the day of

So we woke up dark and early Friday morning. Neither of us slept much, so that we actually "woke" up is debatable. I was lying awake before the alarm went off and by the way Jase sauntered into the bathroom, I figured so was he.

As much as I wanted to, there was no denying. Today was the day.

So we readied ourselves and then picked up our warm and sleepy little prince out of his crib. He was pretty confused about the whole thing. I changed his jammies and his diaper, fixed some apple juice {because he was only NPO after 7am! Holla} and got into our toasty van. Thank goodness Jase had the forethought to start it a few minutes earlier. It was in the 20's and whew, it felt chilly!

Gabe actually grinned when Jase put him in his car seat. Sweet boy had been going to the kitchen door for days saying, "Go bye bye! Go bye bye!" I'd kept him home for over a week since there's so much yuck going around and I was afraid he may get a cold or a even a nasty bug and this whole thing would be shut down and postponed. With our schedule of successive surgeries for 2013, I didn't want to chance it. But he was a little stir crazy. So he happily went bye bye at 6am headed for the big city and our children's hospital.

Everything went smooth as could be getting Gabe checked in and settled. We saw the nurse, nurse practitioner, anesthesiologist and surgeon. They were all fantastic. The NP explained exactly what they were going to do. That they hoped to use a small coil to correct his PDA but she suspected it may require a different device since she felt his PDA was larger than originally thought. She showed us the device...it looked like a mushroom kinda and would collapse into the catheter that would be threaded through an artery in Gabe's groin. Once in his heart, his BEATING heart, they would push the device beyond the catheter and plug the hole where the flap should have closed. With dye and xray, they could off course see where they were going with it and also would also hopefully be able to see where the flow of blood that regurgitated into his lungs had stopped. Amazing.

He got dressed and hooked up to pulse ox, bp, and stuff. Got a cute blue gown on, drank down some Versed and then just sat on the stretcher happy as a little lark.

After he was all hooked up and feeling fine, Gabe's nurse asked if I had ever listened to his murmur from the PDA. I had thought to. Even remembered where my old stethoscope was to be able to hear it but never dug it out. I jumped at the chance to listen to it today...

Swoosh swoosh. Just like a washing machine. It was louder than his heartbeat.

I was grateful she offered this to us. She also asked about his titers for vaccines. I explained that we had the orders to have them drawn but after the many blood draws he had up to this point, and given his sickness for literally months, we just hadn't wanted to put him through it yet. His nurse stepped up and requested that they draw them in the cath lab once he was asleep! Have I said how wonderful these people were? They were san fran tastic.

We were all alone in that room finally. Jase was sitting on the stretcher beside Gabe playing with the wires and being silly. I looked at my hubby. Face red, eyes full. Now the tables had turned. Up to this point, I had held it all together today. I had a complete meltdown that lasted a few hours the night before. But today, I had set my face like flint and was ready to do this thing. To be done.

But my rock, he broke down. And of course I with him then. 

I knelt on the floor and held my two boys' hands and Jase whispered out a broken prayer to our great God. We told Him that we loved Him, and trusted Him no matter what. And we meant it. But we also asked Him to sustain our son. To guide Dr. Vincent's hands.

It wasn't long after, 8:30, they came for Gabe and said that they would start his IV as soon as he was under general anesthesia...and that they would call us at that time to let us know that he tolerated it well and that things had begun and would be about 1 1/2 to 2 hours before they were finished.

We waited just a few minutes and our nurse came to say that all was going perfectly and now would be a good time to grab some breakfast. That sounded like a good diversion. And a good plan since we hadn't eaten a bite and had been up for a few hours. Because even though Gabe could drink clear liquids up till 7am, he could only eat until midnight of course. We couldn't bring ourselves to eat in front of him! Sweet baby loves him some food in the mornings!

Breakfast was pretty decent and we had some fun texting Kennedy while we were in the cafeteria. I  went to the bathroom and got a text from Jase that the nurse came in to tell him they were halfway through and that things were going perfectly!

Before we knew it, they were having us step out to the waiting room while they wheeled him back in to wake up. They don't want you as a parent to see them extubate your child. I get that. But I looked back anyway as they shot behind us in the hallway and caught a glimpse of our beautiful boy pink and extubated already.

Relief.

And praise were the order of the day.

After a few minutes, the nurse came to get us and this is what we saw...Rockin' a new purple gown {???} but looking soooo good...

Gabe's nurse handed me her stethoscope again. I could have cried.

No swoosh swoosh.

Only a perfect, loud heart beat was to be heard. 

Glory! 

They had had to give him some Demerol for pain and given he had had general anesthesia too, he was zonked. Which was perfect because his right leg had to remain straight for 3 hours post op. After an hour or so, he groggily woke up and tried to sit to reach for Jase and I. With the help of our nurse, we put him in my lap to sleep it off and rest his leg.

He slept for another hour and a half and then woke up to eat a few bites and to drink two cups of apple juice. :) We took funny pictures to send to the girls {who were with my friend Suzie. Joel was with Tara.} and once he had been given the all clear, we headed out of there with our little prince and his perfect heart!

It was hard to keep the boy down. He was happy, happy, happy. Ate a few fries on the way home. And then sat in my lap for a few hours once we were.

See what I mean?

Happy boy, happy family. To God be the glory!

We were so incredibly grateful to those who prayed for Gabe and for us Friday. Our FB pages lit up with people from literally all over the country and the world even, who were lifting our family up to the Lord. We can't tell you how much we appreciate your prayers. And to our friends who stepped up to help with our kids since my mom was severely sick and couldn't watch them for us, we are so grateful to you. We love you all and are blessed so much by you. And by our beautiful Jesus who makes all things new!