Ready, Set...

Hospital life is not all as exciting as it seems.  Especially when you're just waiting, which is what we are doing.  Some of the monotony has been broken up by visitors.  Thank you so much for everyone that has come.  (Hank's teachers, friends, and family),  man this little boy is loved.  Thanks to all for the notes, comments, calls, texts, gifts, thoughts, prayers, and visits.

Here is what our day looks like!  

1. Wake up around 7 am.  Order Hank's breakfast from room service.  In the meantime, Hank watches TV while I clean myself up and make up my "bed".  
2. Wait for doctors to round with the team.  During this time, we have our nurse listen to Hank's heart and lungs and do their assessment.  The techs take vital signs.  All the doctors come and listen to Hank also.  We do this on and off for about 2 to 3 hours.  
3. Rounds with the medical team come next.  The attending doctor for Hank is the heart failure doctor that is on that day.  I have loved all of our attendings, Dr. Molina, and Dr. Lal.  They are a great source of information on what to expect for Hank.  
4. Then we play, wait, eat, wait, and play.  Occasionally different team members will come see Hank.  Physical therapy will walk him, which he hates.  He likes to stay in his safe bed.  He is learning to like wagon rides around the floors and will play in the playroom until he gets too tired.  
5. We do medications three times a day.  Our 8 am meds include lasix, enalapril, spironolactone, digoxin, and a lovenox shot.  At 2 am, Hank takes his second dose of lasix.  At 8 pm, he has the same meds as the morning, including the lovenox shot.  All are to help with help with his heart failure and symptomatic control, minus the lovenox shot which is to keep his blood from making more clots.  
6. Bed is after 8 am meds.  
7. On the floor, Hank gets vital signs taken every 4 hours including the night time, which yes, he wakes for.  Word to the wise, do not wear rubber gloves around Hank unless you want a meltdown!!

Fun times!

Meal times!

Not our favorite times

Visitors and gifts!

 

 So what's the plan?  Tonight after midnight, Hank can't eat anything.  He will not be getting his blood thinner tonight or tomorrow morning because he will have his surgery at 8:30.  First case, thank heavens.  Dr. Burch will be doing his surgery.  He has done all of Hank's heart surgeries and knows his heart, so that makes us comfortable.  Instead of going in through the sternum this time, they will go through the side by doing a thoracotomy.  This will give him access directly to Hank's left ventricle on his heart, which is where he will place the new pacemaker lead.  The surgeon has to work with the electrophysiologist to find the sweet spot for the numbers as far as the electrical system goes with the pacemaker.  No bypass for this surgery.  It should last around 3-4 hours.  Afterwards, he will head back to the cardiac ICU for recovery until we are stable enough to come to the floor.  Hopefully this approach to manage his heart failure will prove successful and we won't have to move onto other options.  Wish us luck!!