sweet relief!

At thirteen minutes to one, we arrived at the Medical Imaging department at Primary Children's. I checked Emery in and we sat down to wait. Because of the number of patients along with us in the room, were were surprised when they called us back so quickly. Nervous and scared does not even begin to describe the pit in our stomachs.



We were thrilled to find out they wouldn't have to sedate him for the CT scan. The cute tech told us she would put him in a papoose and then I could feed him a bottle while he was strapped in.

Nate and I were shocked at Emery's wonderment at the procedure-- no tears, no fighting once restrained... he just soaked it all in and didn't make a peep. The room was brightly decorated and most of the ceiling tiles were painted with pretty pictures of flowers and grass and the sun.



Our little Frankenstein.



When they began the scan, the tech told me to feed him to help him keep still. I was grateful I had remembered to bring his favorite treat-- white grape juice. I stood next to him and held his little hand through the papoose. When he fidgeted a tad, I sang his favorite song ("Baby Beluga") and he just looked at me. It was amazing to see how still he was.





The tech told us we were done and could leave. I asked to speak to the radiologist, as our doctor had instructed me to ask for a preliminary reading following the scan. She said they normally didn't do that, but then the radiologist came out from the booth and introduced himself.

He gave us the best news and exactly what we'd hoped to hear-- the bump is a dermoid cyst and is not related to his eye issues. No cancer, no tumor... music to our ears! The scan showed that it is not growing through his skull, though it is pressing into it. Because of the location and its' continued growth, it will require surgery to remove. However, it's very straight forward and should not be complicated.

Based on my crying spell at the appointment on Thursday, I didn't wear mascara. Good thing-- but happy tears today.

Squeals of delight--


Hugs of happiness--


and smiles abound.


And all of this took place before 1:10pm. 23 minutes and it was over. Nate had taken the afternoon off, as we thought it would take a couple of hours. So we headed over to the Gateway for a celebratory lunch. Uncle Kurt and Aunt Lindsy are in town for a wedding, so we got a chance to meet up with them.

Lunch for Emery.



And lunch for us at Tucanos.



It was a beautiful day and we spent a couple of hours walking around and enjoying the cold sunshine after a filling meal.









Tuckered out, we headed home.



Emery fell asleep around 7 and I decided to lay down, exhausted (physically and emotionally). Aside from getting up with Emery for his bottle in the middle of the night, we woke up at 9am this morning. And for the first time in awhile, I actually felt rested.

While we still have some obstacles to overcome (can a 7 month old REALLY wear glasses???), this experience has reminded me of my love for our family and friends. I'm grateful for kind words, thoughtful prayers, and faith with hope.