Visit with Eliana's surgeon yesterday

Just to update on Eliana's most recent medical appointment.  She was scheduled to meet with her surgeon one last time yesterday (Fri 4/27).  When we arrived we also found out that she was scheduled for blood work, a chest x-ray and an EKG.  Wish we had known that in advance so I could have given her some tylenol.  She didn't like the heel prick and cried and cried as they tried to get enough blood drawn.  The other two tests were easy and she didn't mind them at all.  Everything was fine with both the chest x-ray and EKG.

We had a good meeting with Dr. Jaggers.  He thinks she looks well and is healing well.  Her incision site looks good and her bones (sternum) are also healing well.  He said that often it is hard for bones to heal well because babies can be very wiggly  and pull the bones apart, though thankfully that hasn't happened with Eliana.  She is approved to be on her tummy and to have a bath.  We still need to be careful on how we hold her so as not to put stress on her chest (something that might pull on it like picking her up under her arms).

We asked some questions about her surgery and learned that her ASD (Atrial Septal Defect)  was larger than they thought prior to the surgery.  Instead of suturing it, he also used a patch on that hole.  The patch is made from a "gortex" material that is resistant to bacteria.  Her skin tissues will grow around it.  As he was explaining what he had to do to repair this hole, he was looking for paper.  I handed him my notebook and he drew a picture of her heart and where the holes were located.  Explaining how the ASD was under the septal leaflet of the valve.  (Sorry if this is too much technical info, though some will like it.)  He had to cut away the tendons (may not be the right word) that helped this valve to open and close to be able to get to this hole and repair it.

Dr. Jaggers seemed to like explaining all of this and I think it's neat to have the hand-drawn picture from one that has seen her heart.  Eliana's baby scrapbook is going to be filled with a lot of unusual things - whenever I have time to get back to that hobby.   

I'm going to go nap while the house is quiet and Eliana is sleeping.  She is feeling better, though still having some fussy times.  Yesterday about 5:30pm she started crying and wouldn't be settled.  I tried feeding her and she seemed hungry.  After swallowing though, she cried more.  Not sure if she is still having pain in her throat?  I tried a little longer to feed her, then stopped and focused on getting her settled.  She fell asleep and didn't wake until 7am this morning!  The day before yesterday we had a similar time only she fell asleep about 4 or 4:30 in the afternoon and slept until the next morning.

More later. 

Love,  Leslie