The doctors decided that Steven would be ready to have his heart repaired around age 3. We decided to wait until after the summer, so that he could enjoy a full Texas summer at the pool and beach! After a diagnostic MRI at the hospital the month before, we met with the surgeon at Texas Children's Hospital and scheduled his operation for September 22, 2011. This would be the day after his brother's 1st birthday! But since we were also preparing for a move, and had been anticipating the surgery for several years, we decided to take the first slot available.
The day of pre-op tests
After a day of pre-operative tests and procedures on the 21st, we found out that Steven's surgery would need to be postponed a day due to a critically ill newborn baby who needed his surgery slot. So we enjoyed our evening celebrating little Thomas' birthday and then spent a day at home before waking early on September 23rd, the memorial of St. Padre Pio! We dropped off the girls with their grandpa and headed downtown with the two boys.
After a short time in the pre-op area where his vital signs were taken, they gave Steven a small sedative drink to make him sleepy when they would take him back for surgery. He sat in his daddy's lap in a rocking chair, watching morning cartoons, until the surgery team came and the nurse took him and his "fisherman bear" and they were off to the operating room just after 7:00am.
I will say that those hours of surgery were some of the hardest of my life. I sat with my mother-in-law, Steven Sr., and little Thomas, and tried to distract myself as much as I could. I even tried to sleep once but was so nervous and crying so often that there was no hope in resting. We were sitting near another family whose child was in open heart surgery. They had about 10 people with them at all times, and I admit I was jealous of all the physical support they had there, even knowing how much prayer support we had coming from all over the world. I felt lonely and afraid, and extremely anxious for the surgery to be over.
Little brother who was a distraction for all
We got periodic updates from the surgical team that were maybe a bit more difficult than I'd imagined. For one of the first updates, I was hoping they were already repairing his heart, but instead they said that they had just started the actual incision. The prep time to put a child on a heart-lung bypass machine is very long. It must have been about 2 hours! At about 12:30pm we were finally told that he was out of surgery and breathing on his own. Praise God!
We were able to see him soon after. This was what he looked like in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit. He had lines in his neck, arm, wrist, and even his feet! So many monitors, tubes, and needles!
That first afternoon and evening was very hard, because he really wanted a drink. They wouldn't allow him anything for a few hours, and then only a tiny medicine cup each hour. Oh, the pain to watch your child beg for a drink! That was really, really hard. But as the hours went by, he slowly woke up more, and they started to take the different lines out.
We put some videos on the iPhone for him to watch, but really the CVICU was just a miserable 24 hours. I remember him sweetly asking for me to lie with him in his bed, but then realizing it made him hurt more. So sad. We did have some great nurses that were very knowledgeable and kind. But it was so hard to see all the very sick children. We also had to share a room with the other child whose family had been next to us in the waiting room. The most difficult part was that during the night hours we had to switch off being with Steven and little Thomas in the Ronald McDonald room downstairs.
After those grueling hours, it was finally time to pack up the bags and move downstairs to the cardiac recovery floor! Steven Joseph slept through the move.
That evening we put some jammies on him (which didn't last long, it was too hot!),
and he even got a Happy Meal!
Daddy played with him and his cars and knights.
And finally he got his drain removed (it was where the band-aid is, under his scar). After the drain is out, it's much easier and less painful to move around. The nights were hard in that room with the baby staying there too. One night he had to get a new IV at about 2am, and that was very difficult.
But on Sunday afternoon, his sisters and cousins came to visit and he actually got out of bed for once!
We took him down to the playroom and he started playing and painting and walking!
He was so excited and proud of himself, stating, "Mommy, I can do everything now!"
He couldn't wait to go show his sisters and cousins all the things he could do now. It was like a complete change in about half an hour. He went from sad and bedridden to happy and determined. It was a beautiful thing to see.
So happy to be out of bed!
Now he could sit up and play with toys!
Later that night, our friends the K family came to visit, to bring us Holy Communion, and to take the girls home for the night. Here we are in the hospital chapel looking at the scrapbook they made for Steven Joseph.
On Monday he was out and about, playing with balls in the hallway,
and doing some fun crafts!
Baby brother was still around. Causing lots of trouble! Everyone was getting bored at the hospital.
Here was the one couch bed for Mommy, Daddy, and Tommy to sleep!
We went back to the playroom where he did some dot painting.
It was right at this table when the attending doctor came to tell us we had the all-clear to go home! In a whirlwind of half an hour we packed and ran out the door to try to beat the Houston traffic!
With his bears and balloons in the car to go HOME!
The next day, we set up FaceTime at home on the iPhone with his friend. He was so excited!
Here he is with the painting that I credit for his turnaround. While painting a picture of the aquarium in the playroom at the hospital he went from sick to well in a few minutes. It's amazing what art can do for your mental well-being!
And here he is having a playdate with his buddy J a few days later.
This picture was taken before his one week appointment where they would take off the steri-strips and therefore this scary-looking red scar due to the iodine stuff we had to keep on it.
Posing with his balloons.
Brothers in the exam room. Lots of waiting to meet with nurses and such to make sure he was a-okay!
My little transformer dude!
After getting this all-clear from the heart clinic, he also met with our local cardiologist about a month after surgery. All signs point to a full recovery and repair, and we will follow-up again in January and in the summer. After that, he should only need a yearly visit to make sure his heart continues to function normally. We can't wait for a fun spring and summer filled with baseball, beach days, and swimming! Thanks be to God for the staff of Texas Children's Hospital who make it such an incredible place of healing for children like Steven. Many thanks also go to the friends and family who prayed and supported us through this journey.
May we always remember "heart babies" and their families in our prayers. We know so many personally, and I'm grateful that they were placed into my life to be a support during this time. Some are still suffering. Some need on-going medical procedures. And sadly, others' hearts have only been healed in Heaven. May God bless each of these children and their families in their times of need.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, we put our trust in You!
