Summary of the Last Few Days at Primary Childrens Hospital

Friday, June 17, 2011 (Post Surgery-Day 15)

Snuggled tightly in bed...Dreaming!
Look at the size of those lips!!

Waking up...This kid loves to stretch. It takes him 5 minutes to get it all out!
The wires attached to him are monitoring his oxygen levels, heart rate, and breath.

Tritton had a nice nurse for the night shift, but we felt really nervous, since there was not the need for the 24 hour watch, since he was doing better. But we felt he needed a more watchful eye so neither of us slept well.

We had decided to stay one more night at the Ronald McDonald House and then I would take the morning to clean up the room (you have to do all the cleaning work) while Jess would go to be with Tritt.
It took me most of the morning to clean, do our laundry (since we didn't know how long we would be staying at the hospital with Tritt), and then repack it all. I was glad to have it done when Jess can back to get me. We definitely had a car FULL.

Jess informed me that, that morning after being taken down to x-rays, Tritton threw up everywhere. Not a good sign. And again that afternoon he did it again.
He has got to quite doing that so we can keep food down and go home! Little stinker!
They will probably be sending him home on a medication for his acid reflux.

Tritt had his hearing test in the afternoon. Normally they do this test when they are born, but since we didn't have a "normal" entry to life, he got today.
I was concerned since all of his trauma/surgery and various medications can cause hearing loss. But he PASSED with flying colors! It was a long and quite process, but he was so good and let the gals do what they needed without any fuss. We will have to have his hearing checked again in 3 months just to make sure he is still Ok, since he will still be on some meds and the effects can not show until many months later. So we will cross that bridge when we get there.

He also had speech therapy come and work with him some more on his sucking from a bottle. He is doing well, but tires out quickly. It will just take time for him to build the stamina for it.

We spent the rest of the day with Tritt hanging out in the room. We didn't dare leave his side, but his day-time nurse coaxed us into going out for an early dinner. Which was a needed

break. We actually made dinner plans with Brett and Alena (friends we made while at PCMC-their little boy is 5 days younger than Tritt and he also has heart troubles).
We ended up going to Applebee's and met their other two boys! It was a nice evening, but we were eager to get back.

We slept on the make-shift beds they have at the hospital. We both didn't sleep too well since we could see his oxygen levels drop and rise, which was very haunting to me, but the nurses said that was "normal" and it would even out eventually. WHATEVER! I still worried. So between that monitor and the 3 hour feedings (first trying with the bottle and then the feeding tube) who slept??!!

~~~~~~

Saturday, June 18, 2011 (Post Surgery-Day 16)

After the doctors' and attendings' rounds that morning, we were given some terrific news. They proposed that if Tritt's blood work came back good and if he didn't throw up too much today we could possible be heading home tomorrow! Which tomorrow was FATHERS DAY!!
We have never wanted to hear those words so much!
We prayed for a good day...but in all things there is opposition.

When they came to take him blood, most of his veins were not good anymore...since he has been a pin cushion for a month. So they had to draw the blood they needed from the top of his head.
That was so hard to see and hear.
We had to hold him down as they tried to get what they needed. And Tritt was not having it!
He fought the whole time and because of all the struggle on his part, threw up all over...and it was everything he had just ate the 30 or so minutes before!

They eventually got the blood and off they went. We were feeling quite upset at this time since he would have not thrown up had he not been so upset himself. We were coming to the conclusion that it seem that every time he threw up (in some cases) he had just ate and not long after they were working on him. Well I would throw up too!
So needless to say...STRIKE ONE!

The blood work came back a few hours later and his levels were not what they had hoped. So he had to go back on another medication to help level it off.
STRIKE TWO!

No strike three in this game...we were not going home in the morning.
We were quite put down, but we had a feeling it was a long shot.
So we hope for Monday if all goes well....hopefully!

We hung out with Tritt the rest of the day and Jess was good to let me go with Alena shopping to get a break. We had both wanted to go get our husbands something for Father's Day. It was a good break and I needed the "girlfriend support" as well.

~~~~~~~

Sunday, June 19, 2011 (Post Surgery-Day 17) FATHER's DAY!

Dad organizing the tubes and wires. This was a constant happening. We are not going to know how to hold him without bling hanging from him... :)

Dr. DAD listening to his heart!
ALL Business!

LEAVE ME ALONE!!
I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!

Jess loved to snuggle him. And Tritt loves his daddy's voice.

Poser! Sleeping and posing for a great photo opportunity!!
What a Kid!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY JESSE!
You are a new Daddy!

We woke up this morning, got ready, and went to the LDS sacrament meeting that the PCMC branch. It was a nice meeting and much needed.
When we got back to the room and I Tritt and I gave Jess his Father's Day presents! He loved it as we both made a fuss over him!
We called our families and wished both our Dads Happy Father's Day.
Since the loss of my dad a few years ago, this day had always been hard. But now with the birth of Tritt, I can have a new outlook on the day.

Later that morning, Annie, his attending doctor on the 3rd floor, came with good news. If Tritt had a good day...kept food down and was passed by speech therapy, his blood work leveled out, and if they could order and complete the order of spinning out the fat of my breast milk (since he is on a strict no-fat diet for 6 weeks-due to the accidental cutting of lymphnoids during surgery), then we could go home tomorrow!!

REALLY?
Could we be going home...
Finally...?

