Surgery day

I know still no pictures, but I promise lots when we get home. Elise went to surgery today around 12:10. They were able to place her broviac back on the same side of her chest and they placed a catheter that has two ports, or a double lumen. This will allow her to have blood drawn if (when) she gets sick again, and avoid multiple IV attempts again. She also had her G-tube placed which will allow her to have the NG permanently removed. Usually when a Gtube is placed they leave an actual tube in place for about 6 weeks before changing it to a "button" which is flush with the skin. Here's a website that explains more about the button; http://www.mic-key.com/index.asp?page=product But the surgeon was able to place the button during surgery which will save Elise another procedure down the road. The doctors are still wanting to wait and do the heart cath in late February giving her pneumonia a chance to go away. So now Jason has returned home, and I am here to care for Elise on her road to recovery. It is so heart wrenching watching her wake from sleep and realize she hurts. The grimace on her face brings me to tears. She wants to play and be happy like normal, but she is just too sore today. I'm hoping that she will be able to sleep tonight and be more like herself tomorrow and wake up with a smile. They won't give her anything to eat until tomorrow after 1pm to let the surgical hole in her belly heal. After that they will start her feedings slow and continuous, slowly increasing the rate until she tolerates bolus feeds again. The projected discharge date is Friday. She still has 48 more hours of antibiotics to go, and then it's just getting used to feeds again. I'll post again on Wed with updates on going home. I hope you all enjoy your week. Love Kristin