Thursday, May 3rd

Today brought a mix of hopeful steps forward and the usual delicate dance of managing recovery.

We had a visit from the attending Peds Surgery doc, and she seemed cautiously optimistic about where things are headed with Dallas’s belly. She noted it felt softer today, and nothing on the X-ray raised any immediate red flags. The plan for now is to hold steady—continuing bowel rest for another 5 to 7 days, keeping up with antibiotics, and just letting her system settle. It’s slow and not without discomfort, but it’s something.

Dr. Ungerleider, the heart surgeon who operated yesterday, stopped in to check on us. He was pleased with how things are looking thus far and decided to keep the drain in just one more day. He’ll be back in the morning to remove it right at the bedside. Small steps, but big comfort knowing he’s keeping close tabs.

During rounds, the team decided to bump up some of her belly medications. The goal is to calm down any acid production and keep everything as quiet as possible inside so her body can continue to rest and recover.

One clear win for the day: the catheter, which was placed just before surgery, came out! That may not sound like much, but for Dallas (and her tired little body), it’s one less thing to be tethered to—and one more move towards independence.

We did run into a bit of a hiccup with a temperature spike today. Given the heart surgery yesterday, the team feels it’s within the expected range. Between Tylenol and other pain meds, it’s been a careful balancing act to keep her comfortable. It’s the kind of juggling that will continue through the week as the pains and discomforts from surgery subside.

Mumsie made the drive up to be with her girl today, which brought some extra comfort to the room. And PopPop is holding down the night shift tonight—just texted to say her vitals are probably the best they’ve been all day. That’s the kind of news we love to hear. We’re hoping for a peaceful night so we can start looking ahead to getting her back “on the floor,” where recovery shifts into a different gear. We’ll get there. One step, one day at a time.

“Somewhere, there’s a light inside that won’t ever stop flickering, no matter how hard the wind blows.” – Unknown

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