Picnic Time!

Wednesday, June 20
 In the NICU there was a superstition about the wonderful four-letter word that starts with "h" and ends with "ome"; it seemed like any time there was serious talk about a baby getting to go there, something new would pack a couple more weeks onto their sentence. So, instead they would talk about going on a "picnic." I am thrilled to announce that Audrey and I have a picnic scheduled for THURSDAY!!!!  I spent many hours yesterday getting her medical images from this year (from only this hospital, not even both places we've been treated) put onto disks-- it took eight of them--and overnighting the package to Boston Children's for review by their physicians.  I am anxious to find out whether she is a candidate for the needle knife procedure that could remove the scar blocking her throat endoscopically, meaning they could do it all from tools inside her throat, no major surgery.  It is an outpatient procedure and is performed by a Gastroenterologist, but it is not yet available here.

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune–without the words,
And never stops at all,


And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.


I’ve heard it in the chilliest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
-Emily Dickinson