She is being weaned from the ventilator little by little with the hopes of getting her off of it today.
The surgery yesterday was long and yet uneventful! She went on bypass beautifully, she opened easily, and she came off bypass smoothly. There was some trouble with her rhythms so the pacemaker team came up and they worked until they figured out the problem. She is not even using the external pacing wires, her permanent pacemaker is doing all the work already.
Dr Baird was able to get a 19mm mechanical valve in her! That is Huge!! He said you almost never could get a valve that size in a child her size because the extra flow could cause some partial heart block. Well..... Ivy already has complete heart block and a Rolls Royce Pacemaker to assist with that so they didn't need to worry about heart block issues. She also has been in heart failure so long that her heart is enlarged thus giving them another small bonus to using the large valve.
Our doctor said that he does not think Ivy is going to be a very big adult and so this valve will last her a very very long time. At least into her 20's! Possibly longer!
She will be on Heprin forever now. She'll wear a little medical alert bracelet and we will add the Heprin to the list on it. She should finally have ENERGY due to this new valve. Doc thinks her eating will pick right back up and her recovery will be easier.
I hope to have news that she is awake the next time I post! And I hope she is off everything!! Meaning no cpap, no bipap, no oxygen!! No feeding tube!! Ok ok one thing at a time!
Thank you for continuing to lift this precious child in prayer!
Please Lord, let this be done, no more surprises!!
Mama is all out of feathers in her hat! And Ivy is tired!
And yet.... You all know there is nothing I would not do to get this child home and well.
Life is such a gift!
Hug your entire family, every single member, a lot tighter and a lot longer this week! I can't wait to hug all of mine!
