After yesterday's update, I am sure that a lot of people are wondering why on earth I would take Cooper to TCH if that is the way the doctors are.  And the answer to that is multifaceted.  I'll start with the most obvious.  I talk about Dr. Vartabedian and Mel on here all of the time.  Today, they have shown us, yet again, how much they care for Cooper and his well being.  Cooper's labs showed a fall in his hemoglobin to below his transfusion level.  So, they called downtown and got him in for a transfusion tomorrow morning.  Dr. V ordered it without me calling and asking about it at all.  He just knows that Cooper tanks when his blood levels drop to a certain level and so he is taking care of the problem before it becomes a bigger problem.  Right now, Cooper is still holding his own.  He is pale as chalk, but he is doing okay.  But everytime his levels drop to where they are and we let it go, Cooper goes down the tubes.  I am so happy to have a caring doctor in charge of Cooper's health because he is doing all he can to make sure Cooper's overall health is optimized.  There aren't enough thank yous in the world for a doctor who does everything he can to help your baby.  And Mel is our amazing Angel who looks out for Cooper every step of the way!  She is always ready, willing, and able to do everything to keep Cooper going strong.  Plus, she makes sure I get out of my house for some girls night outs!  That is a HUGE BONUS (Remember Me here we come!!!!!)!!

But there are more pieces to the TCH puzzle for us.  There are many more reasons why, as my friend Elaine Himes says, "I am a TCH Mom - and proud to be!"  From the start of Cooper's life, his health has been well managed by our kind and caring Pediatrician Dr. Bhakta who happens to be a TCH doc.  And, of course, there is his entire staff who we adore and who all take such good care of all of our kids!  There is Ms. Pat, who Cooper thinks hung the moon and who never gives up hope that Cooper will eat and smell food someday soon like a regular kid!  We have so many doctors at TCH that we love - pretty much the entire GI department and the Fellows and Nutritionists who keep things running, our ever faithful Genetics Fellow Dr. Schaaf (who we hear is going to be staying at TCH when he becomes an Attending in 4 months!  WOOHOO!), Dr. Jarjour, Dr. Feig, and, this one will shock you...several of the ER doctors who we have come to know way too well over the past 2 years.  And there are many other doctors that make the hospital extraordinary who I am forgetting to mention (is this starting to sound like an Academy Award speech?).

But even with all of these amazing people, there are still more reasons to love TCH.  They have the BEST nurses ever!  We are partial to the whole 12th floor, but we have had wonderful nurses on all of the floors we have been on.  And life at the hospital would not be tolerable without Miss Julie and Molly from Child Life.  Shay has moved, but we still get to see her from time to time, too.  Of course, Cooper LOVES "Qween Wahwie" aka Queen Lollie aka Myrna - the leader of the most fun place of all - Radio Lollipop!  But Myrna is more than the Queen of Cool...she is a kind and caring friend who we have grown to know and love.  Today, she went above and beyond by standing up for Cooper and letting the right people at TCH know about yesterday's appointment.  She didn't have to do that, but she is just as committed to the patients at TCH as the doctors and nurses and that makes her an amazing person! 

My point here, in making this acceptance speech, is that, while TCH is not without it's flaws, there are way more people who make it a great place than not.   We are to a point in Cooper's care here at home where we are going to have to do some things at Memorial Herman Children's and we will do it because we will go whereever we have to go to get the best care possible for Cooper.  But TCH will always remain our primary hospital.  We'll be in Pittsburgh for a long time following transplant, and I know we will get to know and love many people there, but it will never be TCH (remind of that when I am worrying about heading home when Cooper is stable enough post-transplant and I am talking about how much we'll miss Pittsburgh Children's!).  We are truly blessed to have the team of doctors here in Houston at BOTH hospitals who are committed to taking the best possible care of Cooper. 

Please continue to pray for Cooper to stay as healthy as possible and for THE CALL to come NOW!!  And please pray that Cooper's transfusion is quick and easy tomorrow.  It will be a long day but he is a super trooper about it all!  And please continue to spread the word about the Chuck E Cheese (the Willowbrook location) night on Thursday from 3-8.  15% of the proceeds from the registers will be donated to Cooper's COTA fund.  Just mention Cooper when you pay.  We hope to see you there!