I don't want to use the term stable because it insinuates she is fine. However, she is stabilized in that she is not fine, but in a controlled environment and being cared for.
She's on some medicine (prostaglandin, or "prostin" in the biz) that makes her feel flu-ish even though she doesn't have the flu. She has waves of heat and chills, irritability (she's getting a bad rep in the ward), her appetite comes and goes, and stuff like that.
It's not fun to see her like this, and I can't say I understand why they were doing this to her, so I (nicely) grilled them with one main issue: give me a list of pros that outweigh the cons of just going ahead with the surgery. Why is it necessary to make her feel terrible and put off the inevitable?
Their answers:
—Her strength will increase noticeably in the next few days.
—Recovery will be faster and more assured once she has more meat on her bones and an established feeding pattern.
—Her little body (organs, arteries, etc.) will decompress and become more pliable compared to the "scrunched womb state" she has been in.
—This will allow the surgeons to be more successful with manipulating her plumbing.
—She is stabilized, after all, so there is no need to rush. However, if a sharp change occurs they will proceed immediately.
—Extra monitoring is helpful.
—More doctor-ese lingo (no comprendo).
There are probably a few more.
Plan of Action
—All the surgeons and specialists have their weekly meeting Friday morning. They will discuss Olivia and come to a consensus. More brains = better outcome ... or something.
—The heart catheterization will happen soon, but the dates keep changing.
—The shunt will be put in soon after the cath is done.
—Recovery will be 10–14 days. After the third day we will know more closely how long recovery will take.
—She comes home after that. I'm sure we'll get more info on that later.
—At some indefinite time later (months? years?), she will have at least two major open heart surgeries to give her bigger arteries. Her body will tell us when that needs to happen.
—After that, she should be closer to "normal" than ever before, but never 100%.
What am I saying?!?! I'm not leaving any room for God in all this.
Wow. Let's try something else...
—God can heal her.
—We would like to see her healed.
—We are praying for God's creative miracle in her heart and respiratory system.
—We'll switch gears and pray for all the surgery stuff if that needs to happen, but until then, it's all God.
Create in her a new heart and restore something steadfast within her.
3 comments:
Josh - Thank you so much for all the updates. Anna and I are glad to hear that you little girl is doing better and things are looking up. We are still believing for a creative miracle. Thank God Olivia is doing well!
p.s. do they have wireless at the hostpital or are you sneaking onto the computer's at the nurse's station?
To quote someone else, "You know you are an IHOPer if you can't understand why a place wouldn't have wireless." And they do.
Hey Josh, Amy & family--Thank you for the continual updates. I showed Micah & Mikayla the pics of Amy & Olivia on your blog & the kids are now remmebering Olivia in their prayers without prompting form us. Last night Mikayla prayed, "Dear Jesus, please help baby Olivia's heart to feel all better & help her grow stronger & stronger & stronger". We love you & will not stop praying on behalf of your whole family. May you know the peace & love of Christ in very tangible ways during these times. We love you--Tim, Julie, Micah & Mikayla
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