Date sent: 10/29/99 12:57 PM
Dan's surgery details...
We arrived at BWH around 3:00 ish (Thurs), by chair-car from the airport, arranged by
Eleanor. When we arrived, they did say there was some chance he might make it onto the
docket that night.
Dr. Black came by around 6:00 to say he wanted Dan to have a good night's sleep. (Dan
addds "ha ha"). He discussed two possible options for surgery, complete
craniotomy to get cyst out and bathe with antibiotice or to just aspirate, use antibiotics
for a couple of days and image again. Knowing there is a possiblity to end up needing two
procedures, Dan chose to go with the simpler procedure first, hoping to be able to solve
this current problem with a gentler approach. Dr. Black was satisified with this option.
So, today, he will have an aspiration of the cyst fluid. Then they culture and then they
prescribe specific antiobiotics for that cell line.
If the cyst fills again then they will do the full craniotomy and go from there.
This morning Dan was taken for a CT which they will use to help to guide where to place
the needle for aspiration. They put some markers on his head to help calculate placements.
The markers look like the white reinforcements used to repair broken holes in ring binder
notebook paper, but they are thicker and are imbedded with some alloy the shows up on the
CT scan. They keep these markers on during the surgery.
After the scan, we were told that they might be ready for him soon in the surgical
suite, so we waited in the scan area for awhile. Then they called to say they were not
going to get to him soon afterall, so after waiting an hour for transportation to show up,
we came back to his room to wait.
The reason the time for surgery is so uncertain is that Dan is an "add-on" to
their regular surgery schedule. So, they will get to him when they can, clearly would like
to get it done.
Another note, is Dr. Black also gave Dan the choice of concious sedation again or going
to sleep. Dan chose going to sleep. So, last night they also did a baseline EKG and chest
xray.
Right now, Dan is resting comfortably, waiting for the next step.
Love, Abi and Dan
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