Because of his surgery, we held Simi's formal birthday party a month early. Since having 20 four year-olds into a gym can be very physical, we chose to have Simi's party before his surgery. And since we left for surgery on October 4th, we had his party on Saturday, October 1st. That's when we started celebrating Simi's birthday.
Then, we had a small party while we were in Boston. Well, the party was actually for Simi's Grandpa Harris, but Grandpa Harris didn't want a party so we had one for Simi instead. Plus, he had just gotten out of the hospital, so it seemed like a good idea...
And, of course, we had a party at Grandma and Grandpa Singh's house to celebrate...
And I can't remember the rest right now, but I think we had a few small parties along the way...
But I do remember thinking, "is this kid ever going to turn four? Good golly, it feels like we've been celebrating for a LONG time and he's STILL not four?
Today, he finally turned four. He had an absolutely wonderful day. The first thing Simi said to me when he woke up this morning is, "Mommy, I'm four years old today!!!!!" He was VERY excited. He dressed up as Spiderman (his choice), and happily paraded around with the other Spidermen in his pre-school parade. Then, we had a small Halloween party at his pre-school (parents invited). Then, they sang "Happy Birthday" to him at lunch time. Then, we had a cake and a small party for him here at the house.
We can now FINALLY stop celebrating Simi's birthday. Phew!
Monday, October 31, 2005
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Asher Who?
With all this hub-bub surrounding Simi, it's easy to forget about Asher. Plus, Asher is such an incredibly easy-going kid and isn't the kind of kid who screams for attention.
Until now.
Since we've returned home, Asher has had a very difficult time sleeping. He's always liked to sleep snuggled up next to someone, so sleeping in his own room and his own bed has always been difficult for him. Now it's impossible. After two weeks at home, he's finally falling asleep in his own bed - but only if we're in the room with him. He wakes up in the middle of the night, sees that we're not still sitting in the rocker, and gets up to find us. After nearly two weeks, we've given up on trying to keep him asleep in his own bed and have reluctantly pulled him into bed with us in the middle of the night. Chronic exhaustion will do that to a parent.
Truthfully, the only time Asher has slept really well has been when sleeping with us or sleeping with Simi. So we're thinking of moving his bed into Simi's room and letting him sleep there -- but we don't want to ruin Simi's ability to sleep either. So...no hasty decisions. We'll see how it turns out..
Until now.
Since we've returned home, Asher has had a very difficult time sleeping. He's always liked to sleep snuggled up next to someone, so sleeping in his own room and his own bed has always been difficult for him. Now it's impossible. After two weeks at home, he's finally falling asleep in his own bed - but only if we're in the room with him. He wakes up in the middle of the night, sees that we're not still sitting in the rocker, and gets up to find us. After nearly two weeks, we've given up on trying to keep him asleep in his own bed and have reluctantly pulled him into bed with us in the middle of the night. Chronic exhaustion will do that to a parent.
Truthfully, the only time Asher has slept really well has been when sleeping with us or sleeping with Simi. So we're thinking of moving his bed into Simi's room and letting him sleep there -- but we don't want to ruin Simi's ability to sleep either. So...no hasty decisions. We'll see how it turns out..
Friday, October 28, 2005
A Weighty Issue
Simi's a small kid for his age. He's about average in height but he's very skinny. During the past year, he's barely gained a pound. We feed him ice cream nearly every night before bed (Ben & Jerry's, which has the highest fat content) in an effort to put some bulk on his scrawny frame. With all that we've pushed into his mouth, Simi has managed to gain a mere one pound this year. This entire year, he has managed to stay at around 29.x pounds. After a full meal, after dinner, bath, soaking wet, he'd MAYBE manage to get to 30 lbs. His lack of weight gain was one of the reasons why we wanted to have his ASD repaired sooner rather than waiting any longer. He is in the 5th percentile for weight and there was a concern that it may soon affect development of vital organs, such as the brain.
See, with his heart defect, his body had to work harder. That means that Simi's body burned more calories than other boys his age.
So now the hole is closed.
He got on the scale last week. Morning weight. Naked. Before breakfast. After potty time. 31.2 pounds. HUH? This kid, the one who managed to barely gain a pound all year, gained a pound in 2 weeks time. HUH?
