It's been 4 weeks since Corinne's surgery and her recovery is amazing. She has been without the ng tube for a week now and is gaining weight. She had a bad cold & ear infection a couple of weeks ago (which is why we had to continue the tube feeds), but she didn't let it get her down. Her incision is healing nicely and should be the only physical reminder of her VSD; we don't expect that she will have any medical or development problems in the future now that the defect has been repaired. We are so thankful that the surgery was a success and that our baby girl is thriving.
On another positive note, we have good news about J (We have to choose our words carefully on this topic, which is why the following explanation may sound a bit guarded). We are optimistic about his future in our household (I originally typed "his future with our family," but he will always be part of our family, no matter what happens...). We still have a bunch of "red-tape" to get through, but everything seems to be moving in the right direction.
Meredith has been a big help over the last few weeks and is an amazing big sis to Corinne and J. She is also excited to be testing for her senior yellow belt in tae-kwon-do on Saturday.
We appreciate all of the prayers, support, and encouragement we have received over the last few months. We have been abundantly blessed. Please continue to remember J's situation in your prayers as we muddle through the legal muck that is to come.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
What a difference a week makes.
It has been 1 full week since Corinne came home, and there is no other way to describe her recovery, but awesome. She is eating well and gaining weight (without her NG tube which was removed 2 days ago). She now has more strength which is allowing her to interact more and increase her physical activity.
If someone came to the house and met Corinne for the first time, they would have no idea she was in the ICU 10 days ago.
So we again thank you for the prayers and support, and are thankful we have been so richly blessed.
If someone came to the house and met Corinne for the first time, they would have no idea she was in the ICU 10 days ago.
So we again thank you for the prayers and support, and are thankful we have been so richly blessed.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Homecoming
We arrived home from the hospital late yesterday afternoon. Everything has gone smoothly. Corinne was very tired, but also very happy to be home (so were Daddy & Mommy). Meredith and J were happy to have her home as well.
We learned how to use the ng tube for feedings before we left the hospital. Corinne still doesn't have a big appetite, so the tube feedings will be necessary until she consistently takes in adequate formula by mouth. We can also give her meds through the ng tube, which has worked out well since she has been gagging on them. We will be visited by the home care nurses 3 days in the coming week, and 2 days the following week. They will monitor Corinne's weight, ng tube, and make sure her incision is healing well. On Monday, we have an appointment for a chest x-ray and a visit with with the surgical nurse practitioner. Then we follow up with the surgeon in another week, and the cardiologist 4 weeks after that.
Corinne slept much better at home without the constant interruptions of the hospital routine. The doctor still wants us to feed her every 3 hours, but said it was ok to just do a tube feeding at 2am and 5am. (Corinne has slept through the night since she was about 2 weeks old and we would rather she not get into the habit of waking up.) She slept like an angel through both late-night feedings.
Grandmommy and I gave her a bath this evening (just a sponge bath, no dips in the tub allowed yet). It wasn't her favorite part of the day, but I think she felt better afterwards. She then drank a full 3 oz for the first time since the surgery.
Corinne is doing so well. It's hard to believe she had major surgery less than 1 week ago. Thank you all for your prayers and support - we couldn't have endured this without you.
We learned how to use the ng tube for feedings before we left the hospital. Corinne still doesn't have a big appetite, so the tube feedings will be necessary until she consistently takes in adequate formula by mouth. We can also give her meds through the ng tube, which has worked out well since she has been gagging on them. We will be visited by the home care nurses 3 days in the coming week, and 2 days the following week. They will monitor Corinne's weight, ng tube, and make sure her incision is healing well. On Monday, we have an appointment for a chest x-ray and a visit with with the surgical nurse practitioner. Then we follow up with the surgeon in another week, and the cardiologist 4 weeks after that.
Corinne slept much better at home without the constant interruptions of the hospital routine. The doctor still wants us to feed her every 3 hours, but said it was ok to just do a tube feeding at 2am and 5am. (Corinne has slept through the night since she was about 2 weeks old and we would rather she not get into the habit of waking up.) She slept like an angel through both late-night feedings.
Grandmommy and I gave her a bath this evening (just a sponge bath, no dips in the tub allowed yet). It wasn't her favorite part of the day, but I think she felt better afterwards. She then drank a full 3 oz for the first time since the surgery.
