Post-Op Day 4

These are all old Ruby pics from a little before and a little after a month old.
What a big yawn!


She looks so little here!

"Don't eat me Papa!"

"What is this thing?"

"I like it better on my head!"

OK down to business...

Good news: Ruby's chest was closed this morning at 7:30. She now has a large patch of gauze and tegaderm covering her wound. So far there have not been any complications. There is always a possibility, however, that a problem could arise and her chest would have to be reopened. That would certainly be a large step back, so we are all hoping we won't have to see that happen.

Bad news: Ruby's fever has returned. Her temperture has been hovering around 39 degrees C for the latter part of the day. The cultures that were taken at midnight and during the day today have yielded no results as of yet. However, results can not be considered until at least 48 hours after the sample was taken, in addition her CRP levels were high. Her current status seems to indicate that she has an infection, although this can not be confirmed yet. I only hope that it is not a case of sepsis. The nurse has been reassuring me continually that because Ruby's color is good and her blood pressure has remained at an acceptable level (not low) that she most likely does not have an infection in her blood. Dan believes that Ruby may be having a reaction to the Lasix. He's been reading that some children can have fevers and low potassium levels after treatment, which Ruby also has. Whether this is more or less likely than Ruby having an infection is unknown.

Ruby also continues to require more and more sedatives to keep from waking. She has been building up quite a tolerance, which means her withdrawal from the medicine will probably be quite severe. I am not looking forward to the days they must wean her from them. I have heard many horror stories about the anguish these young children endure as they withdraw from their pain medication. I can't wait until this is all over and I can see her smiling face.