This morning I weighed him again. Again, it was the first thing in the morning. Naked. Before breakfast and after potty. 32.2 pounds. HUH? He gained a pound in a week? Can that be possible?
We'll keep you posted on his progress...
See, with his heart defect, his body had to work harder. That means that Simi's body burned more calories than other boys his age.
So now the hole is closed.
He got on the scale last week. Morning weight. Naked. Before breakfast. After potty time. 31.2 pounds. HUH? This kid, the one who managed to barely gain a pound all year, gained a pound in 2 weeks time. HUH?
This morning I weighed him again. Again, it was the first thing in the morning. Naked. Before breakfast and after potty. 32.2 pounds. HUH? He gained a pound in a week? Can that be possible?
We'll keep you posted on his progress...
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Back to School
Simi returned to school full-time this past Monday. He was so excited to see all his friends and his teachers. He really missed them.
I can't believe that 2 weeks after open heart surgery and the kid is running around nothing ever happened.
Having said that, his poor teachers have the most difficult job. The kids are on the playground several times a day and they get to keep him from hurting himself. They're in an unenviable position. Every day we tell Simi when we drop him off at school, "Stay in the sandbox, Simi", and so far, he has. We'll all breathe a sigh of relief 3 weeks from now, when he's 6 weeks post-surgery and much more fully recovered.
I can't believe that 2 weeks after open heart surgery and the kid is running around nothing ever happened.
Having said that, his poor teachers have the most difficult job. The kids are on the playground several times a day and they get to keep him from hurting himself. They're in an unenviable position. Every day we tell Simi when we drop him off at school, "Stay in the sandbox, Simi", and so far, he has. We'll all breathe a sigh of relief 3 weeks from now, when he's 6 weeks post-surgery and much more fully recovered.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
A Skinned Knee
In our quest to keep Simi injury-free, we went to the zoo on Friday. It's about a 1.5 hour drive each way and we thought to take the double jogger so the boys could sit during the entire journey - perfect!
We did manage to get the boys to sit in the jogger for much of the zoo trip, but there were parts they wanted to get out and walk. At one point, while helping Simi get back into the jogger, Simi tripped on my (Liz's) foot and fell. He took a hard fall and immediately started crying. Something like this issue was exactly what we were trying to avoid! My breath was held while Raj and I examined Simi. The result? A skinned knee. There was no injury to Simi's chest at all. Phew!
Later, back home, we had to clean the skinned knee and put antibiotic ointment on it. Just the thought of cleaning the knee was enough to send Simi through the roof; he wasn't letting us anywhere near the knee. The look of fear on his face was at maximum level - at just the mere thought of anyone touching that knee.
Next step? Find a way to help Simi work through some of these residual fears.
We did manage to get the boys to sit in the jogger for much of the zoo trip, but there were parts they wanted to get out and walk. At one point, while helping Simi get back into the jogger, Simi tripped on my (Liz's) foot and fell. He took a hard fall and immediately started crying. Something like this issue was exactly what we were trying to avoid! My breath was held while Raj and I examined Simi. The result? A skinned knee. There was no injury to Simi's chest at all. Phew!
Later, back home, we had to clean the skinned knee and put antibiotic ointment on it. Just the thought of cleaning the knee was enough to send Simi through the roof; he wasn't letting us anywhere near the knee. The look of fear on his face was at maximum level - at just the mere thought of anyone touching that knee.
Next step? Find a way to help Simi work through some of these residual fears.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Running in Circles
In some ways, this recovery thing has taken a different turn.
During Simi's open heart surgery, the surgical team cut open Simi's breastbone to get to his heart. Now, he needs to give his bones time to mend. This means no falling down. Which means we need to keep him from running around so that he doesn't fall down.
Problem is, Simi has about 10x more energy than he did BEFORE the open heart surgery. Guess his body really and truly was working harder due to the defect. Anyway, today after nap time, Simi was running in circles in the living room, then jumping from the furniture onto the floor. Raj was home with him and had a heck of a time getting the kid calm (let's do a puzzle, Simi.).
These bones just can't mend fast enough!
