'Twas the night before surgery...

Today we had Tori’s pre-op appointment. It was a marathon of meeting with the surgeon, signing the release form stating we understood the possible complications of the surgery- stroke, bleeding, death, infection, and the possibility of a pacemaker. “Lord, she is in your hands. We cannot worry…we must let go…I need Thee every hour. Lord I need Thee.”

John 14:1,27 - "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Then it was off to diagnostics -- an interview with a nurse to get her stats, an EKG, a couple of chest x-rays, and blood work. Goodness, that’s a lot for a little girl. Tori was understandably upset during most of these but managed to pull off a few smiles in the end when daddy played peek-a-boo during the blood draw. Yea Daddy! Done with the uncomfortable and painful stuff, we then had a tour of the hospital, ICU, and the pediatric rooms. Four hours later we were on our way home, all set with a dolly and a few medical supplies to help prepare Tori and Tessa. Also in hand was a special soap to use in the bath tonight.

Tomorrow morning we check in at 6:45am and the surgery will begin between 8 and 8:30. Tori cannot eat anything past midnight tonight and cannot drink anything past 4am.  She’s going to be one hungry little girl before surgery. The surgery will last between 2-4 hours.  They will call and give us updates periodically during that time. Her sternum will be cut open and the heart will be put on bypass using a heart-lung machine. For a time it will continue to beat and then they will stop it with a cooling solution and dry it off before stitching a patch over her hole. They will then slowly bring the heart back to beating on its own and begin the process of putting her back together and wiring up her sternum. All stitches on the outside and the inside will either dissolve or fall off, so thankfully they will not need to be removed. Tori will probably be in the ICU for about 24 hours and then hopefully move to a regular room in the pediatric ward for anywhere from 2-4 days. Amazingly, recovery is only about 2-3 weeks post surgery and the surgeon mentioned that toddlers are pretty good at self-managing their recovery.

Psalm 147:3,5 - "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite."

One of us will be staying at the hospital at all times. We are very thankful that we will be able to be with her even during the nights. We have stressed to the nurses and hospital staff the importance of us being close to her whenever she is conscious as we are still in the process of building an attachment with her.

We are humbled and so incredibly thankful to the many people who call on the name of our Heavenly Father on behalf of Tori and our family. It has carried us through many challenging times. If would consider approaching the throne of grace on our behalf tomorrow and in the coming days, here are some of our specific prayer requests

Prayer Requests:

• ·     No clots during surgery as they could cause a stroke
• ·     No infections during recovery
• ·     For Tori to be at peace through everything.
• ·     For the time while we are waiting, that we will have peace and that it will go quickly…that we will not be consumed with fear or anxiety but to trust that all is completely in the Lord’s hands.
• ·     The complete healing of Tori's heart by the grace of God through the skilled hands of her surgeon, Dr. Iguidbashian.
• ·     Tori's body will not react adversely to anesthesia or any other medication she is given.
• ·     All equipment used in the procedure will perform as designed and expected (i.e. no malfunctions).
• ·     Christina will be allowed to be present with Tori whenever she is conscious.
• ·     Our progress in building attachment with Tori will not be compromised during this procedure but instead be strengthened.
• ·     Tessa will not feel neglected while we attend to Tori during her time in the hospital and during her recovery.
• ·     That we might be able to have a private room during recovery
• ·     God will be glorified and revealed to everyone that encounters Tori and our family during the process. 

1 Chronicles 29:11 - "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all."

Thank you again everyone.  We hope to keep you updated with blog posts and Facebook updates throughout the process.

Trusting in the Everlasting God,

Aaron and Christina