What Do We Do Next?

After the MRI, we brought Isabella up to the Pediatric ICU at Bridgeport Hospital. In addition to the sedative, they had given her a steroid to decrease the swelling and pressure in her head. The drugs that they had given her had caused her to become delirious and agitated. The doctors had wanted to get a second MRI so they can better determine how best to remove the tumor, but unfortunately, Isabella would not be able to lay still long enough. So the plan was to continue the steroid pressure to relieve the pressure and do a second MRI in the morning.

In the meantime, we were already making calls all over for referrals (by this time, it was 8 PM or so). We wanted the best treatment for Isabella and felt we had to go somewhere else, perhaps Yale or somewhere in New York City. Julianne's mom called people up at the University of Vermont where she works and where Julianne graduated from Med School. Julianne also called her boss to get some referrals from the Yale. In addition, the word was already going around the hospital on our situation, and since Julianne worked in the hospital, she was receiving calls from other doctors.

Julianne stayed with Isabella overnight, while I went home with Annalise and Nathaniel to get ready for the next day. Isabella had a long night of delirious visions and she said she saw everything from her classmates to Santa Claus. She finally fell asleep at 6:30 AM on Tuesday.