The Time Has Come

In one week, on September 26th, Art & I will be sitting in the Children's Hospital waiting room.  We will be waiting for the updates on Mia as they open her chest, stop her heart, put her on bypass, work their magic, and restart her heart again.  We will be waiting to hear the outcome of the surgery and to see how she begins her recovery.  There are very few people that can understand what this is like.  It's not like taking your child in to get shots or discovering they have an ear infection and need antibiotics.

Mia will need many "shots" and "antibiotics" while she is admitted.  She will also need chest tubes, a breathing tube, an IV, oxygen, pain meds, the list goes on and on.  I'm terrified.

She has no idea what is going to happen, she's too young to understand.  I can't imagine how scary it will be for her waking up from surgery, not knowing where she is, with all kinds of new tubes attached to her body and in pain.

I look at her standing in our living room and it appears as though absolutely nothing is wrong.  She's doing so great.  It's incomprehensible to think that she HAS to have this surgery to survive later in her life.  Yes, to survive.

Art & I follow a few older girls that have HLHS on Facebook.  They're in their early 20's.  They are our inspiration.  That is what I wish for Mia.  I wish for her to get through this surgery with flying colors and live a long life.  I will be there supporting her the entire way.

With tears in my eyes, this will be my last post before Mia's surgery.  It's simply too hard for me to think and type about it more than I already do.  I want to spend the next week with my family, in our own home, healthy and happy.  Art & I will update when we can while we are in Denver.  If you a person that prays,  please pray for our Mia.  And wish all four of us luck as we, once again, embark on the journey of an open heart surgery.  

Crunch Time

17 days from now, Mia's 3rd open heart surgery should be completed.  I believe I have officially entered panic mode.  This week I will be running around like crazy doing all of my errands for our time in Denver.  Starting on Friday (after Izzy is done with school), we will not be leaving our home until pre-op day.  The thought of being stuck in the house for that long makes me cringe, but I know it's for the best.  This morning before taking Izzy to school, her teacher called me to let me know that they've already had 2 kids out sick.  Fantastic.  That's exactly why we won't be sending her after Friday.  We all got our flu shots last week and I can only pray that we stay healthy.  During my trip to the grocery store this morning, I think I sanitized my hands at least 10 times.  I'm paranoid about Mia getting sick and prolonging her stay in the hospital.  I'm scared for surgery day to be here, but I also just want to put it behind us.  I guess, "this too shall pass."