Huge second surgery on William's back

Getting the band back together for one last spinal concert

We got back to the hospital at 7 am to be with William through the pre-op sessions, questions, etc. The team assembled and answered any and all questions he had before wheeling him into the operating room at 8 am. They spent the next two hours doing precise x-rays and scans and positioning his body into just the right position using tables, bean bags, sponges, and who knows what. At 10am the surgery began. Margaret and I were able to leave the hospital and be in phone contact and we did laundry, playing cards, sorting stuff that we needed to remove from the private room, and trying to get through the day without worrying too much. Calls from the O.R. came every two hours, all positive, and many telling us that they would call again in two hours. The operation took until 9 pm, a total of 11 hours. In the end, he was kept in PICU, "pediatric intensive care unit" overnight, which is an amazing facility. Until the children's wing is finished, the PICU is supposed to be only for people 17 years old and not a day older (the age will go up to 18 year olds later). However, scoliosis surgery is more common on younger patients so the PICU is well trained to treat them. Dr. Allen arranged for William to be there post surgery, and the head doctor felt it was okay, but other forces prevailed so as soon as the breathing tube was remove (William was mad I didn't video that process) he eventually was sent back to adult. But for this first night, he was unconscious in their unit.