Musings from Graceland

ELIANA'S HEART SURGERY DAY

Today is a big day for the baby Eliana. I posted about her previously and her photo is featured on the right handside of my blog. Please keep her in your prayer's today.

Here's what Leslie, her mom, posted at her blog this morning:

Holes are repaired!

We just spoke to the nurse practioner who has been in with Eliana during the surgery. She said that all has gone well! Her holes are repaired!!! (I need the emoticon with many happy tears here.) They are still working on her - chest tubes need to be inserted and all that is involved with closing her up. We are hoping to meet with her surgeon, Dr. Jaggers in about 45 minutes or whenever the surgery is complete.

After we have spoken with Dr. Jaggers, Eliana will be moved up to the PICU. It will be about 1.5 hours until we will be able to see her then. I really want to see my little girl. I've been holding onto her hair bow and really just want to hold her.

Thank you for praying. Please continue. I'll write as I know more.

With love,
Leslie

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Late afternoon update:

Hi Friends,

Wanting to update you a little more on Eliana. She is in a critical period now - and we will know much more about her recovery tomorrow. Please keep praying for her!!!

I have seen God's hand on this day and on so many things that have happened. I will try to write some of that when I'm able to. I appreciate prayers and know that it has paved the way for so many things to go so smoothly for Eliana today.

When I was with her this afternoon, she seemed to be having some difficulty breathing. The nurse told me that she was fighting the tube. She then started to wake up some and then started gagging. They decided to remove the breathing tube and we needed to leave the room.

She looked so much better with the large tube out of her mouth. It was replaced with smaller nasal tubes for oxygen. The nurse put the clear tape on both cheeks - and nothing yet on the hurt places. Please pray for healing for her skin.

She woke up again when we went back to see her. She started crying. A really, really pitiful and weak cry. It hurt my heart to hear her as her voice is very hoarse. I couldn't pick her up which I so wanted to do!!! There are limited places to touch her too. I tried stroking the very top of her head and getting close to her face.

One of the nurses suggested a pacifier. We tried that, without much success. I told them she really prefers her hands (which aren't an option right now). They brought something to dip the paci in to try to help her, but she wasn't all that interested in sucking.

The rounding doctor came by and ordered more pain medicine for her which helped greatly and allowed her to go back to sleep! The dr commented several times on how cute Eliana is. She also said that she would love to hold her - if I didn't mind. I told her that I would love to know she was being held as that is her preferred method of being comforted! She told me that she likes to hold the babies while sitting in a recliner during the night. I told her that I would feel much better about leaving Eliana there during the night without me if I knew that someone was holding and loving on her! (What a sweet praise that this doctor wants to do that!)

I was very blessed to have sweet friends join us today - to talk, laugh and best of all pray! To notice what the details of what was happening and to pray for problems and to praise God for the blessings.

Need to run. I'm home for dinner and then off again to the hospital. I'm planning to come home to sleep tonight.

Thank you so very much for your prayers. Please keep praying for her recovery.

With love,
Leslie