Yesterday was the third day of testing. It was a long, difficult day (hence why I am only getting to writing about it now).
We started with the bone marrow aspiration at 11:15. During this procedure, a sample of Idan’s bone marrow was extracted from his back bone to use as a base line for when they test to see if the transplant worked a couple months from now.
Idan was required to fast all morning before the procedure, so he skipped his breakfast. We spent most of the morning trying to distract him from this fact, but by the time we got to the hospital, he was feeling tired, hungry and cranky. In the procedure room, it took two nurses and both of usto put in the IV for the anesthesia, and he cried so hard during this process he lost his voice. But he calmed down as soon as it was over, and nuzzled in Akiva’s shoulder until they came for us to move to the procedure room. We were then taken to a small room with a very tiny bed. The anesthesiologist administered the sedative and some pain medication, and Idan fell asleep instantaneously. When Akiva laid Idan’s heavy head down on the bed, and everyone started rushing around him to get the procedure started, for a moment it felt like we were all back in the ICU, and a flood of memories returned. We were told to step out into the recovery room, and it took everything I had to keep it together. The procedure took all of a few minutes, and when he woke up from the anesthetic, Idan was his usual smiling self.
We took a break to feed him (and then ourselves), and then went down to the clinic to draw his blood. Luckily, the nurses had the forethought to leave in the IV so he didn’t have to be poked twice. They must have taken a pint of blood from him – so many tests to run before transplant. He shed a few tears, but overall was calm and even a little playful while the nurses drew his blood.
After a traumatic day for all of us, we spent the late afternoon basking in sunshine at a beautiful park near the lake. Idan saw his first big boats, and quickly forgot the earlier ordeal. We are glad to be in Seattle, which we are falling in love with, if only for the fact that after a long difficult day, the sights of the city always bring a smile to Idan’s beautiful face.
Just want you to know that I am reading your blog, following your story and praying (from Israel). We have relatives in Seattle (my bro in law is a rabbi at one of the shuls there) and we just visited ourselves for the first time. TWo years ago, I was following the blog of another couple and their precious baby in the Jewish community undergoing a similar procedure for a different genetic disease….we all care and are offering our support even if it’s just by reading thinking about Idan on a daily basis.