Grandpa Ras

Angelee is a lucky girl to have three sets of grandparents who adore her.  Mom's folks and Dad's folks, of course, and the bonus grandma and grandpa in Alaska.  What loving, warm-hearted people they are!  Years ago, when the older boys' father died, Grandma and Grandpa Ras could have let the relationships grow distant.  Instead, they continued to cheer us on in our challenges and achievements, welcoming in a new "son-in-law," Angelee, and the twins like they were blood relations.  But families are made of love more than blood, and we've always felt the love-ties bonding our families together.

Grandpa Ras is one of the most accepting, big-hearted people we've ever known.  We love his wry sense of humor, his funny emails, his gruff but gentle voice.  Never would a birthday go by without his warm-wishes phone call.  We could always count on his optimistic, it-will-work-out faith.  Grandpa Ras, you are a stalwart rock of goodness; a beacon of the right in an uncertain world.  Thank you for the rich legacy you so carefully built for us.  We will truly miss you.

And the Doctor Says...

First of all, I have to give a big THANK YOU to the many folks who have told me "good luck" or "we're praying for you" (and an extra big thanks to the gold-hearted lady who brought us dinner tonight!).  I've had quite a few people ask me to let them know how the doctor's visit went.  If I neglect to talk to you directly, please consider this your phone call.  There are never enough hours in the day to do everything you ought to be doing, are there?

We finally got in to see the neurosurgeon today.  The holes in Angelee's skull are substantially larger now, and the doctor was concerned, but not completely surprised.  "This does happens sometimes," he said, and with his demeanor said, "but I was hoping it wouldn't."  She got a CT scan to map out the area, and a new plate will be precision-fitted to the space.  She will need another surgery to put it in, and possibly another surgery in a few years for a bigger plate.

We have a few things to think about and decide:
1) When to have the surgery, and
2) What kind of plate to have put in.

1) When.  It will take a week or two for the replacement piece to be made.  We could do the surgery then, or wait.  The doctor said we could wait six weeks to see if her own bone would grow back.  With such a large hole, however, the chances of bone filling it all in are very slim.  Her brain in basically unprotected right now, so she'll have to be very careful (and wearing her helmet) until everything is secure.

2) There are two different companies that make bone flap replacements.  The doctor said they were about the same to him.  We have the information about both, and need to do some research to choose one.

So that's our report.  Now we have some researching and deciding to go do.