The Time Is Near......

12 hours from now our most precious daughter will be in God's hands, as the angels do their work in the main OR at one of the top hospitals in the nation. The time is near......

Her father and I, along with the best Neurosurgeon in the world, made the decision to take a risk, a risk for a brighter future for our daughter. The time is near......
We put her life on hold for a short period of time while we envision in our minds a little vibrant girl running to us some day jumping in our arms, reading a sentence, telling us what she likes with her own words not a communication device. The time is near......
We sent our middle son off to the care of our family's so we can focus on our daughter right now, her needs; the future depends on now. The time is near......
Our plans were halted a month ago nearly causing Brad and I a breakdown. Yet over the past 3 weeks we have realized more, planned more, discovered more, prepared more for the time....that is near.

This morning we packed the car and headed south. On the way it was still up in the air where we would stay tonight, with the anticipated snow storm brewing we put our names on the waiting list for a couple of places the hospital offers and reserved a hotel room also for backup. I get to the half way point of my drive this morning and a song came on the radio. You see, each of our children we have 'dubbed' a song for since the day they were born. The song for our girl mind you is now 4 1/2 years old and is seldom played on the radio anymore.

Yet during our commute it came over my speakers. My mouth dropped and I could not stop the tears. 'I Saw God Today.'

Danielle's Song.....



It is crazy how the words in a song can trigger so many memories, this song does it for us. So as I sang along and stopped to talk to my girl in the back seat, I sobbed, and just at that moment felt incredibly blessed. Blessed for our life right now, with her in it. Towards the end of the song my phone rang, I looked at the number, which I didn't recognize but I answered it. It was the Helen Rossi House telling me that they had an open room for us tonight. I definitely saw God today. What a blessing.

The rest of the day was spent at pre-op appointments. Shunt series which is a series of x-rays which will help the doctor decide shunt placement. Plus he needs to see that her current shunt is working properly.

  Danielle and Mommy after her 1st Shunt surgery, in 2008.

She was 2 months old and weighed 5 pounds.



 Danielle's current shunt on the right side. This will stay, she will have a second, similar shunt placed on the left side towards the back of her head. As you can see the shunt is placed in her brain. The tubing drains the cerebral spinal fluid into her abdomen since her body is not draining it on its own, that is what the shunt is for. *This x-ray picture was taken after it was placed in 2008*

We also visited the lab and she was poked. We visited Neurosurgery for final consent and I heard all of the super scary things surgery can bring. I am very thankful my Aunt Ellie who works at the hospital was able to sit along side us at that appointment and be my strength. And we saw Anesthesia so they could get a good look at Danielle and see how healthy and great she is doing right now.

I checked into the Rossi house and unloaded items from my car, packed them on the stroller, you could barely see Danielle in there, poor kid. And we got settled. We grabbed some reading materials for tomorrow, which Brad has already said he desperately needs so he isn't sweating and shaking for 4-5 hours. Daddy arrived tonight and we are snuggling our girl. We have done what has been asked of us for surgery preperation, for the time is near.....

 What a gift for us to be here, together. All we have to do in the morning is wake up, put our little peanut in the stroller and go up 2 floors. What a blessing.

Surgery time is 715am and will take 4-5 hours. She will be in Intensive care for an undetermined amount of time. Again she has the best Neurosurgeon in the world, and we trust his care plan. He is absolutely the most particular doctor, I have been told, for after surgery. His ARNP said today Danielle is a somewhat complicated case and he will near on the side of caution for every decision he makes tomorrow and after with her. He has already done that with us over the past 4 years. We are blessed.

Friends and family thank you for your tremendous support, prayers, positive thoughts and energy sent our way. They are nothing short of greatly appreciated. As we move toward tomorrow our hearts and minds race, our tummy's swirl and act upset, the time friends, is near....~ God Bless.