First Few Hours After FP2 (Fontan Part 2)

Eli is settled into his big boy bed in the PICU.  He is doing very well.  He was extubated at 6pm and has been breathing well on his own since. He is on two liters of oxygen via nasal cannula.  Everyone is very pleased with how well he's doing.  He's on a Fentanyl drip for pain control and Precedex which is a sedative.  He's also on a couple meds to help with his heart function (milrinone and dopamine) and of course his good ol' antibiotics.  He has two JP drains coming from his chest cavity  There are temporary pacer wires coming out of his chest but as of now he's not being paced at all.  

As you can see in the photo, Pablo is busy keeping Eli calm.  When Eli wakes, we rub Pablo on Eli's nose, forehead, cheeks, and chin.  It makes an obvious difference.  We are so grateful for Pablo!

His issue right now is shaking or tremors.  It's caused by the anesthetic he received during surgery.  He'll start to settle and get comfortable, then his arm, leg, or body will twitch which causes pain which in turn upsets him.  It's a tough cycle to watch.  Unfortunately this is just something that happens as those anesthetic meds are leaving his body, especially when he was on them for such a long time.  Eli was in the OR for over seven hours.  About 4-4 1/2 of those hours were spent on bypass (Eli's heart is stopped and a machine pumps blood for him so the surgeon can work on his heart without it beating).  



We were hoping Zachary would get to see Eli after surgery.  Unfortunately the PICU has had to implement a rule (for patient safety) not allowing visitors under the age of twelve.  We figured there was no harm in asking for few minute exception, but they were unable to bend the rules.  That's okay, we understand why.  In fact, starting tomorrow, the new rule is hospital-wide that no visitors under the age of 18 are allowed.  That will be in effect throughout the peak of flu and RSV season so it's unlikely Zachary will be allowed back in the hospital while Eli is here.  It's unfortunate for us, but it's for the overall safety of Eli and the other kiddos here.


Thank you so much for following along with his progress today.  It's been a long day and to see him doing so well is gratifying.  We are overwhelmed with your comments, encouragement, photos of Eli's MVPs shirts, and all the support given.  We took a group photo of us in our shirts too, but I'll post it tomorrow. 

Specific Prayer Requests:
- for Eli to remain stable
- for Eli's pain to be easily controlled without over-sedating him. 
- that the twitching, shaking, and/or tremors subside and he's able to rest peacefully
- for our family to have a safe trip back home and be well rested for jobs/school tomorrow
- that Bryan and I can get some rest tonight

Thanks again for everything.