Surgery Date

Keller is 3 months! 

On the 28th we were able to meet with the surgeon that will do Keller's surgery.  When we left he said that we could contact his secretary and get a date scheduled for the later part of September.  On Wednesday we heard Keller is scheduled for surgery on September 23rd.  Phillip and I will take Keller up on the 21st because Keller has to be at Duke at 7am Monday the 22nd.  He will have a day full of tests and preoperative procedures and will be admitted that day with plans to be the first case on Tuesday. 

Dr. Jaquiss wants to do a sedated echo and a CT Angio of Keller's heart and the veins and arteries surrounding.  There is one thing in particular he wants to see better so he can best plan his approach for surgery.  If there are any surprises in Keller's anatomy or he feels Keller's lungs have not recovered fully from the rhinovirus there is a very small chance that Keller would have a band placed to buy us more time instead of the repair on the 23rd. The chance is small and Keller will most likely have his repair surgery that day. Dr. Jaquiss feels confident that after he fixes the AV canal Keller will have two ventricles which would allow Keller to have a mostly normal life. At this point we still believe this should be Keller's only heart surgery.  We anticipate the surgery to take about six hours from what his cardiologist told us (we forgot to ask the surgeon).  If recovery goes as planned Keller should be discharged about 10-14 days after surgery.  

Phillip and I have been told by two of his cardiologists that they are excited for us because of the difference we are about to see in our baby.  Right now he has been prescribed 4 cardiac medications, 2 medicines for reflux and one as a prophylaxis for aslpenia.  He is still requiring over 600 calories a day. We would love to know that gone are the days of constant sweating, grunting and using belly muscles to breathe and having to be fed continuously because his body can't handle larger amounts of milk at a time.  We have been told he is going to be a "new baby" and that excites us.  We are obviously nervous, anyone would be. I think often about how these are the last days of seeing his chest scar free but I also think about the potential for him to feel "good."  I know he doesn't know his life has been abnormal but we have so much hope for normal and good days in his future.  These past months have been a whirlwind and though we have enjoyed our time with Keller there is an anticipation of what is to come.  

There most likely won't be much news between now and then as we are only 18 days away from surgery.  We have appreciated your prayers and we covet them once more as we prepare for this next step.  Please join us as we pray for no setbacks before the date, for his surgery to go as planned with no hiccups and for a boring and uneventful recovery.