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Tuesday, May 1, 2012

I {Heart} Anniversary

Today is an infamous anniversary: One year ago today my little chest and my even tinier heart were open on an operating table for a surgeon to work on. I was 8.5 months then. Just days ago I had an ultrasound, with the esteemed Prof. Rein, that showed the patch is just as perfect now as it was exclaimed to be then. I am doing fine.

So fine, in fact, that I have more energy than the average baby! I hardly need any sleep especially now that my ally, jet lag, is aiding me in the continuing War Vs. Sleep.

I am very grateful for my new and improved heart (well it is my original heart that is improved, not new) and for all of the opportunities it will afford me as I begin my very active stage of life. The AV canal surgery is a thing of the past for me, and my friends Hallel and Ephraim. Whew. Let's get on with life!

Here are some pre-op photos of me in the hospital gearing up for surgery:


Mommy is trying to evade my gaze as I had to fast
and, well, mommy reminds me of food!

Me throwing a pout mommy's way. That's what she gets for not feeding me.

Halfway into my hospital garb.

Now in the OR waiting room. 

See you later, Abba.

Despite the threat of my screams for lattes, mommy bravely
escorted me into the OR where she held my hand until I fell asleep.

My last pre-scar photo. We would reunite 6 hours later.





See GongGong keeping bedside vigil?
And don't worry, that is iodine, not blood on the gauze.

My trademark swirl has also survived open heart surgery.
See? Everything is returning to normal!


In case these photos don't show up, here is the link to pre-op pics and this is the link to post-op pics.

Here is a post from a day after the surgery last year that describes my Braveheart-esque resilience:


Day 2 Update


Babies are notorious for pulling their tubes out after an operation, the doctors said. We wake up or even just flutter into consciousness and immediately go to war on the foreign objects protruding from our bodies. It is a natural instinct for babies. Amazingly, adults don't fight these things and tend to make better patients, the doctors have alleged.


Thus they are trying to keep me sedated. Try as they may, being the valiant warrior that I am, I have opened my eyes a few times already. I quickly closed them though as all I saw were computer screens and a boring ceiling. As my aunt - Zia Em - recommended, I might as well get in all the sleep I can now so I can be awake ad infinitum once these tubes are extricated. And since the scenery is boring, and I keep missing my parents when I do awake, I might as well just get some shut eye.


Speaking of tubes, there are more tubes than there is baby. They are monitoring every possible function my little body can undertake. 


I have caused just a touch of concern to the doctors and my parents, though I am stable and all my vitals are looking good, there is a constant drip of blood still leaking from various orifices. That is a cause for continued prayer - that the bleeding stops. They aren't sure from where I am bleeding, but it is coming in drips and filling up a large measurement for a being my size. They are trying to clot my blood now so that it stops. They don't think it is something that will require more surgery and it could just be residual blood from the op, but it has to stop nevertheless.


I will keep you posted!


Oh, and sorry no photos, but my photographer/mother has decided I am not living up to my usual cuteness with all the tape and wires draped across me. 

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