Day 7 - Post Op

Thanks SO much for all your prayers and comments/suggestions on the blog.  Sorry for the silence here, but the last days were a bit stressful as I tried to figure out how to entice Lily Rose to eat and also tried to illicit a smile from my once cheerful girl.  The good news is....she finally did eat and smile!!

Two days ago the Dr.'s removed her mediastinum tube (the middle drain tube in her chest) and her pacing wires. I think that was the beginning of her turnaround.  I also  took Tommy's mom's advice (see Day 2 - Post Op comments) and pulled up a Chinese children's video on You Tube for her to watch.  While watching "Pleasant Goat and Bad Bad Wolf" - a Chinese cartoon - I was able to get her to eat some rice a few days again and even saw a few smiles

Yesterday we moved to the step-down floor.  She had a few more extraneous items removed...IV's, arterial lines, etc. and with that new freedom and a new private room, she decided that eating and drinking weren't so bad.  The Dr's want her to eat a high fat diet to see if her chest drainage will become chylous or not.  So last night Lily Rose enjoyed a large helping of french fries, this morning eggs and for lunch she ate a big bag of potato chips.  These are not meals that would make a mother proud but definitely high fat food choices.

This is Lily Rose on Day 2 Post-Op in PCICU.

On Friday I was blessed beyond words when Phil's little brother, Joel, and his wife, Penny, took a day off of work and drove two hours each way to visit Lily and I.  Not only did they offer wonderful encouragement to me, but they also came bearing gifts in the form of homemade, delicious food.  Penny knows what I love and included a selection of chocolate items and a Starbucks card too.  She also knew that we were having trouble getting Lily to eat.  She took time to cut up a hot dog and string it onto spaghetti  She was hoping by presenting fun food, Lily Rose would be more willing to eat.  What a precious gift to us!!

Then Friday evening Torie arrived in Charleston to keep me company for the weekend. She's such a blessing to me!  She not only did my laundry and sat with me at Lily Rose's bedside in PCICU, but she also made Starbucks runs for me:)

Now we're on Day 7 post-op and we just wait for the chest tubes to stop draining.  Thanks for continued prayers!