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Tyler was six months old. While bathing him, Tyler’s mom discovered a large lump in his stomach. Thus began a long relationship with Wolfson Children’s Hospital and Nemours Children’s Clinic.
Surgery at six months. Countless more trips to the operating room for bigger surgeries, procedures or little “fixer-uppers.” Many new friends: Drs. Dennis Lafer, Dr. Don George, and especially Dr. Marianne Dokler and Dr. Dan Mollitt. The wonderful nursing staff who cared for him during his many hospitalizations “made the challenges bearable.”
X-rays and biopsies showed that baby Tyler had hirschsprung's disease, a congenital colon disease where the colon is unable to eliminate waste and it simply all backs up. Things were fine after surgery but right after Tyler turned two, his colon began intermittently shutting down again. It typically began with vomiting, which indicated that things needed cleaning out again. For toddler Tyler, the treatments were “horrible, painful and hard.” On the way to the hospital Tyler and his parents would count fire hydrants or telephone poles to try to distract him from the waiting ordeal.
This started the revolving door into “The Wolfie Resort.” Efforts to correct the problem turned up one thing after another as Tyler’s doctors searched for long-term remedies. Surgeries. Broveac for IV nutrition. Even a colostomy.
Special buddies were always at his side, like Tyler’s Winnie the Pooh. You see, Dr. Mollitt would also operate on Pooh. If Tyler needed a colostomy or a special port in his chest called a broveac, so did Pooh. Together Tyler and Pooh would be rolled out of the operating room with their “matching” bandages by Dr. Mollitt. Miss Jan, a favorite nurse, never failed to bring a smile to Tyler’s face. She was quickly nicknamed “Piglet” and still wears a wrist watch with her namesake on the face. |
