Life Saving in the Form of a Tube

I just received a phone call from my mother.  I have to say that when the phone rang I said aloud, "Please don't let it be my mom."  She proceeded to put me on hold while she conferenced in all of my siblings {at least, the ones here in the country}.  Way too long of a pause...Complete torture.  She then came on the phone to tell us that the doctors had just come out of the surgery and told them all that it had been a success!!!  All her vitals are looking good too!!!  Mom spoke of how they were all feeling so relieved and grateful.  It had taken longer than expected because when they had attached the tube to the tissue of her artery, it continued to bleed.  They kept her open to watch the bleeding for the next hour.

Meet the tiny tube that is saving Abigail's life.

One just like it is connecting Abigail's walnut-sized heart to the pulmonary artery so that the blood can become oxygenated in the lungs.  My mother spoke of how they were very confident with the doctors, and how the lead doctor was extremely meticulous.  Mike and I were discussing how you would have to be if you were to stitch and seal that tiny tube into tissue.  It is almost beyond comprehension how amazing that is!  

The next 48 hours are the most crucial part of this entire process.  They will reveal whether or not the surgery was actually successful, if Abigail's little body can adjust to functioning with the shunt.  Its a waiting game.  I hate waiting.  I am afraid that there will be a lot of waiting and wondering in this journey of surgeries for baby Abigail.  But a journey of faith and miracles, nonetheless!  After the longest 48 hours ever, the next milestone will be a surgery when she is 4-5 months old.  From what I understand and remember, it will be a shunt that will connect the blood from the base of the brain directly to the lungs, bypassing the ventricles of the heart altogether.  I feel like I need to go back to the 4th grade and study the diagram of the heart that I was once familiar with.  Maybe I'll just ask Owen.

We are sooo overwhelmingly grateful to all of those who thought about, prayed for, and/or fasted for baby Abigail and our family today.  Your thoughts, prayers, and purposeful fasting were tangible today to me and I am sure to Jesse and Jani as well.  Miracles continue in the life of our family.   Thank you for being a part of that.

Here are a few beautiful photos of Jani, Jesse, my mother, and Abigail just before the surgery.  Such love!  Such hope!  Such strength!

**UPDATE**  Fri Jul 8th,  8:30 am Report from Jesse about Abigail: Our little one is doing great so far this morning.   When I called last night at 2 they were already starting to ween her off the ventilator and they have continued that since I have been here.  They are taking an IV out of her neck right now.

From Daddy Jesse: Cute blue eyes! A little swollen from surgery. But still cute!