Going for the Glenn!!!

Today has been an important day in our journey with Hope.  The morning rounds started with lots of talk of discharge as it was written on Hope's chart from the weekend.  I then mentioned all the things we needed; a feeding pump, oxygen, an MRI and a few other things.  The group at rounds knew all these things and were likely confused about how we would discharge Hope as well.  It got us talking about things and putting them into motion, that's the important thing.  

GI was consulted again and Hope will need to have another MRI before discharge.  They want to take a look at the collateral veins that are forming out of her liver to get around the clot that is there.  If they form on thin and weak veins, they could cause a bleed that would be very dangerous.   They need to evaluate these veins and make sure they're safely moving Hope's blood.  We don't love the idea of an MRI after our last experience in Calgary with an MRI.  This MRI wouldn't require Hope to be fully asleep.  They plan to sedate her and keep her fairly still instead.  This is obviously a much better option for her.  The MRI will need to be done while Hope is an inpatient regardless, just to make sure she does well after the procedure.  

Home Nutrition came and verified that Hope will be receiving a pump here in Edmonton to go out on.  They are coming tomorrow to train me on using it and get everything set up with that.  Tonight she's going to be hooked up to an oxygen test that will help get the ball rolling for her home oxygen.

I spent the afternoon snuggling with Hope, taking her for a walk around the hospital, reading and trying to stay distracted.  I might have eaten enough skittles to feed an elementary school in the process!  It made the day go by and I didn't feel as anxious as I'd thought I would.

Around 4:30 I started watching for a cardiologist to come and give me a report from the meeting.  Instead, Hope's surgeon walked into the room and began washing his hands.  He came over and started looking Hope over and asking me questions about her current health.  Dr. Ross then said that they don't want to wait for Hope's surgery any longer.  They've decided that the cold and flu season is too risky for Hope in her current condition.  They want to wait until the beginning of November to give her body time to fully recover from her last procedure though.  She will be scheduled for the week of November 5th, no exact date yet.  If Hope's colour continues to degrade or her oxygen levels are getting lower, they'll simply bump up the surgery date and take her in immediately.

That means our family will be settling in to Edmonton for some time.  It's tempting to drive back to Calgary to sleep in our own beds and have the comforts of home.  We know that it's best for Hope to stay with the team she's been working with for the past two months and not to bounce around a lot.  She'll continue to be followed closely by the GI and Cardiology teams here until her surgery.  We are thankful to have a plan and look forward to spending time with Hope out of hospital, no matter which city we're in.  

Thank you to everyone that prayed for us as we waited for this decision.  We feel confident that God was in control and that this is the best plan for Hope.  We should all be sleeping at the same address by the end of the week!