A False Alarm!

"What, I was all psyched up for this lump removal thing, and now you say I have to wait?"

Because of the utter lack of communication from the plastic surgeon's office, we were prepared for a procedure to remove Rhianwen's lump today. BUT we arrived to find out that it was only a consultation! The plastic surgeon thinks it is a calcified deposit not a cyst, but says it won't go away, could get infected, and he wouldn't be 100% sure unless it was removed. In order for it to be removed, Rhianwen would have to undergo general anesthesia and a 1/2 h surgery. To wait until she was older would mean not knowing for sure what the lump was...ie. very very tiny chance it is something bad. We'd have to wait until we thought she could handle being awake for the procedure, and that might not ever happen (I mean would you want to be awake while someone dug around in your head? I probably would opt to be awake, grit my teeth and try to bear it, but it would take until Rhi was able to do that which would mean teenager at the earliest.)

SO, we have decided to go through with the surgery. It'll be on January 8th.

Sorry for the false alarm, but it was total miscommunication on the doc's part. The letter they sent indicated that it could have been today! I have a love-hate relationship with large hospitals. Love b/c I know there are skilled experts for just about anything. Hate b/c of all the redtape and possibility for miscommunication and b/c there is an emphasis on excellent techniques and research but not on bedmanner. Fortunately, all of the doctors we have met so far have been excellent communicators in person and seemed informative, genuine, interested, and patient...something we didn't always get in Pittsburgh. So, I guess we will stick with the big hospital for now.