Post Open-Heart Surgery

We made it! Praise the LORD.
God is good.

My son was just a day shy of 3 months old when he had his open-heart surgery. Of course it was a big surgery and hard on his body. The Cardiovascular team in the PICU is pleased with the results of a newer echocardiogram. Not to say that it is flawless, of course there are some issues, but minor at that.

AaronMatthew was starting to collect a milky fluid around his left lung. About a week before the surgery, he had a BROVIAC put in which is like a central line of sorts that went through a main vein to his heart so they could do IV and blood access since he is nearly an impossible poke for a peripheral IV line. The thought was that the BROVIAC was causing this fluid to build up so they took it out and now there is decreased fluid in his left lung. He spiked a fever overnight which is nothing new for him. They took cultures sometime last week because of the fluid build up and nothing grew so they don't think he has an infection. They gave him a 2 day course of antibiotics as well.

Since yesterday and today, he has been breathing really fast and having a fast heart rate at times. They are tweaking his meds and this again is typical for him when he has a fever. His body doesn't like to tolerate such things.

I find it's getting harder and harder to leave him at the hospital. Children's in doing a fantastic job and I thank God for the care my son is getting, but he's not home. It breaks my heart to leave. He's getting older and recognizes me and is starting to cry when I leave. He is smiling a lot more and coo-ing. He is now reaching for objects. He loves to sit up and know what's going on. My poor baby. I just want to cuddle him and hold him forever in my arms and sing to him.