During Simi's open heart surgery, the surgical team cut open Simi's breastbone to get to his heart. Now, he needs to give his bones time to mend. This means no falling down. Which means we need to keep him from running around so that he doesn't fall down.
Problem is, Simi has about 10x more energy than he did BEFORE the open heart surgery. Guess his body really and truly was working harder due to the defect. Anyway, today after nap time, Simi was running in circles in the living room, then jumping from the furniture onto the floor. Raj was home with him and had a heck of a time getting the kid calm (let's do a puzzle, Simi.).
These bones just can't mend fast enough!
Monday, October 17, 2005
Completely Fixed
We went to our local pediatric cardiologist for our follow-up appointment today and received surprising news: Simi never has to return. His heart defect is completely fixed!
The doctor listened and did a short ultrasound to check for fluid around the heart and/or leaks in the patch - both of which are common complications. Everything looks perfect.
Raj and I were both thrilled. Simi was excited that we can now leave the doctor's office and go pick up acorns.
We've never had a cardiology appointment where we didn't make a follow-up appointment. It seemed weird to walk out of there knowing that we won't return.
Our challenge now is to keep this increasingly energetic kid from hurting himself. It takes some time for his bones to heal and we're supposed to keep him calm. HA! This kid has more energy than ever and it's really hard to keep him from running around.
And for the curious, the size of the hole (or should I say: former hole?) is about the size of a quarter.
The doctor listened and did a short ultrasound to check for fluid around the heart and/or leaks in the patch - both of which are common complications. Everything looks perfect.
Raj and I were both thrilled. Simi was excited that we can now leave the doctor's office and go pick up acorns.
We've never had a cardiology appointment where we didn't make a follow-up appointment. It seemed weird to walk out of there knowing that we won't return.
Our challenge now is to keep this increasingly energetic kid from hurting himself. It takes some time for his bones to heal and we're supposed to keep him calm. HA! This kid has more energy than ever and it's really hard to keep him from running around.
And for the curious, the size of the hole (or should I say: former hole?) is about the size of a quarter.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
A Healthy Dose of Asher
Now that we're back at home and have gotten a bit of sleep, we can begin to tell you a bit of how Simi spent his first few post-hospital days...
Understandably so, Simi was really sad while in the hospital. Once he was released, he and Asher got to pal around together again. Asher is such a two-year-old goofball that it's hard for anyone to be sad while being around him. Plus, Simi and Asher are genuinely close, so it helped Simi a lot to be with Asher.
After just a day or so, our challenge as parents was to keep Simi and Asher from hurting Simi. Simi kept forgetting that his chest was just recently cracked open and we'd regularly see the two of them begin to wrestle or hug or do something on the physical side. And with the Boston weather as dreary as it was, we were cooped up in the apartment. Being cooped up in the apartment made it more difficult for us as parents to keep the two of them from hurting Simi.
We did a lot of sticker work (thanks, Peter and Karen, for bringing the 10,000+ stickers. I think we used them all!) We did a lot of coloring work (thanks, Trettle family, for the crayola markers. They were fun! We used them up too!) And we saw a lot of matinee movies. We went to the aquarium so often that we became members. At the aquarium, we could strap the boys in the stroller and keep them calm and contained - perfect! We could also sit in the IMAX theater and watch really cool 3D movies. (OK, only Simi thought they were really cool; Asher was terrified.) We also saw the new Wallace and Grummit animated movie. Asher got over his fear of movies while watching that one.
How's Simi doing now? Our challenge to keep Simi calm and safe is even more difficult now. Rest and regular Motrin/Tylenol doses help Simi routinely forget that his chest just got cracked open, and it's way too enticing to engage the playful Asher in a game of wrestling. Thankfully, the weather in NC is MUCH nicer than we had in Boston. We've been taking them out in the double jogger (strapped down and sitting - perfect!) for long walks since we've been home. It'll be easier to keep Simi calm once Asher returns to daycare on Monday. Then we'll probably return to doing more table work - painting, crayons, puzzles, reading, etc.
The cardiologist mentioned that Simi would be more tired than normal these first few weeks. We've noticed only the opposite. He seems to have a lot more energy now than he ever has. If this is more tired, then we're really in trouble when he gets less tired. That's good, right?
