We now have lots of homework and information to complete. Some points and issues:
1) Wren will need 4 units of blood during surgery. Do we want to offer our blood for him? We may not be able to be designated donors because They require blood 48 hours prior to surgery to allow time for processing and testing. We can either provide "designated donors" or use the general blood supply. Josh would like to donate if he can. I am investigating.
2) We need to know Wren's blood type. This is not in the notes I have. It may be in his chart records I requested but I have mislaid them in the reorganization of the office. If I can't find them and we can't get them from Children's he will need a blood draw for blood typing at our pediatricians.
3) We check in for pre-op at 7.30am on the 6th November. We need to give Wren a good bath the night before surgery. The actual surgery time will be posted on the pre-op day and we will be advised at that time.
4) If Wren gets sick between now and surgery we need to see our pediatrician to evaluate whether he can have surgery. In general, he cannot have respiratory infection or fever or exposure to chickenpox. Diarrhea and other conditions may delay surgery too.
5) Child Life only consults with children age 3+. I am going to investigate this. We really liked Child Life's involvement up here.
6) There is no sleeping in the CICU rooms - you are supposed to stay and sleep in the Parent Waiting Room nearby. The ward rooms usually provide a sleeping facility.
7) We will be approached to consent for Wren to participate in 2 clinical trials. One deals with post-operative wound infection through the application of silver dressings to the sternal wound. The other involves the use of heparin post-operative. The latter is endorsed by Dr Hanley, our surgeon.
Got to run. Hoping the floor installation shows significant progress and Wren is still napping a short while more.
EDIT: We have found the medical records. Wren has A+ blood type. I am B+. Joshua does not know his. The kitchen floor is done!!
3 comments:
Wow, our boys will be having heart surgery one day apart...but we're in Sacramento, California. As much as we are both dreading surgery, let's hope both our dates stay the same! I am going to keep Casey inside and alone the week before surgery!
Oh my. What is Casey having done and which hospital? I am going to keep Frost out of school for the final week (I think) but really, if Wren contracted something this week he may have trouble getting over it in time so I am feeling super-vigilant. Today, at the playground, I kept yanking Wren off the swings and then the climbing fort because this little girl in a pink sweater was coughing her way around with an awful rattle in her chest!
your doing such a good job making a wonderful effort to keep your family healthy and planning for this surgery. Steven and I never had a thought about heart surgery till stuck up and hit us and I think I would have lost my mind, ok fine I lost it anyways huh:) and you are doing so well(I am sure your losing it at times but I hope that you see your gracefulness) your doing a wonderful job Shannon your so thoughtful and studious and I am sure this is helping your entire family. you are an amazing mom to both your boys!!
you had commented before about being given soap to bath in before surgery and we had never had this for any of Izzy's surgeries (the big ones where ER driven and then from IU so those where different sit) but this week they gave us soap to bathe her in the day of her ear tube surgery so either they just started this or did not do it for the smaller surgeries. izzy was bathed in the icu for her heart surgery but now it seams they are doing it for all surgeries? they are hoping it will keep the OR rooms cleaner. we are flying out to Texas for the big PHACES confrence the day before you guys head to CA. WE will be keeping you in our thoughts the entire time. I still catch myself moving Izzy away from children who are coughing and snotty when we are in public trained from months of steriods and unexpected surgeries, Izzy is a pro at rubbing in purril!
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