Day 1 After Surgery

Liam had a pretty good day today. We finally got Liam's medications dialed in to where his pain is comfortable, and his sedation is only enough to keep him from moving around too much. Unfortunately he is not shedding the fluid buildup that is common after cardiac surgeries fast enough to be taken off of the ventilator. However, the doctors intend on removing him from the ventilator tomorrow. He has to pee out a certain amount more fluid than they are giving him in order for the breathing tube to be removed. As of dinner time tonight, he is 1/3 of the way there and he is getting another dose of diuretics this evening.

Liam's heart rythym is strong and consistent. None of the arythmias that are a prmiary concern following this surgery are present. Liam's blood pressure is consistent and right where it should be. While Liam is supported by the ventilator, he is also breathing on his own. Liam also had one of the tubes that were placed into his heart removed. One less tube is always a good thing and is a sign of progress.

Because Liam is under heavy sedation, Lauren and I are sleeping at home again tonight. We will call at least as many times as last night for updates on Liam's status. Last night's sleep plan didn't work out as well as we had hoped. Caroline is missing us since we're gone so much and is really sensing the severity of the situation. She was up several times last night so we didn't have the restful night that we planned for. However, we were also reminded that while Liam has dominated our attention over the past seven weeks, we have a wondeful little girl who needs our love just as much as Liam does right now. So we have adjusted our schedules to make sure that at least one of us is home from the hospital early enough to spend some good quality time with Caroline each night.

We cannot say enough good things about the staff at Children's Hospital and the care that they provide. Each person on the Cardiac ICU is professional, calming, and extremely attentive not only to Liam's needs, but to ours as well.  We know that Liam is getting the very best care that we can provide for him, from a world-class cardiac surgeon, to a respiratory technician with a personality that brightens even the darkest rooms. Liam is in good hands and we are hopeful that once we get him extubated, he will begin achieve recovery milestones in rapid succession. Hopefully tomorrow brings another day of progress. We look forward to him being removed from the venitlator and to being able to feed him again.