Pinkalicious

I'm so sorry that it has taken me so long to talk about the heart cath.  I feel like when I miss 2 days from work, I come back hitting it hard, running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

The heart cath was a tough day.  It was super long.  They didn't get started until 10 a.m. (we had been there since 7a.m.) Gracie was pretty anxious as we all were.  Initially we were told it would be like 3 hours.  We got one update like 11ish.  Then around 12:30, 1ish, the nurse came out and said he was still gathering data.  Okay, I knew then and there that something wasn't right.  Dr. C is a cautious guy but if he could have closed it after the first try, he would have.  We all knew this was pretty much our last effort before something else, which I don't want to talk about for a long, long time (the "t" word).  Thankfully, our friend, who is a picu doctor, came by, and found out what was going on and told us.  The first effort didn't work.  The fontan function dropped drastically and he wouldn't be able to close.  Dr. C and another cardiologist put their heads together and brainstormed why and decided it was lack of volume (due to not eating or drinking and being under anesthesia for a significant amount of time)...they added volume with calcium and waited before attempting the mimic closure of the fenestration (pop-off valve) on the fontan.  After some time, they tried it again and the function was within normal range.  He did it again and the same results.  So, Dr. C. closed the fenestration.  She pinked up.  Her oxygen saturation levels were in the 90s.  Because she was under anesthesia for so long (like until 3ish), they had her recover in PICU and we spent the night there.  Gracie was like a rock star with all of our favorite nurses coming by and seeing her, especially sweet Katie O'Dear.  We got released the next morning from the hospital and Gracie is still doing well.  She's pink and has oxygen saturation levels around 90-94!  She went from 79 to 94 in one day!  Amazing! 

I asked her if she felt different and she said she didn't.  I can see that she's having a little difficulty adjusting to her new body, like she thinks it's so weird to feel good and with more energy.  I think, like us, she is pretty cautious.  She is trying to see how far she can get with things since she just had another procedure...she is pushing the bratty envelope.  But she is pink.  PINKALICIOUS!  I am thankful and hoping we don't have any negative effects from closing the fenestration (like effusion!)...I have never seen my girl so PINK!  Pink fingers, lips, toes, face! Thank you everybody for your prayers!  Yeehaw! God is GOOD!