Its another blessed day of GJ's recovery

Video of Gerald today 2-26-09

Today , I would say the best day ever after the emergency surgery of Gerald that happened last 12th of February. His appearance has a dramatic improvement since Sunday . His face looks normal now and less swollen, but his stomach is still bigger than normal. He only have one major IV on his left thigh ( this IV will stay for quite sometime because he needs to have the full dose of antibiotics and its deliver through intravenously). Also, he is on the high dose of O2, I think 7liters 100 % /hour. I can't really remember how exactly the dosage of oxygen is given. He is back on his feeds. As the amount of milk per ml goes up, the nurses will turn down the amount of nutrition that Gerald getting through his IV. He's still on the low dose of pain meds, but I think they are going to wean him off with that by tomorrow. Therefore, he might just have the oral medicine afterwards and he can be walking anything soon.

Another, since he was really awake today, we was able to watch the television. But he kept me on my toes, I have to always reposition him because he always lying vertically on his bed. They want him on in upright position so that he can have a normal function of his lungs. He sound congested so far, but if he can just cough all the white plem in his throat he would be sound a whole lot better.
Anyway, it was a pleasant day for all of us here. Thank God for keeping my son in HIS powerful healing hand.
And to all my friends that offered prayers for him. God bless you and I hope you will continue to pray for him. I appreciated your help very much!
God Bless us all!

Good day today after 14th day in bed

Gerald was watching TV and his big brother came to visit.

♥ I don’t want to say things ahead of time, but I think today is one of those wonderful days that happened to Gerald after the major surgery and after they removed his breathing tube. He looks happier and more comfortable. This morning, I woke almost 8am, and Gerald’s nurse Tiffany told me that they are going to removed GJ’s chest tube. I was barely awake but at the same time I answered “okay” to her. I was gonna go back to bed but the nurse practitioner put on a gown and gloves and ready to remove GJ’s chest tube. The nurse gave Gerald a pain meds so that he cannot feel anything. I was watching them pulled the tube and for Gerald it was nothing because he slept through it. Anyway, we started a beautiful morning and until the end of the day. The only problem that Gerald had was congestion. The Respiratory therapist kept suctioned his nose and mouth to get raid of the flame (can’t spell) in his throat. Also, Gerald was feeling well today I saw him smiled again for few seconds only. The reason why he smiled is because I turned on the TV and it was a cartoon program sponge boob. He like sponge boob. Anyway, it was a wonderful day today and Gerald looks really good. I hope this is the beginning of the beautiful week of recovery. It was a huge improvement since last couple days past. Praise God that He keeps Gerald in his powerful healing hand.

My husband and I are very happy to see him getting much better everyday.

Gerald has been extubated today

I would say that today is a good day for Gerald. He has been on the breathing tube for two weeks and doctors were really concerned that he is not improving. Yesterday, they put a new folly catheter on him to help him urinate. Guess what? It did works , he was urinating like crazy within the twenty four hours. I was really trilled. He was not urinating normally for quite a while, and that is why he was so swollen. After Gerald urinated a few liters of fluid, the doctors decided to removed his breathing tube. I took a video of him calling me, and he was trying to wiggle around. I hope he'll keep breathing by himself, so that he will not need a breathing tube again.
I offered a prayer to God right and after they took the tube out.
Please Lord Jesus, keep him in your powerful healing hands.

Gerald's day 13 of being intubated

"Mary would you please help me!" GJ's nurse calling out for help to her co-worker . That is how I woke up this morning. I was in the corner of Gerald's room fast asleep ( even though few nurses I heard coming in and out in this room) when I heard nurse Nicole asking for help from her co- worker. I was suddenly jump out of the small bed and put a gown and gloves to helped her comforting GJ. He was not so happy. He wiggles and trying to get up; however, he should not be getting up yet because he still intubated. The nurse couldn't leave him to get his medication, because GJ was so strong and very persistent to do his own plans...getting up. Anyway, a good nurse came to rescue us and brought a prn medication for GJ to calm him down. After he had a dose of meds he fall asleep until 7:30 am.

He was gonna have a catheter on his abdomen to drain some of his excess fluid (due to the surgery he was susceptible of gaining fluid in his tissue). However, the doctor ordered to put a new folly catheter on him to help him urinate. I think this folly catheter really works because last night alone he pee more than 600 ml. If he continued to urinate and less swollen, he might not need to have the abdominal catheter done.

