The waiting room looked like it hadn't been decorated since the office opened, maybe in the late 80's? Very plain, and understated. The most impressive part was the 23+ certificates and diplomas that hung on the wall. Even Dr. Fearon's business card was plain, no frills, not even a picture, color or variation of font. White card, black letters, very to-the-point. It was obvious that this man was not in this practice for the money, although, by our calculations, he made millions each year! He donated so much of his time and money to Craniosynostosis fundraising and research, he even opened his home to host fundraising events for Cranio Awareness.
The door finally opened and it was time. A slender, handsome man led us back to his office very quietly, and without fanfare. This was it! I was tongue-tied. I was in awe of this man, who is known to those in the cranio community as the best of the best. If you actually got an appointment with him, you were the envy of most cranio parents. He was really going to be my son's surgeon, his caretaker, his guardian. Time to exhale.
As we spoke, it was obvious that he knew what he was talking about. There was no hesitation in his voice, no ummms, or huh's, or pauses... he knew exactly what his plan was for our son. He was confident, without being arrogant. Hard to believe that someone with his reputation could be so humble. He was kind and gentle, and very light-hearted, but with a serious undertone. He made us feel so at ease, like we were finally going to have some peace about this decision.
What we heard from him is also what we had feared... he was a severe case and he needed the surgery. Joe had been saying the past few days that he hoped that we would see the doctor and he would tell us that Joey really didn't need the surgery, and we'd hop a flight back home. I knew that wouldn't be the case, but it didn't hurt to hope! But it gave us some relief, b/c the doctor in our network said, he was mild/moderate and really didn't recommend surgery. Thank God we didn't settle for that answer!
We shook hands, and he said, "we'll see you tomorrow." My heart jumped from my chest, to my throat and then immediately down to my feet. Joe replied, "Listen, Doc. This is my best friend, he's my buddy. It took us years to get these two babies..." and he trailed off, not wanting to finish his sentence. Dr. Fearon shook his hand again and softly said, "I know."
