Second morning post-op

Muriel quietly sleeping.  Note that four of the pumps in the picture are now turned off.

Since 1:30PM yesterday afternoon Muriel has basically been sleeping.  She wakes up for a few minutes at a time - long enough to inhale a few ounces of Pedialyte.  She has been allowed 24oz per day, and drank right up to that between 1:00PM and 7:00AM this morning, counting the IV drips and ice chips we fed her yesterday.  She slept the whole night through from 11PM to 6:30AM, for a very thankful night nurse.  Megan and I actually slept at Ronald McDonald house last night after securing promises that they would call us back if she woke up and needed us.  No call came.

Feeling a bit more refreshed this morning we arrived before morning rounds, and got to listen in as the surgeon, floor doctor, and nurses discussed her case.  It was the first time I listened to the entire conversation.  Last year I want to say we weren't allowed, and actually were asked to leave the room during rounds.  A few policies seem to have changed.  The level of detail was something I hadn't experienced before, and it was very interesting.  Updates from the doctors typically leave all this detail out, and boil it down to high level descriptions of things that are concerning or otherwise going well.

We learned that her blood pressure had dropped slightly during her last administration of Phenobarbitol at around midnight.  For that reason they stopped the Lasix (Fuerosemide), a diuretic meant to help drain the excess fluid buildup in her tissues.  That is being restarted this morning and may be joined by aspirin (if she proves she can tolerate food) or Heparin for blood thinning, which we will go home with possibly for life.

Other things are quickly disappearing.  Her oxygen flow has been reduced slowly overnight from 5Lpm to 2Lpm and will be reduced further today.  Nitrus Oxide has been almost completely removed and should be turned off in the next few hours.  You can see from the pictures that four pumps are no longer active as various drugs have been discontinued.  Her Foley Catheter will be removed this morning - the first of the large tubes to go.  The chest drainage tubes will stay through the weekend.

We had to leave the room while a chest xray was performed, and we are waiting on the results.  They are looking for fluid build up in/around her lungs.  An echocardigram was also performed to check the flow through the new (Fontan) bypass.  Should hear more about that later, but no one is expecting anything odd as all her monitors show it is working well.

First meal post-op - gone in 30 seconds

I did just notice that her blood oxygen saturation seems to have dropped (to 93% from basically 100%), and I grabbed one of the surgeons to take a look.  We watched it for a few minutes and it didn't change, so she just upped the oxygen flow to 3Lpm and said they would watch it.

She was allowed to eat one of her squeeze pouches of pureed fruit, which she inhaled faster than I have ever seen her eat!  Literally 30 seconds and it was gone, which she wasn't happy about.  We had many more, but had left them at Ronald McDonald house.  I ran over there but by the time I got back she was sleeping again, and is still now.

It is so nice to see her relaxed today after the horror of the night before.  What an emotional roller coaster.  Megan and I are holding up well, though, and make a good team.  Helps tremendously to know so many people are following her story and sending good thoughts.  Please keep them coming.