Recovering well at home

Dear friends, the cardiac catheterization was done successfully with no complications. Thank you for your prayer support and concern for Z.

She did very well and was a good girl through it all – even when the doctors had to set the IV plug in her hand, our brave girl didn’t even shed a single tear.

Z took everything in her stride, as she has become so familiar with visiting the hospital over the years, she was very relaxed. I give thanks to God for her calmness and confidence!

According to Z’s cardiologist, Prof Quek, both her shunts are functioning well, and are not blocked. The total correction surgery need not be so soon as we thought, but it depends on Z’s need for oxygen. According to him, delaying the open heart surgery for as long as possible is advisable, as the pulmonary artery graft could last in her body from as short as 5 years, or as long as 10 years or beyond. She is in the Lord’s hands.

During the hospital stay, Z did manage to have some fun on the playground…

and eat french fries…

We discharged from the hospital the next evening at 7pm. We were exhausted but happy to be back in our own bed. Lizzie told me “I’m so happy to be at home with you Mummy!”.

She has also been very good keeping still so as to not disturb her healing wounds, and even helped me to change her dressing!

Lizzie in charge of opening the tegaderm…

There it is! landed on her chin

Z's sticker reward chart

Plus she got the two stickers required to complete the set of 10 on her sticker chart to get her reward…. See how happy she is??

Meanwhile she is aware of the dressings, and is so cute, as she walks very carefully taking v small steps. Thank God she did not complain of anymore pain by this evening, and is now sleeping soundly.

Praise the Lord for His faithfulness.

God Bless,

Elaine

Cardiac catheterization scheduled

Dear friends, the hospital has confirmed that the procedure will be done under General Anaesthetic on Friday 15th October early in the morning at 8:00am.

I ask for your prayers for the procedure and the post operative recovery period to be smooth and speedy. I will be updating the blog again after her discharge.

Thank you to everyone for the prayers and encouragement – I’m sure it will be over before we know it!

God Bless,

Elaine

Hospitalization scheduled on 14th October 2010

Dearest friends,

I just want to thank you for your help and support during the last 3 months. For those of you that are aware of our situation - it was a difficult time for myself and Lizzie, but with the love of our close friends and family, and with God's guidance and protection, we are doing very well, and Lizzie has even gained almost 1.5kg!

To those who have shared so much with us, in your time, resources and care - and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and we love you all very much.

As you have figured out from the title of this post - we have to be admitted next week for a cardiac catheterization. In short, it is NOT a surgery as such, but kind of like doing an investigation or probing/scope of the heart. But it IS invasive, and will require Lizzie to be under General Anaesthesia. For those of you who want to find out more in detail - go to http://www.medicinenet.com/cardiac_catheterization/article.htm

Lizzie will be admitted at NUH at 3pm on 14 October, and will stay the night, so that the doctors will be able to run all the necessary tests before the actual procedure on the 15th.

So I humbly ask once more for your prayers.
That the procedure will go smoothly from beginning of the admission, to the catheterization procedure, to the discharge. I ask that you pray specifically that no complications will arise, and that Lizzie will recover quickly from the whole procedure, as we are hoping to be discharged on the same day if possible.

On a lighter note, before I sign off, Lizzie celebrated her birthday on Aug 9 and we had a lovely Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cake which she just loved to bits.

God Bless,
Elaine

Conversations with Lizzie

Dear friends,

I just wanted to share something that deeply touched my heart recently, and will be encouragement to those of you who are fellow believers.

Last Sunday, I was talking to Lizzie and it went something like this:

Mummy : Lizzie have you seen any angels protecting our house?

Lizzie : No angels. Only Jesus.

Mummy : Where was Jesus? Downstairs?

Lizzie : No, in my room.

Mummy : What did Jesus say to Lizzie???

Lizzie : Jesus hug me and say “be well” (she literally said those words)

Mummy : Oh! That’s wonderful. Did you feel happy when Jesus hugged you?

Lizzie : Yes, I am very happy.

Mummy : What else did Jesus say ?

Lizzie : He said must wear spectacles

I thought I would test her out a bit and ask her what Jesus looked like. To my surprise and awe, she told me that his eyes were white, and he was wearing a dress. Not pants, but a dress. A white dress.

PTL!! This is consistent with Christ’s appearance in heavenly form.

“…the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire…” Rev 2:18

“…His garment was white as snow…” Dan 7:9

making cupcakes

Because of her encounter, her transition into wearing spectacles has been an amazingly smooth one, despite being down with the flu and having to get used to wearing the spectacles at the same time – she’s our cheerful, bubbly girl once more.

God Bless,

Elaine

Update 26 may 2010 - A small victory

Lizzie insisting on wearing her white "flower girl" shoes with her PJ

Hi everyone, we brought Lizzie for her appointment with the cardiologist on Monday (24 May) and it was a bitter-sweet visit for us. We are so relieved and happy to hear that the cardiologist is still comfortable with her oxygen level, albeit lower. He thinks that she is not in desperate need of a surgery in the short term. However, he wants to do an invasive procedure on Lizzie sometime this year to assess the conditions of the 2 shunts (tubes from the previous surgeries) supporting her blood flow to the heart.

We were also told that while the major surgery that Lizzie has to go through in the medium term will correct her missing-artery issue, there are cases where the donor artery may only last 5 years (we were previously told that it lasts for 10 to 15 years). When that happens, Lizzie will be back on the operating table. That is a great blow to what we are already preparing ourselves to accept for Lizzie's life.

To us, the stake has just been raised. High-risk open-heart surgeries for the rest of her life every 5 to 10 years!! This thought brought us down on our knees, begging God for mercy and a much-needed miracle for Lizzie.

While we pray fervently and unceasingly for her well-being, we treasure our moments with Lizzie. We do what we can to let her lead a fulfilling and God-honouring life. Lizzie is looking forward to being a flower-girl for the first time on 31 May. She takes her practice very seriously.

Never thought I have to deal with a boy dragging my daughter down the aisle so soon!!!

Lizzie also visited a farm with her school friends on 25 May. I went along and had a great time with her. We sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars and Ba Ba Black Sheep on the bus home. These are simple things I will always remember and thank God for.

Lizzie and the terrapins