Just wanted to give a quick update on Olivia.
She has been getting more and more blue on a regular basis, so we have scheduled her heart surgery. Her pre-op is on Friday March 16th (heavy-duty EKG and such), and her surgery is on Monday the 19th. She should be at Children's Mercy Hospital downtown for around two weeks or so and we'll be in and out each day, with one of us staying overnight each night.
What will they do for this surgery? Glad you asked.
—Cut open her chest
—Put her on heart and lung bypass
—Take out her heart
—Cut it in half
—Insert a synthetic middle wall made of Gortex or Dacron
—Sew her heart back together
—Put it back in her body
—Jumpstart her heart again
—Sew her back up
All this will take about 5 or 6 hours.
Olivia is the happiest little girl we've ever seen, so we hope this whole ordeal doesn't change that ... I can't imagine why it would, but it sure is a lot for a seven-month-old to go through.
We would appreciate your prayers for Olivia (and pitch one for Amy, too ... moms have a unique way of carrying more than their fair share).
I'll give more info soon.
2 comments:
Wow. The "cut it in half" part really gets me. We will sure keep you all in our prayers. That is a lot; it must be hard enough to just see your baby turn blue, much less undergo the surgeries you have described.
I took care of a 2 year old having multiple siezures the other day (both parents were ill with the flu, but they still had to be there for their baby). After a few heartbreaking episodes, IV's, meds and 4 hours of monitoring his listless body; I took him on a stretcher with portable monitors and oxygen to the CAT scan department with both parents in tow. On our way, I noticed the little guy's eyes start to open as the air rushed over him, so I sent his mom to the front of the stretcher to comfort him.
"Momma," he said with a weak little voice, "I'm goin' FAST!"
Of all things to say...I hold onto his excitement to remind me of children's resiliance to malady when I wonder and fear how terribly their circumstances will affect them. It sounds like you both have taught Olivia how to feel joy already, so she will always find her way back to it...no matter what she faces.
Love,
Steph
We are praying for Olivia and for your family...keep us updated.
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