Everything You Wanted to Know About Our Day... And Then Some!

We left home this morning around 7:40, grabbed breakfast at Del Taco (couldn't miss Del Taco day entirely, you know!) and arrived at the hospital just after 8:30. The hospital is under construction and it took awhile to find where we were supposed to check in. We finally got all the paperwork taken care of, vital signs taken and chnged into the lovely hospital fashion.

About that time several friends arrived, one of our pastors, 3 leaders from the youth group, and Grandma & Grandpa. We joked around a bit and had prayer during which the Dr. arrived. He answered all our last minute questions. Letha's only questions centered around her extreme modesty! She didn't want to take her underwear off! lol! The Dr. was SO understanding and sensitive to her need for modesty. I heart him for it! He explained everything as it would happen.

Then the anesthesiologist came to wheel us up to the cath lab. When I say "us", I mean I rode with Letha on her bed! :) Our spirits were light and we were having FUN. I got a monkey suit on so I could accompany her to the cath lab, where I held her hand and stroked her face and laughed at the anesthesiologists silly jokes until Letha fell fast asleep, crying. And Mommie cried as she left her precious baby on the table.

About an hour later the Dr. joined us in the waiting room to tell us that he was done. Letha's hole was bigger than they had anticipated. Previously it had measured 16mm. Today it measured 18mm, or 24mm at it's max (about the size of quarter.) The Dr. said it was the largest he could hae fixed through the cath. Any bigger and it would have required open heart surgery! Thank God it was no bigger! But, being that size the Dr. wanted to keep her overnight, just to make sure that the occluder stays put.

What seemed like an eternity later they came and took us to the recovery room where Letha was coming out of the anesthesia just like her Mommie does: sad, disoriented and freaked out! She was crying, asking repeatedly for me (as I stood there holding her hand and talking to her), and trying to get up so she could figure out where she was. As she started to calm down I talked her through the whole thing and got her to understand where she was. My poor, poor baby! I was laughing at her and wanting to cry all at the same time.

Before we were able to talk to her to explain that she was going to have to stay one of the nurses spilled the beans. Ooops! I was going to wait until she was a little more emotionally stable, but when she heard the nurse, she LOST it!

My mom stayed until we were settled. Todd was here until about 3 when he needed to head home to take over things there. Letha had an x-ray and an EKG, which came back completely normal. Wonder of wonders, my brother came to visit. He brought flowers and peanut butter M&Ms. Later Todd came back to bring us "stuff" from home, Godiva chocolate and let the boys visit. (Except for Kevin, who stayed with Grandma)

So, we're here. We've been waiting for pizza to arrive for over an hour, because we didn't get dinner oredered soon enough. We're watching a movie and eating some of the chocolate my brother brought. It's been a long day, filled with hope, anxiety, praise and healing. God is good, all the time.

Oh and before I forget... We go home tomorrow sometime after a final Echocardiogram. And Letha has been telling me that she already is noticing the changes in her breathing, as in, she's not noticing her breathing. She also RAN down the hall to the nurses station and back. When she got back she wasn't winded. A new great feeling for her!! Praise God my baby has a chance to be a healthier kid than she has ever known how to be! I'm overwhelmed with JOY for her!