heart surgery
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Once more unto the breach
The doctor from the infectious diseases just paid us a visit. His recommendation is that Namine’s chest should be opened back up, cleaned out, and closed up again.
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Incision complications
Namine has been here in the hospital since Monday, and we still don’t have an idea of when she’ll be able to go home. Despite having a CT scan, the doctors can’t explain why the incision in her chest is opening up again.
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Namine’s shoulder
We heard from one of Namine’s doctors yesterday. He called to inform us a bit about her right shoulder, which we recently discovered is not bad because of multiple line placements, but rather because of a birth defect.
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Another blood draw
Remember those blood draws? Well, Namine had another one today, again to check her INR. They dropped her coumadin dose since last time, so here we are again.
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Despite the fear
Since Namine’s chest incision from her heart surgery is taking longer to close than originally anticipated, she had to keep it covered with gauze and some tape over the weekend. She was none too happy about it, either, especially because her skin is very sensitive to adhesives.
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At the cardiology clinic
As you can see, Namine was super cheerful today. She knew what was in store – an x-ray, a blood draw, and then on to see the cardiologist – but nothing could sour her mood. No, not even the blood draw.
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Blood on the sheets
Every morning, before I leave for work, I move Namine from her bed to “the big bed” (her name for Jessica’s and my bed). This morning, as I picked her up, I noticed two things: blood on both her bed sheet and her nightgown.
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Trip to the hospital
Remember Namine’s hematoma on her chest from last night? Today Jessica took Namine to the hospital to get it checked out.
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Late-night scare
Last night, when I was getting Namine ready for bed, I noticed something: the scab over the incision on her chest was half gone. What’s more, she had a nickel-sized bruise. It hadn’t been there that morning, of that I was sure. We immediately got on the phone with the hospital’s special needs and cardiology…
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Therapy eval
Namine’s occupational therapist came to our apartment this morning to evaluate her. Tuesday marked a full two weeks of recovery after the Fontan (which is still crazy to me). It’s time to start thinking about getting her back into the swing of things, and that means therapy. Her right arm especially needs some attention, after…
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We’re going home today!
Well, it’s official. After rounds this morning, the doctors concluded that Namine is doing well enough to go home. Now we just have to wait for the discharge papers. If past experience is any indication, we’ll likely be here a while yet.
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Diuretics and liquid diets
This is what happens when the left hand doesn’t know what the right is doing, kids. The other day during rounds, the doctors had a bit of a freak-out. You see, Namine was on two different diuretics and a restricted liquid diet. So of course they were worried that she would get dehydrated.