Going ahead with shunt surgery :-(

After much deliberation, we are finally decided and secure with our decision, to go ahead with the shunt surgery. It will be performed this Friday but Dr. Lazareff.

Last night we had a conversation with Dr. Dolgin (the Osteopath) and were still uncertain about going ahead with it. We agreed we'd decide after the conversation with Dr. L this afternoon. But Dr. Heide Woo sealed the deal.

We had to go for a pre-op physical. I was super late after dropping Lila at summer preschool and rushing up to WLA. They still agreed to see me. I told Dr. Woo our concerns and our thinking. She listened, didn't seem to be trying to derail our plan to wait to figure out how urgent it was so that we might give Dr. D the time to try to make a difference. She just pulled the tape out to measure Ian's head to compare it to the last time she saw him which was just two weeks ago. The results were staggering. On June 11th, his head measured 47.2cm, today it measured 50.3cm. Over 3 cm larger! Very scary. He also gained two pounds which seemed a little high. I'm wondering if it's the fluid.

I still completed another treatment for Ian with Dr. D but told him right as I entered his office what we had decided. He actually agreed due to the extreme change. We agreed he'd want to see him at least once before the surgery and once right afterwards. There are so many other items to work on and he feels he could help his body prep for it.

It makes Mike and I so very sad but we know it has to be done. We're just so sad to have to put him through something so intense again. According to Dr. L, the surgery is relatively simple, he has a 0% infection rate at UCLA and has positive thoughts about him possibly not having to change it throughout his entire lifetime. And he said the recovery is quick... we might be home by Sunday.

I know we've asked for so much but I can't help asking again... to those who are reading this, we ask that you offer up a little more positive energy and prayers for our little guy. He's a tough one but he's just been through so much.

I will try to update while in the hospital.