monday night post-op update

Mia's surgery went well today. The surgeons were able to repair her diaphragm without any major complications, and she is resting comfortably under heavy sedation.

They initially made three small incisions in her left side and attempted to do the repair using a camera. All of her intestines and also her spleen were found in her chest cavity, and the surgeons were able to push them down to the abdominal cavity where they belong, They were unable to repair her diaphragm through the small incisions, so a larger incision was made just below her ribs. Through this larger incision, her diaphragm was sewn back together, requiring only a small postage stamp-sized piece of Gore-tex to patch the hole completely. She did not require a chest tube to drain the fluid from her chest cavity, which is a relief. A chest x-ray taken shortly after surgery shows that her left lung has inflated, and although it still needs to grow and develop a bit, it eventually will be a fully functional lung.

There is a chance that the diaphragm could tear again, either immediately, or as she grows bigger, but if all goes well, she will not need surgery again in the future. Only time will tell.

As for her recovery, we continue to be on the "take one day at a time" plan. We saw her shortly after surgery and she looked like she was already breathing more comfortably. Before the surgery, you could tell from the outside that breathing was a struggle for her. Her chest would rise and fall unevenly and her abdomen would "suck in" from time to time, especially if she was trying to cry and couldn't take a deep breath. Now, her chest rises and falls with each breath much more naturally and her little belly looks full, since her abdomen is properly filled with internal organs. I'm looking forward seeing her little eyes again, but for now, I'm glad she is sedated enough that she will not feel the pain from her ordeal.

Sending such a tiny little one into surgery was stressful, but we had plenty of family waiting with us that provided a good distraction. I am still waiting to feel the relief I thought I would feel after the surgery. I am glad she tolerated the operation well and the surgeons were able to repair her defect, but I'm still hesitant to feel true relief. She looked so healthy this morning as we followed her transport bed to the surgical unit, eyes wide open and looking around. We have been warned by numerous nurses and doctors that she will likely take some steps back as she recovers. For example, she may need to be placed back on the INO (nitrous oxide machine) to help her breathe, she may need to go back on the Dopamine to help her heart contract. It will be difficult to see her back track.

I am hoping the relief I need comes as we see her make small improvements each day. Hence, the "one day at a time" strategy I have come to live by...sometimes it is just hour by hour. Ryan and I will go up and say goodnight in a few minutes and then try to get some sleep, and that is about how far in the future I can plan at this moment. We will face tomorrow's challenges tomorrow.