Overdue surgery update

Yes, I know, an update on what happened the rest of Isabelle's time in the hospital is very very overdue. Here's a quick-ish recap.

After the first day's worth of water deprivation was over (see last post), things got much better. Once the breathing tube was taken out, she was able to eat later that day. On a side note, one of the things I remember about her stay was choosing meals off the menu. Since our ability to communicate with her is limited, I often guessed and ordered meals she barely touched. However, thankfully, she absolutely loved the chicken noodle soup. Once we discovered it, she ate 1-2 bowls of it every lunch and dinner for the next four days!

While she was in the Cardiac ICU, we had the same daytime nurse for three straight days. It was comforting to know that we weren't getting a different nurse all the time. Patty was able to know how Isabelle was progressing and often would bring up concerns to the doctors that I had been wondering as well.

Anyhow, she was released from the CICU on Sunday (her surgery was on Thursday), and everyday she was clearing milestones. On Monday she was encouraged to walk around. She was reluctant at first, but by the time she had some space to roam, she was practically running around! I was afraid that she'd fall face first, since she was walking around hunched over (she looked like a tiny old lady)!

By Monday, they took her off all the cardiac medications she'd been on, and we were told that she could be released on Tuesday. We were glad to leave, but a part of me kept on thinking, "Really? You're letting us go this early? Is she ready?" Our cardiologist had prepared us beforehand that her stay would be longer than the typical patient born with similar heart defects (since her lungs were affected as well). She'd mentioned ten days, so, we packed for that much. Then when we met with the surgeon, the day before surgery, he told us that it might be as long as three weeks. So, needless to say, it was surprising and a bit nerve-wracking when they released her from the hospital five days after her surgery. I suppose that we shouldn't have been surprised; God can do things that go way beyond our expectations!

Oh yeah, the only pain medication she needed after being released was regular old Tylenol. It's crazy how children's bodies bounce back so quickly!

I have some pictures and a video from her last couple of days at the hospital, and when I figure out how to post it, I will.

Thank you to everyone who prayed for her and asked others to pray. She's doing amazing well!