All Is Calm...

April 20th 2010

Just a quick update, Louise is doing well recovering from her surgery.  She was in Crumlin last Monday just for a check and to get weighed...she hadn't put on a single ounce.  I'm hoping it'll be like blowing up a balloon, the first puff is difficult but once achieved the rest is plain sailing.  If she doesn't put on enough by the cardiologist's next appointment he'll put her on hi-cal supplement infatrini as she seriously needs weight for the next operation which is a much bigger procedure than the band.  I don't mind but she's just on so many meds already her poor mouth has to go through the daily assault of different not too pleasant tastes..in particular iron drops which taste like something you'd use to oil your bicycle chain. John has weighed her since on the surgery scales and she has started to put on some weight and she doesn't look quite so waif-like.   So now the only little problem she has is her very slowly healing chest drain wound. The cardio thoracic registrar put her on another antibiotic as well as keeping her on the one John put her on.

The neurologist appointment I thought we had last Monday turned into a bit of a wild goose chase.  In spite of the best efforts of various secretaries nobody could locate where the appointment was actually for so I went from pillar to post and back to pillar to no avail.  Well never mind, I was thinking seeing anyone without first having her MRI was a bit of a waste of time.  So I've now got an appointment for her MRI 26th May, and her Neurologist appointment 30th June and a phone number to ring if Louise develops any neurological symptoms  (hydrocephalus, seizure or aponea) she has no sign of anything so far so hopefully we won't be needing the number.

Louise is now a month old and has already crossed so many bridges.  She's so beautiful and has captured so many hearts.  My father sometimes compares a little baby to a glimpse of Heaven and it really is true, you never tire of looking at a baby. In particular I'm finding that this little baby brings much more meaning to things we're used to hearing such as love and the cross being intertwined. I know it's a bit of a cliche to call sick babies little fighters but In Crumlin Hospital I witnessed tiny scraps of humanity who have problems of all sorts..little faulty hearts, chromosomal or genetic problems, all fighting away.  I also witnessed the adults- the parents full of love and concern, the lovely nurses, the doctors, surgeons, cleaning staff, the years and years of study, exams and research that have gone into treating these children...Why? Because they all think  each of these children is worth the effort-they're not dispensable or replaceable.   The slogan on the wall of the neonatal cardiac ward is 'Our Big Hearts Help Mend Your Little Hearts'.  It's true, these tinies are depending on us adults to care for and mend their little hearts.