Day’s 3 & 4

Sorry for not posting anything sooner.  Its hard to concentrate when you’re only getting a few hours of sleep.

Grace went in for surgery yesterday morning (Thursday).  They took her from the step down unit around 7:00am.  We went with her to the pre-op area, where they drugged her up.  She was acting so silly and wasn’t  bothered at all when they wheeled her away. 

It was after 11:30am when we got word that they were finishing up and that all went well.  We saw the surgeon around noon.  Dr. Azakie said that he had to make two incisions, one big one on her left side - from the front of her chest to the same place on her back - one small one on her belly and a chest tube.  The big incision on her left side is very close to the same spot they used three years ago.  The other two are new so she now has two more scars to add to her collection. 

Things got a little crazy when she came down from the O.R.  She woke up sooner than they expected.  By the time Dave and I got to her room in the PCICU nurse Helen, whom we affectionately call Auntie Helen, told us that as Gracie woke up she tried to climb out of the bed and tried to pull her breathing tube out… TWICE!

They continued to keep her sedated and she would continue to wake up, panic, then go back to sleep.  Each time got a little easier for all of us.  Until around 3:30 we all got together to hold her down as she was extubated – not fun with a three year old.  Once the tube was out Grace calmed down… I’m sure the additional Versed and Morphine had something to do with it as well.

My Dad and his girlfriend Rita came to visit around 4:00.  Grace was still really sleepy but waking up often.  Dave and I thought it might be a good time to go grab some dinner together since Grace would be drugged all night and we knew she was in good hands with Helen.  So we asked Dad and Rita if they would mind sitting with her so she would see family in the event she woke up.  They were happy to stay, so Dave and I went to  Burgermeister for burgers and beer.  If you are in the city and craving a burger you must try this place the burgers are awesome and we just learned that all draft beers are only $3.00 on Thursdays… YUM.  It was a really nice break from the hospital.  I think we were gone about an hour. 

We returned to find that another of our favorite nurses, Megan, would be taking care of Grace overnight.  Only to find a few minutes after her arrival that she got pulled to take care of another kid.  We got a different nurse and as soon as we met her we she was pulled to take care of another kid as well.  Finally we got nurse Gina whom Gracie’s had had before.  Gina is really nice and we were lucky to have her.  She is so good with Grace. 

It was another rough night as far as Dave and I sleeping.  I took the first shift with Grace and Dave went to sleep in the parent sleeping room/conference room.  He got about 3 hours then came to relieve me at 11:30 pm.  I went down around 12:30 I got to sleep for 3 hours until Gracie wanted me so Dave and I switched again.  He got another three hours (lucky!).  I was able to get little cat naps here and there but the next thing I knew It was 6:30 and Grace was wide awake. 

Friday was a good day.  Grace is recovering nicely.  Today she was able to get out of bed and sit in a chair twice and she also went potty in the big girl potty twice.  She got to play with bubbles and her personality started bubble up again.  She really liked getting her picture taken with her doctors and nurses.  She even started getting picky and wanted to preview the photos and even retake those she wasn’t happy with. 

Her nurse Nelsie and I gave her a sponge bath today and we found the biggest snarl of tangles on the back of her head.  Thought I was being so smart when I brushed out her hair and put it into braids before surgery.  Oh man!  I am dreading having to brush this out.  It may be time for a short short haircut for our little Princess Grace.

Today Grace also got to talk to her sisters and brother on the phone.  She misses them so much.  I think Grandma and Grandpa Truhe are going to bring the kids to visit tomorrow.  I can’t wait to see them.   Her mood is getting better by the hour.  She is actually playing and being silly with the doctors and nurses. 

The plan is to get her off of the nitrous oxide (NO2) & Hi Flo O2 and get her on a regular nose cannula for O2.  Once Grace comes off the NO2 and Hi-Flo she’ll be moved back to the step down unit.  The next step will be to remove her chest tube.  After they remove the chest tube I believe we have to stay for 24 hours of observation before we are OUT OF HERE!

Just spoke to one of the doc’s on her team.  She said things are looking good for getting discharged on Sunday.  Keep your fingers crossed.

And a huge thank you to Jen Wade (whom I first met online in a support group for heart babies). We met in person last week when our kiddos were neighbors in the 7 North step-down unit.  It’s a small world after all.  After a day of being next to each other we realized that we’d been long time readers of each other’s blogs.  Crazy!  She was so sweet to follow up on Gracie then came by Gracie’s room on 7 East and brought us lunch.  Jen, those sandwiches were so good.  THANK YOU so much.