Kate has had two busy mornings with lots of tests and blood draws. They are being careful to leave no stone unturned while they check out her heart for any sign of infection. So far, her blood cultures have been negative. I think we have another 24 hours to go before the cultures are considered done.
She has been relatively happy unless medical personnel comes into the room. Due to her unknown type of infection, she is not allowed to be around any of the other patients--so we scored a private room. (There is always SOMETHING to be thankful for!)
The worst part has been the IV's and blood draws. They cannot use the IV to do the blood draws because it contaminates the results. So each morning they come with their instruments of torture to draw a few vials of blood. She goes completely nuts. She tried to be brave for the first one and now she bites her lip for about 3 seconds and then goes straight to hysteria. I don't really blame her. She lost her IV last night--vein collapsed (which happens sometimes..it's normal) but a drag for her. She had to get a new one and they tried her hand first. They were able to get the needle in, but there is so much scar tissue in that hand from previous IV's, that they couldn't get the catheter in. UGH. Out came the needle and into the other hand they went. Kate was crying and yelling, "Mama! Mama! Mama!" Poor baby.
They told me afterwards that she is such a 'fighter' and a 'tough cookie.' It's funny because she always seems so frail and helpless at home. Hmmm...maybe it's all an act....a diabolical plan to get waited on hand and foot....mouhahahahaha....
This morning she had an ultrasound to check her spleen. They said sometimes kids with transposed hearts have other organs transposed and they don't work correctly. I think everything was okay with the ultrasound--so hopefully the spleen won't be an issue.
It's almost 11AM and she hasn't been allowed to eat anything today while we wait to do an Echocardiogram. They had planned to sedate her--but there was a mix-up and the sedation didn't get scheduled. I think that was a God thing because the last time she got sedated for an echo she had a psycotic epidsode. I have told them this--and they have decided to take her to anesthesia, where they can use some more sophisticated meds to try to sedate her (not put her under, though). So that is on the agenda for later today.
I think this has been worse for her than her heart surgery because she was so loopy then--and on so many pain meds. Also, they were able to keep a port that they continually used so that they didn't have to keep sticking her all the time. This time, she is fully alert and keeps getting tortured every few hours.
The doctor just came in and said that after her echo, he is hopeful that she can go home! However...she developed a rash on her leg today that they have to watch to see if it spreads. They aren't sure what it is--but think it is probably due to the infection. So far, they know that she has tested positive for a staph infection.
But hopefully....we can go home tonight.
