It was a year ago yesterday

Just 1 year ago today, we were starting the process of helping Samuel recover from surgery to repair his DCRV.

In the time since his surgery, Samuel has been the most amazing human. He has never whined, complained or griped about what he went through. Maybe it's because he is a teenager with DS, or maybe it's just how he's built. But if there is one thing I take away from this experience about my son, it's that he is probably more optimistic than me. And that is saying something.

Samuel went into surgery at about 125lbs. He weighed in at his annual check up last week at 121. He is nice and tanned now as he has been swimming on his high-school swim team since January. He stays fit swimming, playing basketball (he took the middle of the three-game series today), works-out at the gym, power-lifting, and dancing at home.

I actually worry sometimes that the process went so well, we must have missed something. I worry about both of my kids. My eldest will be heading off to college in the fall, and I trust that will go well - she's ready. I'll miss her and will of course worry when I don't hear from her. I know she'll be fine, but - I guess that's what we sign up for when we choose to become parents.

Anyway - with Samuel, I just wonder. In the surgery, they not only stopped his heart to take out this excess muscle, but after starting it again, they found the leak that also needed to be closed off and had to stop his heart a second time and go in through the aorta to get to that. I love science and just stop in jaw-dropping amazement at times with what science can do.

It's like, this rant I saw where this guy was on one of the late-night talk shows and he noted how folks complain about how long it takes to get to New York from California. What, five hours? People, it used to take months, if not years and people would die along the way! You get to get in this thing called a plane, sit in a chair, and get delivered across the country in *five* hours. That is still amazing to me. So, get to talking about stopping hearts, taking out excess tissue, sewing up holes, and starting things all-over again, replacing organs, faces, eyes... I am in awe of what science can do.

All-in-all, it's been an amazing year.