The roller coaster ride

We are beginning to understand the ways of the PICU.  It is a roller coaster ride of emotions and patient status and well being.  It is two steps forward and one step back, which is to be expected.  Thankfully it is not one step forward and two steps back.  It is beeping alarms and eight IV pumps going at the same time.  It is bedside change of shift report that lasts for a half hour on one kid (mine) and 7am rounds with the cardiologist, the surgeon and the intensivist.  Currently it is a way of life and consumes me entirely.

I have said it before, but I look forward to the day when this blog goes back to being about everyday nothings.

I will start at the beginning.  Hannah had her surgery on Wednesday morning.  The surgeon closed the VSD and took her off bypass, then they did an ECHO and discovered another VSD that was tucked up way underneath the tricuspid valve.  So back on bypass (thankfully they do the ECHO before finishing the close) and they fixed the second VSD.  The surgeon also placed a stitch in the ASD.  They ended up having to leave her chest open overnight because she didn't tolerate closing it all the way.  She had some slight swelling and irritation of her heart and started to have low blood pressures, hence the big hole she came to the PICU with.  The surgeon had placed a patch over the hole and we couldn't exactly see her heart beating through it, but we could see the patch moving because of the vibrations of her heart.  This was fascinating to me.  From the moment I handed her over to the nurse at the OR doors I have felt peace.  It is surely only due to the prayers of all my friends and family and complete strangers!

I spent the night in the PICU last night, I will again tonight.  I did not get too much sleep last night.  Hannah was struggling with low blood pressures and an occasional irregular heartbeat and a few other things.  Needless to say her nurse earned her paycheck last night.  Hannah was a 1:1 and her nurse rarely left her side.  There were a few times when Hannah was acting up that most of the night staff were in her room.  These women are wonderful, I cannot say that enough.  Watching it from a nurse's perspective I have to say they worked so well as a team, so supportive of one another and working so hard to give my little peanut girl the best care.  From a mother's perspective I saw angels, caring for my baby.

This morning the cardiovascular surgeon and the cardiologist came in and decided it was time to close the hole.  They brought the OR team with them and closed it right here in her room.  I would have loved to put on some scrubs and watch, but probably only if it wasn't MY baby.  I'm experiencing something I hadn't planned on: I'm fascinated by all the medical stuff going on around me.  It kinda makes me wish I was a PICU nurse!

The rest of the day had been on and off exciting.  She ended up needing some pace maker type help for about an hour late in the morning, but the surgeon and cardiologist assured us she is not doing anything they wouldn't expect her to do.

Tomorrow hopefully we start to loose some of the "stuff" attached to her.  The vent and the blood pressure meds will be the first to go, I'm excited about that.

Will keep you posted...