Corinne is doing so well. It's hard to believe she had major surgery less than 1 week ago. Thank you all for your prayers and support - we couldn't have endured this without you.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Last Day
We are all happy around here. Corinne is being released today. We have some training on the feeding tube to go through and Corinne needs to get her Synagis shot before we leave.
So we should be home early afternoon. With a couple of follow-up visits next week.
Again, thank you for your prayers and help.
So we should be home early afternoon. With a couple of follow-up visits next week.
Again, thank you for your prayers and help.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Good News
Well the Dr's did rounds a little bit ago, and the news is good. There is very small hole in place of the large one which was present 3 days ago. The surgeon, the cardiac ICU fellow and the attending all indicated this was normal and acceptable. Our surgeon also commented he would not be suprised if the hospital released Corinne sometime tomorrow, but definately this weekend.
Also, she is feeding much better today. She drank about 2.5 oz tonight on her own. The final 1/2 oz was given through the feeding tube.
Again thank you for your prayers, support and assitance with Corrine.
Also, she is feeding much better today. She drank about 2.5 oz tonight on her own. The final 1/2 oz was given through the feeding tube.
Again thank you for your prayers, support and assitance with Corrine.
Good morning!
Corinne had a wonderful night and slept peacefully, except when the nurse had to check her vitals every 3 hours. Those were scheduled feeding times also, and she did pretty well with the bottle. We didn't push it, though, since she was pretty tired, and what she didn't take easily by mouth went in through the ng tube. At about 5:30 she woke up a little bit as the nurse gave her some IV medicine. I gave her a pacifier as she settled back to sleep, but it made her gag and she spit up quite a bit. Bad move, mommy! Prior to surgery, she had only spit up once in her short life, so this is a new challenge for us. Hopefully it will be temporary, as Corinne needs all the nutrition she can get at this point.
Good night
Corinne slept soundly until the nurse came in to do her routine check at 1 am. She drank 2oz of formula from the bottle and took the rest through the tube. Not bad for a sleepy girl. She is back down in her crib now, resting quietly. It's been a nice, peaceful night.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Staying put for the night...
We are still in good 'ole room B647 in the CICU for the night. The room we expected to move to on the step-down unit is still occupied, so we will continue to camp out here. In some ways, it's the best of both worlds - Corinne is unhooked from all of the monitors they usually require for this unit, but she still gets a dedicated nurse and close monitoring. I got a good night sleep at home last night, so toughing it out in the chair won't be so bad.
Corinne had a good evening. Grandmommy came down to visit and enjoyed seeing Corinne's smiling face. The occupational therapist stopped by to help with feeding. She was excellent and gave me some good tips on easing Corinne back on to the bottle. It seems to have worked - at 7:00 she drank 2oz and at 10:00 she drank almost 3! I was so encouraged that she was feeding well again. Hopefully she'll keep it up and we can go home without the ng tube.
The only real issue we had was Corinne's IV failed - again (and as they were giving pain meds, again). They immediately called in the IV specialist (Corinne has officially been labeled as a "hard stick") and fortunately she got it in on the first try. The new IV location on her wrist required them to tape a board to her arm, but she really doesn't seem to mind it too much. I got the IV lady's name and we will be requesting her if we have any more problems! Corinne's blood pressue is still high, but it sounds like that is not uncommon for kids who have a VSD repaired.
Everything is moving along smoothly. Corinne seems so much more content and comfortable. It's hard to believe she is doing so well considering all she has been through in the last couple of days. We are so blessed to have our little girl on the road to recovery. Thank you all for your prayers and support.
Corinne had a good evening. Grandmommy came down to visit and enjoyed seeing Corinne's smiling face. The occupational therapist stopped by to help with feeding. She was excellent and gave me some good tips on easing Corinne back on to the bottle. It seems to have worked - at 7:00 she drank 2oz and at 10:00 she drank almost 3! I was so encouraged that she was feeding well again. Hopefully she'll keep it up and we can go home without the ng tube.