We had hoped that now that we're home and they're sleeping in separate bedrooms, that perhaps they'd sleep longer in the morning. They must have developed some sort of sibling radar because this morning Asher awoke at about 5:30 AM and Simi awoke about 10 minutes later. What's up with that?
A lot of folks have asked to see post-operative photos of Simi. Maybe in a couple of years. Seriously. Raj took a lot of photos during the trip and I (Liz) had (have?) plans to make him a photo book of the experience. We viewed the photos once while in Boston and they're so difficult to view that I bawled like a baby through the entire slide show. In other words, I think it's going to take a while before we can view them again - nevermind post one.
Alright, from now, I think the posts are going to be a lot happier. Thanks again for all your support, good wishes, cards and prayers. We appreciate every single one of them.
Understandably so, Simi was really sad while in the hospital. Once he was released, he and Asher got to pal around together again. Asher is such a two-year-old goofball that it's hard for anyone to be sad while being around him. Plus, Simi and Asher are genuinely close, so it helped Simi a lot to be with Asher.
After just a day or so, our challenge as parents was to keep Simi and Asher from hurting Simi. Simi kept forgetting that his chest was just recently cracked open and we'd regularly see the two of them begin to wrestle or hug or do something on the physical side. And with the Boston weather as dreary as it was, we were cooped up in the apartment. Being cooped up in the apartment made it more difficult for us as parents to keep the two of them from hurting Simi.
We did a lot of sticker work (thanks, Peter and Karen, for bringing the 10,000+ stickers. I think we used them all!) We did a lot of coloring work (thanks, Trettle family, for the crayola markers. They were fun! We used them up too!) And we saw a lot of matinee movies. We went to the aquarium so often that we became members. At the aquarium, we could strap the boys in the stroller and keep them calm and contained - perfect! We could also sit in the IMAX theater and watch really cool 3D movies. (OK, only Simi thought they were really cool; Asher was terrified.) We also saw the new Wallace and Grummit animated movie. Asher got over his fear of movies while watching that one.
How's Simi doing now? Our challenge to keep Simi calm and safe is even more difficult now. Rest and regular Motrin/Tylenol doses help Simi routinely forget that his chest just got cracked open, and it's way too enticing to engage the playful Asher in a game of wrestling. Thankfully, the weather in NC is MUCH nicer than we had in Boston. We've been taking them out in the double jogger (strapped down and sitting - perfect!) for long walks since we've been home. It'll be easier to keep Simi calm once Asher returns to daycare on Monday. Then we'll probably return to doing more table work - painting, crayons, puzzles, reading, etc.
The cardiologist mentioned that Simi would be more tired than normal these first few weeks. We've noticed only the opposite. He seems to have a lot more energy now than he ever has. If this is more tired, then we're really in trouble when he gets less tired. That's good, right?
We had hoped that now that we're home and they're sleeping in separate bedrooms, that perhaps they'd sleep longer in the morning. They must have developed some sort of sibling radar because this morning Asher awoke at about 5:30 AM and Simi awoke about 10 minutes later. What's up with that?
A lot of folks have asked to see post-operative photos of Simi. Maybe in a couple of years. Seriously. Raj took a lot of photos during the trip and I (Liz) had (have?) plans to make him a photo book of the experience. We viewed the photos once while in Boston and they're so difficult to view that I bawled like a baby through the entire slide show. In other words, I think it's going to take a while before we can view them again - nevermind post one.
Alright, from now, I think the posts are going to be a lot happier. Thanks again for all your support, good wishes, cards and prayers. We appreciate every single one of them.
Friday, October 14, 2005
Back in NC
We are back in sunny Carolina! Truthfully, we're exhausted, so perhaps we should blog tomorrow when we can actually type complete sentences.
Until then, here's some good news worth sharing:
Simi's back to his happy self again. It doesn't even seem to bother him that he has this nasty gash down his chest. He just calls it his "boo-boo" or his "scar" in a rather non-chalant way. He's an amazing kid.
We asked Simi to name the highlight of his Boston Adventure, part II. Immediately, he talked about picking up acorns in the park across the street from our apartment. He carried those acorns all the way back to NC, by the way. So now you know: picking up acorns ranks higher than getting a heart fixed (from a 4-year-old's perspective).
