The neurosurgeon, Browd, said that everything went as well as could be expected. Three things singular to her situation presented themselves:
- The tube running from her brain down to her abdominal cavity could not be placed in the usual route medial to her breast tissue as her central line was in the way. He placed it to the outside of her right breast tissue instead (and assures me that it won't cause a problem once she starts to develop).
- Due to her enlarged liver, he had to make a wider than usual incision by her naval in order to guide the abdominal portion of the tube into place.
- He said that closing her incisions up was not the experience they usually have, as her skin was of a poor quality "like an 80 year-old's". (hmm, have heard that description before--but back in November it was from her other surgeon in reference to her dura-mater! What is it with Zoe and her 80 year-old status?)
Zoe did have to be rather doped up tonight to keep her from endlessly scratching from the itchiness caused by the morphine they gave her. She half pulled out her NG tube from all her face rubbing when I had my back turned briefly, so now she has on arm cuffs that keep them from bending (and reaching her face).
As far as the skin being of poor quality, they tell us it could be due to skin GVHD. SCCA had Browd do a skin biopsy for them to analyze as a part of her Day +80 work up that they do for all transplant patients. From that we should know more about what's going on with her skin on Monday.
Good Friday! Let's have an Even Better Saturday!
1 comment:
I have a dear friend, a young boy in a man's skin, a heart as sweet as a newborns, a soul that runs deep with the spirit of eternal wisdom...he looked at me sadly one day and said,"It is just that we miss seeing the magic. It is all around us every moment." But then he beamed as he looked up at me again and said, "but the beautiful thing is that it is always there anyway, waiting to be seen"
I keep a pic of Logan on my desktop. Everyday we get Zoe on the blog and I read to him and we talk about the Zen family or we just chat with Zoe (grammie tells the best stories) Yesterday we held a dance on top of the hospital...you wouldnt believe the number of babies in attendance!!!! And birdies. We were rockin the rooftops. Or wait, maybe you would believe the number of babies in attendance.
And having just returned from the ER dressed to the 999999999's in antibiotics- I will be quite good at having antiseptic thoughts. Perhaps an antiseptic tea party... we will invite Alice and the gang from Wonderland. To the rooftops!
I have seen so much beauty and wonder surrounding this time for you. The show of strength in times of such weakness, the outpouring of love even as you feel despair closing in on you, the constant striving for the best care you can give another person whilst circumstances keep demanding more and more that you fear you may run out resources... Mama and Papa the list goes on and on...I believe I am witness to the Magic of the Zen Family.
thank you
Sending you love and respect, peace and tranquility
brooke and family
Post a Comment