The Wrench

I had a phone conversation with Clare's cardiologist today regarding the possibility of Clare having a frenulectomy (learning my lingo!). The good news is that the doctor believes Clare is clinically stable enough to undergo the necessary general anesthesia and procedure (which in itself takes minutes), and she has given us the go-ahead to have the surgery done. However, the cardiologist does not want Clare to have the surgery done at our local hospital. Given her cardiac history, Clare needs to go to either Boston Children's Hospital or Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (both about an hour away), because those are the two closest facilities with pediatric cardiologists and an operating room ready and available if needed. I am more than happy with that decision because that is what makes Shawn and I feel the safest as well - to have Clare under the care of people who deal with these types of children on a daily basis. The wrench is that Clare's ENT does not perform surgeries at either of those places. So now we have a referral with a pediatric otolaryngologist at Children's Hospital at Dartmouth. It's starting the process over again! The earliest we could get Clare an appointment was on December 30, so we're hanging out until then! And, once again, I will find myself hugely pregnant (and then with a newborn) as we prepare Clare and ourselves for another procedure. At least this time, it's not as urgent a surgery, and we cannot wait to see some positive results in her speech and eating.