The only real issue we had was Corinne's IV failed - again (and as they were giving pain meds, again). They immediately called in the IV specialist (Corinne has officially been labeled as a "hard stick") and fortunately she got it in on the first try. The new IV location on her wrist required them to tape a board to her arm, but she really doesn't seem to mind it too much. I got the IV lady's name and we will be requesting her if we have any more problems! Corinne's blood pressue is still high, but it sounds like that is not uncommon for kids who have a VSD repaired.
Everything is moving along smoothly. Corinne seems so much more content and comfortable. It's hard to believe she is doing so well considering all she has been through in the last couple of days. We are so blessed to have our little girl on the road to recovery. Thank you all for your prayers and support.
Playtime!
Corinne got a sudden burst of energy and had a ball exploring a new toy borrowed from child life here at the hospital. She smiled and babbled and enjoyed kicking at the toys. I was so excited to see her in good spirits.
The nurse and I hoped that all of this energy would translate into a hungry girl and a good feeding, but no such luck. Corinne just doesn't want the bottle in her mouth. She's also not into the pacifier at all right now either. So we settled for another tube feeding. She's all snuggled up in the crib again now and sleeping soundly.
We're waiting for a room to open up on the step down unit. Until then we'll hang out here in CICU. Our new room should come furnished with a pull-out bed so mommy will be able to rest more easily. CICU is great, only there's nowhere to sleep other than a rather noisy chair. Plus, you are not allowed to have any food or drinks in CICU, and I find it hard to leave her room. I have managed to sneak out a time or two when she is sleeping soundly, but I can't stand to leave for long. Our nurses have all been wonderful, though, and take great care of us 24/7.
...by the way, those are socks on her hands in the photo. She kept scratching her face with the IV & oxygen monitor taped to her hands. She also likes to chew on them, so it has worked out nicely.
More progress
We are making more progress toward our move to the step down unit. While I tried to get Corinne to take a bottle, they switched out the big bed she had been laying on for a nice little hospital crib. She seems to be more comfortable and appreciates that we were able to attach a cute little aquarium for her to gaze at as she falls asleep. Her previous form of entertainment was the pole of blinking lights and flashing screens that supplied so many of her meds, which is no longer necessary. She is down to only one IV in her left hand that is used to give medications periodically, an oxygen monitor on her right hand, ng tube in her nose, and a few other monitors taped to her chest. Her feet are finally completely free! They are pretty bruised up from all the lines, but she enjoys being able to kick around more now.
The nurse changed out the dressing on Corinne's incision and we were able to get a look at it for the first time. It was not nearly as bad as I had imagined. There are no external stitches, just steri-strips and all of the internal stitches will dissolve. That means we don't have to worry about stress from having any stitches removed and the nurse said it leaves much cleaner scar.
I was unsuccessful at getting Corinne to feed from a bottle. She just gagged at it and seemed completely uninterested. I don't really blame her... She's getting what she needs through the ng tube for now, and we'll continue to work on bottle feedings. I know she'll come around eventually.
Today Corinne is resting very well. Daddy did a great job working the night shift and has headed home to get some much deserved rest.
Preparing to move
This morning the Cardiac ICU nurses removed Corinne's arterial-line as well as one of her two IV catheters. This is in preparation to allow Corinne to move to the step-down unit today.
Yesterday afternoon Corinne stopped eating from a bottle and has had several good feedings through her feeding tube. When mommy gets here, I think Corinne will more inclined to begin feeding from the bottle.
There are some things daddy's can do and others which require mommy's special touch to make happen. I think bottle feeding after open heart surgery is going to take mommy's touch.
Yesterday afternoon Corinne stopped eating from a bottle and has had several good feedings through her feeding tube. When mommy gets here, I think Corinne will more inclined to begin feeding from the bottle.
There are some things daddy's can do and others which require mommy's special touch to make happen. I think bottle feeding after open heart surgery is going to take mommy's touch.
Early Wednesday Report
This evening was uneventful, although don't tell Allison. Corinne had one spot of trouble around 1:00AM which after providing her some pain medication she calmed down considerably.
This evening Corinne's Dr. and nurse agree sleep, nutrition, and pain management are the biggest keys to her improvement, so we have helped her rest as much as possible tonight. To minimize her awake time we are feeding her through the tube instead of forcing the bottle on her.
There is another set of labs scheduled at 4:00AM and a feeding scheduled for 5:00AM. The labs will hopefully not wake her and she can continue sleeping through the night.
