Another Update on Baby Peter Herridge (Catherine Herridge's Son)

Greta Van Susteren has another update on Baby Peter and Catherine Herridge on her blog:

E-mail No. 1

Greta, wanted to drop you a line about our trip back. I know you spoke to JD. We are thrilled to be home again. Leaving Pittsburgh was a very emotional day — and it has taken me a couple of days to digest it.

We packed up two months of living there into a couple of suitcases. It felt really liberating to throw out a lot of Peter's old medicine, like the vitamin D which his bad liver couldn't process and his diuretics because his body chemistry was all screwed up.

On the way out we stopped by the hospital to leave some gifts and cards. It is so hard to know how to thank people who saved your kid. I know it's their job, but it seems like whatever you do is not enough. So I decided I would go in person, one more time, to thank them and drop off a picture of Peter looking healthy and happy.

Our first stop was the PICU (that's what the doctors call the pediatric ICU). Peter spent a month there. Some kids make it out while others don't. I ran into one of Peter's nurses, Joe, on the way in and showed him the new picture of Peter. As we talked, I felt that really strong emotion that is down in your gut. It wasn't sadness, but just an overwhelming feeling. Seeing how thrilled Joe was, reminded me that these people work so hard to save these small kids. And when one makes it out of the PICU, it is a real personal victory for them.

As I left I saw a woman whose child went into the PICU at the same time Peter did. I'm not sure how to describe it, but I guess I felt fortunate and guilty at the time because her child was still sick and still there and we were heading home to D.C.

Our next stop was 7N — that is the transplant floor at Children's Hospital. They were thrilled for the gift (a huge breakfast basket with bagels and stuff — these folks are on their feet constantly and really appreciate a good snack). The charge nurse said thanks weren't necessary, she just wanted me to promise that we wouldn't be back unless Peter needed a "little tune up."

All she wanted to do was put Peter's picture on the wall. They have a huge glass case on 7N where they put all the kids who've had transplants. It's like a giant collage, it's packed. There must be 500 kids on the wall. I felt really moved to watch her put his picture there, it was terrific to think he had graduated.

As we drove out of town, my mind kept flashing back to our trip to Pittsburgh on June 4th — two days before the transplant. We were going at break neck speed because Peter had become so ill, they wanted him in the hospital as soon as we could get him there. I remember driving with my husband and silently hoping that he was going to make it. I don't think any of us really understood how sick he was. Maybe that was a good thing because Dr Mazariegos later told us that without the liver he would not have lived to see the end of the summer.

We feel like we are floating again to be home. We can't wait to see you and show you all the new tricks Peter has learned.

Best,

Catherine, JD, Jamie and baby Peter