PICU Princess

It is late, and I am exhausted.  Andrew and I are taking turns staying awake as we sit with PA in the PICU, so excuse any grammatical mistakes.

Today was the day.  I cannot convey the somber feeling that was over our car as the three of us drove the ACH yesterday morning.  We were silent with the exception of the random sniffles I could not hold in.  Presley made the whole experience more painful to me by being her charming adorable self.  I was in an emotional war between what I wanted and what I knew had to happen.  She was so happy and it crushed me knowing that she had no clue what was about to happen.

Skipping past the admission process, as Presley rolled away from us sitting on her oversized bed for her 19 pound body, I think my heart stopped.
 Then came the waiting. And waiting. And waiting.  Thank God for family and friends who helped keep a nervous wreck mom and dad as preoccupied as possible.
The waiting was bad, but not as terrorizing as I expected.  The four hours seemed to crawl by, but in the grand scheme of things I felt as though Dr. Honnebier and Dr. Cai were out smiling with me in no time.  They both agreed on a successful surgery.

80% of cranio surgeries require a blood transfusion.  PA did not need one during the surgery, but she did need one as she was admitted to the PICU.  The drainage tube releasing the excess blood from her skull was exerting more blood than they were satisfied with.  They PICU team and Dr. Cai stayed very vague about what was going on (not the best way to approach me personally) but we could tell it was serious.  Thankfully after about 3 hours, her blood began to clot better and the drainage subsided.  

My worst fear, as of yesterday morning, past the actual surgical procedure, was seeing her for the first time.  I was pleasantly surprised that our little angel looked the exact same....with some bruised eyes and her little "bandage crown".  She has tolerated pain incredibly well and is a trooper in our eyes.

So far so good.  With a minor confusion with anesthesia and scheduling yesterday (long story, but obviously it was taken care of) the staff has been top notch.  Anesthesia, pre-op nurses, neuro, plastics, PICU staff, even the sign in employees have set the standard for hospitality and professionalism.

We still have a long road ahead of us.  Fingers crossed, that this will be our only night in PICU and we will reside in a normal room tomorrow, and our home the next.

We are forever grateful for the kind messages, texts, ACH emails, phone calls, check ins, care packages, visits, and most importantly your time, support, and prayers towards our angel Presley.

Andrew and I experienced a moment in the PICU that no parent should ever have to endure.  As visiting hours closed and the lights went down on our floor, the commotion we heard in the room next to us chilled our entire body.  The rooms are divided by a mere glass door and curtain so we were very aware of what was going on.  That very moment we realized how serious this night could be for any of the 19 children occupying this very unit.

Tomorrow will be a new day.  We will keep everyone posted, and again thanks for lifting our family up through this trying period in the long road of Presley's life.