This evening Corinne's Dr. and nurse agree sleep, nutrition, and pain management are the biggest keys to her improvement, so we have helped her rest as much as possible tonight. To minimize her awake time we are feeding her through the tube instead of forcing the bottle on her.
There is another set of labs scheduled at 4:00AM and a feeding scheduled for 5:00AM. The labs will hopefully not wake her and she can continue sleeping through the night.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Getting unhooked
This afternoon a lot of good changes happened. Corinne's chest drain tube, Foley catheter, and the temporary electrical leads were removed. However, the pain and anxiety medication has made for an overly tired little girl. This has required a feeding tube to be installed to make sure she takes in the necessary calories to help her mend quickly.
Allison was able to cuddle with Corinne for about 1/2 an hour before she went home to check in on J and Meredith (and hopefully sleep through the night).
Right now she is sleeping peacefully. She has no idea that in 45 minutes I have to awaken her for another feeding. She looks like she could sleep all night if we would let her.
Rest & Reassurance
The last few hours have been tough for Corinne. She just can't get comfortable and settle down to sleep. She will rest for a few moments, but then her little eyes pop open and she cries out. Her blood pressure is still not where it needs to be, especially when she is uncomfortable. I have been typing this update a few words at a time over the last hour. The nurse just gave her something to help with anxiety. The last couple of attempts at feeding have been less than ideal - she didn't drink very much and spit up twice. If feeding doesn't improve, Corinne will need a ng tube to make sure she gets adequate nutrition. Brett has run back to the house now and will bring back her normal bottles (Dr. Brown Bottles) to see if that helps with the feedings. We also requested that she get formula mixed from powder vs. the pre-mixed stuff, just to make everything as familiar as possible for her...
Corinne's cardiologist, Dr. Jeanne James, just stopped in as I was typing this update. She assured me that Corinne was progressing nicely and that the difficulties she's having are just unfortunate side effects of the surgery/meds she needs. She reminded me that we really are only 24 hours post-op. She said to expect Corinne to perk up much more after another 24 hours or so. She agreed that the ng (feeding) tube might be needed if our plan of familiar bottles/formula doesn't work, but that it would only be temporary and would really help her to gain weight and get stronger. Corinne's weight before surgery was 10.5lbs, so she's still little bitty for her age (but very long, over 24 inches). Overall though, Dr. James was very pleased with Corinne's progress and how well the surgery went.
It's been about 30 minutes or so since Corinne got the anxiety medicine and she's really calmed down and is finally resting beautifully. I feel reassured that all is well after speaking with Dr. James, so time for Mommy to get some rest too!
Corinne's cardiologist, Dr. Jeanne James, just stopped in as I was typing this update. She assured me that Corinne was progressing nicely and that the difficulties she's having are just unfortunate side effects of the surgery/meds she needs. She reminded me that we really are only 24 hours post-op. She said to expect Corinne to perk up much more after another 24 hours or so. She agreed that the ng (feeding) tube might be needed if our plan of familiar bottles/formula doesn't work, but that it would only be temporary and would really help her to gain weight and get stronger. Corinne's weight before surgery was 10.5lbs, so she's still little bitty for her age (but very long, over 24 inches). Overall though, Dr. James was very pleased with Corinne's progress and how well the surgery went.
It's been about 30 minutes or so since Corinne got the anxiety medicine and she's really calmed down and is finally resting beautifully. I feel reassured that all is well after speaking with Dr. James, so time for Mommy to get some rest too!
Day 1 after surgery
It was a long night, but Corinne is doing well. The doctors are pleased with her progress and expect to remove the chest tube and catheter later on today. That's wonderful news, because we expect to be allowed to hold her once the chest tube is out. Hopefully that will make her a little bit more comfortable. She is moaning and fussing more than I would like for her to, but it seems that is to be expected one day post op from open heart surgery. She doesn't appear to be in extreme pain, just mostly uncomfortable and unsure of what is going on. Her little body is probably pretty sore from the surgery. We expect to remain in the CICU through at least sometime tomorrow.
The late shift
Daddy headed home just after his last post around 12:45am - just in time to miss all the excitement that followed...
