Day 3
Last night's sleep was still interrupted but not nearly as much. Our day began at 3:30 a.m. when Melia called out to me, "Mama," and then proceeded to try and sit up by herself! I was quickly by her side. She sat up in bed and asked for "noonul," (a.k.a. noodles). After eating cold Ramen noodles (yuck!) she laid back down and for the next three hours we took short cat naps occasionally interrupted by visits from our night nurse.
I must mention how wonderful our night nurse has been! She has been attentive to Melia's needs as well as mine. What a gift to care for young children, babies and their families. We have had a very good PICU experience at Childrens Hospital in Omaha.
Around 7 or 8 a.m. Melia asked for, "Rocky, rocky," (a.k.a the Rocking Chair). I held her in my lap for the next two hours as she slept in my arms. We were having a fabulous day! She had no morphine since the day before, pain managed well with Tylenol and Ibuprofen, talking, more active and animated. She was also given an IV dose of Lasix to help her start peeing. Well, it worked! As we sat in the chair together I felt a warm sensation cover my lap. I happened to be talking to a friend that had brought me coffee and Melia was tangled contentedly in wires on my lap so I just sat there for awhile. Disgusting, I know, but you do what you have to do!
When I stood up I was covered from my waistline to my knees in Melia's pee! Of course, a group of residents and docs was standing outside Melia's room ready to round on her when I walked out of her room drenched in pee to go clean up! It was quite comical. Anyway, I did clean up and was able to join the docs for their discussion about Melia. Everyone was quite pleased with her progression in healing and the results of her Echo, labs and X-rays from the day before. They were ready to move her to a regular Med/Surg bed, but there was no room on the 5th floor, so we are staying another night in ICU. They also determined that she could have her Artery Line removed from the left wrist and get up to move as much as she would like.
So, shortly after rounds the nurse started the cumbersome process of removing all the sticky tape to pull the "Art-line" from her wrist. This was Melia's first episode of crying for the day.
Ryan and his mother arrived around 11 to take over Melia duties so I could run home, change clothes and do an afternoon of work. Before leaving we introduced Melia to the wagon. She loved getting out of the room and wandering the halls of the ICU. We even ran into a therapy dog that she showed some interest in.
All in all it was a much better day with less pain and tears. I marvel at how much can change in just 24 hours. We pray she will continue to improve by leaps and bounds every day.
The afternoon was somewhat uneventful other than some scheduled Tylenol and the redressing of her chest tube site. I returned at 5 to spend the rest of the evening and the night with our sweet girl. Hallie and Ryan were attending to her and she received a huge bouquet of balloons from my running friends. She did some more rounds in the wagon and enjoyed chilling out in the rocking chair with Hallie.
My only concerns right now are her lack of appetite and that she has not produced #2 yet! I am hopeful and prayerful that tomorrow she will want to eat and drink a little more.
I can not emphasize enough how overwhelmed with peace me and my family has been during the past few days. Saying thank you can not even begin to show my gratitude to all the people that have prayed and interceded for us during this time. I am filled to overflowing with thankfulness to God and the wonderful people in our lives that have prayed, called, visited, sent gifts, texted and supported us.
The physicians have emphasized the importance of continuing to watch Melia's heart function closely but the concerns about complications continue to diminish with each day that passes. Surgery #1 is almost behind us~hallelujah!
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