What Next?

What a day little Eden had yesterday.  The good news is that we are still here.  I can't help but make a little light of the situation because we have been hit with so many complications that it is just unreal.

I arrived yesterday to a slew of new information.  On the positive side, her chest tubes are draining less and they think the fluid around her lungs is clearing up.  Also, she is still urinating well, which is a good sign that her kidneys are doing well.

As for the complications, they found blood in her stools yesterday morning, which can mean that she has developed something called NEC (Necrotizing Enterocolitis).  This is an infection of the gut due to decreased blood flow to that area thus causing certain parts to die.  After a ton of tests, they do not see any signs of NEC, but they are going to treat it as such.  The treatment includes no food into the stomach for at least 7 days and antibiotics so it can heal.

Her blood pressure was also dropping quite a bit, so they gave her a steroid shot and another medication (Dopamine) to help.  They have also had to give her albumin to keep her blood levels up and she even had one transfusion yesterday.

The real kicker is that she now has sepsis, which is a systemic infection that began in her incision and has now traveled throughout her body.  She is on two VERY strong antibiotics for the infection and we just pray that she responds well to all the intervention.

Her nurse yesterday said that these are all possible complications from open heart surgery, but they never see them all in one little baby.  Just like my Eden trying to be different!  By last night she was a very sick little girl so we asked the doctor flat out what is normally the outcome with babies this ill.  His response was that they pull through and they are tougher than any adult would be in getting better.  I was at my wits end by then and just had to have a good cry.  She has lost a little weight and I am sure she is just weak and tired from all she's been through.  I know she is such a fighter and very strong and she will need all the strength she has in the next couple of days.

Last night, Marcus,a very dear friend of ours and I went down to see her.  Marcus and Lane gave her a blessing and we spent some time with her.  Amid all of this, she was awake and looking around not acting upset in any way.  I wish I could handle my problems as well as she does.  I don't let myself think anything but the positive and that she will get better.  Again, thank you all for your love, prayers and support.  I believe she is blessed because of your faith and prayers.