| The surgery was over, but now came recovery | | | | every need: feedings, bath time, reading, singing; |
| time. All the family and friends that had been with | | | | you know, just mommy stuff. She had a few |
| us all day left, save the paternal grandmother and | | | | medications that she had to be given everyday, |
| myself. We had registered in at the Ronald | | | | twice a day. a heart medication, a fluid medication |
| McDonald House there, which was a short walk | | | | and vitamins. There is something in people that |
| from the hopital. It was nice. They prepared an | | | | says it's okay to trust other people, unless they |
| evening meal every night, which was very helpful. | | | | give you a reason not to. Micheala had one nurse |
| Since Micheala was in ICU, no one could stay with | | | | in partiular that I would say played 'the' major |
| her over night. that was a hard thing to do. But | | | | part in my little girl being alive today. As she came |
| my mind and worries were put at ease when I | | | | in one day to give Micheala her meds, she told |
| was told that she would have her own, round the | | | | me to come watch and pay attention. She told |
| clock, nurse. During the day, as i took my turn | | | | me the name and purpose for each medication, |
| sitting with my little girl, I observed some very | | | | showed me and told me the dosage of each, also. |
| attentive people in that ICU. they were almost | | | | I never thought to ask those questions on my |
| constant at her bedside, cleaning, fixing, checking | | | | own and I thank God she made me watch. |
| monitors and lines and paying attention to only | | | | Micheala stayed in the hospital for 11 days from |
| her. That was a relief in itself. they informed me | | | | start to finish. The day she was released, a |
| thta, for the first couple of days, Micheala would | | | | member of the "team of physicians" that was |
| be heavily sedated and this may be the one | | | | handling her case, signed her release papers and |
| opportunity to get as much rest as I could. I tried | | | | wrote out her prescriptions. We took them |
| very hard to find things to do. That was not an | | | | downstairs to the pharmacy, got them filled and |
| easy thing: sleep would not come, my mind | | | | went home. Remember the nurse who made me |
| stayed at the hospital and I really couldn't stay still | | | | watch and learn the meds? Here is why that is so |
| for long. It was a hard, first few days. | | | | important for you to remember. That night when |
| Micheala stayed in ICU for 6 days. Each day she | | | | I got ready to give Micheala her dose of meds, I |
| looked better and better. Her sedative was | | | | read the directions on the bottle, but to my utter |
| reduced everyday, but she stayed a little too | | | | surprise, something just wasn't right. The dosage |
| groggy to really recognize me. About the fourth | | | | they gave for the heart medication did not match |
| day she knew who I was and I was able to hold | | | | that from the hospital. I didn't know what to do! |
| her and rock her for a while. When she cried, I | | | | All i knew is that I wasn't going to give my baby |
| sang her favorite song,"Jesus Loves Me." she | | | | anything until I talked to a doctor. So, we placed a |
| would stop crying and just stare at me while I | | | | call to the hospital, only to get no one we needed. |
| sang. It was one of the most precious moments | | | | We called our local heart doctor who said, "do not |
| between us and I will never forget that. On day | | | | give her that medicine until you hear from the |
| five they let her have some formula. Oh, how | | | | attending physician". We soon heard back from |
| that baby ate! She drank it down in minutes, was | | | | the hospital with the correct dosage. People make |
| satisfied and went to sleep. Visiting hours came to | | | | mistakes, even doctors. If I had not listened to |
| an end but I didn't want to go; she was doing so | | | | the nurse, gave my little one the dosage on the |
| good. Day number 6 was a good day, she was | | | | bottle, she would have went into Cardiac Arrest |
| being moved to the Pediatric Floor. Now i could | | | | and died. I thank God for that nurse to this day. |
| stay with her at night. | | | | As the days and weeks passed, Micheala made a |
| After Micheala was put in her own room, I was | | | | full recovery and was taken off of all meds in |
| there for her around the clock. I took car of her | | | | three months. She is still going strong today. |