It's time, we've picked a date.

The Cardiac Coordinator called today.  She said we can pick any day.  Feels weird.  Well, today's  a good day to saw open my son's chest and play with the one thing keeping him alive.

She said there were no real, off-limits, days, so we decided Cole should decide.  We took the school schedule off the fridge and since they're off 1 1/2 days, after his birthday, next month, he decided he wanted it then.  It will be 1 1/2 less days of missed work.  It will also mean we can more easily take the other kids out of school to be there that day.  They will more than likely not be allowed to see him in the ICU since it will still be flu season.  She said they could come back when he's in the step-down unit, but that will be 2-3 days and it's a 2+ hour drive, so I doubt they will.

Now, I just have to wait for her to call me back tomorrow morning  to confirm.  We'll meet his surgeon the day before.  Don't think for a second I hadn't already done research on the two surgeons there.  He'll have blood tests, get xrays and sign some forms.  Then, we thought we could take the kids to a hotel (she says there are hospital discounts) for the night and they can swim before the stressful next day.  It will be good for Cole too.  Surgeries are at 7am except on Wednesdays, so it will be 7.  I'm dreading saying good bye to my sweet 5 year old for so long, but I know I need to be with Cole.  He will need me more.  Jaemin doesn't really need me and won't miss me half as much as I'll miss him.  Thank God for Skype!  I don't have many cell minutes since I'm on a prepaid plan, so that leaves my only real communication with Skype.  Not going to be easy for that long of a period, but it is what it is.  I'd like to up Cole's texts too, so he has something to do.

Hopefully, the pool table will delivered next week so he can do that.  With the snow in the forecast who knows.

I have 2 more weeks to tie things up at work before I'm gone for 3 weeks with Cole.  Just thinking about all this is so weird.  It's been 16 years of being told he will need a cath, then he'll need surgery, then he won't need surgery.  Then, we switched hospitals and were told he would definitely need surgery.  So thankful we switched 3 years ago.  They had never done an MRI and all tet  kids should have an MRI.  You cannot completely tell from an echo or EKG the true picture.  We would never had known without the MRI.  Dr. R said his heart function was still good but the dimension of his right ventricle had increased so much from 3 years ago and if he waited much longer he could lose function and you do NOT regain that.  Honestly, I think the other hospital would have killed him.   God tends to lead me the down the right path and even though I'm usually pretty scared and leery to go, I'm glad I do.

If you personally know us, we don't need a whole lot other than  prayers and maybe cards for Cole.