Little Fire

My little man Aiden amazes us more and more each day. He pulled through his surgery with flying colors despite his current illness and our complete despair over whether or not to send him into surgery in the first place.

Dr. Fearon and Dr. Sacco met us in the waiting room and discussed how the procedure went. Overall, they said it went without a hitch. He went under anesthesia just fine. He didn't lose an abnormal amount of blood which meant no need for a blood transfusion at this point - and as long as his body "reproduces" the blood it lost in the next few hours, there will be no need for one during his recovery. He did have an episode of wheezing during surgery, however the anethesiologist was able to remedy the situation with a quick albuterol treatment to open his airways.

We were quite relieved to hear that it all went so well - but still quite anxious to see our little guy as we waited to be called back after they settled him into his room.

Finally, and admittedly less terrified than I thought I would be, we got to see the miraculous change that came with this surgery. Although Aiden was very puffy from post-op swelling, it was not as difficult seeing him as I had anticipated. He does look different. It will be a more noticeable change for most until all of the swelling subsides. But even after that, the physical differences will not go unnoticed by us, his parents. At first I thought it would be hard for me to come to terms with what I would be seeing. I guess I have been once again blessed with the strength to focus on what is most important - Aiden needed this surgery. Period.

Dr. Fearon did say that once the incision was made from ear to ear and the skin was pulled down to expose the dura (the thin layer covering the brain), it was very apparent that his brain needed the extra room. It was growing quite tight in the space surrounding the closed suture. A great weight was lifted off of our shoulders when we heard this. Doing this surgery now was one of the best decisions we ever made.

Aiden is one tough cookie. As I watched him laying in his bed with swollen cheeks and puffy little eyes I decided that his name was the perfect fit. You see, the name Aiden means "Little Fire". The comparisons go beyond his red-tinged hair. He is a fighter and despite all that he has endured, his bright disposition has been proven difficult to extinguish. His light burns bright. His smile spreads rapidly and melts your heart. I can only hope that Aiden will continue to be a spark of inspiration for the many people who are lucky enough to know him.

Click on the below links for more pictures from the past two days:

• Pictures before surgery
• Post-Op pics