Although it may be temporary or perhaps completely unrelated to his heart, Simi's actually eating A LOT. Twice in the past few days he's even mentioned that he's hungry! The kid is nearly 4 years old and I can't ever remember a time when he's looked forward to eating or even confessed to being hungry. Regardless of the reason, it's music to our ears and we're happily feeding him.
Last, although Simi and Asher have been extremely close, I think this trip has made them even closer (if that's possible). They missed each other terribly while Simi was in the hospital. Back at the apartment, they shared a bed. From a parent perspective, it was amazingly cute to see them sleeping together. Now that we're home and they're each sleeping in their own beds, it'll be interesting to see how well they sleep without each other. (Selfishly, I hope they sleep LATE tomorrow!)
And on that note, it's now 8:15 PM and well past OUR bedtime. We'll write more about the rest of our Boston Adventure, part II tomorrow.
Until then, here's some good news worth sharing:
Simi's back to his happy self again. It doesn't even seem to bother him that he has this nasty gash down his chest. He just calls it his "boo-boo" or his "scar" in a rather non-chalant way. He's an amazing kid.
We asked Simi to name the highlight of his Boston Adventure, part II. Immediately, he talked about picking up acorns in the park across the street from our apartment. He carried those acorns all the way back to NC, by the way. So now you know: picking up acorns ranks higher than getting a heart fixed (from a 4-year-old's perspective).
Although it may be temporary or perhaps completely unrelated to his heart, Simi's actually eating A LOT. Twice in the past few days he's even mentioned that he's hungry! The kid is nearly 4 years old and I can't ever remember a time when he's looked forward to eating or even confessed to being hungry. Regardless of the reason, it's music to our ears and we're happily feeding him.
Last, although Simi and Asher have been extremely close, I think this trip has made them even closer (if that's possible). They missed each other terribly while Simi was in the hospital. Back at the apartment, they shared a bed. From a parent perspective, it was amazingly cute to see them sleeping together. Now that we're home and they're each sleeping in their own beds, it'll be interesting to see how well they sleep without each other. (Selfishly, I hope they sleep LATE tomorrow!)
And on that note, it's now 8:15 PM and well past OUR bedtime. We'll write more about the rest of our Boston Adventure, part II tomorrow.
Monday, October 10, 2005
We're all back at the apartment now. Simi is back to his normal self again, you'd never know he just got out of the hospital unless you saw his chest. He's laughing and goofing around and being silly with Asher as if nothing happened.
Yesterday Liz's brother Peter and family came down and we all had a great time together here at the apartment. They brought a bag full of birthday presents and Simi had fun opening them and then playing "Hi Ho! Cherry-O" with cousin Nicole and Aunt Karen. Peter picked up some "Legal Seafood" for dinner, and we ended the evening with a bithday cake for Simi and Grandpa Harris (whose birthday was today).
This morning the grandparents headed back home, then the rest of us walked around the mall for a while and had lunch together before Peter, Karen, and the girls headed back home.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
We're being Released!
We're nearly out of the hospital!!! Woo hoo! We're out of here just as soon as we receive the discharge papers from the nurse. We can't wait!
Simi's doing great. He'll do better and better with each passing day. And I think getting away from doctors and nurses will do him a lot of good emotionally.
OK, from here, the postings will be sparse until we return home. Thanks again for all your prayers, calls, and good wishes. We really appreciate them.
Until soon...
Simi's doing great. He'll do better and better with each passing day. And I think getting away from doctors and nurses will do him a lot of good emotionally.
OK, from here, the postings will be sparse until we return home. Thanks again for all your prayers, calls, and good wishes. We really appreciate them.
Until soon...
Boston Children's Hospital
I can't believe I've been forgetting to mention what wonderful care we're getting here at Boston Children's. I'm so incredibly glad we chose to come here to fix Simi's heart; I can't imagine a better place. The surgeon did a great job; he truly is a miracle worker. The surgical team took great care of Simi during the operation. The surgical liaisons did a great job taking care of us during the surgery. And all the nurses and doctors on the floors are just incredible. It's because of them that Simi has healed so well. I'm forever indebted to them.
