DS needs heart surgery

[ele]

I am so sorry to hear about the heart surgery.

I am 28 weeks pregnant and found out at 16 weeks my baby has a complex congenital heart defect. He will need surgery a week after he is born in December and it might be around the time your DS will be having his.

Please feel free to pm me. I am not sure what to expect but it may help to go through it with someone.

[amandabea]

Hugs to your family :hugs: sending more P&PT to you.

[jess_g]

I don't have any great advice but I am sending you lots of hugs. It sounds like you have a great hospital to do the surgery.

Jessica.

[elektra]

P & PT for your little one.

[kijip]

Lots of prayers and positive thoughts coming your way.

[bubbaray]

I'm so sorry. Many hugs!

[Melarina]

Thank you all so much for the thoughts and prayers. It is wonderful to read about other children who have experienced heart surgery and done so well -- gives me more confidence for DS, which we really need. I also appreciate the suggestions on how to prepare and I'm sure I will be asking more questions as we learn more.

And all these hugs on this thread? Thank you, thank you. I really need them tonight

[SJ mom]

I stumbled across this thread by accident-2 wks late I see...
I wanted to offer to all you ladies that I AM a Pediatric Cardiologist.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or I can point you in the right direction. Being told that your child has any medical issues is extremely hard....then being told your child needs surgery-cardiac surgery well, this can be an overwhelming feeling for any parent and family. Many hugs and prayers for you and your families.

Diane

[jgenie]

Just seeing this and wanted to offer . P&PT for your little guy!!

[Pepper]

Hi Melarina, I'm chiming in late here too. Our DS had 3 surgeries (to repair cleft lip & palate) when he was 9, 11, and 15 months old. You probably have gotten lots of tips already but I wanted to add my two cents for what to expect/take to the hospital when your baby has surgery.

It was tough to see our son in the recovery room - he had a rough time waking up. It can take a while for the little ones to "come out of it" even after they're technically awake. The nurses at children's hospitals are awesome; don't be afraid to ask for their help any time you need it.

I assume they'll let you stay in the room with your child, so bring old comfy clothes that you can sleep in and you don't mind if they get messy (with our son's oral surgery, there was some coughing of blood, but that probably won't happen for you). A soft pillow and blanket for you - the hospital will probably provide them but you'lll be comfier. Bring warm socks and/or slippers for nighttime. A flashlight and some light reading material to keep you occupied. Bring snacks for you too; our hospital had kitchen on each floor with a refigerator for the families to use.

If your child has a favorite song, bring something to play it or plan to sing it to help soothe them. At 9 months, our boy still wasn't really into toys or "comfort objects" but the singing really helped. Familiar books or (washable!) toys you can put in the hospital crib are good too.

If you will be at the hospital by yourself, try to get a friend to come see you first thing in the morning so you can take a shower and get something to eat. For me, the first night of the first surgery was the hardest (my hubby and I decided to swtich off nights inthe hospital so we could take turns getting some sleep). Knowing that someone would be there in the morning really helped me get through the night.

Hope that this helps.