More on Truman's Surgery

We are finally awake after trying to nap a little this afternoon. We had to be at the hospital very, very early to sign consent forms, meet with Truman's surgeon, and wait during the surgery. He was sleeping very peacefully when we left late this morning and was expected to be very asleep most of the day due to the anesthesthia from the surgery. So, we did what people recommended and slept when our baby slept.

The surgery went very well. Apparently, the ductus was quite large, so they expect the procedure to make a big difference in Truman's health. In fact, within an hour of surgery, his chest x-rays looked better and his blood pressure had risen. They had given him some doses of hydrocortizone just before the surgery just in case he had trouble keeping his blood pressure up. But he did so well afterward that the nurse already decided to hold the remaining doses scheduled for today.

The formal neural sonogram was also performed this morning while we were there, but we have not heard results. We do not expect results until tonight or early tomorrow. This will probably be our biggest challenge so far -- even bigger than the surgery depending on the results.

We are headed back to the hospital soon to see if Truman has waked from the anesthestia and returned to our usual very feisty, fidgety boy.

On a funny note, because yesterday was so tough, the nurses wanted to lighten things up a bit. While we were gone for a rest yesterday afternoon, they switched out his eye mask and drew one with little longhorns over his eyes and the phrase "Hook' em" on it. They also did his footprints while we were there. It turns out he has one foot from his mom -- flatfooted as can be -- and one very arched foot from his dad. His footprint is about the size of the first two knuckles of my first finger. Despite being only a foot tall, he has very large hands and feet and long fingers and toes.


--Kara