The plans for today is to extubate (remove the breathing tube) him. I hope he can manage not have the breathing tube although he is swollen. I just pray to God that all will be in his hands, and according to his will. Today is day 13 since GJ on his back. I hope that he can be more movable in few days.

Bed Bath for GJ

I was just helping of giving him a bath.

Nurse Nicole was the expert of giving him a bed bath. She took care of GJ since he was a baby, and also she was the one who gave him his first bath.

I was just helping the nurse to give him a bed bath last night. Although GJ was awake, he was fine with it. He always want to be cleaned up anyways.
Anyway, as far as his recovery is concern, he is slowly improving. I just spoke to the on call cardiologist few minutes ago, and he said that GJ is slowly progressing. Heart wise is looks good, and GJ's heart function well as they expected. I crossed my fingers for all the good recovery for him.
GJ still swollen and ventilated. This is day 11th of having that breathing tube. I could imagine how it feels like to have a tube in his throat. I bet it is very uncomfortable and painful, i would guess.

Also, I went home yesterday and do some house cleaning in the morning, and I attend a baby shower in the afternoon. When I was cleaning at home, I run across GJ's little shoes. I couldn't help to cry. I remembered how he use to give me his blue plastic shoes every morning, because he want to go out in the backyard and play with the chicken. He has been here for 3 weeks and my house usually emptied with his voice and his laughter. I missed all of those. I hope to see him moving around and smiling again soon.

I pray to our God to heal my son.

Gerald is doing a little better

Gerald so far is doing a little better than in the past few days. He drained some of those excess fluids in his body and now his weight is getting better. I would say that he gained almost 5 pound in a week. It was not fat in his body but more on fluids in his tissue. That is the reason why he was very puffy.
The infection wise is still there in the wound and his mucus. They did the blood culture yesterday morning and still came back negative, which is very good. I hope it will keep it that way.
Today the plan is to extubate him (remove the breathing tube). They said that he is ready for it. He keeps fighting that breathing tube since yesterday. My husband and I were really doubted that if they remove the breathing tube in his situation right now, he might need it because he is still swollen. We had this situation before that after they extubated him, he could hardly breath and when they tried to put the tube back in they have to call the specialist after the fourth attempt of those doctors. Gerald's air passage way was not clearly seen at that time due to his swelling throat. He has been unconscious for 7 days and hopefully he'll be able to totally breath of his own so that they can remove the breathing tube today.

So far so good and I praised God for taking care of him!

Swollen Gerald

Lord Jesus Christ the son of our Almighty God. Please touch my son with your powerful healing hand, so that he may have a fast recovery from his surgery.


We been here at the hospital for couple weeks and thing are going so slow. Sometime I feel like losing my energy just to look at my son's situation. I couldn't image how he feel now. Gerald's body might have fight the infection for the short period of time with the help of the antibiotics, but it doesn't mean that the infection is totally cleared up. The doctors told us that they are very positive now. The result of the blood culture for 3 consecutive days came back negative for infection in his blood stream.That is a good news in my book. I just couldn't help my self to think and feel very hopeless. Sometimes, I feel nervous and weak, but I have to be strong for my baby. If he is strong to fight all of these thing why can't I right?
O God, please help me!

Arterial and Central line Procedure

I did not leave the room so I have to wear a mask and surgical cup in the corner:).

Nurse Maryrose taking care of GJ. GJ was very much sedated so he didn't feel anything when they put the ART and CTR line.

Today, we finally received the result of the specimen culture. We were very surprised that Gerald have MRSA (Methicillin-resistance Stap Aureus). No wonder why Gerald was very irritable after the surgery. I know that this kind of infection is very common in the hospital: however, how did he get it? if they are all practicing antiseptic procedure in the Hospital.

Anyway, as Gerald continue to fight with the MRSA infection, they need to put arterial and Central line to deliver the IV medications. His nurse tried many times to find viens that will handle the antibiotics meds when infusion, but she failed after 3 pokes. Therefore, nurse Maryrose decided to asked the doctors that he needs more access to give the IV medications. The only way is to put arterial line and central that will last longer than the regular IV. Gerald's veins were all shot. He probably had 20 pokes in his whole body not to mention the other art line and central line when they put before the FONTAN surgery.

