WOW

So Arianna had her surgery on thursday and came home on Friday. I am not completely sure that this is my kid, she never recovers this quickly. Her surgery took just over an hour, where they removed her tonsils, adenos, placed ear tubes and Botoxed her glands. It went so well and she was extubated before leaving the OR. She spent just one night in the PICU, where she did little sleeping and a lot of playing, so in the morning they gave us the okay to come home. I admit that I have to suction her a bit more but I perfer that over a long hospital stay.
She sure has surprised us all.
She slept real well last night, only waking once for some more pain meds and then right back to sleep. She has had a good day and has napped well and is generaly happy and playful.
I am glad to be home.

Surgery Update

Our docs have been talking and they don't want to wait another 3 weeks, the risk of Arianna getting an infection in her PICC line are to big, sooo surgery has been moved up to Thursday May 29th. This is also Kenna last day of pre-school and her program is that evening. I feel so rotten that my attention always seems to be taken away from her when she needs me the most. I can only hope she will grow to understand what a blessing Arianna is, and that we do all we can to keep her with us. She is a pretty understanding kid, but really just wants to be home with the whole family watching movies and eating pizza together.

I can't believe Arianna is almost 2. We never thought we would have this much time with her, what a special kid.

I will try to keep updates coming, things a getting crazy.

Who needs them anyway?

So we had an appt with our ENT on Friday, he has suggested in the past that we should remove Arianna's tonsils when she turns 2. Well he feels it is now time to do it, she has grown so much and is big enough to under-go this procedure. We are scheduled for Monday June 9th, I was hoping that we would not spend another birthday in the hospital, and we still may not, but Arianna does things at her own pace but maybe she will be home by the 19th. We are very hopeful that this will help her airway improve and that she will no longer aspirate, she will have Botox injections in some of her salivary glands to decrease the amount of spit she makes, this should help her a great deal.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

What's up Lungs and a Good-bye

We have been in to see many docs to figure out why Miss Arianna continues to struggle with pneumonia. Her chest x-ray is looking better, but not 100%. Her pulminology doc wants to continue with her antibiotics so we still have a PICC line. We will be discussing Botox injections for her salivary glands to decrease the amount of spit she makes. I thought about asking for a few shots myself, my forehead looks bad(jk).
Really there isn't much going on right now, same old stuff different week. We are trying to get the backyard looking better, and Matt is working hard to get the garden ready to be planted. I can't wait for my own fresh veggies.

On a sad note, my Aunt Stephani passed away unexpectedly on Saturday May 3rd. She was too young, only 66, ready to start the best years of retirement with my Unlce Dallas. She was battling cancer and seemed to be winning, her heart although was weakened and she went peacefully in her sleep. She will be greatly missed. She was the oldest of three girls, my mom being the youngest, and she was like another mom to us. I admire the strength she displayed. My heart and love are with her family. Please pray for them too.

We are Home

So we came home on Wednesday afternoon after a whole lot of stuff, so here's the scoop. On Monday they attempted to place a PICC but it didn't work, so the plan was to wait until her IV was done and then move forward with injections or oral meds. Tuesday morning the docs decided to try one more time for the PICC, and after trying the right arm, and right leg they were able to place one in the left arm. They kept her overnight due to the fact she was sedated and was having a difficult time coming out of it.
Now at home I am giving her the med injections and flushing the PICC everyday. I now feel every much a nurse as the ones at the hospital. I was asked often if I was a nurse, I said I got my degree from the school of life.
So I am really busy right now, trying to keep up with the kids and the house, so if I don't post often don't get mad, I am trying.

Waiting Game

We are now waiting to have a PICC line placed by the radiology team. We should be able to go home tomorrow and continue with the antibiotics there. Arianna is a bit mad because they stopped her feeds so they could do the PICC, she is really grumpy when her tummy is empty, I hope that we don't have to wait too long.

In the Hospital

Well to say that the last 4 days have been crazy would be an understatement. We have been on a roller coaster with Arianna, one day she has a fever the next it's gone, then the next it spikes to 104 and we are in the doctors office. We had chest x-rays, CBC and blood cultures, started antibiotics and the next day she is back to her playful self. Then the bad news comes that she is growing some bacteria in the cultures and we must go to the hospital for IV antibiotics, the injections and oral ones just won't cut it. So here we are, just Arianna and I , I sent Matt and Kenna camping, we were all going to go but when she had to come here I thought it would be unfair to Kenna to not let them have some fun.
We are hoping that this will be a short stay, and that we can finds a root cause to her chronic pneumonia, it would be nice to avoid this in the future. We know that as she gets older that her risk for it will decrease, but each time we have battled it now is wearing down this little fighter.
Today is her 22 month birthday, I know that most people don't celebrate such a milestone but each month, each day is a great blessing and to have had so much time and love with this little girl is worth celebrating, so I will get some cake later to enjoy for her.
Pray for her please, that we might get home soon and get back to life, and that it will be uneventful.
Julianna