Corinne rested quietly for a while, but around 1:30 started to get very fussy. When the nurse tried to give her some morphine, it wouldn't go in through the IV. Despite several attempts to save it, the IV had failed and had to be removed. Even though she has other IVs in place, they are dedicated to continuous drips (and the arterial line, and I don't even know what else!) and she still needs one in place for other meds to be administered. Corinne was not happy about any of this, and let it be known. She's just still so little, and they'd already had a hard time getting lines in her all day, so there weren't too many places left to try. They were finally able to secure it in place and she was relieved to get some much deserved pain medication.
She slept for a bit, but before long she was restless again and ready to eat. She sucked down almost 2 oz in no time. Mommy was glad to get to "cuddle" with her (or at least to the degree that her condition allows) for a while during the feeding. The head of the bed was raised and the nurse assisted me in sliding my arm behind her head/neck to prop her up a bit more while she drank. Not quite the same as getting to hold her, but at this point we'll take whatever we can get.
She's resting comfortably again for now. Thank you all for your prayers and support. It is so encouraging to hear from you.
Corinne rested quietly for a while, but around 1:30 started to get very fussy. When the nurse tried to give her some morphine, it wouldn't go in through the IV. Despite several attempts to save it, the IV had failed and had to be removed. Even though she has other IVs in place, they are dedicated to continuous drips (and the arterial line, and I don't even know what else!) and she still needs one in place for other meds to be administered. Corinne was not happy about any of this, and let it be known. She's just still so little, and they'd already had a hard time getting lines in her all day, so there weren't too many places left to try. They were finally able to secure it in place and she was relieved to get some much deserved pain medication.
She slept for a bit, but before long she was restless again and ready to eat. She sucked down almost 2 oz in no time. Mommy was glad to get to "cuddle" with her (or at least to the degree that her condition allows) for a while during the feeding. The head of the bed was raised and the nurse assisted me in sliding my arm behind her head/neck to prop her up a bit more while she drank. Not quite the same as getting to hold her, but at this point we'll take whatever we can get.
She's resting comfortably again for now. Thank you all for your prayers and support. It is so encouraging to hear from you.
After mid-night
Corinne is sleeping soundly after eating nearly 2oz of baby formula. So we continue to make progress throughout the night.
Corinne is getting a little more active. She has created a small game where she continues to take her oxygen tubes off. Apparently, they are very annoying to a 4 month old.
Allison is resting in the sleeping room which Cincinnati Children's provides to parents of children who had surgery that day. On day 2, the sleeping arrangements go to first come first served for spending the night with Corinne.
Corinne is getting a little more active. She has created a small game where she continues to take her oxygen tubes off. Apparently, they are very annoying to a 4 month old.
Allison is resting in the sleeping room which Cincinnati Children's provides to parents of children who had surgery that day. On day 2, the sleeping arrangements go to first come first served for spending the night with Corinne.
Monday, January 5, 2009
First feeding and sleep
I am pleased to say Daddy was able to provide some care and comfort tonight while mommy got some much needed rest (my opportunity for rest is coming).
Around 7:15 the nurse asked if I was OK with trying to feed Corinne, the Dr. left instructions for us to try and get her to start bottle feeding tonight. Despite Corinne's objections to feeding with out being held, we were able to make her comfortable and she drank about 1oz of Pedialite. Several more opportunities will follow.
Her vitals continue to improve, however she is still receiving some blood pressure and pain medications.
We expect tonight will be a peaceful one and look forward to celebrating another day with our family tomorrow.
Around 7:15 the nurse asked if I was OK with trying to feed Corinne, the Dr. left instructions for us to try and get her to start bottle feeding tonight. Despite Corinne's objections to feeding with out being held, we were able to make her comfortable and she drank about 1oz of Pedialite. Several more opportunities will follow.
Her vitals continue to improve, however she is still receiving some blood pressure and pain medications.
We expect tonight will be a peaceful one and look forward to celebrating another day with our family tomorrow.
In ICU
We have successfully transitioned into the ICU. Corinne will be here 1-3 days.
Upon arrival to the room she immediately kicked out the A-line (Arterial line used for monitoring blood pressure). After getting one of the Fellows and a few nurses attention for 15 minutes or so (seemed like an hour) a new line was inserted and immediately secured in place so we do not have a repeat.
So Corinne still has an attitude and some spunk in her. Thankfully, she is now resting comfortably with mommy and daddy close by.
