Kate is making slow but steady progress. YAY! They are going to start trying to wean her from some of her meds (blood pressure, morphine, etc.). Her blood pressure has stayed pretty stable since they took her down to a lower dose, except when she goes into a deep sleep. Weaning the morphine should help her be a bit more awake and prevent the drop in pressure.
We have been moved to a different area in PICU and it's actually a ROOM with a door and a WINDOW!! :) We have sunshine in our room! It's wonderful to be able to see out.
One of the cardiologists explained to me why Kate's fontan has been different post-op than other children. Because of her anatomy, they were unable to do one part of the procedure (a small hole between two areas of her heart that would allow for better blood flow). This small hole is very beneficial--but Kate was not able to have it. This means she has the post-op fluid dump of the old-style fontans that were used 10-15 years ago. They characteristically dump a lot more fluid--which the nurses have been unused to. That is why all of them are so surprised by her high fluid dumping. She will dump a lot more fluid, for a longer time, than a normal fontan. It helps to have that explained!
Since we didn't know if she would get the fontan or the Rastelli prior to surgery, we didn't get a detailed explanation of either one. We were focusing more ont he Rastelli, since we didn't know until an hour before surgery that there was the possibility of a fontan.
Dr. Bove stopped by today and has promised to return for a photo when Kate is able to pose with him. :) Here is a really cool connection... The doctor who did her surgery in China, did some training HERE at Mott's!! So, the time spent with Dr. Bove and some of the other surgeons here, benefitted Kate before she even came home. AMAZING!! Her surgeon in China, Dr. Li, does many heart surgeries on orphaned children. He is a talented surgeon.
The sunrise this morning over the hospital. Felt like God was smiling... :)
