Day of Surgery!

This is our little fighter after surgery. He is swollen like a balloon :(
His chest is still open-covered with a sterile bandage. It looks like a bow tie-he was stylin' !

Our little family. . . just before the came to get him for surgery.

Thursday, June 2, 2011 (Day of Surgery)

Jess and I arrived early at the hospital to be with Tritt for an hour. We were able to love on him before the nurses came to take him at 7:00am. We were able to follow him to a certain point into the operating section of the CICU. There we said our tearful goodbyes and were directed to the "same day surgery" waiting room. There we did just that. . . . . WAITED!!!

Dr. Burch had said that he wouldn't be starting the surgery until 9am. The prep work takes time. They had to drop his body temp. around 24 degrees, put him on a pumping system that monitored his heart and lungs, IVs, tubes and such (I call it all BLING!!) Then they began the first incision right around 9am.

We had a nurse practitioner--Ann-- who came out of the operating room and gave us several updates each hour, on the hour. She was usually within 2 minutes from the last visit. I greatly appreciated her promptness. We were told that surgery would end around noon or one depending on what went on. Unfortunately this was not the case. After they did the "first" surgery, they had to warm his body temperature up slowly, monitor everything with an ECOgram, then wait and watch to see if there were any issues. During this time the doctor found out that his artery and coronary were laying on top of each other constricting the blood flow. They once again had to lower his temperature, monitor, go back in and elongate the coronary to make it longer so they don't constrict. The part put in was a human organ called a pulmonary valve and conduit, that will possibly have to be replaced as he grows older. (I am having a really hard time with this possibility, but right now I cannot be concerned with it. I have to keep telling myself to focus on the moments now and cross that bridge when we get there).

We finally were able to see Tritton around 6:30 that evening. He was very swollen. Although we were prepared for this image, it was still hard to see our little boy so sore with more bling attached to his little body. The doctors were worried that since he had been on the lung/heart machine twice that his kidneys would have a harder time getting rid of the excess fluid (basically getting rid of it through his urine) There were two nurses with him that night watching him consistently. Dr. Delgaldo was very adamant about us leaving and letting the nurses and doctors work their magic that evening. She knew that we had a long and very emotional draining day. She assured us that if there was any problems that she would call us.

We have really taken to Dr. Delgaldo and I believe her to us. I have observed her with others and she is a little more professional and to the point, but with us she is that with a compassion that just yields to friendship. She hugged us both and told us to go take sometime that night to be together. She also mentioned that she was going back to Ecuador to do some training and wished us well, hoping that she would see us before we left, but wishing Tritton a speedy recovery. I sure felt a warm feeling as she spoke these words to us. I knew my baby was in good hands. We will miss her!

Surgery was hard on all of us that day. It will be a day that I will never forget how I felt and the emotions that came so freely. It was hard to accept that it didn't go text book, that there were complications and future surgeries as he grows. But at least we have the chance to have him with us and to raise him. It was a hard day to try and find the good among all of the mishaps, but together Jess and I talked it through and helped each other understand that the Lord has his hands in this and will strengthen us with whatever we will have to face in the future with Tritton. Jesse shared a story with me in the waiting room and helped me see that although it was not a complete successful surgery, that the end result was one of progress and a path to healing. I can't express in words the gratitude I feel for him and his ability to see through situations so clearly with so much faith. He has mentioned to me that through this process he has been able to "see clearly" and understand fully what is going on around us. The way he talks and asks questions to the doctors and nurses is amazing. I honestly can't keep time straight each day and he is able to completely understand what we are being told and asking questions I would have never thought to ask. What a blessing it is to have him here by my side, I couldn't do this alone, this "sight" he has is a blessing in itself. Yes the Lord truly has his hands in all things. . . . how blessed we truly are!