Annabelle’s Journey

 We made it. Surgery day. Somehow I felt more calm than I expected as I feel like my first anxiety was removed. It was the day and Annabelle was healthy. Annabelle slept till 8:15 today which was amazing. I was afraid I’d hear a lot of rumblings about her lack of food and water and the longer she slept the better. She woke up happy and ready to go to the hospital. We bathed her and tied her hair in braids, packed up a little back pack, watched a little bit of TV and were off to SickKids.  We arrived at pre-op for 9:50am and everything happens so fast. We were told to be there at 10:00am and surgery would start at 12 noon. Well within 5 min we were to taken into a room where Annabelle was weighed and checked. There were several families in the  waiting with all the kids in their hospital outfits. Once the checks were done I was given clothes for Annabelle and wipes where I had to clean her entire body.  All of the sudden her eyes filled up with tears and she started b...

I’ve been hesitant to write this post but I am here lying in the Cheslea Hotel feeling hopeful that tomorrow is a go. At the end of June we were contacted by SickKids and informed that Dr. Kelley is feeling better and that an extra OR date had come up and he wants Annabelle in for July 21st. I got the phone call while at work and knew instantly it was for a surgery date- and while we’ve been waiting for this for so long my heart sank. It is what we’ve been wanting for the last two years but of all the months of the year I so badly didn’t want it to be in July. I called Karinna st Sick Kids back and I knew instantly my reaction wasn’t what she was hoping for. At this point we have waited so long what was an extra two months to bring us into the Fall? I started to mourn our summer and all the wonderful plans we had. I had a good melt down, pulled my pants up and called her back composed and ready to just get it done. This time with a lot less optimism that it would actually happen. We ha...