What a Difference a Year Makes

At this hour last year, Gilly and I held our sweet baby girl entangled with lines, tubes and wires in our arms tightly. At around 8:00 the nurses finally told us it was time to send her back for surgery. We gave her kisses and had to put her in the hands of the medical staff and in God's hands. She was facing her first open heart surgery with odds that no parent wants to hear. Gilly and I waited near the phone in the CVICU waiting room for updates each hour. First she was sedated, then her body cooled, then her chest opened. Although each call meant she made it through a critical step, my nerves could not be calmed. I just prayed for God to keep her safe.
Our family sat close by waiting with us and praying with us. At 1:30 we saw the surgeon walking toward us with his report. Dr. Forbess told us that the repair went well and that there were no complications. I was so proud of our little girl!!
It was still an hour before we were able to see her wheeled through the hallway and still another hour before we made it back to her room. She was peaceful, but her little body was overpowered with the numerous "hardware" that she would slowly shed day by day. Even though these next 72 hours were still so critical and Gilly and I stayed by her side, I honestly can't really remember the details of them. The room was constantly filled with doctors, nurses, respiratory therapist, lab folks and so on. They monitored so many things at once, it was all so incredible. I don't remember if we slept or if we ate or how we really spent that time, but we were there with her.
It was still about 48 hours before she was extubated and could try to eat. But when she took that first bottle, the nurses and doctors were so thrilled as were Gilly and I. It wasn't long before we could hold her again and even change our first diaper! (Which was a total disaster.. I had a mess all over the wires for those poor nurses!)
Rylynn's recovery was super swift (in HLHS terms) and she seemed to accomplish each milestone just before she should have. God truly had a hand in her recovery and growth. So today I can once again thank Him for our blessings, we have a perfect angel because of Him.
Cinco de Mayo will always be a special day in our family, we have something so special to celebrate!!
With love. . .