April Heart Catheterization Update

Helloooooo Everyone......yup we`ve been MIA again.....sorryyy.

Gabe has had his heart cath on April 23rd and we stayed at the hospital for 4days. He was admitted on the 23rd to do some tests and monitoring. So the docs had to sedate him to do the ECG. Unfortunately, it didn`t work out as planned initially..you see, they gave him a dose of syrup sedative first, but after 15mins it was obvious the lil rascal was not responding, so they upped it abit more, and 20 mins later, nope..nothing..actually it seemed to make him more awake and active, totally weird. So because it was already considered a high dosage, the had to put in his IV line earlier and administer a sedative through that, which worked almost immediately. His ECG was OK, but Dr H says there is prob a narrowing of his shunt coz it can`t be seen so clearly on the ECG.

Anyway, they would have clearer picture when they do his catheterization. After the ECG we had to do the X ray too. And by 3pm, Gabe was worn out and i think the sedative kinda kicked in by then...so he went into deep slumber till like 5.30pm. Poor boy didn@t like being hooked up to the oxy machine and that night we both didn`t sleep well coz nurses kept coming in to adjust his monitor which Gabe kept tugging at.

His catheterization started on 23rd morning, and it lasted about 1.5 hours. Basically, they found that yes both his 1st and 2nd shunt has narrowed espcially the 1st shunt which has been there since he was 17 days old. So, looking at his rapid weight gain too, the team has agreed it was time for him to do the major op maximum within the next 2 months.

Anyway, the Director of Paediatric Operations came to see us and informed us that he will be doing the surgery and we have chosen June 19th as the operation day. So Gabe will have to be admitted on the 17th. Initially we wanted to have it done earlier begining of June, but i didn`t want us both spending our birthdays in the hospital, it was too depressing. So the operation will last abour 4-5 hours and recuperation period is baout 2-3 weeks depending on Gabe`s condition. Sigh....i hate hospital stays...you can never rest well and what more with Gabe being hooked uo to so many tubes and lines. how do they expect him to sleep at night peacefully. It just gets tangled and he whines. And then i wake n whine too...then it becomes and whiny affair....urgghhhh.

So anyway we were discharged on the 25th and we are both so so happy to be back home...



Thank youall for your prayers, we love you!!