Post-op...Day #1

Audra is amazing! 

But we did already know that...so I'm not sure why I expected an less of her during her recovery.

She is one tough cookie, the strongest little peanut I know!

She slept pretty well last night.  They are giving her scheduled pain medicine around the clock.  While she definitely doesn't seem herself (who would after such a day yesterday!) she also definitely isn't expressing the discomfort she must be feeling.  No tears, no crying, really not even whining! 

She seems to be most bothered by the tube down her nose.  It goes into her stomach and is connected to suction which drains all the fluid that is building up in her stomach since her intestines are still "sleepy" and not moving things along.  The large amount that this tube has drained from her stomach so far today is concerning.  So that she doesn't get dehydrated, they are giving her equal volumes of IV fluid back for everything the tube drains out of her stomach.  This is on top of the regular IV fluids she has been on since yesterday.  Even with all that fluid she is not going potty enough, so they are giving her even more addition IV fluids to try to get her to make some urine. 

Despite all that, the little princess is moving around like nothing happened yesterday.  She has walked laps around the unit a few times, even pushing a baby stroller! 

We have not heard her voice since before the surgery yesterday.  Not a peep...and that is not like our feisty, noisy little one.  I am sure this is because the tube in her throat is so uncomfortable.  She will give kissy kisses though, and has even cracked a smile a few times. 

She is definitely hungry...and she is smart enough to know that there MUST be food somewhere in this hospital room of ours.  She points to every bag and makes me show her what's in it...hoping that there is food...and hoping that I will give it to her.  Poor sweet one.  She never likes having her teeth brushed, but today she grabbed the toothbrush from me so she could dunk it in the water and suck on it.  She even didn't mind the minty hospital toothpaste.  This NPO (nothing to eat) business is not going to be good for her skinny little self...

I, on the other hand, might make out well and lose a few pounds!  I haven't yet figured out how I am supposed to get food into myself when I have a sad, sore, scared, hungry little one who isn't allowed to eat and won't let me out of her sight. 

Today the surgeon said while she needed fix what she found yesterday, she doesn't think that there was "enough going on in there" to be the full cause of Audra's long standing issues with malabsorption and failure to thrive.  This is disappointing.  We also saw Audra's GI doctor today and she was a bit more optimistic.  Yes, this may not have been the full cause, but it was most likely contributing to it and possibly clouding the picture.  So now, with this taken care of, it may help lead her in the right direction of finding the true source.  Bottom line...endoscopy/colonoscopy is the next step. 

Tonight we pray that her tummy will take turn for the better and start doing what it is supposed to do so we can get outta here!