from my perspective

I know I'm late with this update but I'm working on recovering so we can get out of this place.  Plus I've been sleeping a lot, so there is little time for me to sneak on the blog.  Anyway, like last time we'll follow my day through surgery....here goes

Before we start I would like to thank you all for your prayers and thoughts.  It is great to have so many people on my team.  I love you!

5:00 am   I'm up and smiling ready to play for a little before my big adventure.
               Luckily my nurse has some free time.

6:00 am    I'm already back asleep, it takes a lot of my energy to be this cute.

6:10 am   Mom and Dad arrive and talk to the nurse.  She tells them the surgical
                team will come anytime after seven.  They are over my crib watching
                me sleep, creepy!  Parents can be so weird.

6:45 am    I know they want to cuddle a little before I hit the stage so I wake up.
                I get to spend time in both their arms (secretly I love it there, but
                don't tell them I'm trying to be a big girl)

7:30 am  The anesthesiologist comes to the room.  We've met him before because
               he did my Norwood.  Since I barely have any bells and whistles
               (three to be exact) to hook up to the mobile monitor hair and make-up
               goes quick.  And only two people are needed to walk
               me to the OR.

7:45  am   We get to the stage, Mom and Dad give me a bunch of kisses and
                 we say 'see ya later' I am ready for this, I grew big and strong
                 while I was at home.

8:00 am    Psych!  We are in a holding pattern due to an emergency.
                 I start crying cause I hate waiting.

8:30 am    They give me some sleepy medication through my oxygen cannula
                 so I will stay still and not cry for awhile.  Once I'm out they put
                 in my breathing tube, a new IV, my arterial line and scrub my chest.

9:15 am    We have officially started.  Dr. Ilbawi makes the incision in my chest.
                 First thing he does is clear out old scar tissue.  We need to make
                 sure my zipper is as pretty as can be!

10:00 am   I'm on bypass now and they have begun.  Like my mom told you
                  in the last post, they will take the vein that carries the blood from
                  my upper body to my heart and re-route directly to my lungs.
                  Usually they take down the Norwood, but since my pulmonary
                  arteries are on the small side they left the sano shunt in to help.  They
                  put a band around it to restrict blood flow.  This will come out when
                  I have my last surgery.

12:00 pm   Surgery is complete.  They are closing my chest.  This time they don't
                  need to leave my sternum open so I won't have to get it closed in
                  a couple of days.    Once they close me up, they will extubate.  If I
                  breathe on my own okay they will leave that stupid tube out.
                  Other than my raspy voice I'll never know it was in.

1:30 pm    I am back in my room with Mom and Dad.  I came out with way
                 more bells and whistle...I kinda forgot how much this stinks!
                 I'm crying a little and Dad says this cry is worse than my crazy
                 red-in-the-face cry.  Mom is emotional, every time I cry she gets
                  tears.  Should come in handy when I'm older!

2:30 pm    While the nurses get me situated with everything the p's
                 grab some much needed lunch.  They get to see Germany
                 score 5 goals in 20 about minutes, that has to be some kind of
                 World Cup record.

4:00 pm   I'm still making noises and moving around quite a bit, so
                we up my pain medicine a little.  Within a half hour I am out.
                 Mom and Dad leave to get some much needed rest.  I'll
                 most likely sleep through the night.  I need it if I'm going to recover
                 quickly.  Shouldn't be hard to beat my last recovery of two months!

As of Wednesday, I am still really puffy (really hoping there are no pictures) and have had very little urine output.  They are starting me on a lasix drip (medication to make me pee).  They say sometimes when you are on this medication for a while it takes a little more to work.  I know a secret....my catheter is clogged.  Once they take that out, I'll pee like a champ!  They started feeds too.  Thank gosh because I'm starving.  We are really hoping I don't have chylothorax again so I can keep eating breast milk.  I've become accustomed to a certain level of food and that formula is the pits!  Stayed tuned for my progress.  My mom will update you in a couple of days