Imagine being in a deep sleep, only to awake to a foreign place... not a comfortable, familiar room, but one full of beeping machines and cords restricting your movement. Poor little Abigail woke up very confused, upset, and hungry. Seeing the familiar face and feeling the familiar touch of her mother soon calmed her down. Such a trial for Jesse and Jani not to be able to hold and comfort her. They were not even allowed to sleep in the room with her last night because she is in the CICU. Restraints had to be placed on Abigail because she pulled out her breathing tube. It kind of makes me chuckle that she has that much fight and energy in her already.
The nurse told Jani this morning that Abigail was doing so well, and at this rate she may be out of the CICU tomorrow and into a regular room!!! That is fantastic news. I have received reports throughout the day that she continues to do well. Such a blessing.
Her little eyes in this photo seem to pierce your heart, a look of pleading for relief of her restraints, a longing to be held. It just makes me want to pick her up and hold her close.
It is difficult to see her with all of these cords and the bandage over her fragile little chest. I am grateful to my sweet friend Desire who reminded me that each one of these wires and tubes are helping Abigail get even stronger. Even stronger. I love that. Abigail is strong! A champion, a fighter, strong-willed, and full of life, just like her Mommy and Daddy. Even stronger. These wires and tubes are helping her along, to assist her body in becoming fully functioning with all its new repairs. What a miracle that is!
***UPDATE Oct 20 7:58 pm***
As the day continued, little Abigail had a more difficult time. My mother said it was one of the hardest things she has ever witnessed. Although Abigail was able to rest, when she awoke she cried out in pain and protested to be held for long stretches of time. She would look to her parents longingly with her sad eyes. You can imagine the heartache those cries and stares caused both Jesse and Jani today, hearing your baby cry out to you and stare into her eyes not being able to fulfill her need. These crying fits raised her blood pressure, caused her to have shortness of breath, and lowered her oxygen saturation which were of great stress to her newly repaired heart and body. You can see in her coloring in the photo below how red she became from these episodes. She has been on a low dose of morphine for the pain, but it is not helping enough. Tonight they will sedate her so that she can rest uninterrupted. The nurse reported that she believes that the pain is due to Abigail's chest tubes which drain the fluid around her heart as well as a severe headache caused by the surgery.
The good news is that she will probably be released from the ICU tomorrow to a regular room. The nurse told my brother today that in her recollection this is the shortest time any baby who has had this surgery has been in the ICU. The other blessing will be that these chest tubes will be removed tomorrow which will allow Jani to be able to hold her! Oh arms never wanted to hold so deeply!
Please pray with me that Abigail will be able to be calm and feel comforted so that there will be no added trauma to her healing body. Please pray for strength and peace of mind for Jesse and Jani as they stand by Abigail's side.
