Little Mia - one week and one day old - one big surgery

Baby Mia went to surgery this morning, she was wheeled downstairs about an hour and a half ago.  We are anxiously waiting to hear from her doctors, but most likely have a few more hours to wait.

I snapped a picture this morning while she was awake and looking around.  She has been hanging out under the lights for some jaundice since yesterday and doesn't like the goggles that cover her eyes.  I think she enjoyed looking around and just hanging out for a bit.  She looked pretty healthy this morning, considering the circumstances.  She has a great nurse today who let me change her diaper, take her temperature, and wipe her mouth with a warm cloth...the normal things moms do for their babies.

Surgery for little Mia is absolutely necessary, but obviously risky, and we've been warned that she will be taking some steps backward as she recovers.  She will have a chest tube to drain the fluid from her chest cavity, she will likely need to be placed back on Dopamine to help her heart work, and she will be heavily sedated for a while so that she is comfortable.  Her puffiness will return since so many fluids are given during surgery.  She might need some extra help with her blood gases as her lungs heal, but we are hopeful that she will not need the ECMO again.

Much of the outcome remains uncertain at this point, because until the surgeons can actually see it, they do not know the size of the diaphragm defect or the condition of her lungs.  They will begin the surgery with a small incision on the left side below her ribs and attempt to repair the defect using a camera.  However, if the problem is too severe, they will need to make a larger incision.  The best scenario would be if the defect is small enough to be stitched closed, but if it is too large, they will use a Gortex mesh to help close the hole.  Mia's rate of recovery will depend on all of these factors.  I feel prepared to see her sick again, but I'll be anxious to see her recover.

If there is one thing we've learned about Mia in the past week, we know that she is tough and has a strong will to live.  I know this will help her recovery most of all.  She has already proven her strong will just by surviving through her first night here.

In our short (yet long) time here at UC Davis, we've seen a lot of sick people, and sick babies, but I have already been able to see a few go home.  It is such an uplifting experience to watch a two year old boy walk himself out of the PICU just two days after heart surgery.  There are great healers that work here and we are so thankful that we live close to a facility like this.  I am certain that no matter how risky, Mia is in the best hands possible.

As we sit here and wait, I think about my little girl on a big table with brights lights and skilled surgeon hands, just hoping and praying they can put her back together in the way God intended.  I pray for her strength and for her health and for a quick path down the road of recovery.