it was easy handing you over because we wanted you fixed! we were simply frustrated and exhausted of trying to figure out how to get the milk in and get you to gain weight. what you were able to drink while tiring, you wiggled off later. it seemed that you were 8 pounds forever! you did so well with surgery and even showed off, trying to escape the crib in PICU. you tired down trying to get through those rails and fell asleep, so your nurse just let you be once you gave it up.
but then there were complications - your heart rate kept dropping out of sight and they had to intubate you a couple of different times. you fought on though. they wanted to take part of your stomach and wrap it around your esophagus because of your reflux, thinking this would help your heart rate. and then they found blood on your brain and thought it must come off. they thought a pacemaker would be necessary to regulate your low heart rate. we prayed and prayed baby girl - everyone was praying!
what heart-wrenching stuff me and daddy went through sitting in to-be-discarded chairs out by the elevators on the 5th floor of DUMC. we called everybody we knew and asked them to pray. your PICU nurses told us not to be alarmed when we returned to see you because you would have a tube coming out of your head where the blood was drained. well, during all that praying, another more experienced neurosurgeon took a look at your brain scans and did not feel that draining blood was necessary - there just wasn't enough there, he said. no one could figure out why your heart rate kept dropping and why you would quit breathing. you stopped breathing once while i was holding you during those 2 weeks but i don't think no one wanted to believe me, although your machines were alarming.
when they finally let us back in to see you, that drainage tube was not on your head. what surprised looks we had on our faces! what miracles God performed during those last couple of days of your hospital stay! no stomach surgery, no brain surgery, no pacemaker, nothing but 'almost' discharge papers right out of PICU. they sent you to a step-down room one night because you don't just get sent home right out of PICU! you've never been the same baby girl. you've fought so hard from day one and God has blessed you many times over with great strength and health. your heart rate has never dropped again.
it was such a rough time for you and i know you didn't understand what was going on and why we didn't just take you on home!
but you became content with your surroundings and were such a big girl dealing with all of the racket in that place. i don't mean to sound ungrateful. we are VERY blessed to live so close to experienced heart care centers. and we loved all of your doctors and nurses. PICU is just not a place anyone wants to hang out. daddy detests it the most. but he was SO faithful to stay with you in those late, late hours when i could just not go on without some sleep. we are very proud of you Janna. you've endured yet another heart surgery since 2005 and you've come to love and/or tolerate your doctors and nurses. we'll visit your cardiologist next month to see how that leaky valve is doing. i'm holding my breath and praying very hard that that ole leak will just stop! God truly blessed us when He sent us you. it's hard to believe sometimes that He would entrust us with such a treaure. you are such a reflection of His great love and mercy. and you're becoming quite a little pray-er with all your new words lately. fight on baby girl - you're doing a great job and mama and daddy love you very much!
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2 comments:
That is crazy- it was 4 years ago? She has grown SO much! Love her cute baby pictures!
Karli's 4 year anniversary is this August. Doesn't seem like it was that long ago! I'll be praying for a good report from the cardiologist. Hugs from me & Karli!
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