Henry's Surgery Day #2

Let me preface this by giving you a little update on our surroundings. The PICU is a closed unit that has individual rooms for patients and families. We have a chair and recliner in his room and a bathroom, so we are very comfortable and able to spend most of the day with him in his room. Henry has many physicians that frequent his room (Hospitalist... like Henry's primary care physician during his stay here, Cardiologist, Cardiology Surgeon, Nurse Practitioner, Respiratory Therapist and.. well, I'm sure I missed someone!) and all very open to talking with us about his progress and answering any/all questions that we have. Our nurses are on one-on-one with Henry and amazing! There is no cell phone access, but wireless Internet so it has been so easy (especially with Henry being asleep) to update everyone and catch up on emails, texts. So, thanks for all the well-wishes, thoughts and prayers. They are like a blanket surrounding us and we feel them constantly!

Henry had a peaceful and uneventful night last night and got some much needed rest! Julie and I were "kicked out" of his room by his evening nurse (not really!) and told to get some sleep in preparation for the next couple of days. SO we are rested and doing great this morning too (I actually can't remember the last time we got 5 hours straight of sleep!). The surgeon closed his chest this morning and the procedure went very well. I know some of these details can be hard to swallow and I apologize for the bluntness, so proceed with caution:) He has some staples in his chest now and continues to have the ventilator (vent), an NG tube (to his stomach), and multiple lines in his arms, neck and foot to administer medications and monitor blood pressure, etc. He is on a number of medications to assist with heart rate and keep his pain under control. His O2 Sats are improved and it's thrilling to see them in the mid to upper 80s (up a great deal from mid 60s-70s)! Here is a picture of our brave little man in his crib...

It is great news that they have closed his chest so early and an indication that he is moving forward in his recovery. He was put on a vent during his surgery to breathe for him which remains right now. The providers here have warned us that the process of taking him off the vent can be a "one step forward two steps back" kind of process, and that having parents present and comforting is very important. They will balance pain control, and oxygen (breathing assistance) during this process to help him start breathing independently as he wakes up and make sure he is comfortable as well. We are anxious to see his personality (feistiness and all!!) resurface and hold him (our arms are in withdrawal!!) but we keep telling him to take as much time as he needs.

Henry is holding Mr. Giraffe (his wubee) right now and I have already read him The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Tiger book this morning. As the process of "waking up" happens, my updates will be more brief:) But they will continue as we take breaks- it is a comfort to me to reflect and update. Thanks again for the support!