Today we were discharged! After 9 nights in the hospital, we were cleared to leave today, and it was glorious! It feels surreal to be back at the Ronald McDonald house, finally away from all the other anxious feelings that come with being in the hospital. Lewis was so happy to be away, and excited to go to “the other hotel.”

We had an amazing last day at the hospital that felt too good to be true. After finding out we would be discharged, Lewis got to go to the playroom, they happened to be having a Father’s Day lunch outside for all the families, and we got to explore all the fun stuff in the hospital that Lewis hadn’t been able to see. By the end of the week, we knew so many nurses and doctors and staff at the hospital — and everyone was so excited to see Lewis up on his feet and ready to go home.

Although there have been some really challenging aspects of Lewis’ recovery here in the hospital, many doctors have noted how well he has recovered — everything from his body regulating his sodium level well while having DI to the ommaya catheter coming out smoothly on Monday — everything has gone so smooth. Even his nose flap has healed really well. We’ve felt so covered in prayer and protected by God’s hand this whole week. And, of course, best of all, Lewis has been telling people that his “brain tumor is gone! they took it out!”

We spoke with our surgeon one last time this morning, who restated that the result of the surgery was a gross total resection, and that while regrowth is always possible, it’s less likely in Lewis’ situation. The idea that this really could be the final treatment in Lewis’ journey feels like such a miracle!

Tumor or not, he’ll still live with panhypopituitarism his whole life, a really difficult condition that will affect almost every area of his life. The tumor did most of the damage, and the surgery added the final bit. None of it is what we ever wished Lewis would have to deal with, but for now, the tumor really is all gone and Lewis can go back to being a kid again.

We have our final post-op appointment next Tuesday and are hoping to fly out on Wednesday. We can’t wait to come home, but it’ll be nice to catch our breath here a bit before trying to jump back into normal life.

We are so grateful to our great surgeons, their wonderful teams, & the caring nurses that took care of us these past 10 days! Thank you all for your prayers and support. We never would have survived this past week without you!