Sunday, July 25, 2010

Dallas Bound


I was recently blessed with a rare opportunity. I was able to sit down with my brother-in-law's uncle, who is a Neuro Radiologist/ Interventionalist, and review Natalie's scan. He read her scan with me and pointed out multiple items of concern, but prefaced our conversation with "I don't specialize in kids". He looked at me with sad eyes and tried to emotionally prepare me for the road ahead. This Dr. took over and hour out of his visit to Kansas City to talk to a distraught mother and get involved in this emotional situation that he was in no way obligated to. He thought the area on her spinal cord looked like a tumor and it was certainly not something to be watched. We discussed surgical approaches, road for recovery, and most importantly options in Dallas. See it just so happen that this Dr. Purdy is engaged to be married to a very prestigious Pediatric Neuroradiologist at Dallas Children's Hospital. He recommends multiple opinions, lost of research and fast action. He offers his resources of speaking with his fiancee, Dr. Rollins, and giving her the MRI to review. After an hour of hanging on his every word and his kind words of guidance I drove home with tears in my eyes and fear in my heart for my little girl. Dr. Purdy said something that sticks in my mind like gum to a shoe "If this were my child I would take her to Dr. Sklar in Dallas. She needs someone who KNOWS what they are doing. She needs the BEST."

The next morning I receive an urgent phone call from my sister. "Sister, Nancy (Dr. Rollins) wants you to call her NOW, she doesn't think it's a tumor!" Que the symphony of angels! I quickly dial the phone and hear a calm and reassuring voice on the other end. "This doesn't look like a tumor. We will still need the high resolution scan to be sure, but she may not need surgery." Regardless of tumor or cyst Nancy wants Natalie to come to Dallas for a second opinion with Dr. Sklar. She has already spoken with him regarding her case and she is willing to help in anyway possible.

During both conversations with these incredibly kind doctors I felt blessed. I had experts in a very specialized area at my fingertips to answer questions and listen to my story. I was overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude for their time and attention for my daughter.

Sunday August 1st Chris and I will make the long trek to Dallas with our little girl to get her THE expert we were told of. Tomorrow little Natalie will have her long anticipated High Resolution MRI at Children's Mercy. She will undergo 3 hours of deep sedation and have a complete brain and spine scan. We hope for so many things. We hope this is the key to answers to her mystery diagnosis, we hope to not find any additional lesions/tumors, and I hope to hell when she is 10 she doesn't remember any of this! We hope this will one day be a story to be told to her, and not one that she recalls with vivid detail.

1 comment:

  1. Courage is fear that has said its prayers.Dorothy Bernard

    I am so taken by the courage you and your family are showing in this time of Little Natalie's crisis. My family continues to pray for you and your family, hoping that Dallas will be a trip full of answers and good news.

    Monica

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