The Taco Truck

We made it!

Cora got her fourth ambulance transport this morning, this time from Stanford to San Francisco. This time she even graduated to being able to ride big-girl style on a gurney. I rode with her in the ambulance and she stayed calmly awake the whole time, just looking out the window with those big curious eyes.

I can't tell you how good it felt to walk through the doors and onto the 7 East Cardiac ICU unit, where we've spent so much of Cora's life. It really was a feeling of coming home. We got a wonderful welcome from everyone, and they were all amply impressed by how much Cora has grown in the two months we've been down at Stanford.

The most amazing thing was that as soon as the gurney pulled through those doors, Cora started grinning and kicking and talking, and generally perked up more than I've seen her in a while. It lasted all day. It was remarkable and I can't explain it, except to say that there is a feeling there that we are so loved and cared about, and Cora, being the queen of intuition and feelings, surely sensed it.

There was certainly nothing wrong with Stanford and I hope this doesn't come across that way. Stanford is like a beautiful, Michelin award-winning restaurant. The food was amazing, the ambiance was beautiful, but we often felt like we were dining alone. And to be honest, I'm just the kind of person who is more comfortable eating at a taco truck, just so long as I'm surrounded by friends and lots of laughter.

It took a while to get settled in at UCSF -- they decided to place a new NJ tube, they got an EKG, and drew labs. All the normal housekeeping things. The plan is to monitor her for a few days since she is in a very precarious position with her progressing heart block. Tuesday morning she will be discussed at the weekly Cardiac Conference, where the entire cardiac staff will discuss and presumably schedule her pacemaker surgery. The cardiologists suggested it would likely be mid to late next week.

When I picked Dominic and Cosette up this evening they gave me the running leap hugs, the ones that overflow your heart in an instant. We played and laughed all evening. It was one of those quality days where I felt grateful for all the myriad gifts that surround us.

In the bath tonight I said to Cosie, "you are so beautiful." She replied, "I'm not beautiful! I'm just sitting here." But she looked so especially beautiful to me having not seen her in a few days. I honestly think, through some tremendous grace, that these two have been more or less unscathed by this crazy life we've been leading. Tonight they were literally glowing with happiness without a care in the world.

There will be more twists and turns, I know. But for tonight, my heart is less burdened than it's been in a long time.