One week to go! Looking ahead

We went to Weill-Cornell yesterday for a marathon day of pre-op testing and paperwork. James had an echocardiogram, all his stats checked, vials and vials of bloodwork, a urine test, a chest X-ray, a vaccine... We left the apartment at 8am and didn't return home until 5. By then, we had a grumpy and tired little boy with bandaids on both arms, legs, and a foot.

Part of the pre-op was a chat with his surgeon, Dr. Chen, about the planned surgery: process, risks, side effects, recovery, long-term expectations, the works. We don't see Dr. Chen regularly – he surfaces just for the surgeries – but he is very clear, concise, and informational when we do check in with him.

While the Glenn Procedure has several different iterations, James is having the Bi-Directional Glenn. In addition, one valve has been leaking a very small amount since birth, a minor problem they've been keeping an eye on. During this surgery, they'll try to reduce or repair that leaking as well. His heart will be stopped and he'll be placed on a bypass, receiving blood transfusions, while all this is done.

Although this is somewhat risky, Dr. Chen seems optimistic about the surgery and James' case. Kids who undergo this may have a range of complications and degrees of severity which affect the possible outcome... he seems to think that James is a good candidate and has nothing particular to worry about.

James will go into surgery first thing in the morning, January 24, and should be in the hospital at least a week to recover. It's likely recovery will be more like a week and a half. He'll be in the PICU, where he spent the first few days of his life, and where visitors are limited to 2 at a time with parental permission.

Due to the flu epidemic, we'll be strict about upholding the visitation rules and monitoring who has access to him. Anyone who wants to visit, CALL AHEAD to plan with us, be careful about coughing or coming if you're feeling sick, and be prepared to wash your hands before all contact. The whole hospital is on alert, so we'll do our best to avoid spreading germs.