In Recovery

At 3:30pm Lee and I were finally able to see Elle. We walked into her recovery room and the first thing that struck me was how big she was! She's on a big girl bed and all stretched out she just looked so BIG! Her incision looks fantastic and despite all the tubes coming out of her, she really does look amazing. The nurse that had her from coming out of the operating room until 11:00pm tonight was a truly amazing man. He has had Elle after her last two heart surgeries and it was so nice to see a familiar face when we walked into her room. One of our favorite anesthesiologist even stopped by to say hello.

Almost as soon as we walked into her room, Elle started moving her toes around and sucking on her breathing tube like it was her binky. At 3:50 pm she opened her eyes for the first time. This was truly amazing - heart breaking because she was in so much pain - but amazing none the less. After her last open heart surgery - it was 4 days before they pulled her out of sedation and then another day before they pulled the breathing tube. Today - Guill, her nurse, told us they were going to try to pull the vent before he left at 11:00pm. CRAZY! Lee's parents and grandparents and my parents all got to see Elle this afternoon. I felt so bad for her whenever she would wake up because her little hands were tied to her bed but she would just try to point as best she could at the breathing tube and start crying. Oh my heart hurts for her! Lee and I can't bear to leave Elle alone so my parents brought us dinner and sat with Elle until we were finished eating. She was having quite a bit of difficulty in breathing at a few points in the evening. Drainage has settled in her chest and it hurts her too much to cough so they were having to suction out her throat. Not Elle's favorite thing in the world to do. Finally around 9:30pm, Elle's blood gas came back well enough for them to pull the ventilator.

I was napping in the waiting room when I got the call from Lee that she was asking for momma. Poor little girl! Her raspy little voice keeps asking for cold water and orange juice - neither one of which she can have. She had to wait 4 hours post pulling the vent before she could have anything. Around 11:00pm - Lee left to sleep at the Ronald McDonald House (thank you Lord for such an amazing place!) and I stayed with Elle (he will be coming back in a few hours to relieve me so I can go sleep for a bit). Our wonderful nurse for the evening brought us some ice chips to see if that would help appease Elle and thankfully it has! Poor little lady can only get about 5 ice chips every 15 minutes but it is better than nothing! Finally at 12:30 - Elle's blood gas came back awesome and Dr. Lam - the Cardiac Fellow ordered that Elle can now have 30cc of water every hour. I have never seen a child drink water as fast as I did when Elle saw that little cup. We are so thankful for little steps - big coughs and small cups of water!...and we know that God is in charge of every single step Elle is taking. He has known about this path since before the Earth was created and I take so much comfort in knowing that HE is with her right now as she sleeps and HE knows the full extent of her and her little life!

Update from the Operating Room # 4 - Straight from the Surgeons mouth

We just met with Dr. Morales. When Dr. Morales did Elle's first repair, her RVOT (right ventricle outflow tract) was bordering on pulmonary atresia (a complete closure). He did his best to widen it but because it was restricted he wasn't able to widen it as much as he wanted. Over the last two years, the muscle has thicked around the incision and that has caused her blood flow to be restricted. This time, he was able to go in and widen it to a width he felt comfortable with (18 mm to be exact). He thinks that this repair should last Elle a very long time (years if not a decade)! He didn't have to mess with her pulmonary valve which is a good thing. All in all - he said she did great and he was pleased with how wide he was able to make her vein. Praise the Lord for HIS amazing work!

Update from the Operating Room # 3

Praise the LORD! Elle is doing great and Dr. Morales is almost finished with the surgery. He did not have to replace her pulmonary valve which is an answer to many many prayers! While she eventually will have to have it replaced - at least now she can grow more before that next step. I cried when the nurse told us he was almost finished. Tears of joy!! She still needs to come off of the heart-lung machine but we should be able to see her within the next few hours. Thank you Lord for our many blessings! Elle's progress today is ONLY because of YOU and your work through Dr. Morales and our little patient!

Update from the Operating Room - #2

Elle is doing good. Her blood pressure is stable and as Dr. M's nurse said "she is doing great at her part of the surgery." Dr. Morales has been working his way through her scar tissue. Since this is her second open heart surgery, he is having to be very very careful as he cuts through it. Scar tissue bleeds easier. His nurse said that he may be 30 to 45 minutes away from putting her on the heart-lung machine to actually begin the repair. Praying for guidance for Dr. Morales and his team and for Elle's recovery!

Update from the Operating Room # 1

We just heard from the operating room that Elle is doing good. She went to sleep no problem. They were able to do the transesophageal echocardiogram without an issue and all her lines are now in. The next step is for Dr. Morales to begin his part. We are praying for Dr. Morales and his team and that God's presence is felt in the operating room. We are praying for strength and peace for Dr. M and his team and for us as we wait. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your request to God." Philippians 4:6

Today is the Day - Surgery Update # 1

Today is the day we have waited for since September of 2010. Our morning began bright and early and by 6:00am we were already at the hospital with a very sleepy but happy little girl.

By 6:20 we were back in the pre op holding area. Elle did great getting her pulse ox and blood pressure taken. So good, in fact, that she got to play with two blue gloves while we waited for the anesthesiologist and surgical teams. Elle is such a super trooper! She said "good morning" to every nurse and doctor that stopped by her bed and had a smile for each of them.

Right before 7:00am, Elle was given some medicine to make her sleepy and by 7:10, we were saying our goodbyes to our precious little angel. The anesthesiologist picked Elle up and she fell asleep on his shoulder as they were walking through the big double doors and into the operating room. It will probably be a few hours before we receive any news from the operating room.

Our continuous prayer is that God's name be glorified in all that we do and in all that Dr. Morales and his surgical team do. We pray for the Lord to watch over Elle and her doctors and nurses before, during and after surgery and for God's amazing power and strength to be felt in the operating room and in the waiting room while we wait for updates. "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

A day at the hospital - Pre Op

July 6 we began our day with an 8:00am appointment for Elle's pre op. Truthfully, I was a little nervous about this appointment because it meant Elle was going to have both her blood pressure taken and blood drawn. Elle's isn't a fan of the blood pressure cuff and she's never had blood drawn before (at least not while she has been awake). She was a super trooper for the whole day and surprised us all in how well she did.

She did so well that she got to play with TWO blue gloves.

We had a lot of fun in our little exam room. Elle had so much fun coloring and playing with the gloves and reading all her new books. One of the nurses even told us that she couldn't wait to get to our room because it sounded like we were having so much fun! Ha!!

The wonderful nurses gave Elle a whole bunch of stickers for being such a good patient.

While we did have a lot of fun in our little exam room, we sure were happy when we were sent home after 6 hours of exams and testing. Elle fell asleep on the car ride home but when she finally did wake up - Lee and I decided to have an evening of all of Elle's favorite things. After dinner we went and fed the fish and turtles at a little pond by our house, then we headed over to Vivi and Big Daddy's house for Elle to see Big Daddy's salt water aquarium and eat some ice cream. After that we went to the high school and Elle got to drive around the parking lot for a bit before heading home for a bath and some books before bed time. Surgery is scheduled for tomorrow at 7:00am. It's going to be a long day but Lee and I have complete faith in our Lord Jesus Christ that our little angel will be protected. She is in God's hands!