BAHA surgery a success

Well Faith's Baha implant surgery is done and everything went very smoothely. We started the morning early, leaving at 7:30 am and checking in at 8:15. We spent some time waiting where I overhead the front desk saying a sign language interpretor didn't show yet and so I offered to sign for the patient they were checking in - kinda fun to be able to help out like that!

The waiting room at PSL day surgery:

After talking with the ENT/surgeon, the anesthesiologist and nurses, we changed Faith into her gown and me into some kind of painter/space suit and I pulled Faith in a little wagon into the operating room. Then I carried her over to the table and they let me put the anesthesia gas onto her trach while I was still holding her. I told her it was medicine and would make her fall asleep and within seconds she put her head on my shoulder and her legs quit holding on. Then we laid her on the table and I kissed her goodbye. No tears for her or me so that was nice.

Fred taking Faith for a ride in the Wagon:

Me in my painter's jumpsuite just before surgery:

Then Fred and I walked to a nearby Pancake House and tried not to think about the surgery. We got back and shortly Dr. Pashley came out and said everything went fine and gave us home care instructions until we go back next Tuesday. Then we were taken back to see her and she was already waking up. They let me hold her while she came out of it and it took some time for her oxygen levels to stay above 90% so we could go home, plus they only gave her the tylenol codeine in small increments, so she was in some pain. We got home around 3:30pm and were grateful that Ryan took Anthony to school and picked him up afterwards.

Faith just waking up from Anesthesia:

Faith a little out of it but not wanting to sleep:

New Baha implant with healing cap on:

Faith had another first today - totally unexpected! She has been sitting on the potty now for a few weeks whenever I change her diaper and today she PEED in the Potty!!! What a day!!
She was pretty overtired and fussy the rest the evening but now she is sleeping soundly and we're gonna follow suit. I will try to post some pictures tomorrow.

Thanks everyone for all the prayers and good thoughts, it meant a lot to us.

Love,
Robin

Thanksgiving & Mimi & Papa's visit

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Sorry for the long delay in updating the blog, but my parents, Leah and Bill or Mimi & Papa to the grandkids, were here for a 10-day visit. It had been about 16 months since they had seen Faith (they saw Anthony in May when I brought him out for a weekend on one of my work trips) and although I've shown them a couple videos they really enjoyed seeing how much she has grown in person. They were very impressed with everything she is doing and I was so glad for both her and Anthony to get some really nice time with them. Unfortunately, just about everyone in the house was sick. I called Faith's pulmonologist and put her on antibiotics right away since she has her surgery tomorrow, but the rest of us just suffered through it. Fred and my dad had it the worst and that definitely limited doing very much while they were here. But we did get out for a few things, Mom and I went to a play downtown with my friend Janeen and a bunch of women she invited, called "Girls Only" that was very funny; then we went to Anthony's school play -- he was "Squanto" an Indian who taught the pilgrims how to plant corn (very cute); grocery shopping of course for the big meal which Mom & I cooked on Thursday; Mom, Dad and I went to see the movie "Australia" later in the week which was long but good; on Sunday we took the kids to see Santa at the mall and got a couple pictures and finally I got to go to lunch with Mom & Dad before taking them to the airport on Tuesday. Sounds like we were busy, but that was spread over 10 days and the rest the time we sat around eating, watching TV or reading.
So tomorrow is rapidly approaching for Faith's BAHA surgery. We have to leave the house around 7am to check in by 8. I think her surgery is supposed to start around 9am and take 2-3 hours. Then she goes to recovery for a couple hours and then sent home. So I will try really hard to post by tomorrow night with her status.

I better get to bed and get some sleep!

Love,
Robin