Celebrating Wyatt's Happy Healthy Heart Day!!!!

we must take a break today from all the lovely valentines that said "yes" to wyatt's request to be his valentine!  (don't worry, there are still a couple more!)   

immediately after the surgery.....

today we MUST celebrate the 2nd anniversary of wyatt's completely successful open heart surgery!!!   woo hoo!!!!   we cannot let this day pass by without remembering to be thankful for how God worked through the hands of surgeons, anesthesiologists, and other medical personnel to bring complete healing to his precious heart!  

amazing support!

love this picture of mom and dad with wyatt.....

in some ways it seems like forever since those long days leading up to his surgery, and in some ways it seems like yesterday!  we only had about a month to wait once it was determined it was time to have surgery!   he was 6 1/2 months old when his cardiologist decided to send his records to the surgical team in atlanta for them to assess his ASD and VSD.   to be honest, we were shocked!   we truly thought the holes would heal and he would not need surgery!  




within a week we were called to schedule surgery!   the time just flew by, with all the preparations it required!   we had to make arrangements for our older boys while we would be gone, as well as all the details that surgery entails!   we were so blessed by offers of help, gifts of snacks, restaurant gift cards, notes of encouragement, coins for vending machines, magazines, etc!   our church family really stepped up to bless us during that time!   

putting on a brave front.....

hanging out at the
ronald mcdonald house after dinner!

                                                                       tim's parents drove out from texas, and his dad stayed with our older boys while his mom rode up to atlanta with my parents and best friend susan!   another best friend, kym, drove down to be with us during the surgery as well as our former pastor and his wife, don and sharon, and my childhood friend, nelson.

it was a blessing to be surrounded by our family and friends; especially on his "practice surgery day!"   wyatt's surgery was actually postponed 1 day due to an emergency surgery.   we had already arrived at the hospital and had been taken back when we received word that his surgery would not happen that day.  so we spent the rest of that day visiting with our family and friends.   we were also blessed to stay in the wonderful ronald mcdonald house, which is an amazing charity!

this is it.....the real deal....sleepy juice taken...
waiting to be taken back!!!

and so on february 25, 2010, we handed wyatt over to a virtual stranger to have open heart surgery! his surgery took less than 1 1/2 hours.....  and his repair was complete!  the only problem during surgery was an anaphylactic reaction to an antibiotic.... praise God for an excellent anesthesiologist who handled it!   (we now know that wyatt is allergic to ancef, a cephalosporin...)

the only "problem" we had post surgery was convincing his surgeon to allow him to NURSE quickly!!!    but once we moved to the step-down unit, his nurses allowed us to return to nursing!  we were only at the hospital for 4 days before we drove the 6 hours home....that was scary!!!  taking your baby home (far away from the hospital) just 4 days post surgery!!!   

unless you have experienced handing your baby or child over to a surgeon, knowing that they are going to open his chest, holding his heart in their hands, you can never understand the emotions, the fear that we felt that day.   even though we have a strong faith in our God, it was still such a scary time.    we praise God that all went well, and wyatt's heart is completely fixed!    and we encourage other parents who will have to walk that same path.... we cannot take away their fear, but we can walk alongside, hold their hands, pray for them, and tell them we understand....     

our heart warrior!   2 days post surgery!!!!