My niece goes for open heart surgery

“My 2 year old niece goes for her 3rd open heart surgery on the July 5th. She has what is called Complex Congenital Heart Defect. This means that there are many different defect that the doctor's are or will be addressing as she grows. The surgery is the last stage of the Fontan, and it preformed to separate her red blood from her blue blood. The Fontan is performed when children are born with Right Hypoplastic Heart - this means that the right side of her heart did not form in the normal way during development. Please keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers this week.
She has a journal that is updated during her procedures if anyone is interested in following. Feel free to leave a comment for her parents. I have told them how great the people are here.

http://journals.aol.com/ericah111/EricaPaige/
last edited: 7/01/07 1:55:41 AM”

“WOW! sending good thoughts her way windi---

thats a lot for a 2 year old to go through. Mondern medical science is amazing though, isn't it?”

“good thoughts to your niece and her family. it's a stressful time for all.”

“i think you just made up all those technical terms, thinking we'd buy it cuz youre a nurse.

seriously, good vibes comin your way from the other side of the world”

“Actually I was keeping is pretty simple.lol. Thanks for all the positive vibes! Keep them coming!”

“I'll pray to whatever God it is I pray to.”

“Windigirl, the family and she are in my prayers.”

“Wow, windi! Thinking of her and your family. Sending good thoughts your way.”

“Keep us informed on her progress in recovery Windi! She, the surgeons and the family are in my thoughts and prayers.”

“Prayers for all windi.”

“Thanks, it means so much to have all the support during this time. I will keep this thread updated as we progress. She goes for her pre-op stuff on Tuesday.Her surgery was scheduled for June, but got postponed because she had streph throat. Right now everything is looking like a go.
last edited: 7/01/07 6:51:16 PM”

“Nothing worse than when children need to go through this. Good Luck to all”

“Hope all goes well. Your family is in my prayers.”

““Windigirl, the family and she are in my prayers.”
birch


Mine too.”

“Dr's say we are a go for surgery on Thursday.”

“Good.”

“I am sure they will do fantastic.”

“Windi,
Best wishes for a smooth procedure, and a speedy recovery for the little one. I count myself fortunate every day to know all my children are healthy. Keep us posted.”

“I'll be sure to pray for your niece and the doctors tomorrow.”

“Erica's surgery is postponed. She woke up this morning with a fever of 101.5 and we don't know the cause of it. So we are postponing for another date, not yet set. It should be within a month. Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers.”

“:-(”

“Good luck with it. These days it should go well.

I received five bypasses in 1990, which still work fine. Within 10 months at age 7, my youngest daughter had open heart, too. She did extremely well.

Stay busy with projects and people to avoid the fear and worry.
last edited: 7/05/07 10:58:27 PM”

“She and the family, have been on my list since I first read this.

Continued good thoughts and prayers to all.”

“Thank you to everyone for all the support. I'm kinda glad they postponed this surgery. For some reason, I had been having bad dreams about this one and then she ends up with a fever. Her other surgeries haven't bothered me like this one did. They haven't found a reason for the fever, but better safe than sorry.”

“rats! hope she returns to normal soon.”

“She is rescheduled for tomorrow, Monday. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.”

“For sure!”

“Absolutely!”

“Yes indeed. Glad you are there for her.”

“Got em :)”

“here here”

“Me too:)”

“That's really scary stuff. Hugs for all of you, and may God's grace and peace hold you and sustain you.”

“you got it......”

“Erica is out of surgery. The doctors did several things during the surgery today. They completed the Fontan to seperate the red and blue blood. They removed flaps from the pulmonary valve to reduce the risk of stroke. (this valve no longer has a function since the blood is not being pumped from the heart into the lungs.) They worked on another valve to repair a leak. They also worked increase the amount of blood flow into the lungs. The surgeon said it was a lot of work.
She is in ICU. Mom and dad can see her in about an hour. Erica will stay on the vent for now so she can rest.
Please keep praying for Erica and her mommy and daddy.”

“Sending out those positive thoughts!!”

“Mom and dad still have not seen Erica. Her heart rate has been going very fast and slow. She also has a fever. They gave her some medicines to help control the heart rate and blood pressure and an antibiotic. After her first surgery(this is her third) she had similar problems with the heart rate and blood pressure. Please keep praying for her.
last edited: 7/23/07 4:12:57 PM”

“Mom and dad got to see Erica tonight about 7:00. Then Erica had a mini code due her fever spiking, heart rate increasing, and BP dropping. Compressions were done for about 20 seconds and she recovered. She high does of antibiotic, tylenol, and a cooling blanket. Erica is very sick and needs your prayers and mom and dad are very scared. Please continue to pray for Erica, her mommy and daddy, and all the incredible people at Riley Hospital.”

“YES, Windi ---- !”

“Back to the Top!”

“Thank you Tilt!”

“Back to the top Again!

(over the spamming)”

“Just got back from the Hospital and Erica is stable this morning. She has no fever at this time, but is still under the cooling blanket. Her vital signs are stable, but meds are controlling her heart rate and blood pressure. The doctors have her on medications to paralyze her so her body can heal and she can rest and she is still on the vent. Pacing wires are controlling her heart, but that is not uncommon for post open heart procedures.

She looks huge and long in the bed. The nurses put a little pony tail on top of her head to keep her hair back; Erica will rip that out as soon as she wakes up! She not one to leave anything in her hair for long, lol. She's been through much for such a young thing, she's only 2 years old. Thank you for your prayers.
last edited: 7/24/07 6:21:47 AM”

“Wow, I can't imagine what those parents are going through and feeling. THanks for the updates and prayers sent.”

“YES --- Thanks for the updates.”

“Ain't American Medicine COOL!?

Wind my niece went through being born with all her "internal organs" on the outside of her body...getting surgery within in seconds of being born...and then at 4 or so she had to get surgery again to correct problems. GOOD LUCK”

“Windy, you have mail”

“Glad to hear she is stable this morning, she will have a good recoverery! I have a good feeling about this. :)”

“You have another email Windy”

“Forget it Windy, I figured it out. I hope she like pigs, he he he he.”