Thursday, November 8, 2018

Send good vibes to our little guy today


Two years ago, I went to visit a friend whose son had been sick. I brought Ben to cheer her up. As we sat in the kitchen, Erica pointed to Ben and said, "What's that on his neck?" Sure enough, there was a bulge. Ben was a chubby tot and I hadn't noticed it among his neck folds. It turns out it was a cyst or, rather, a macrocystic lympatic malformation. The mass was benign and relatively small, and it caused no pain or discomfort, but it needed to come out. Every time Ben got a cold, we had to watch the area to make sure it didn't turn red, a sign of an infection that could have proved dangerous.

In another it-takes-a-village moment, a blog reader, Susan, emailed to say she knew a doctor who might be able to help. Well, that excellent doctor knew the guy in New York City who treated such things, and it is he who will be doing the procedure today. It involves injecting a minute dose of two chemotherapy drugs into Ben's neck to shrink the cyst, hopefully to nothing, although there is a chance we'll need to do a second round. Ben's discomfort, we were told, would be nothing that Tylenol couldn't soothe. We'll be able to see if the cyst is gone only after two weeks go by, once all the neck swelling decreases.

We've told Ben that the nice doctor is going to be taking the bump out of his neck and that he will be sleeping, and when he wakes up he will get a lollipop. He keeps asking about the lollipop, and I appreciate that he's focused on what's important. Max cried this weekend when he realized the surgery was coming up, but we've continuously reassured him that the doctor is very good and that Ben will be fine and he's calmed down. Sabrina remains worried.

The doctor, Alejandro Berenstein, has performed hundreds of these procedures. He actually pioneered the field known as interventional radiology. I have complete confidence in him. And yet, I am terrified, starting with the fact that little Ben has go to under anesthesia. And that chemicals used to kill cancer are going to be injected into my baby's body.

So please send my little guy good vibes and prayers—we’ve got the lollipops covered.

14 comments:

  1. Good luck today!!! I'm a long time reader and a long time mom and I know how terrifying those moments are. Good luck yo your little guy and much strength and calm to you!

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  2. Sending all the good vibes your way! How touching that Ben has such caring siblings.

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  3. Lots of good vibes headed your way!

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  4. Sending good, healing vibes to Ben and your family.

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  5. Sending my good vibes to you as well!

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  6. May he have a quick recovery and sending strength and good vibes to all of You!

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  7. I am thinking of you today! And sweet little Ben who will be SO excited for his lollipop.

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  8. I know you usually do the weekend link-up on a Friday but will you let us know how he is? My boy had surgery too and I can understand how nerve-wracking it is. We're rooting for you all x

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  9. I thought of your boy all day Ellen. I'm so glad he's in recovery and resting now. Bless him, you, Smokes, Max, & Sabrina. ❤️✌️

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  10. Ellen….
    Oh, what a frightening thing it is to not only have something wrong with your baby, but also to entrust him into the hands of a surgeon…. My parents have been there, done that, three times with me alone…. So we get it over here…. I understand your thoughts, feelings, emotions and worries…. I truly do…. We have never forgotten how pediatric operations can make a parent feel…. I am sending you virtual hugs and literal prayers, Mama!! Keep us all updated on Ben’s recovery, please!!
    Peace out, Mary Lou

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  11. Praying for your precious little man! I know how scary this is. My daughter was only 2 when she had brain surgery.

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  12. Thank you all for the good vibes, prayers and virtual hugs. Ben is doing great—we were just discharged from the hospital!

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Thanks for sharing!