr. Einzig. We were told that Coop would probably have his FOURTH (one at WVU and two at Children's already) echocardiogram. For those of you familiar with Cooper's story bear, "Cooper did not want to do that."
We hadn't been waiting long when Dr. Narumanchi, Coop's pediatrician, stopped to check on him and say hi. In all the ups and downs, it meant the world to us that she had made time to stop in because she truly and genuinely cared about him.
Dr. Einzig arrived and asked if we happened to have Cooper's echocardiogram photos from his appointment at Children's the same week (September 27). Although a release was signed for the photos to be sent, they had not arrived at WVU. One of the nurses called Children's for us, they faxed over the report related to the echocardiogram right away and said they would "mail" the CD with his photos. SO, we left WVU after Dr. Einzig decided not to put Coop through another echocardiogram. Instead, he decided to wait for the photos from Children's and make a decision as to whether or not Cooper would need to be put under for an MRI to get better photos before surgery. We left the hospital expecting a call by Tuesday or Wednesday, September 4 or 5.
Today is September 11 and the flippin CD is STILL NOT AT WVU. I called WVU EVERY DAY from Tuesday through today to see if they had received the CD, driving everyone crazy I'm sure. Yesterday, when the CD was still not at WVU, I called Children's to see what the heck was going on. At that point I found out that the CD was sent SNAIL MAIL with no tracking number. HOW ON EARTH do you send someone's medical records through the mail with no tracking number.
SO - after waiting a week and a half for a CD and wondering if our baby was in danger, I called Children's to let them know that someone would be there to pick up the CD today. The woman I spoke to on the phone was seriously the most insensitive person I have EVER dealt with. As I'm sobbing and telling her that the cardiologist at Children's recommended surgery within a week (which would have been last week) and that I was concerned that Coop was in danger, she proceeds to cut me off and ask what time the CD would be picked up with absolutely no response to anything I said about my child being in danger. It felt as if she had put the phone down while I was talking - it was the only explanation I could think of considering I cannot believe that people are truly that insensitive. Today, Perry drove to Pittsburgh to pick up the CD so that we could make sure the CD was in the hands of Coop's cardiologist at WVU TODAY.
The surgeon's assistant at WVU (Tammy) was the SWEETEST and sat and answered EVERY question we had and said Dr. Gustafason (the surgeon) would be reviewing the CD this evening or tomorrow, and they would be in touch soon.
So the question for this past week is - HOW FAR IS 100 MILES and HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE A PIECE OF MAIL TO GET FROM PITTSBURGH TO MORGANTOWN.
SOOOOO - we're closer to a surgery date.
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