Strength for the Weary
Hannah was discharged on Saturday, and by Saturday evening we were back in our airbnb. Her headache from the previous day had finally been kicked (the solution simply proved to be caffeine), and she was feeling much improved. We split our time between Duncan, Hannah's family, and some close friends who’d come to see us and meet Duncan. That night the bed felt like a feather and the sheets like butter. We fell into our new nightly routine of sleeping a few hours, waking, medicating, pumping, and calling the PICU to check on Duncan before returning to our pillows. When we called at 2 am to check on Duncan, they told us he was doing well and would have his breathing tube removed in the morning! We had made plans to go to church in the morning but decided to go see him instead.
Sunday morning we arrived soon after his breathing tube had been removed. His face! He was squirming a little and trying to open his eyes. It was so encouraging to see him looking almost as if nothing was wrong!
After a few sweet hours, we went home for lunch and to rest, followed by evening church. When we returned to his room, we found him surrounded by nurses and we were pulled to the side by a doctor. He told us they had decided to put him back on the ventilator, and had just finished putting in his breathing tube. It wasn't an emergency, just a preemptive measure since his oxygen levels were trending away from where they wanted. Duncan was knocked out, back under heavy sedation, but his vitals were stable. We are so thankful for the way the Lord orchestrated the day; allowing us to see him off the vent, giving us time to get rested and well fed (both physically and spiritually), and then showing us how well he was being taken care of.
Monday morning was long, with Duncan fluctuating as he leveled out from the previous day's exertion and medication. He evened out over the afternoon and was stable through the night. We checked in with the doctors on Tuesday morning, and they told us that they are planning a procedure for tomorrow! After having pushed him on Sunday, they had decided he needed more time to strengthen before the Norwood surgery. To keep him stable they will be putting bands on the arteries going to his lungs, which will help balance blood flow and push more blood to his body. While the procedure is still surgical, it’s much less invasive and should have a relatively quick recovery. They told us they hope to do the full Norwood surgery 10-14 days after the arterial bands, provided Duncan has recovered well.
We’re so thankful for the intentional planning and communication from the cardiac team at UMMC! Tomorrow's procedure is in good timing and will hopefully help him gain strength for the big upcoming surgery. Thank you for joining us in praying for his strength!
“Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.”
Psalms 130:1-4
Praise
Duncan is one week old! We weren't sure we'd have a full day with him, and we've been blessed with hope for long term recovery!
It was such a blessing to see Duncan awake and wiggling for a few hours. While we're sad he had to be sedated again, we're also thankful that his team is constantly monitoring and adjusting his care as needed.
Hannah's postpartum has been going well! She's feeling stronger every day and is so grateful for a successful breastmilk pumping journey.
We are so thankful for the encouragement, prayers, meals, and notes we've been showered with over the past week. The Lord is sustaining us through you all!
Prayer
Pray that Duncan's surgery goes well tomorrow! Pray that everything goes according to plan and that he has a speedy recovery.
Pray for Cove’s recovery from her Norwood procedure last week. She had to go back into the operating room yesterday for an additional procedure because her lungs weren't getting even blood flow. Pray that she's able to stabilize and recover quickly.
Pray for Hannah's family. Yesterday, her maternal grandma passed away after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. We're thankful she's with the Lord. It's hard for Hannah's family who are here with us while the funeral arrangements are being made in North Carolina. May the Lord comfort the Gillises and Koontzes although they are separated by distance.
Praying!
Praying!