Super-early, October 9th
The doctors are talking about letting Simi leave the hospital on Sunday, October 9th (today). Simi's doing a lot better now. He's up and walking around and seems to be feeling better.
This evening he gobbled down a huge amount of pizza and some ice cream sundae. Admitedly, he's getting a bit spoiled here in the hospital; he got to eat his ice cream BEFORE he ate his dinner. (It was melting and I wanted to make sure he got as much as he could before it became all liquid....)
Sunday, Uncle Peter, Aunt Karen, and the girls are planning to visit. A visit from Fun Aunt Karen is exactly what Simi needs right now; we can't wait! Plus, Monday is Grandpa Harris' birthday and it'll be really nice to have everyone together to celebrate it.
If we get sprung from here, we'll only be able to post updates via the treo - which seems to allow just a few lines of post. So...we'll post the highlights and then update once we get home (on October 14th).
This evening he gobbled down a huge amount of pizza and some ice cream sundae. Admitedly, he's getting a bit spoiled here in the hospital; he got to eat his ice cream BEFORE he ate his dinner. (It was melting and I wanted to make sure he got as much as he could before it became all liquid....)
Sunday, Uncle Peter, Aunt Karen, and the girls are planning to visit. A visit from Fun Aunt Karen is exactly what Simi needs right now; we can't wait! Plus, Monday is Grandpa Harris' birthday and it'll be really nice to have everyone together to celebrate it.
If we get sprung from here, we'll only be able to post updates via the treo - which seems to allow just a few lines of post. So...we'll post the highlights and then update once we get home (on October 14th).
Saturday, October 08, 2005
October 8 morning
Simi just woke up a little while ago, and is watching "A Bug's Life" now (the "Ants" movie as he calls it). I (Raj) spent the night with him last night and Liz spent the night with Asher. Simi's doing great, and we expect to be out tonight or tomorrow. He doesn't want to get up and walk around much yet and he need's to do some walking. We're trying to get him to walk to the nice playroom they have here, hopefully he'll be up for that later this morning.
Asher's doing great as well, G'ma & G'pa are taking great care of him at the apartment and he's having a lot of fun with them. He talked to Simi on the phone last night for a minute, just saying "Hi Simi" and Simi's face lit up it was really sweet.
That's all for now gotta run back to the room, I'm sure Liz will post more later.
Asher's doing great as well, G'ma & G'pa are taking great care of him at the apartment and he's having a lot of fun with them. He talked to Simi on the phone last night for a minute, just saying "Hi Simi" and Simi's face lit up it was really sweet.
That's all for now gotta run back to the room, I'm sure Liz will post more later.
Friday, October 07, 2005
October 7th Update
It's about 2 PM and Simi just arrived in the regular cardiac care hospital unit. That means that he is out of the cardiac intensive care unit and in the regular ward.
Simi's lovin' the new unit. He's one of the lucky few who has his own room (it was purely luck that he got his own room!) and there is a vcr in the room and a library of tapes down the hall. There are tons of books and a playroom down the hall when he's ready.
Right now he's thrilled because he gets to have all the chicken noodle soup he wants.
Simi's pain meds now are Tylenol. Incredible that one day after surgery and all he needs is Tylenol.
He went for a walk this morning (he wanted to!), but it was just a litle walk. I think it hurt him so he stopped.
On the flip side, we're dealing with some emotional stuff. Simi's sad and scared (his words). Last night, he refused to go to sleep because he was afraid that they'd hurt him again. And every time someone comes near him to do something, like to pull a line or take an x-ray, it's a really big deal. He "shut down" emotionally last night and is just now starting to perk up a bit. But every time something medical happens - even the least little bit of pain - it's a big deal for him and takes him right back to shutting down again. As a parent, it's really painful to watch. He's a part of me. Seeing him shut-down emotionally cuts right into my core being. But we'll get through this.
Asher's doing great with Grandma and Grandpa Ruben. They're doting on him and spoiling him and he's just lovin' it.
Thanks for all your thoughts and support. It means the world to us. We'll update again soon.
