While at Joergen's 4-year check-up a couple of months ago, I asked Dr. Niami about a little round lump that had been on Joergen's bottom for as long as I could remember. It had never bothered him, so I never really thought to say anything before - and I have no idea what made me think of it this time around. Dr. Niami took a look and said that it was probably nothing, but anytime he sees lumps or bumps under the skin like that, he prefers to have it get checked out by a specialist. So he referred us to Dr. Mattei, a general surgeon at CHOP, for some testing.
I wasn't really worried about any of this, until one day I pressed on the lump while getting Joergen changed, and he jumped in pain. Immediately, my momma-bear worry jumped with him. I called Dr. Mattei's office and moved up his appointment to as soon as possible, and within a few days, we were on our way into the city bright and early in the morning to get this thing checked out.
As soon as we arrived, I understood why CHOP has the excellent reputation that it does. Everything just felt so kid- and family-centered and was really very calming. Joergen thought it was pretty cool that he got to wear a bracelet with his name on it, and was happy and content watching Scooby Doo with a granola bar while he waited to see the doctor.
Within minutes of meeting Dr. Mattei, I knew Joergen was in the best possible hands. He was awesome with him and very straightforward yet collaborative with me. He examined Joergen and decided we should try to get a look at the lump with an ultrasound. So off we went down the hall to do just that.
Joergen was such a champ through his ultrasound... getting goo spread all over your bum while you're poked and prodded by a couple of techs is not exactly a picnic! I couldn't have been prouder of his patience and willingness to go with the flow.
We got to go back to Dr. Mattei right after his ultrasound to discuss his results, but interestingly enough, there was not much to discuss. The ultrasound showed... nothing! It was so strange to have something that was so visible and palpable on the outside not even exist on an ultrasound. Dr. Mattei discussed all of our possible next steps. I wasn't comfortable with doing nothing, and surgery seemed so, well,
extreme. We agreed that trying to get more information was our best route, which meant scheduling Joer for an MRI. And fortunately, CHOP has a King of Prussia office that does MRIs, so we could get this done much closer to home.
Because of Joergen's age, he would have to be fully sedated for his MRI. I don't think I really understood how involved that process was, and that was probably for the better! After a pretty extensive intake examination, the anesthesiologist walked me through the process. We would let Joergen play with some toys, and they would give him what they called "giggle juice". This would take the edge off and allow them to sedate him via an IV without him minding quite so much. Once he went "under" they would take him in for his MRI, which would take about an hour, and he would wake up within an hour or so after that.
Now, "giggle juice" sure sounds fun, but I'm pretty sure it's disgusting. As soon as he drank it, he started scraping his tongue with his hands to get the taste out of his mouth! He was definitely not feeling giggly after that. Within about 10 minutes though, I could tell that the juice was starting to kick in. It is a very, very strange experience watching your 4-year-old under the influence!! I had to laugh when Joergen slurred, "Mommm, let'ssss plaaaay 'Iiii Spyyyy'. I'llllll go firrrrst."
(Pause. Looks around the room. Smiles.)
"Now it'ssss yyyyyourrrr turrrrrn."
Once his IV was in and he faded off into sleep, I gave him a little kiss and they wheeled him away. Before they left, though, the anesthesiologist took one look at me and said, "There's one thing I forgot to tell you... it's okay to cry. Most people do."
Thank you sir-- don't mind if I do.
Even though this was truly not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, I couldn't help but think about all the parents who go through this kind of worry and stress every day of their lives-- whose kids are dealing with real, known, scary stuff, and for whom they have to be brave and strong and reassuring. I don't know how they do it.
When they brought Joergen back after his MRI, he was snoring peacefully and the nurse said he had done very well. She'd send the images to Dr. Mattei, who would talk us through the results.
Once Joergen started to come around, he got to have some snacks. He hadn't eaten anything since dinner last night in preparation for his sedation, so he was pretty hungry! Oreos + Teddy Grahams = the breakfast of champions :)
About a week or so later, I received a phone call from Dr. Mattei. Like the ultrasound, the MRI came up empty. Joergen's lump was likely fibrosis, which is essentially scar tissue, and is benign. Hooray!!! Dr. Mattei will help us keep an eye on it from this point forward to watch for any major changes in size or shape, but for now, it's nothing to worry about.
Relief is an understatement. I thank God for taking care of our sweet Joergen and will
never take his health for granted again!
