Post Op Day 2

This is as big as her smile is these days.

Holding Leiney Grace was quite an undertaking as she has so many lines and tubes.  We were attempting to get her in my lap in a chair but soon realized it would be easier if I just got in the bed with her.  It felt so wonderful to hold her.  She took a nice long nap in my arms.

My dear friend Elaine came down yesterday to stay with me.  She has been such wonderful company, and I am so grateful to her for driving 4 hours to spend 2 days with Leiney Grace and me.   Her daughter Sarah Mei and Lilly were both from Chenzhou SWI and were roommates in the orphanage.  Elaine has adopted 3 heart babies from China and has been through 5 open heart surgeries with them at MUSC.  Needless to say, she is on first name basis with many of the nurses and doctors in the PCICU.  Elaine gets the credit for thinking of the popscicle - a big hit!  Leiney Grace ate 1 and 1/2 and seemed to really enjoy them.  Elaine also should be credited for thinking of blowing bubbles as a way to get Leiney Grace to take some deep breaths. (Jenn take some notes because the bubbles were all the respiratory therapy she needed today!) 

Today brought one minor setback - the need of a 3rd chest tube.  The drs had been watching a pocket of fluid in her right pleural space.  When I arrived this AM, I was told Dr. Bradley thought it was time to remove it via chest tube.  It was done at the bedside, and she tolerated it fine.  Of course, she had to be put to sleep which then made her drowsy for quite a while afterwards.  Thus little Leiney Grace was not in the mood for much of anything after that except napping.

Tomorrow I have high hopes that she will be moved out of PCICU and into a room on the step-down unit.  I also hope and pray she will start to eat and drink more.  She will be served meals starting tomorrow so hopefully she will feel inclined to eat!

Brenley is stable and her parents seem to be doing ok.  I shared with her mom tonight that many of my friends were praying, and she was most grateful for the prayers we have offered up on their behalf.   Thanks and keep petitioning the Father for healing for her, Leiney Grace and the others in the PCICU.