Alex and I went back to see Katie. She is hooked up to all kinds of machines; the lung machine is breathing for her; the urine catcher is catching….well, her urine; the IVs are giving her fluid (you know, wo the UC has something to do); the heart/blood pressure/oxygen machine is monitoring her…..you guessed it—her heart/blood pressure/ and oxygen!! All the machines are doing their respective jobs so she doesn’t have to work at all. The two nurses let us stay in there for about an hour, then they gently kicked us out so they can now start waking her up. Parents and family are not allowed to stay in there in case they get in the way. So, we are back out in the waiting area…..waiting. Another family moved into the corner Alex and I had staked out earlier. At least it’s a quiet family. The Cackle Family, on the other hand, is still here in full force.
Alex and I spoke to the doctor when we first went back to the ICU. He said she has a “bovine valve” now, and he repaired a little hole in her heart they had discovered when they did the heart cath and TEE. The hole is pretty common….it’s called “patent foram en ovale”. (I only know the full name of that because I have the report from our family doctor in my computer bag.) It’s been discovered that the “patent hole” (my new term) can cause migraines, which she gets a few times a year. Maybe she won’t get anymore now.
I’m so glad that yesterday the nurse told us about how swollen she’d be so I was prepared for it. Her face was very swollen, she didn’t have her normal beautiful pink color….she looked exactly like she just came out of major surgery….which she did. Nothing like on tv.
But, I got to hold her hand—sort of---and be with her, so I was happy.
Gotta go. Katie’s tubes are out and we can go back in. Yay!!
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