Today we had the long awaited “conference” at the Institute of Reconstructive Surgery at NYU Medical Center. We made a three-day weekend out of the trip. We stayed with Etan’s brother in Manhattan and made it over to the Institute early this morning. It took us longer than expected to arrive because we couldn’t find an available cab. So, after over an hour’s wait (apparently they had some unexpected delays with families coming from Ireland and Poland) we were called into a room filled with about 20 doctors. Finally, it felt like we have found the sought after “team” approach to Ella’s plastic surgery needs. She was examined, while asleep, by a dentist/orthodontist and we chatted with their neurosurgeon. Dr. Joe McCarthy headed up the team. He was like the NY version of Dr. Mulliken (suit and tie instead of bow tie). They had us sit up at the very front of the room. Dr. McCarthy asked what our main concern was at this point. I thought it was pretty obvious but I think the whole issue of the half missing brain was somehow foremost in their minds. The meeting was intimidating, like we were on trial, until we saw one of the young doctors in the front row nodding off to sleep as we spoke. Anyway…another couple of hours passed in the waiting room and cafeteria. Then Dr. McCarthy with his fellow called us in for a summary and his recommendations following the conference. The most important points were regarding timing and he recommended seeing Dr. DuLacure, a plastic surgeon who deals a lot with the facial nerve in cancer patients. Immediately, the team nurse suggested getting Dr. D. to “pop in” if he was in the hospital. Luckily, very luckily, by the end of the day we had seen him too. Dr. McCarthy thought earlier was better for the surgery since the soft tissue growth may be driving the bone growth. We definetly had more of a feeling of a group effort. The whole day made me feel hopeful about Ella’s craniofacial issues.