Last weekend I published a diary titled "I Am a Grandfather," in which I described the health challenges that lay ahead for my newborn grandson. He was born with a congenital heart defect called Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA). This meant that the main arteries into and out of his heart were connected backwards from a normal heart, and if left untreated, the possibility of a long life are basically nil. This past Monday, my grandson underwent a five-hour surgery to correct his TGA and a related constriction in his aorta.
I am immensely pleased to report that the surgery went very well. Baby D was helped by the fact that he was a big baby and healthy in every other respect. This meant he was strong going into surgery, and his relative size made it easier for the surgeons to do their work.
We were at the hospital with my son and daughter-in-law as they wheeled their son into the OR. Even though we had much reason for hope that things would go well, it was a very hard moment to see this new little child being taken away to have major surgery. He was only four days old!
We anticipated a long wait while the surgery progressed, but we were surprised at how fast the time seemed to pass. We received regular updates during the procedure, and every one was positive, so as the day went on we felt better about his chances. We were joined by friends and family at times during the day, and that helped keep our spirits up as well.
Finally, when it was done and the doctor came in to report, we were overjoyed to hear him say, "It could not have gone better!" He came through with flying colors!
We were able to see him within an hour of the surgery, and even though it was tough to see the little guy laying there with all manner of tubes and wires connected, he looked great. His color was already improved, and his fingers, toes, and lips were no longer blue. They were pink and healthy like any other normal baby!
His recovery this week has continued well. He's had chest tubes and breathing tubes removed, and they've started introducing breast milk into his feeding tube to get him ready to finally be able to eat on his own.
Say what you will about the state of medical care in this country, but every single day, miracles are performed. And we are so very grateful.
We were also cheered by the wonderful comments we received to my previous diary. Thanks so much to everyone! The support this community provides is its own miracle!