Monday, July 21, 2008
When it rains it pours.
This will not be about my stubborn dog, whom we have tried just about every trick in the book to get her to take the medicine. We have tied hiding it in food, crushing it and mixing it with a pre-packaged gravy, I bought one of those pill tubes that I have used with great success with cattle and she will not allow it down into her throat far enough, and then thrashes about so violently we fear further injury.
No this is not about that drama.
My Pops called me yesterday morning and it seems that newest member of the ever expanding "breeder" side of the family tree is not doing so well. She is 5 weeks old and on Friday was a lovely shade of blue. Luckily the StNil (Step Niece in Law,yes it is a long story)was fed up with her daughters treatment and just so happened to see a different doctor that she was familiar with at a street festival. He glanced at the child and said 9 words that terrify all parents and most adults. "She is blue, take her to the hospital NOW"
So tearfully StNil, looked down at her other two daughters and said, "Mommy has to go." Thankfully she was standing in downtown of a village that is home to about 150 people 1/2 of them related to her husband, so the kids were in more danger of getting smothered with love then harmed in any way.
As StNiL, raced to the hospital, hubby was called and everyone met at the ER. Now some of you know that this end of the world there is isn't a lot of technology to be found, and sometimes they doctors aren't in the top 25% of their class...who am I kidding, the rural doctor is more than likely closer to the D student then the Auto Mechanic. Anyway this guy, I give him tons of credit, he knew when he was out of his league and proceeded to get the life flight on the line. It took an excruciatingly long time to coordinate the flight from BFE to Children's Mercy here in KC, but when it was said and done, and the little one was here, the crack staff of Children's mercy, wasted zero time in diagnosing, and treating the tiny princess.
Turns out that our little heroine, had a squirrely heart and all of the stuff was there but it was all backwards. My little fighter had lived for 5 weeks with a hole in her heart, (the good part) and heart valves that were reversed. So the blood wasn't getting to the right chamber for oxygen, and traveling down the right veins and arteries. The hole provided just enough mixed blood to keep this little gem alive. Yesterday morning at about 5:45, our little champ went under the knife for a preliminary work up of blasting a bigger hole in her heart and then monitoring her vitals as well as the use of a tiny respirator of which she slowly but surely was weaned off of within a matter of about 12 hours. I am happy to say that of last night she was sleeping pretty good and so were the parents. We now have to wait and see when the full blown transposition surgery will take place, they may do it this week they may wait until she is bigger.
Either way we may not be out of the woods but we can at least see the trail now. All you religious types throw an extra Hail Mary in the mix, and for those of you who follow a different path, send my nephew's family some groovy vibes, they sure could use the help.
***UPDATE***
I spoke too soon. She had a rough night and is now having trouble with her lungs. Please keep up the happy vibes! she needs them!
No this is not about that drama.
My Pops called me yesterday morning and it seems that newest member of the ever expanding "breeder" side of the family tree is not doing so well. She is 5 weeks old and on Friday was a lovely shade of blue. Luckily the StNil (Step Niece in Law,yes it is a long story)was fed up with her daughters treatment and just so happened to see a different doctor that she was familiar with at a street festival. He glanced at the child and said 9 words that terrify all parents and most adults. "She is blue, take her to the hospital NOW"
So tearfully StNil, looked down at her other two daughters and said, "Mommy has to go." Thankfully she was standing in downtown of a village that is home to about 150 people 1/2 of them related to her husband, so the kids were in more danger of getting smothered with love then harmed in any way.
As StNiL, raced to the hospital, hubby was called and everyone met at the ER. Now some of you know that this end of the world there is isn't a lot of technology to be found, and sometimes they doctors aren't in the top 25% of their class...who am I kidding, the rural doctor is more than likely closer to the D student then the Auto Mechanic. Anyway this guy, I give him tons of credit, he knew when he was out of his league and proceeded to get the life flight on the line. It took an excruciatingly long time to coordinate the flight from BFE to Children's Mercy here in KC, but when it was said and done, and the little one was here, the crack staff of Children's mercy, wasted zero time in diagnosing, and treating the tiny princess.
Turns out that our little heroine, had a squirrely heart and all of the stuff was there but it was all backwards. My little fighter had lived for 5 weeks with a hole in her heart, (the good part) and heart valves that were reversed. So the blood wasn't getting to the right chamber for oxygen, and traveling down the right veins and arteries. The hole provided just enough mixed blood to keep this little gem alive. Yesterday morning at about 5:45, our little champ went under the knife for a preliminary work up of blasting a bigger hole in her heart and then monitoring her vitals as well as the use of a tiny respirator of which she slowly but surely was weaned off of within a matter of about 12 hours. I am happy to say that of last night she was sleeping pretty good and so were the parents. We now have to wait and see when the full blown transposition surgery will take place, they may do it this week they may wait until she is bigger.
Either way we may not be out of the woods but we can at least see the trail now. All you religious types throw an extra Hail Mary in the mix, and for those of you who follow a different path, send my nephew's family some groovy vibes, they sure could use the help.
***UPDATE***
I spoke too soon. She had a rough night and is now having trouble with her lungs. Please keep up the happy vibes! she needs them!