The Lord works in awesome wonder!

~~~~~~~

Monday, June 20, 2011 (Post Surgery-Day 18) Going Home....? YES WE DID!!

Waking up...and snuggling with Mr. Bear!

During the night Tritt had to be tested to see if his oxygen levels would be Ok for the drive home. So they had us bring in his car seat and they strapped him in it, while he slept.
PASSED!! One down, 3 to go to get home!

That morning, Annie came in and informed us that there was not enough people to spin the milk and that we would have wait until tomorrow. ARG! Our shoulders dropped.
But later that morning she came back with the dietitian and they informed us that even though there was not enough hands on deck...they would get it ready somehow.
Annie pushed her weight around and the dietitian had to comply. WHEW!! THANK YOU!!
Ok, 2 down, 2 to go!

Speech therapy came it to see and saw that he was doing amazing and cleared him to go home!!
3 down, 1 to go!

Blood work came back GREAT! Tritton did it! WE were all going home ... finally!
What a relief....or was it???
There was a lot of work to get down to get us out of there. Paperwork, ordering medications, more paperwork, and the hurry up and wait game.
We had to put the milk on ice (dry ice) so we went and got a cooler with to bring it home.
I was not ready for all the emotions and unknowns to hit me all at once. But I was overwhelmed!

We had to have a feeding pump ordered and brought to us. Then we had to figure out how to work it, since it was a long way home and Tritt would need to eat 3 times before we got home.
At that time, I thought, "Maybe staying here longer isn't so bad...?" But I quickly came to my senses and dug in my heels for the long haul.

Finally around 1:00 that afternoon we were cleared to leave the hospital with all the medications, pumps, bags of hospital goodies, medical instructions, appointments, numbers, and most importantly our little guy!

We made it, but once we walked outside the hospital doors I was freaking out! There was a man smoking outside (in the designated area), but here we are walking out with a new born who just had major heat surgery PLUS major complications, who has never breathed anything else besides clean-filtered hospital air, and here this gentleman was SMOKING!! I nearly died!
It was all I could do to get him in the car and doors locked!
That mother bear bore herself in true form in just seconds of walking out of the hospital.
Had I known that this was just the beginning of what I like to call the "NEW MOM Hibernating Bear syndrome"

GOING HOME!!
In his car seat for the first time!
He was so tiny in it.

First time wearing clothes.
I had taken several outfits! Later it would prove to be a good thing!


After leaving the hospital, we were absolutely famished. We had not eaten anything that morning. And with a long ride ahead of us we decided to grab a bite. Not wanting to I complied, since it was a long trip home.
After we got back in the car (about 2:30pm) we had to figure out Tritts feeding pump and got him feeding as we began to travel home.

Every bump of the car Tritt's arms were flailing all over the place. He was not use to anything like this...it must have been a roller coaster to him.

The car was loaded! There was not much room for us. I sat in the back with Tritton while Jess drove. The ride was going smoothly until we got to about Provo. Then it was a nightmare the rest of the way!

Tritt was not comfortable in his car seat...it was obviously hurting his chest and in addition to that, he was coming off all the high powered pain killers. That morning they gave him a minuet amount to wean him off of it. So we gave him some Tylenol to calm him down. Nope didn't work.
During all of this he pooped every where and we had to stop, change him off the side of the road, and then it was time to feed him again!
In the mean time he is just beside himself bawling!
And we had not even made it to the town of Payson yet!

We got on our way again, just to have him crying constantly (knowing he is in pain), he pooped for the second time, and I finally gave up on keeping him in his car seat.
So I held him most of the way home, while Jess drove the slowest he has ever in his life. And if you know Jesse, slow is not one of his speeding settings, but I believe it is now!

We finally made it home around 8:00 that evening! It took us 6 hours! Where it usually would take around nearly 4. I was so grateful to be home and to walk into the door carrying my handsome baby boy.

Although visitors were a big NO, NO. Jesse's parents came on by to see Tritt.
And before they came, he pulled out his feeding tube! YIKES!!
So since we were trained on how to put it back in we were ok with putting in another, but not before we got a picture of him for the first time, without any tubes or wire attached!

Look NO Bling!

The night was a rough one indeed. I didn't get any sleep.
I worried about him not breathing, since we didn't have the monitor to know what his oxygen levels were or his heart rate. Feedings were every 3 hours and it would take about 1 1/2 to feed, then sleep for another hour if possible, just to wake up and do it again!
That next morning Jesse took one look at me and called my mom to come stay and help with Tritton, since he had to go back to work that morning.
Needless to say it was a rough adjustment to home-life.

But through it all we wouldn't change the experience we have gained as a family and as a couple. We have grown closer to each other and have a better understanding of what truly matters in life. We know the meaning of sorrow and happiness, we lived it everyday while at PCMC. But the Lord places these Earthly challenges to keep us Eternally in check and humble to petition him for his guidance and protection.
I have learned to never give up, never doubt, and never NOT thank my Heavenly Father for the trials and tribulations that are our crosses to bare. For he knows exactly what is necessary for our mortal growth. I honestly didn't think that I could make it through several days, and the thought of loosing Tritton was so hard to think of, but I...WE made it through.
The true power of Faith, Prayers, and Fasting are real...through my Lord Jesus Christ miracles can and do and will happen.
Each time I hold my little boy, I hold a miracle! And for some reason he as well as our family had to deal with this ordeal, but we are stronger and more empathic because of it.
We are a Forever Family...

"The future is as bright as your Faith" -President Thomas S. Monson