Simi's lovin' the new unit. He's one of the lucky few who has his own room (it was purely luck that he got his own room!) and there is a vcr in the room and a library of tapes down the hall. There are tons of books and a playroom down the hall when he's ready.
Right now he's thrilled because he gets to have all the chicken noodle soup he wants.
Simi's pain meds now are Tylenol. Incredible that one day after surgery and all he needs is Tylenol.
He went for a walk this morning (he wanted to!), but it was just a litle walk. I think it hurt him so he stopped.
On the flip side, we're dealing with some emotional stuff. Simi's sad and scared (his words). Last night, he refused to go to sleep because he was afraid that they'd hurt him again. And every time someone comes near him to do something, like to pull a line or take an x-ray, it's a really big deal. He "shut down" emotionally last night and is just now starting to perk up a bit. But every time something medical happens - even the least little bit of pain - it's a big deal for him and takes him right back to shutting down again. As a parent, it's really painful to watch. He's a part of me. Seeing him shut-down emotionally cuts right into my core being. But we'll get through this.
Asher's doing great with Grandma and Grandpa Ruben. They're doting on him and spoiling him and he's just lovin' it.
Thanks for all your thoughts and support. It means the world to us. We'll update again soon.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
October 6th Evening Update
It's 7:15 PM and Simi's snoozing...so here's a quick update.
Simi's doing incredibly great. The nurse commented that he's behaving more like he just got his tonsils removed than had open heart surgery. He's an amazing kid. It seems like he truly isn't in pain right now. He hasn't had any pain medication since he first arrived at the ICU (noonish). He's telling us that he's not in pain and his heart rate and blood pressure are confirming it. All the numbers on all the monitors are great and the Cardiologist used the following adjectives after his evaluation of Simi: wonderful and lovely.
Although it may be too early to say for certain, it's looking like the defect was closed completely (no leaks). I'm forever indebted to his surgeon, Dr. Pigula.
Simi's only complaint all day is that he's thirsty. We gave him water, then juice, then popsicles. The kid's eaten 4 popsicles already; that's a lot based on the nurses reaction.
So, assuming all continues to go well, he'll move to the regular ward sometime tomorrow.
Asher has had a wonderful time with his maternal grandparents today. It's nice that he's had a chance to have this kind of good quality time with them; we don't get to see them so frequently. I guess this is a silver lining - a nice side benefit of our "Boston Adventure".
We'll try to update again soon.
Simi's doing incredibly great. The nurse commented that he's behaving more like he just got his tonsils removed than had open heart surgery. He's an amazing kid. It seems like he truly isn't in pain right now. He hasn't had any pain medication since he first arrived at the ICU (noonish). He's telling us that he's not in pain and his heart rate and blood pressure are confirming it. All the numbers on all the monitors are great and the Cardiologist used the following adjectives after his evaluation of Simi: wonderful and lovely.
Although it may be too early to say for certain, it's looking like the defect was closed completely (no leaks). I'm forever indebted to his surgeon, Dr. Pigula.
Simi's only complaint all day is that he's thirsty. We gave him water, then juice, then popsicles. The kid's eaten 4 popsicles already; that's a lot based on the nurses reaction.
So, assuming all continues to go well, he'll move to the regular ward sometime tomorrow.
Asher has had a wonderful time with his maternal grandparents today. It's nice that he's had a chance to have this kind of good quality time with them; we don't get to see them so frequently. I guess this is a silver lining - a nice side benefit of our "Boston Adventure".
We'll try to update again soon.
Simi update
The last post got truncated, but I'm gonna try again anyway. We're with him in the ICU, he's talking and moving a bit. He's doing great!
828 Karen came back to tell us that started making the incision
10:00 We haven't heard anything yet so we asked for a status update
10:10 Karen called back for us and found that they're warming up to take him off the machi
828 Karen came back to tell us that started making the incision
10:00 We haven't heard anything yet so we asked for a status update
10:10 Karen called back for us and found that they're warming up to take him off the machi
Simi's in Surgery
Simi back to the operating room at about 7:30am. We met our liasons Sheila and Karen, who talks to nurse Kathy, who is in the operating room. They'll let us know when they make the first incision, then when they have him all hooked up to the heart-lung bypass machin
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Leaving on a Jet Plane...
