^This is the amazing Dr. who performed Chris' surgery! Dr. Keith Bridwell.
The middle picture is his fellow-Dr. Keeler. She was great and reassured us quite often.
The picture on the right is his office Nurse "Bernie" who set up the details of the surgery and care post-op. Very organized Nurse who answered my millions of questions.


Just thought I would add this in:
For those of you who do not know this story---my mother was cleaning her basement last year before the first surgery Chris had in Indiana. (At the time we were trying to decide who should do Chris' surgery--we had a few opinions and second opinions and I was praying for God to help me with this) She decided to look through some momentos from my Dad. (He had died in 1984 from Leukemia) She picked a pile from the box and a piece of paper came flying out and when she picked it up she could not believe what was on that piece of paper!--she called me crying--

My Dad had cut this out in 1979 (the date was on the back of the paper) Here is what it said:

The Dr. last year in Indiana had just left Shriners hospital in Chicago to go to Indiana--and I thought my Dad was telling me to go there---but---- Dr. Bridwell performs surgery at both St. Louis Children's and Shriner's in St. Louis. Maybe he was trying to steer me in his direction?

12-1-07 WE ARE HOME AT LAST!!! WE GOT HOME ON MONDAY NIGHT AND I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS SATURDAY ALREADY. TIME IS FLYING BY. WE ARE FINALLY SETTLED IN AT HOME. IT IS SO GOOD TO BE HOME. BOB BORROWED A CONVERSION VAN FROM JACK AND PAM---THANK YOU AGAIN FOR LETTING US USE YOUR VAN! WE WERE ABLE TO PUT CHRIS IN THE BACK--THE SEAT FOLDED INTO A BED. HE WAS QUITE COMFORTABLE. SLEPT A LITTLE OR PLAYED PLAY STATION PORTABLE. BOB HAD BORROWED A BOARD FROM MEDSTAR TO TRANSPORT HIM INTO THE HOUSE TO HIS BED. OUR APPT WITH DR. BRIDWELL WENT VERY WELL---WE WILL FORWARD THE BEFORE AND AFTER X-RAYS ONCE BERNIE HIS NURSE E-MAILS THEM TO ME--THEY ARE QUITE REMARKABLE!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

This is the strangest Thanksgiving we have ever had--but we sure have a lot to be thankful for!
We had mostaccoli for dinner with sweet potatoes--unfortunately no pumpkin pie.
Chris is doing great-still no pain. Temp is down, incision lines look very good. Our appt with Dr. Bridwell is Monday at 7 am. Can't wait.

11-17-07 These are pictures of Chris at the Parkway Hotel. Our home away from home until Nov. 26th. I have not kept updated as much as I would have liked. We could not get the internet. The social workers could not figure out where or how to get us to either a hotel or Ronald McDonald House with Chris being on bedrest so she sent us to the Shriners Hospital via ambulance and we were there 2 days. The care was great but we were in a 3 bed ward with 2 other kids that had infections---on antibiotics for a while but I was too nervous Chris was going to catch something. I think I caused such a rukus they were glad to get me out of there. I ended up having Chris transferred via private ambulance to the hotel which is connected to the hospital. What a site---coming into the hotel via ambulance/stretcher--(I had to make sure the stretcher fit into the elevator and if it would have been 1/4 inch more he would not have fit---he has to lay flat or 10 degree tilt only) I have been taking care of him here--I had gotten all sorts of needed items from Childrens when Chris was in the hospital ---from turning pads to bedpans. The housekeeping department here has been phenomenal in helping to keep the room super clean and put a bed board under the mattress to make it firmer. There is a Applebee's on the lower floor which opens at 10am and closes at 11pm. Bob went to the grocery store and stocked our fridge and there is a continental breakfast here at the Hotel. Let me tell you----he has a large appetite!! He is doing very well as you can see in the pictures. Incision lines look good. The room pictures are all the cards, E-mails and balloons we received while at Childrens--this was taken the day we were discharged from the hospital at Childrens.

11=12=07 Slept well last night. Had a couple episodes of severe sweating. Temps have been around 99.9-100 orally---I am a little concerned but they are not worried until temps are greater than 101. They are going to let us go and stay in the St. Louis area for a week. Most likely we are going to the Shriners hospital tomorrow because we cannot figure out anywhere to go being he needs to be on bedrest. Only had 2 doses of Tylenol today. Not in pain and besides I do not want to mask a temp if there is one. Eating great. Let me know what you think about the pictures. His abdomen is still a little distended but it looks great.
The picture above is of our favorite nurses Sharon.

11-11-07 Chris slept well last night. White blood cell count down within range this am and Hgb. is 10.6 up from 9.9gms. His temperature is coming down hovering around 99.5. We are going slow on the diet. Up to soft foods now---Mac and cheese, noodles, hot cereals. The bedrest is really going to be a challenge!