Moonglow had her spleen removed (laparoscopy) on Monday, as the treatment for a form of anemia (Spherocytosis). The children's hospital was our first choice because they are simply the best in the region. Though we had one little disagreement over one medication (I asked them not to use the "anti-anxiety" drug Versed, because I have a bad reaction to it, my mother had problems with some of these same medications, and I didn't want to visit that kind of hangover on my child) the rest of the time went very well.

The family waiting room has a receptionist who answers the phone and then calls out the name of the family that is being called by one of the nurses or a doctor in the various operating rooms. At 2:30pm she came around to each group and said that her day was over and now we would have to answer the phone if we heard it because it would be one of the medical teams calling with an update. The room is an echo chamber and the chairs are uncomfortable, so I decided to volunteer for a couple of hours at the desk with the comfortable chiar and answered the phone and called over families. I was impressed with how well they kept each family (ours included) up with what was going on and when to head to the consultation room, etc.

The rest of the stay was uneventful, and we had almost too much help--lots of volunteers make the rounds. Clowns, activities coordinators, folks with carts with toys, amenities (we asked for a hairbrush and one appeared promptly! Three days on a pillow and Moonglow's hair was quite a tangle and she'd forgotten her own brush).

SRS