SUMMARY: IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!!!! So if you want to stop reading you because she is doing so well and we are so happy about how things went...your thoughts, fasting and prayers continue to show miracles! If you want more on how things went, here are the details...
DETAILS: we got there about 6:15 this morning and ended up waiting till 8:15 to finally get her into surgery. She hadn't eaten since 3:30 in the morning so things were getting pretty close there at the end and she survived thanks to the binky, walking and rocking (this girl loves to eat and when she doesn't get it...blue faces can happen...literally!). The anest. took her back and we went and waited in the cafeteria for updates.
The cardio nurse came three times to let us know when they were finally done with all the "prep" work ( multiple IVs, arterial line, cvp line, NG tube, ET tube, monitors...all the fun stuff. Luckily they put in 1 IV and then put her to steep to do the rest--which was good because the anest. said she definitely turned blue and needed the surgery when she got upset!). Then the nurse said she was on the bypass (hear lung machine--this was a surgery where they put all the blood on a machine to continue to pump throughout the body and then cool the body down and stop the heart to work on it). Then she was off the machine, the echo looked good and they were starting to close her up!!
The surgeon came to talk to us around 1pm I think and told us what he did. One HUGE thing was that he was able to do all the repair in less than and hour! That means less than an hour on the bypass=much faster recovery=decreases risks=Mckinley does much better=comes home sooner! YeAH! So he fixed the VSD ( the large hole in the middle of the bottom chambers). Cut away the muscle that was blocking the pulmonary (lung) valve (the biggest problem--it was hardly letting any blood get to the value let alone up into the lungs), ended up cutting the pul. valve (it was smaller then they thought originally, only 4mm and it is supposed to be 10-11mm--so this will need to be replaced when she gets older), and then widened the pulmonary artery (the tube after the valve leading to the lungs). So he did all that in less than and hour---he is an amazing surgeon that works here on Tues. and then goes to Stanford and another hospital, he is the head surgeon in this team and known around the world. We are so blessed!
Then we waited for a while again while they got her settled in PICU. The rest of the afternoon she stabilized and did amazing AGAIN!!! Usually there are heart rate problems, o2 problems, blood pressure problems...anyway, she didn't have ANYTHING! So they started weaning her off the ventilator (the machine breathing for her) and letting her wake up! So by the time we left tonight around 10:00. They took her off the machine and was breathing on her own with some oxygen!!!
Truly amazing, truly a blessing, truly another miracle in our lives...
(will try to keep you posted on how her next few days go but as you can tell we are pretty optimistic!!)
17 comments:
I checked your blog last thing last night, and first thing this morning. I'm glad you posted something so that I could stop worrying! I'm glad it all went so well! That is such a wonderful feeling. That must have been incredibly scary to take your little baby girl in for major heart surgery! I can't even imagine. You are so strong, and she is lucky to have you. I will pray for a quick recovery for her.
awesome news! we are so happy that everything went well yesterday. thanks for the update. we love you guys!
I felt a lot of peace about the surgery all day yesterday until late last night and you still hadn't posted anything. I am so happy you posted and let us know everything went great! For a mother of a heart baby, McKinley looks beautiful after surgery. Hardly swollen and extubated already! I can't believe it. I don't think things could have gone any better. Wonderful news. You have quite the little miracle baby. Recovery can be tough even scary, but I think it will be smooth sailing for McKinley. Things will get so much easier soon. Rest & Relax. Congrats!
John & Susan
I'm so glad everything went so well. We are thinking of you guys and will keep praying for McKinley!
I am so thrilled that things went well for you guys. We love you guys!
Thank you for sharing the wonderful news! I'm so filled with gratitude and happiness for all of you! We were praying for you constantly yesterday, and are SO grateful to get an update, and such wonderful news at that. You guys are amazing, handling such a stressful situation so calmly and well, and Mckinley is amazing, handling everything so beautifully at such a young age. We love you guys and admire you all so much! Our prayers will contine that everything will go smoothly and you'll all be home together again soon!!! Love you!
So I couldn't help but tear up when I read how wonderful things went for Mckinley! She is so strong and I knew things would be great! Your family was in my thoughs all day. We will of course continue to pray for a fast recovery!
(she doesn't even look like she just had heart surgery in those pictures! she is so amazing!!)
What a little sweetheart! What doctors and modern technology can do these days is simply amazing. It's sad to see such a little one hooked up and tied to so many things, but she looks good considering everything she's just been through! We're glad it went so well, and pray that she continues to do so!!!!
This is wonderful news! I am so glad you were able to have so many miracles with this surgery and your sweet baby. Truly an answer to many prayers!
So grateful that the surgery was such a success! We hope she just continues to get stronger and stronger.
That is amazing news! I am so glad everything went well! You and Ryan are such strong people and all of your children are truly blessed to have you as their parents! We will continue to pray for a speedy recovery!
Oh, I am SOOOO happy to hear everything went so well. Love you!
Fantastic news! we are so excited for you. keep the updates coming!
I'm so happy for you that things went well. Our prayers will continue to be with you and with McKinley as she recovers.
Such wonderful news! Thanks for taking the time to post and let us know. I have to tell you that 20 years ago when my little one was in the hospital, they did not have a heart-lung bypass machine for babies. I am thrilled to hear that they have made such wonderful strides!
Yeah, Yeah! Congrats for you all. Good news couldn't have come to better people and you have such great attitudes! Mckinley is like the Little Engine That Could! She's just "I think I can, I think I can" up the big hill of surgery and once at the top and on to recovery, she's, "I thought I could, I thought I could." What a fighter (she must have learned it from her parents)! I hope everything continues to go so well, you dear people. Much love!
I'm so glad the surgery went well. My thoughts and prayers are with you during the recovery.
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