Louisa's surgery went very well. It was quicker than expected and she tolerated it even a bit better than expected. Our surgeon said that 99% of the time he leaves the chest open but that she did so well he attempted to close the chest. But she didn't respond as well to that, so they decided it was best to open it back up (worth a try -- and such a good sign that he felt she was strong enough to handle that!).
We finally got in to see her for the first time at around 3:45 PM. Our first visit was very overwhelming and we honestly could only handle a few minutes before we needed to take a break. We knew she'd be pretty blue, but she's really blue. Her oxygen saturations are currently running in the high 60s (you and I live at 95-98% on average). So, she's blue. There were, as expected a million tubes and wires everywhere. Probably the most distressing part is the open chest wound. This allows the swelling that is expected to build and then come back down over the first few days. Otherwise, the swelling inside the chest acts like a tourniquet on the heart and blood vessels that were just worked on. There is a clear-type dressing over the open wound, but it's eerie and a little distressing to literally peer into her chest cavity (sorry if this is too graphic). Needless to say, it was a bit much for Carissa especially and hard to see at first. We did go back a second time already for a longer visit being better prepared. She is still beautiful and precious.
At this point, they are making all kinds of medication and ventilator adjustments to keep all the numbers where they want them. They fully expect that she will become somewhat less stable over the first 12 hours at least and then start to pull out. The surgeon was wise to tell us that there will be bumps. There will be set backs, but we focus on the end goal of going home and we will get there.
Carissa was officially discharged this afternoon so now we're on our own for her care. We're at the "internal" Ronald McDonald house (they have 12 rooms on the very floor Louisa is on -- right down the hall). It feels great to be close to her. It's a tiny room with a single bed and a chair (I feel a bit like I'm a resident on call again!). They reserve these rooms for the families of the sickest kids. We are clear to stay through the weekend here and maybe longer depending on their need for the room as Louisa stabilizes. The plan would be to go to the Med Inn which is in the old part of the hospital -- farther away (different building in fact), but more like a hotel and will likely be more comfortable for us.
We're overwhelmed, but we also still feel at peace. Your prayers and the strong right arm of the Lord are bolstering us. We love you all. Thank you again for your support.
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