THE HARDEST NIGHT OF OUR LIVES

AUGUST 8th, 2019

Annalise,

You underwent emergency brain surgery so we could stop your headache. In addition to taking biopsies of your tumor, your neurosurgeon Dr. Storm, created a 3rd ventricle and a little canal that would allow the fluid to move around better. The thought of you being operated on was agony for mom and I. You are our beautiful baby girl and your beautiful mind was under attack. We had to do something. When you woke, we were all relieved that you knew who you were, where you were – every nurse was so impressed that you didn’t say “the hospital” but “The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.” Mot importantly, when asked who these two people are, you said “That’s Mom and that’s Dad.” We cried tears of joy and pain. You didn’t cry at all. You didn’t sound emotional. Or that you had emotions. That brought a new kind of worry. Machines beeped all day and night. For days, you slept no more than an hour or so at a time as doctors and nurses made constant checks on your neurological functions. You probably don’t remember all of those annoying tests, but I bet there are a few that you’ll never forget. Mom and I slept there by your bedside.