Elle had a really good day today. A lot of my fears were put to rest last night and early this morning. When Lee went upstairs last night to be with Elle, he talked with one of the cardiologists. Dr. Machiek is Witt's cardiologist and knows Elle fairly well. He was at her bedside a few of the times she stopped breathing when she was in the NICU when she was first born. Needless to say, we trust him and it helps that he is a super nice doctor. Any doctor that wears cowboy boots with his scrubs is alright in my book! He and Lee had about an hour long conversation last night. He basically said that a lot of Elle's breathing/low heart rate issues were probably attributed to the drugs she was getting. He went over every concern we had and addressed them. It was nice to hear this morning when Lee got back to the room that Dr Machiek said that everything looked to be ok. This morning during rounds we asked about the echo. Dr. Jefferies, the attending cardiologist, said the echo looked good. Elle's heart function is exactly where they want it to be. She has a little bit of blood flowing backwards in her pulmonary valve but we knew this was going to happen so it wasn't a shock. From their standpoint, everything looks good. Today they started to increase her feeds a little bit and they took her off the suped up Gatorade. They are also spacing out her pain medicine to help try and ween her off of it. She is now getting methodone every 8 hours and adavan every 6 hours. She is still having typical withdraw symptoms. She was running a low grade fever earlier this evening and her hands were shaking - both classic symptoms of withdrawal.
The Queen sleeping on her throne of many pillows
We had a wonderful nurse today that I enjoyed spending every minute with. I even sent my brother and brother in law an email first thing this morning telling them that I was just throwing out a general statement that our nurse was single, smart and beautiful. Our poor nurse today was running around like crazy because during morning rounds they also said we were ready to be moved to the 15th floor. One of the things that they had to do was get an iv started so they could take the line that is in Elle's femoral artery. Our nurse didn't do it, so she got another nurse to help. I left after they stuck Elle for the 3rd time with no luck at hitting a vein. It hurts me do badly to sit their and watch her get pricked and pricked again. They didn't get the iv started which is probably a good thing because there weren't any beds available on 15 anyways. Tomorrow I believe they will enlist the help of the Kangaroo Krew or the anestiologist to put the iv in. Elle requires a little more attention when it comes to iv's than any other baby. She just has too many rolls of fat for the nurses to feel any veins (I have discovered that this is a down side to having a very chubby baby).
Because one pacifier just isn't enough...
This evening my parent brought up fajitas for Vickie's birthday. My friend Stephanie came and brought Elle a balloon. I wish I would have had her reaction caught on film when she saw the balloon. The balloon is attached to a little Halloween teddy bear. Elle saw the bear and her eyes lit up. Slowly she started looking up the strings and when her eyes got all the way up to the top and she saw the balloon she got so excited. Her eyes were huge and her little legs were going a mile a minute. She grabbed onto the ribbon and would not let go. We even got the first smile out of her since surgery! I think Steph and I might have scared her though because when she smiled - we freaked out - both of us were clapping and jumping up and down. Very very slowly - we are getting our little Elle Belle back. I can't wait to see her big smile again!
Elle sleeping with her balloon - I made the mistake of taking it away once when she fell asleep - she woke up and only wanted her balloon...and when she fell back asleep - there was no way that balloon was coming out of her hand
We are still praying for poop! With her increased feeds - there is more going in but not enough going out! Tomorrow should be a big day for us - getting to move to 15 and settle into our new room for a while. This is the room where Lee and I can spend the night with Elle. It's one step closer to going home!! What a difference a day can make...one day at a time! Thank you for all your prayers and support. They truly lift us up!
4 comments:
So glad to hear that things are going better. It is really one day at a time, though we would love to skip from surgery to home!
It sounds like she is doing GREAT!! Yeah Elle :) Nothing can melt your heart like your own childs smile, it has to be one of the best things ever. I am so happy to hear that you are going to 15, that is so close to home and everyone always heals better when they are in their own house.
This is great news!
o this is awesome! god works in mysterious ways. all of you have been sittin heavy on heart the last few days and i have been praying over and over about elle belle having a great recovery. now i come and read all this cool stuff. thank you jesus to you be the glory!!! i hope that 15th floor comes and goes very quickly and they get a iv going easy! and less we forget, the POOP!!! i will pray for that as well. take care, i will still be looking for more updates. have a great day luphers!!!
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