She is currently getting some blood pressure medication, which is normal after this type of procedure and she is having her platelets which were removed while she was on the bypass machine re-introduced to her system. They are also monitoring her vitals for pain medication which is being administered as necessary.
We can not say enough good about the staff at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and our stay here so far. They are a model hospital in our opinion for helping the patients and their parents understand what is going on and gain a high comfort level in the staff as well as the procedure which is being performed.
Out of surgery
Corinne is done with the major part of the surgery. Her surgeon visited with us and informed us she did great through surgery. There were no complications. He stated the hole was a large one which definitely required surgery to close.
He informed us there was no leakage between the 2 heart chambers and she was responding normally to all of their testing.
Dr. Eghtesady's final comment was he did not have any concerns for her after the surgery.
We will get to see her in about 1 hour after they finish getting her out of the operating room.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for the surgery and her recuperation. We will continue to update this site periodically with information concerning her recuperation from the surgery.
He informed us there was no leakage between the 2 heart chambers and she was responding normally to all of their testing.
Dr. Eghtesady's final comment was he did not have any concerns for her after the surgery.
We will get to see her in about 1 hour after they finish getting her out of the operating room.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for the surgery and her recuperation. We will continue to update this site periodically with information concerning her recuperation from the surgery.
Surgery Day
We got an early start this morning at 5 am. Corinne isn't used to getting up so early. She is typically an excellent sleeper and wasn't thrilled to be up before the sun, but got over it quickly. We arrived at the hospital a little before 6:30.
Corinne was in good spirits, and enjoyed checking out the new environment. She smiled as various doctors and nurses came in and out of the room. She fell asleep after they took all her vitals, and stayed asleep as we handed her to the anesthesiologist outside the OR at about 7:30. Mommy and Daddy have held up pretty well so far. They called out to the waiting room at 9:05 to say that they were finished with all of the preparation and were beginning the actual procedure.
The nurse just came out as I was typing this update around 10:00 to say that everything was going well. Corinne has been on bypass about 30 minutes and they are getting ready to start closing the VSD with a patch.
we'll keep you updated...
Corinne was in good spirits, and enjoyed checking out the new environment. She smiled as various doctors and nurses came in and out of the room. She fell asleep after they took all her vitals, and stayed asleep as we handed her to the anesthesiologist outside the OR at about 7:30. Mommy and Daddy have held up pretty well so far. They called out to the waiting room at 9:05 to say that they were finished with all of the preparation and were beginning the actual procedure.
The nurse just came out as I was typing this update around 10:00 to say that everything was going well. Corinne has been on bypass about 30 minutes and they are getting ready to start closing the VSD with a patch.
we'll keep you updated...
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Thank You
Tonight we want to thank our church family, neighbors and Brett's work for the many offers of help. It is wonderful to know there are so many people willing to help us with the kids and the transition home after the surgery.
Tomorrow will be a long day and we hope to be able to keep this site updated as we learn new information on Corinne's progress.
Again thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
Tomorrow will be a long day and we hope to be able to keep this site updated as we learn new information on Corinne's progress.
Again thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
More surgery info
For those who are interested, here is a link to additional information regarding Open-Heart Surgery in Pediatrics.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Pre-admission day
We spent 4 hours at Children's Hospital today going through the pre-op testing and registration. We are so impressed by all of the physicians and staff there. We already held them in high regard - our 2 yr old son receives many services there and we've always been pleased with our experience. Today was no exception. They do an excellent job of helping parents understand the details of their child's situation and putting them at ease. Children's Hospital Ranks among best in the nation.
Dr. Pirooz Eghtesady will be preforming the surgery. He spent 45 minutes with us going over the details of the procedure. We feel very comfortable with his knowledge and his beside manner. The surgery will take 5-6 hours. It is truly amazing what they are able to do. They will use some of her own tissue to repair the hole in her heart. She will be in the Cardiac ICU for a couple of days following the surgery. We were pleased to find out that she will have her own room and dedicated nurse there, and that we will be able to be with her around the clock. We will be called in an hour or 2 after surgery, once she is in the CICU room and situated.
