Where She Belongs

After much waiting around and anticipation of the echo results the nurse strolled into Olivia's room yesterday around 4 to give us the official boot from the hospital.  It was quick by any hospital discharge standards as we'd already gone over all the rules and regulations earlier in the day.  Olivia wasn't really sure what to make in the change in scenery.  Normally one to get excited about taking a ride out somewhere, she seemed very skeptical of the whole process.  Her initial reaction once back in her own environment was less than enthusiastic too; not even her playroom was of much interest.

Later in the evening my mom and I went to stock up on super salty non-healthy foods for the Livster's new high sodium diet and pick up all her new meds she seemed much happier watching Mickey Mouse hanging out on the couch.  A Daddy's girl through and through, she really only finds comfort right now from Brian.  Even as she's drifting off to sleep you can hear a faint "Dada" repeated over and over again.  The few times that she tried to sleep in her own room she would wake up and it would start off calm but if he didn't hustle up there it would eventually escalate to a "Dadaaaaaaaaaaaaa".  Only once she really gets desperate will she throw a "Mama" in there too.

Brian needs to take Olivia back in on Friday for a post-op follow up appointment to review the incision line, get follow up lab work to review liver, sodium and electrolytes, her second INR to review the Coumadin and a chest x-ray to make sure there's no fluid build up.

Rules and regulations so far as it pertains to post-op Fontan:

• No lifting under the arms for eight weeks, this includes if she may be falling; we need to resist the natural urge to reach out and grab an arm to steady her
• No direct sunlight on the incision for a year, regardless of the use of sunscreen - it's a no go
• No pool for one month post-op
• No soaking in water for two weeks or until chest tube sites have healed closed
• No ointment, lotions or any scar treatment on any of the sites for three months
• Exposure to the extreme heat is additionally dangerous for Olivia while she's on fluid restriction paired with the use of dieuretics (should be about 4-8 weeks)
• Avoiding large crowds, anyone with school age children or anyone who has recently been sick for the next 4 weeks
• Dieuretics and Enalapril cannot be given together as they could bottom out her BP; so administering meds has become a little more complex

Despite all of these new restrictions it is so amazing to have her back in her own digs and she gets a little better each day that passes.