Saturday was mostly a good day. Evie is much less fussy and she seems more comfortable. Last night she had her gorgeous eyes open for a long time, she also was making some funny faces. Nicole and I were energized by the chance to "play" with her a little bit as she is the most alert she has been since last Sunday. Her vitals have been impressive--no breathing problems, good heart rate, and good pulse-oxygen.
Friday night we had Evie baptized. Pastor Ryan was very kind to hurry down from Lake Geneva even after driving six hours home from Iowa. It was a wonderful and moving moment. We originally had considered baptizing Evie this spring, sometime in the Easter season. But with both sets of grandparents here, we felt there was no time like the present. We wanted everyone to know that we were not baptizing her out of fear for her destiny (that is sometimes a reason one would baptize a baby in the hospital), but as an act of confidence and faith--baptism is a sacrament for the living, it is the visible sign of God's grace. And God's grace is real in Evie's life. Last night was a celebration.
Saturday morning we met with the other surgeon who will be doing Evie's surgery on Monday. He said much of the same things that everyone else has said to us but he was also careful to remind us that this is a very serious surgery with inherent risk. It is challenging enough to move the great arteries back to their necessary spots, but the surgery will also be complicated by the need to fix some blockage in her aorta and to repair the hole they made between her lower ventricles during last Monday's cardiac catheter. Additionally, the surgery will be complicated by the fact that the aorta and pulmonary arteries are different sizes so they will need to be careful to be able to effectively attach them to the appropriate side of the heart. The surgeon did say that we had a 20% chance that they would have to use some additional synthetic materials to make the connection, and thus Evie would have to return for more surgeries as she grows. Obviously, we are hoping against this. The discussion was sobering, but as we have listened to the stories of other children who suffer through this and survive, we remain hopeful.
Surgery is scheduled for 7:30am CST tomorrow morning. It is estimated to last 6 hours. We continually ask for everyone's prayers that this surgery would be both safe and successful.
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7 comments:
I'm glad your parents are there with you guys and you were able to celebrate with her baptism. I shared with my church back home today about you and asked that they pray for you. Just know that you're being thought of and surrounded with prayer from all your friends and family.
Love,
Brenda
Thank you for keeping us all updated. Isaac and I will be praying for all three of you tomorrow.
Love,
Andrea
Hey, we just got back from Longview and then had the Blake wedding (Katie) and so just now got time to post a note. You all are in our prayers and we are trusting God, the Great Physician, to be with Evie and the doctors tomorrow. Love you all, Gene and Wanda
All three of you are in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you very much for all the updates.
Be still and know that Iam God
Dear Matt and Nicole, Your so very brave. But I'm sure your scared. Rest assured God has good things in store for all of you. Soon this will be just a blip on the radar screen of life. Your doing such a good job of keeping us all informed. Thank you. You are in my prayers. Love Aunt Carol
Congratulations on Evie's baptism! You will be in our thoughts and prayers continually today.
A prayer we found for your beautiful girl:
O holy Father, heavenly Physician of our souls and bodies, who hast sent thine Only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to heal our ailments and deliver us from death: do thou visit and heal thy handmaiden Evangeline Marie, granting her release from pain and restoration to health and vigor, that she may give thanks unto thee and bless thy holy Name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen!
In Christ,
Patty and Andy
Such beautiful moments for your young family. My prayers go with you as you continue to move toward surgery, and beyond.
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