Hi DJ and Shin family, esp Claire -

Just got home and ran to check the messages.  YEAH !!! Great news from you both.  Glad the angio went well, DJ.  Good Birthday present, huh?

And am so glad Claire is doing so well.  I called Kate in Oklahoma and told her about it.  She sends her love, also. 

Will still be thinking about you all and praying for complete wellness soon.

Hugs, 

Cass

Alexis and family...

Again, a warm welcome to you and your family to the mm.com family!   Although we weren't able to physically be there with you and Claire throughout her procedure, it sure felt like we were there...due to DJ and Jill's posts!  Much thanks to them for keeping us updated and informed on Claire's progress.  ;

I am about 5 months post op now and had a similar surgery to Claire (double direct STA-MCA and an indirect) on my right side by Dr. Fukushima in North Carolina.  I am from Hawaii and like yourself had to travel many miles to receive the necessary care I stood in need of.  I am just so grateful that Claire was able to be seek the medical attention she needed as well, in a timely manner.    I knew she too was in the hands of a true mm expert, surrounded by a wonderful family such as yours, and absolutely truly supportive and caring people such as DJ and Jill...so I had no doubt in my mind that she wouldn't do fine.  Your family's other friends such as the Kim Family also sound like a wonderful and caring family.

I can never find the right/enough words to express my personal gratitude for DJ and this site!  I truly believe in my   that this site has literally saved the lives of many... The support here is also awesome!  If you ever have any questions or concerns about something (and I mean anything), please feel free to post it, and I'm almost certain that someone will have experienced the same thing and will answer your post.

Please tell Claire that we're sending her much from Hawaii...and are so proud of her! I've said this a million times before...children with this disease are such an inspiration to me!  Just amazing!

If there is anything I can do for you or your family, please do not hesitate to let me know...

Take care,
Shan

Hi everyone!

Just so you don't think Claire and the rest of her family fell off the face of the earth, I thought I'd give a brief update on them.

Claire had a couple of tough headache days.  When Tara and I saw her on Friday, she was struggling with one, and the hospital was trying to determine which medication and dose would work best to improve her headaches.  She was headache-free today (Sunday), so was discharged late morning - great news!  She was able to shower, wash her hair, and felt up to having dinner out with us tonight.  We had a great dinner at a local Chinese restaurant (too bad DJ, you would have been out of luck!).

I've said it before, but it bears repeating.  Looking at Claire (especially after a shampoo) you would absolutely not know she'd had surgery!  The only indication of anything was that by around 8:00 pm she was definitely tired out.  We said our goodbyes around 8:30 pm and headed home. 

They'll have a couple of days to relax and enjoy (trick-or-treating tomorrow!) before heading back in to see Dr. S on Wednesday.  If all goes well (as we anticipate) they plan to fly home on Thursday.  With any luck, we'll be able to make introductions between them and Shane, but will play that by ear until mid-week.

We've so enjoyed meeting Stanley, Alexis, Claire and Elliott!  They are a lovely family, and we are thrilled that surgery has been so successful.  We look forward to hearing updates from them as Claire continues her recovery and starts resuming her normal activities.

That's all for now . . . hope everyone has a great week!

Big hugs,
Jill

Thanks for keeping us updated, Jill!  Claire sounds like an amazing young lady - hope to be able to meet her in August!  She and her family will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers as she continues through her recovery.

Sending thoughts and prayers to Shane as well as he prepares for his surgery tomorrow.  Good luck, Shane!

-Shari

Alexis,

You are very welcome! I am just so thankful that Claire was able to receive the necessary care she needed in a timely manner.  I am also thankful that you allowed us to be a part of Claire's and your family's experience.  It's not easy as it is...and to share it with others you've basically just met online isn't always easy.

I'm also so very grateful for Dr. Steinberg and his staff for providing such excellent patient care I keep hearing about.  As you know, I am not one of his patients, but it's so comforting to know of what he is doing for wonderful people such as Claire...saving lives!    

I also extend a special thanks to DJ and Jill for providing us with pictures and updates on Claire and her progress.  Jill, I'm thinking...you should be on the Stanford payroll...maybe like a patient care coordinator or family care coordinator.    You'd be great!

Anyway, I will continue to keep Claire in our thoughts and prayers for a full and successful recovery.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if there's anything I can do for you or your family.  Also, don't forget to let me know when you'll be in Hawaii again...

Have a safe trip home...

"There's no place like home."
  - Dorothy

Aloha,
Shan