Delay till 3p

The surgeon is just beginning his first surgery so we won't be starting until 3 at least. Strictly clear liquid diet until then so pray for kiddo :)

Checking in

What Papas are for

Pre op over

Athan was a real champ. He charmed the nurses and docs from beginning to end of the appointment. With the exception of the blood draw, he was all smiles and giggles and "yes please" and "cool."

He's got the green light for surgery tomorrow. We thought it would be at 8 but he is the second surgery instead. We arrive at 9.30 and will start some time after 10.

Tonight we will have dinner with the grandparents, followed by a crazy-good scrub in the bath. Stress dose of meds and hopefully lots of good rest.

Pre-op

Checking into Cook's for pre-op. Athan digs his new backpack. Thanks Mrs. L

short delay this time

Sorry I'm slow on posting this!  Due to scheduling issues for the Cook's Cardio folks, Athan's surgery is now postponed until the first of next week.  We'll go in for pre-op on Monday May 7th, and surgery is now Tuesday May 8.  Only a few days delay this time, and hopefully the last one.

So it went down like this

We knew Athan had a bit of a cough. We were talking with the RN at the cardiology office, and she said without seeing you, we just can't say for sure. So we took Athan on to Cook's for pre-op, knowing we might not be having surgery.

Athan did a great job during the appointment. The only things that really upset him were the things I didn't prepare him for (because I didn't know they were coming). We were really SO proud of him, and next time we can even prepare better now that we know what's coming.

So the chief concern and reason for postponing the surgery was that Athan has some congestion in his lungs, and maybe some wheezing along with it. He doesn't seem to even feel bad (no behavior changes, no loss of appetite, etc), and he does not have a fever. However, during such a long surgery, he would have to be on a ventilator for a long time. Post-op, one of the important tasks of recovery is to be able to clear the lungs well. Going into surgery with any respiratory challenges could prolong recovery, and increase the risk of infection or other complication. The last thing anyone needs after open-heart surgery is increased risk!

So, we postponed. It is, obviously, the best plan for Athan. The logistics of rearranging our schedules and such are a pain, but well worth it to make sure Athan is as well as possible before the procedure.

For all who have brought gifts and notes and care packages for Athan, we thank you. I've set it all aside in a special place, and we'll pull them all out for him again in a few weeks. Our whole family remains very thankful for all the ways you've cared for us.

Reschedule

Well Athan has a cough and some wheezing. Nothing too severe, but reason enough to wait until he clears up to do surgery. So no surgery tomorrow. Looks like late April or early May. Thanks for praying and we'll need it again in a few weeks!!

"when are we done wif pwe-op?"

Waiting at pre op

Pre-op check in

Just arrived at Cook's. 1st step: chest x-ray.

Restful day today

Thanks Alayna for the awesome pillow! As you can see, he digs it.

Surgery Schedule

Athan's heart surgery will begin Thursday morning (4/12) @ 8am.

We will arrive in Ft. Worth Wednesday morning for pre-op, etc.

Pre-op haircut!

a happy moment

Ok, I know this could be a fluke, so I won't get too excited. Still, this made me smile:

The kids were watching a short video and having a snack while I cleaned the kitchen. Athan got up and brought his trash (granola bar wrapper) into the kitchen and threw it away. Without a word to me, he got a napkin and wiped his hands, and then got out a cup, filled it with water, took a drink, put the cup back on the counter, and returned to the movie.

It seems simple, I know. But just celebrate with me, for a moment, what he did NOT do. He did not leave his trash in the living room floor. He did not wipe his sticky hands on the recliner or on his shirt. He did not yell for me to bring him a napkin or a drink. He did not leave his cup half full of water in the middle of the floor, nor did he throw it in frustration.

Morgan craves independence so much we have to remind her that she's still 7, not 22. Athan, on the other hand, has been more resistant to our encouragement toward more independence. For a moment today, that was different.

A happy moment. :)

cardio surgery consult

So I'm trying again to keep up the blog. :)

We just had our consultation with Dr. Tam, the heart surgeon at Cooks Children's. He described the procedure to us (no surprises), and we set the dates.

Pro-op: Wed, April 11.

Surgery: Thurs, April 12.

eye surgery postponed

Athan's fine. But Cardio says we'd better do the surgery in a hospital so he can be on a heart monitor during the procedure, and our current doc is only set up to do surgeries at a surgery center that doesn't have heart monitoring capabilities. So he's referring us to a pediatric eye doc in Ft. Worth who does surgeries in a hospital.

I'm glad we're being cautious. No complaints about taking the safest route. I'm a little frustrated that it took so many appointments before we figured out that a referral was needed. Still, everyone was very helpful at both offices in town today, and got my surgical pre-payments refunded quickly and fully.

So we'll meet the new doc soon and start the process over.

pre-op for eye surgery

We went in for our pre-op appointment for Athan's up-coming eye surgery today. It should be a short, simple out-patient surgery next Wednesday, and they'll kinda loosen the muscles on the inside of both eyes to keep them from turning in.

Now the week of jumping through medi-communication loops begins. We actually already had an appointment with Cardio for this Thursday, during which we have to get them to send all of Athan's info (through the Cardio lens) to the docs at the surgery center for review. Same with Endo, plus stress dose instructions for his IV Steroids (because unlike the saintly Dr. Irene, we haven't gotten a letter yet from our new doc with instructions for surgeries and emergencies - bah!). Then the anesthesiologists convene over his compiled medical history and decide if we're ok to proceed as planned. If they decide Athan would be better served to do the surgery at the hospital instead of the surgery center, we'll have to reschedule.

Barring any red flags, one more surgery for kiddo a week from tomorrow.

some other stuff we do

Blue pants because it's too hot already (yes, we will get him a haircut soon):

Ryan lays sod in the backyard:
Morgan dresses up for 50s Day at school:
And Western Day:
And we hang out with Grammy and Baby Mae:

Vacation

Planes (Dallas to St. Louis to Chicago to D.C, then D.C to Denver to OKC to Dallas):
Trains (into Baltimore and back with the Crisps to visit the science Center):


And automobiles (lots of driving, too. Trip to train station pictured here):


It was really good to see our friends the Crisps! What a great way to vacation! The Wilmore Diaspora better watch out - the Strebecks like planning vacations to intrude on old friends. :) I think the kids had fun: