Waiting...

Megan, Aunt (Cookie) Gayle, Great-Aunt Kathy

Sooo glad we came last night and had a fairly stress-free morning getting ready to come to the hospital.  Muriel was in a very happy mood - smiling and even laughing when Mommy tickled her.  All our careful feeding plans came together as she finished her last bottle by design right at 9:30... then she threw it up, sigh. Even had time to make a quick omelette in the RMH kitchen.

What... me worry?

Made it out the door on time and bumped into Megan's Great-Aunt (Muriel's Great-Great Aunt!) driving randomly around the hospital grounds wondering where she was to park, etc.  Lucky!  She followed us in and we waited in the pre-op for several hours while they took blood and vitals.  Earlier surgeries were delayed, so we were able to feed her a small amount of Pedialite to keep her hydrated.  We met the anesthesiologist and several nurses, who explained the steps that would be taken to get her prepped for surgery.

Not long after the nurse visit we had to give her kisses and let them wheel her off.  An emotional moment.

Now we are in the day surgery wait area, where we will spend the rest of the day and evening.  Met another of Megan's Aunts here, who brought cookies!  We have been here an hour and a half, and the surgery nurse just came for her first update.

Basically she is now ready for the actual surgery.  It took longer than usual to get all of her tubes connected.  As we learned during her cath lab last month, one leg has no central vein to tap, and the other is occluded (possibly due to the extended use during her first surgery).  After failing to get her lines in her legs, they tried on the left side of her chest, failed, and ended up in the right side of her chest.  Hope I am getting all that correct - it was just explained rather quickly.

Sleeping with Mommy in pre-op

We were told that she may end up with a central line directly into her right atrium, which may or may not come out after surgery.  This adds some complications later, as it has to come out eventually, but they can't apply pressure.  The small incision will have to close on its own which will involve some amount of internal bleeding - I assume will drain via the drain tubes that will also be present after surgery.  I'll try to expand on this later when she is finished and we know how it has all turned out.

In the meantime, we wait.  Potentially six hours.  The nurse will come out every hour or so to give us an update, though she warned that the surgeons don't talk much in this stage, which is understandable I guess.  As long as things are going close to plan, she probably won't have much of an update.  I'll try to post as she gives us information.