In surgery now
She went back about 45 minutes ago. Surgery should take 3-4 hours possibly longer. The intake nurse had a hard time getting an IV in place. This is nothing uncommon to us. Amanda is one that most nurses dread when it comes to IVs. Her veins like to show up then hide when it’s time to party! Then they like to roll around once found again. I know the nurses have to try before they bring in the big guns to get it done but it would be nice if we could just start with the best ones first. The anesthesiologist and his resident both got IVs in both of her hands at the same time. It was like a race! Then off she went to surgery.
During surgeries I usually like to be alone. We’ve done this so much I just have routine and a rhythm I get in. My mother came once, a while back during the beginning of all of this. Mama I know you are reading this and know that I love you. Bless her heart she came to be there for us but she made be a nervous wreck! So I had to restrict her from being there during surgeries! Since then I have run solo during the many surgeries that have followed.
YJ Jimenez, our pastor, our ministry partner, our close friend, and my mentor has wanted to come before, but I’ve told him many times that there’s no need. He hasn’t liked that very much! This time I didn’t even try to fight him. He beat us to the hospital this morning, meeting us in the lobby. It’s been good to have his comfort and laughter. Pastor Jamie Garcia of Bethel Baptist Church stoped by just prior to Amanda heading back, to offer his support and prayers. He is also a great man of God that has an amazing ministry here in Houston. The hospital chaplain stopped by also once I got to the waiting room. He offers great advice about the hospital and what they had to offer. By far the best chaplaincy service out of all the hospitals we’ve been to.
It was go to have familiar faces of YJ and Jamie here this morning to pray over this situation. Please be in prayer that the surgeons hands be guided and that eyes be pointed toward the King.
Update on surgery
Just got an update from the nurse. They have her under and she’s on bypass. They haven’t got to the valve yet to make an assessment of which way to go. They are waiting and should know soon. Should still be a couple of hours to go.
Replacement not repair
Just got another update. They couldn’t repair the valve so a replacement is being done. A porcine, pig, valve is being used for the replacement. This is something that we were aware could happen but the likely hood was slim about 5% according to the surgeon. Usually biological valves aren’t used in patients under 60. This is due to the fact that they don’t last as long as mechanical valve, about 15 or so years is the average. There’s just not much research out there on biological tricuspid valve replacement in someone as young as Amanda. Either way this should give us the same outcome, to fix the flow problems through valve. Just more surgeries in the distant future which more than likely would have been the same with the repair. The pacemaker lead should still stay outside of the valve. The surgeon should be done within an hour or so. I will have many questions for him once he comes out.
In recovery
Ok she’s out and doing good. Just talked with the doctor about 30 ministers ago. There were a few complications. It took some time to get the valve out due to scar tissue. They also had problems with the pacemaker leads. The lead going through the valve had folded one of the leaflets over and one was fibrosed to the lead it self. So this was obviously why the valve was having such problems.
While in there the atrial lead was dislodged. The surgeon had problems reattaching the lead and it didn’t have great conduction. The ventricular leads is good and still in place out side of the new valve. Because of the bad conduction with the atrial lead, he placed epicardial, outside, leads both for the atrium and ventricle. He then tunneled them to the pacemaker pocket. He wants to wait a few days and see what the conduction is like before considering to attach these epicardial leads. That would be another procedure to go in the pocket and connect them, in a week or so.
I still haven’t seen her yet and as I’m typing this the nurse came by and said she’s in recovery doing good and still intubated.
Talked with the doctor about the porcine replacement. He said about 15 years for longevity but they would now be able to replace it via trans-catheterization, through her growing. That is a much easier procedure than this one today. In 15 years with medical advances we’ve seen in the past 10 years I’m sure it will be a cake walk.
Some prayer requests and concerns would be for infection in the pacemaker pocket and the epicardial leads. We had problems with both before. She’s had many infections in the past and the epicardial leads are essentially why she had the second open heart surgery. Those leads weren’t placed in the pocket and were coiled on her heart, causing the previous problems. None the less still scary for me. This pacemaker is placed deep below the muscle to help with infections. So that should be less of a concern also. I’ll have to turn back into the germ nazi again. Playing the over protective mother that screams about germs and washing hands every two seconds! We’ve been there before and we can get through it again.
I can’t thank y’all enough for your prayers. God is great and in control so we have no worries whatever the outcome.
Got to see her
I finally got to get back to see her about 4:30. She wasn’t awake and I was only able to see her for a second. They have visiting hours for the recovery area. Only 30 minutes at a time every 2 to 3 hours. I’m not real thrilled about that one! I went back at 5:30, the “schedule visitation time”, insert sarcasm here, and she was still out but began to wake up a little before 6. This is were the hard part begins for me. Waiting is a nothing compared to seeing her with all the tubes and lines attached. She woke in a tremendous amount of pain trying to talk and tell me with all the tubes still in. They had given her pain medicine just prior to her waking up. This is one of those catch 22s were if they give her to much pain medication she’ll just go back to sleep. So they have to find that area where her pain is lowered but she doesn’t get knocked out from the meds. Amanda has been on some pretty heavy duty pain medication years before and for about the last year has been on a steady dose of prescription pain medication. This lowers her pain tolerance and makes these times just that much harder. It breaks my heart for her to be in so much pain and be able to do absolutely nothing for her. Her nurse did let me stay 10 or 15 minutes after my allotted time and after they kicked everybody else out, so that was a plus. I did my best to hold it together for her while I was in there, choking back tears the whole time. Let me just be raw here for a second I had to have a 5 minute cry break in the bathroom after I left her side. Prayers for pain relief right now please. She is scheduled to be extubated by 9. I get my next and last visitation of the evening at 8:30 I’m hoping they may have the tubes out by then. Psalms 55:22 tell us to cast our burdens on the Lord, and He will sustain us. I rest in that but let me tell you, I feel like I’m fishing right now as hard as I’m casting! I’ll post another update after I see her tonight.
Answered prayers!
Thank you Jesus! By the time I got back to see Amanda the tube was out early, her pain was down, and she was in good spirits. Answered prayers for sure. I was nothing but smiles when I turned the corner and saw her beautiful face, I didn’t even need need to ask, I already knew her pain was better. Amazing how prayer works when you believe in it. I’ve never seen her pain go down so fast and recover this quick right after any surgery. Thank you to all the prayer warriors out there. She was also more coherent that I’ve ever seen her after general anesthesia. I was able to explain what went on with the surgery without having to repeat myself at all. Normally this would be a few hour conversation of a thousand repeats of what happened. I hadn’t planned on telling her of the complications till morning because I wasn’t sure she would understand but she was completely coherent. So much so when I told her they couldn’t repair the valve but replaced it, first thing she asked was if she was going to oink! So that question I had, of is it to early for pig jokes, has been answered. Those of you that care to come and check these updates I can’t thank you enough. Just know that all your support, love, and prayers is felt and appreciated. First visitation is at 5:30 second is at 10. She told me not to come to the first but she knows better than that! I probably won’t post another update until after 11 tomorrow morning. I plan on coming straight back to the hotel after the first visit and crashing until the second. Love y’all nite nite.