This is it - the beginning of our Boston Adventure, part II. We're leaving momentarily for the airport.
Yesterday Simi was as whiny and clingy as an infant - and crying just as much. I guess it's the 3 year-old way of getting the stress out.
Today we're hoping to make it to the aquarium in Boson to have one last bit of fun. Tomorrow, a different kind of fun begins.
Yesterday Simi was as whiny and clingy as an infant - and crying just as much. I guess it's the 3 year-old way of getting the stress out.
Today we're hoping to make it to the aquarium in Boson to have one last bit of fun. Tomorrow, a different kind of fun begins.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Preparing Simi for Surgery
We've been slowly preparing Simi for his open heart surgery. Our first trip to Boston was one big step in that direction, allowing him to get acquainted with the hospital and staff, along with having a ton of fun while we were there to give him some good experiences to associate with it.
Next step in preparation was in showing him the calendar and all of the events coming up: Asher's birthday, Simi's first birthday party, open heart surgery, Simi's second birthday party, Halloween and Simi's birthday, and Christmas.
Through hearing us talk, Simi's gotten the understanding that this is a big deal and that something big is going to happen to him.
The hospital had given us a booklet to guide him through the pre-op appointment and surgery day and his stay in the hospital - to help prepare him for what to expect. Today (Sunday), Liz tried to read him the book and show him the pictures. He was very uncomfortable, even asking not to read it. In the end, we did, in fact read him the book and look at the pictures, but it was clear he didn't enjoy it. He probably understands more than we think.
Simi did remind us that it wasn't the FOUR of us going to Boston, but in fact, FIVE of us who were going: Mommy, Daddy, Simi, Asher, and puppy (his stuffed toy). Then he remembered that it was really SIX of us going, because baby sister was coming along too.
This may be the last we post before surgery. We'll do our best to update as soon as we can while we're in Boston.
Next step in preparation was in showing him the calendar and all of the events coming up: Asher's birthday, Simi's first birthday party, open heart surgery, Simi's second birthday party, Halloween and Simi's birthday, and Christmas.
Through hearing us talk, Simi's gotten the understanding that this is a big deal and that something big is going to happen to him.
The hospital had given us a booklet to guide him through the pre-op appointment and surgery day and his stay in the hospital - to help prepare him for what to expect. Today (Sunday), Liz tried to read him the book and show him the pictures. He was very uncomfortable, even asking not to read it. In the end, we did, in fact read him the book and look at the pictures, but it was clear he didn't enjoy it. He probably understands more than we think.
Simi did remind us that it wasn't the FOUR of us going to Boston, but in fact, FIVE of us who were going: Mommy, Daddy, Simi, Asher, and puppy (his stuffed toy). Then he remembered that it was really SIX of us going, because baby sister was coming along too.
This may be the last we post before surgery. We'll do our best to update as soon as we can while we're in Boston.
Simi's 4th Birthday Party, part I
Because of the impending open heart surgery, we chose to hold Simi's 4th birthday party prior to the surgery. It was this past Saturday at My Gym in Cary.
Simi was so incredibly excited. He's been waiting for this day and his birthday party for a LONG time. It was absolutely perfect. 20 energetic 4 year-olds and their siblings played hard at My Gym for 2 hours. Both Simi and Asher were so excited that they couldn't even think about napping afterwards, and they even had a difficult time going to bed that evening, despite their exhaustion.
One reason they were both too excited to sleep was because we pulled out "THE BIG" birthday present: Simi's first real bike (with training wheels). Then, we made a presentation out of Simi gifting his tricycle to Asher, who was so excited, he wanted to sleep with it that night.
Simi was so incredibly excited. He's been waiting for this day and his birthday party for a LONG time. It was absolutely perfect. 20 energetic 4 year-olds and their siblings played hard at My Gym for 2 hours. Both Simi and Asher were so excited that they couldn't even think about napping afterwards, and they even had a difficult time going to bed that evening, despite their exhaustion.
One reason they were both too excited to sleep was because we pulled out "THE BIG" birthday present: Simi's first real bike (with training wheels). Then, we made a presentation out of Simi gifting his tricycle to Asher, who was so excited, he wanted to sleep with it that night.
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