Update: Day 4

This is only post-op day 3 (I started counting the days after her surgery day) but it feels like day 13. Time in a hospital is so bizarre. Maddie's had a pretty good day today. Here's the low-down: she's still putting out lots of fluid from her chest tubes, especially her right pleural chest tube. LOTS from this one. She's not getting any of them pulled yet since the output is staying the same or more each day. She did get the dressings changed around them but insisted on "pink" tape so the nurse decorated the clear bandages with stickers for our girl.

Her chest x-ray this morning showed more fluid accumulation in her lungs so they sent us back down to ultrasound to try to differentiate what type of fluid it is and whether her right diaphragm was working. Thank goodness, it looks like the diaphragm is not damaged from surgery but the bottom of her right lung is just collapsed. They're adding another diuretic now and pushing us to get her moving even more. We've been advised that we can't push her enough. Cruel but I guess it's true. The ultrasound was very painful for her since they wand right under her chest tube sites...digging and pushing. Ouch. Her pain meds were starting to wear off so she was unhappy but couldn't cry since it hurt so bad. She just pants with her breathing, red, sweaty face and eyes so wide with pain. It's hard to watch her go through so much and it's so not fair. But when you spend enough time in a Children's Hospital or even Ronald McDonald House, you see that your child's illness is a "piece of cake" compared to some. It can be depressing seeing so many sick children.

Shortly after getting back, getting her pain meds in and resting a moment, we got her up and walking! She cruised!!! I was waiting for a very wobbly, unsteady girl but not this one. I think she thought of it as a way to bust this joint, even with tubes, wires and an oxygen cord. Bless her heart. She walked about 15 yards her first time. She also took a walk this afternoon, which she wasn't so eager about. We made her stand for awhile too and she was so mad. We really had to make her do it. But the doctors keep telling us that this is what she needs and will help with the collapsed lung as well as her chest tube drainage. This is when being the mom is not easy...luckily I have a dang good partner to tag team this, Bryan's awesome with Maddie. She's been sleeping for a couple of hours now and unfortunately, we have to wake her up for her drugs. We don't want her pain to get out of control. Tomorrow we'll deal with her tangled, matted hair :)

We had our prenatal echo for baby #4...everything heart-wise appears well at 16 weeks 6 days! Baby is a wiggly one and seeing that four chambered heart couldn't have brought me more joy. Loved getting to chat with old faces too, even though those faces were the ones who broke the news on Maddie's precious heart, they do hold a special place in my heart. Mike & Lesa brought up the boys this evening...so nice to see them and Maddie's loved all of the attention from everyone! Thanks for the yummy homemade chicken noodle soup from grandma and for the precious cards from Jace's 1st grade classmates! We loved spending our evening with Mike, Lesa, Savanna and Boo and watching Miss Maddie cruise around with her shopping cart! She made some serious laps around the floor this evening!