As I am getting ready to have my sixth abdomen operation with all the inherent risks, my wife and I felt it would be a good idea to get a second opinion. Don't get me wrong, I love and highly respect Dr. Mahan, but it's always good to see if an expert might have a solution that would help my situation. With that said, I decided to go see Dr, Divino, a surgeon at Mount Sinai Hospital in NY. I also took the opportunity to spend some quality time with my daughter Caitlin and take her to see a few universities in the region.
I don't want to spend much time writing about my 2nd Opinion due to the fact that she agreed with Dr. Mahan's assessment and Dr. Divino didn't seem to want to spend much time with me. Not that I blame her, since I feel comfortable with Dr. Mahan and I wasn't going to become her patient at this time. More important was the time I got to spend with my daughter. We went to visit Hofstra University, my sister Chelsea's Alma Mater, where we had a very entertaining tour guide. The next day, my Dad and I escorted Caitlin to NYU. It was so honored to take her there because it is a school she has been dreaming about going to since she was little. Whether or not my daughter winds up going to NYU is irrelevant in my mind because we will always have that day together.
On our last day of visiting, we went to visit my Alma Mater; Stony Brook University. Even though Caitlin will most likely wind up not going there, I was able to show her my dorm, the Student Union and some of the buildings where I took classes. I was able to take a moment and put my health issues aside and go down memory lane. During the trip, I told my Daughter that I want her to weigh the good and the bad of all the schools that she is visiting in New York and Florida and determine if she could picture herself at that particular school. This will be the first major decision of her adult life and when she is my age, I want her to also be able to go down her "memory lane" with a smile.
The trip did more harm than good on my body physically but I would not change it for the world. Caitlin is a very special young woman. She enters a room with a smile on her face and she brightens the mood of everyone in the room. Caitlin is extremely determined and doesn't like to lose at anything (game or argument). She is highly intelligent and will be successful in life as long as she always keeps believing in herself. Caitlin has a wonderful soft side and it shows in her interactions with her friends and family. We both went home a little under the weather, but I will cherish our few days together in the Big Apple. My dear Caitlin, "I'll love you forever and a lifetime before"!
No comments:
Post a Comment