Sarah-Hope's heart operation went very well..
The "good news" was that the duct which hadn't closed was huge so the doctors told us we could expect a big difference in her energy levels once she recovered from the op. While we knew her undersized lungs were making her breathless, we hadn't realised how much this heart problem was adding to it. But not any more! Sarah-Hope is so much stronger, taking full feeds out of bottles she didn't have the energy to suck from previously and... wait for it... she has started some breastfeeding! It feels so strange to be doing something so natural after months of tube feeding, syringes, measuring... and yet so wonderful (not least because the medical opinion was that she wouldn't breastfeed).
The "bad news" was that Sarah-Hope picked up a bug in the hospital (is not symptomatic but is a carrier) which is very dangerous for babies on ventilators. As long as she doesn't need to be ventilated or catheterised in the next six months or so she should be fine. When she was transferred from Christiaan Barnard to Vincent Pallotti hospital, Vincent Pallotti went all out to prevent the bug from spreading. This new arrangement means that whenever she goes in for a platelet transfusion, Sarah-Hope gets her very own room and a dedicated nurse to make sure she isn't anywhere near a labour or paediatric ward. It also means that Pathcare now comes to our house in order to take blood from her for the weekly full blood counts... how's that for service?! We are delighted:)
The next phase is all about growing... and we have had some fascinating first meetings with a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist etc. But the best part is enjoying her smile, look around, start to chatter in her own way... As the one therapist said, "she has personality in buckets!"
