Reflecting on Our Daughter’s 1 Year Heartiversary
A year ago this week we were sitting in the CICU (cardiac intensive care unit) of our local children’s hospital. The morning of January 17th, 2022 we placed our daughter into the hands of a surgeon to have open heart surgery. As time goes on it gets a little easier reflecting on our daughter’s 1 year heartiversar.
Before the Surgery
At the time I didn’t want to know too much of the details about the surgery. Now that she is 1 year on the other side and doing so well it is a little easier to think and hear about the details of the surgery. Details such as, even though the holes were in the middle to lower part of her heart the surgeon had to go into the heart through the top and down through the middle of her heart. And the details of what they used to repair the holes or that they had to “break” her chest bone.
During Surgery
She was 7 months old when she had her surgery. Her heart was about the size of a small to medium strawberry and was stopped for 2 whole hours. For 2 hours her little body relied on machines to keep her alive. The whole surgery lasted about 4 hours.
I remember feeling little rushes of anticipation when I heard my phone ding notifying me of a surgery update. And I still get a feeling of relief when I see the pictures I took of my husband and I in the cardiac waiting room…because being moved to that waiting room meant surgery was over, surgery was successful…her heart was beating again, the holes were fixed, her chest was closed and we would be seeing her soon.
After Surgery
Her recovery went well. She was discharged from the hospital 5 days post-operation (6 days total counting the day of the surgery). We are so thankful to God for His protection over her during the surgery and during the recovery. Her room was sandwiched between two other recovery rooms that each had a child in it who had RSV or Covid. The nurses would put on extra protective gear to go in and care for those children. But, thankfully, neither Ellie nor my husband or I caught anything!
We are also thankful for God’s guidance in finding the cardiologist who cares for our girl, the surgeon who fixed her heart and the nurses at the children’s hospital who cared for her post surgery. They all are truly amazing!
1 Year Later
Ellie is doing well. She sees her cardiologist every 6 months now. We celebrated her 1 year heartiversary by doing some fun pictures to document how much she has grown and developed in the past year. I don’t wish this journey upon anyone. But I also don’t want to forget all the feelings so I can walk alongside others going through it too. So reflecting on our daughter’s 1 year heartiversary is a good thing. To God be the glory! Here’s to the first of many heartiversaries!