Gerald has gone through a lot, and I am very proud of him that he is very strong to fight all of these things on him. There is truly one GOD that keeps him more tougher and tougher everyday, and I praise the Lord Almighty for keeping us stronger.


More info about MRSA from the cdc.gov website

"MRSA occurs most frequently among patients who undergo invasive medical procedures or who have weakened immune systems and are being treated in hospitals and healthcare facilities such as nursing homes and dialysis centers. MRSA in healthcare settings commonly causes serious and potentially life threatening infections, such as bloodstream infections, surgical site infections, or pneumonia."

The Journey of my Life: Another day at the Hospital

The Journey of my Life: Another day at the Hospital

Another day at the Hospital

Video of Gerald and nurse Maryrose while changing the dressing on his chest.

Happy Valentines day to all and to my family!

Today is just another day of us here at PCTICU -Pediatrics Cardiothoracic ICU. Gerald still intubated and very swollen. He is swelling due to the infection that prefuse or leaks out the blood vessels.
Also, they used staples on his skin to put his chest together. I was really surprised when the nurse said the used staple gun ( and you know what I mean) but staple gun for skin not for wood.
Anyway, he still swollen and sometime he wakes up crying. But they keep sedated. They increased the dose of his meds so that they can feed him and he won't wiggle a lot. So far his is not ready to remove his breathing tube. It may take few days before they do that, and when GJ is ready for sure.

Also, I would like to thank Maryrose for taking care of my baby, and Nicole King (night nurse) for taking such a good care of him last night and for letting me slept through the whole night. I felt very good today, because I got enough sleep. Thanks a lot to all our nurses here at ST. Joseph's Hospital.

Rough day

Gerald with nurse Laurel
I promised her the night before she took care of Gerald that he won't give her a hard time if she takes care of him. I apologized that it turned out this way. To nurse LAUREL Thank you very much for your hard work, and for taking such a good care of my boy.

Gerald from the OR with breathing tube.

Gerald had a rough night last Wednesday night. He was irritable and seems he was in pain. I'm always asking his nurses that he might need some more pain medicine, and they always grant my request. Then finally yesterday (Thursday , Feb 12, 2009) he was not feeling well than I expected too. He was still grunting and couldn’t find a comfortable position in his crib. My nurse was very concerned about him. Although she had another patient to take care of, she make sure that Gerald meets his needs. Around 11am yesterday, I gave him water through the syringe. He sucked it very fast and asked for more. I gave him water probably about 60 ml which is not very much that he used to drink. But anyway, the last 10ml that he drunk he coughed really hard, and he could hardly breath for few seconds. His saturation when down below 60’s. Then I laid him down on his back and few minutes later his nurse changed the dressing on his chest ( he had a chest tube days before yesterday and also the suture opened quite a bit). While the couple nurses cleaning his wound, I heard Gerald harsh breathing. I told the nurse that he doesn’t sound good to me. So his nurse Laurel decided to suction him, my husband Ralph assisted her. After they had finished suctioning we saw blood oozing from his wound. In less than a minute the gauze that was covering GJ’s wound soaked in blood. It was really scary and his nurse was scared too. She said she never seen this things happened before. The nurse called the on call doctor here in PCTICU. Dr. Lisa Grimalde checked GJ’s wound and her opinion was to suture the open wound again. GJ’s primary surgeon Dr. David Cleveland came up too his room and checked GJ’s wound, and he decided to bring him back in the operating room to see what is going on inside his chest and also to suture his wound again. The procedure took probably 2 hours plus the anesthesia range from 11/2 hours. After the procedure was done I spoke to the surgeon and he said that Gerald’s suture in his sternum came apart from top to bottom. Also, they took a sample from the sternum and send to the laboratory for culture, and there is a bacteria (unknown yet) found. Right now he is on the antibiotic and still intubated through the night, which gives me the opportunity to get enough sleep. Right now he is currently lying on his bed sedated. Doctor’s order to remove his breathing tube sometime today.

We will be here in the hospital for a while. So I am just glad that I didn’t take any classes this semester.

Gerald will be alright, its just it take him a while to get heal.