They prepared us for what to expect when we first see Corinne following the surgery. She will remain pretty sedated until sometime Tuesday morning. She will be hooked-up to many wires, tubes, etc, which the doctors say will be more stressful for us than for her. She will gradually be disconnected as she requires less monitoring. After she is stabilized she will be moved to the step down unit. We expect to be in the hospital a total of 5-7 days.
Grandmommy (Allison's mom) came in from Nashville around noon and picked up J and Meredith from a friends house (thanks again for watching the kids, Sheri!). They met us at the hospital for lunch so we could pick up J's new glasses while we were there. He looks so grown up with them. He seems to be adjusting to them well. We just need to work on keeping them on his face and out of his mouth. Meredith has been a big helper with that so far.
We appreciate your continued prayers. Surgery is scheduled for 7:30 am Monday 1/5. We will try to give brief updates as often as we can.
Dr. Pirooz Eghtesady will be preforming the surgery. He spent 45 minutes with us going over the details of the procedure. We feel very comfortable with his knowledge and his beside manner. The surgery will take 5-6 hours. It is truly amazing what they are able to do. They will use some of her own tissue to repair the hole in her heart. She will be in the Cardiac ICU for a couple of days following the surgery. We were pleased to find out that she will have her own room and dedicated nurse there, and that we will be able to be with her around the clock. We will be called in an hour or 2 after surgery, once she is in the CICU room and situated.
They prepared us for what to expect when we first see Corinne following the surgery. She will remain pretty sedated until sometime Tuesday morning. She will be hooked-up to many wires, tubes, etc, which the doctors say will be more stressful for us than for her. She will gradually be disconnected as she requires less monitoring. After she is stabilized she will be moved to the step down unit. We expect to be in the hospital a total of 5-7 days.
Grandmommy (Allison's mom) came in from Nashville around noon and picked up J and Meredith from a friends house (thanks again for watching the kids, Sheri!). They met us at the hospital for lunch so we could pick up J's new glasses while we were there. He looks so grown up with them. He seems to be adjusting to them well. We just need to work on keeping them on his face and out of his mouth. Meredith has been a big helper with that so far.
We appreciate your continued prayers. Surgery is scheduled for 7:30 am Monday 1/5. We will try to give brief updates as often as we can.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
A brief history
We are starting this blog to keep everyone updated on Corinne.
Before we get started with the latest, here's a brief history:
Corinne was born on September 3. At 7lbs 1oz, she appeared to be completely healthy other than a heart murmur. We were referred to Cardiology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital to check it out.
On September 8th, an echocardiogram confirmed that Corinne was born with a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), a congenital heart defect more commonly known as a "hole" in the heart (click here VSD info). Some VSDs (especially small ones) close on their own. Corinne's VSD is "moderate to large." The doctors have been monitoring her condition closely with visits to the Cardiologist every few weeks and, more recently, weekly weight checks.
The latest echo on Dec 12 showed no signs of the hole closing on it's own. Even with medication & increased calorie formula, Corinne is still not gaining adequate weight & her little heart is having to work too hard. On Dec 29th it was decided that surgical repair was required to close the hole - and the sooner the better. January 5th is the date. While we are anxious about the procedure, we were pleased to get scheduled so quickly.
Tomorrow we will go in for all of the pre-op testing, registration, and to meet with the surgeon.
We appreciate your prayers.
Before we get started with the latest, here's a brief history:
Corinne was born on September 3. At 7lbs 1oz, she appeared to be completely healthy other than a heart murmur. We were referred to Cardiology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital to check it out.
On September 8th, an echocardiogram confirmed that Corinne was born with a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), a congenital heart defect more commonly known as a "hole" in the heart (click here VSD info). Some VSDs (especially small ones) close on their own. Corinne's VSD is "moderate to large." The doctors have been monitoring her condition closely with visits to the Cardiologist every few weeks and, more recently, weekly weight checks.
The latest echo on Dec 12 showed no signs of the hole closing on it's own. Even with medication & increased calorie formula, Corinne is still not gaining adequate weight & her little heart is having to work too hard. On Dec 29th it was decided that surgical repair was required to close the hole - and the sooner the better. January 5th is the date. While we are anxious about the procedure, we were pleased to get scheduled so quickly.
Tomorrow we will go in for all of the pre-op testing, registration, and to meet with the surgeon.
We appreciate your prayers.
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