So, Carter finally got a little rest yesterday afternoon. He had been fighting sleep ALL day. This is totally normal for him, because he HATES to take naps. Addy and Ethan stayed at Grandma and Grandpas house on Monday night and Nana watched them for us during the day and picked up Aunt Michelle from the airport. YAY! They came up to see him as well as Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Lori. We took Addy and Ethan to the playroom then went and ate at Cafe Rio. It's only been 2 days and we are already sick of hospital food. I feel bad for the people that are here for long periods of time! We came back after 8, which is when they open back up after shift change and he was still asleep surprisingly. Dr. Kaza (the surgeon that assisted our surgeon Dr. Burch) came in and told us how great he looked and how they were very pleased with the way that the surgery went. He said they really felt like he did not have Ebstein's. He may have to have more surgeries down the road if his Tricuspid valve starts to leak more or if his right atrium starts to enlarge again. He said his atrium is still large, but they can't reduce the size too much, or it will interfere with the electrical activity of the heart and cause major problems.
We were planning on going home for the night on Tuesday because the sleep rooms really are not fabulous. Plus, they were full. I left around 8:30 and Ryan was going to stay until Carter was settled for the night. Around 11, when Ryan tried to leave, Carter heard him and woke up. He was begging for him to stay, so how could he refuse? Poor Ryan ended up sleeping out in his truck for a few hours once Carter finally went to sleep. He came home about 6 this morning to shower and get ready for work. Then we headed back up to Primary.
When we got up here today, they had just taken out his arterial line and his jugular line. They had turned off his Milrinone (med for heart function) and his Nipride (med to keep his blood pressure down). They started him on Enalapril yesterday, which is an oral blood pressure medication that he will go home on. A little while later, his Nurse Practitioner came in and took out his chest tube and his pacer wires! YAY! They only thing he has on him now are leads that monitor his heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation.
We got him out of bed and he took turns sitting on our lap. The child life specialists brought around BINGO cards and they do a hospital wide broadcast on the TV's and everyone who wants to play can play. It was so cute. He got the first bingo and they just brought him a prize. It's a cute camo fleece blanket. He also decided he wanted to eat something. They advanced his diet today, so he got to call the hospital room service hotline to order food. What did he order??? french fries, grapes, and Gatorade. I love all the cute services they have at this hospital. It makes a hard situation a little easier for the kids by making them feel special! This hospital is awesome!
The plan is to move him out of the ICU to another floor today. We'll keep ya posted. Thank you so much to each and every person that has been praying for and thinking about our little man! It is so humbling to think about all of the love and support that have been shown to our family. We are amazed at some of the stories and experiences we have heard and are so grateful for everything. We're especially grateful to our Heavenly Father who got him and us through this!
Posts
