Surgery and Recovery: Doing great!

Hi everyone, I am here in the hospital recovering from my Glenn Shunt Surgery and I am doing very well! My surgery was early Monday morning and we had to get to the hospital at 5:45 am. My mom and dad and I didn't get much sleep Sunday night because the last time I could have a bottle was at 2am and I couldn't fall back asleep once I was done. Once we got checked into surgery, they gave me a baby sized hospital gown that was so cute! Mom and dad said goodbye as Dr. Fehr took me back to the OR and I was such a big boy, I didn't even cry! Around 11:30am, Dr. Huddleston told my mom and dad that the surgery went very well with no complications and no surprises - I think they were very relieved! I got to see them finally around 1:30pm (actually I just heard them because I was a little out of it). I had a really horrible headache all day and into the next morning and I was really miserable. I finally got some milk in my belly and that in combo with my good pain meds made me feel a lot better so I got a lot more sleep on Tuesday. They first had me on some pain/sedation meds and tylenol and some stuff to keep my blood pressure down. I also had an annoying nasal cannula that they took out today - yay! I am now back on my normal blood pressure meds and weaning off my sedation. I am having a little cloudiness in my chest drain due to some fluid put off by my lymph tissue which can happen after a surgery like this. The doctors are going to keep my drain in a little longer to keep an eye on that and make sure it's getting better. I am waiting to poop too and I think once I do I will feel a lot better (and lighter)! My mom and dad have been by my side since my surgery so that makes me feel much safer and I think I may give them a smile tomorrow when I am feeling a little better (and again, once I can poop!) I want to thank all my wonderful friends and family that are thinking and praying for me, you are the best and I can't wait to see you once I am fully recovered!

Start! Heart Walk May 14th

The 3 of us will be participating in the American Heart Association's Start! Heart Walk on May 14th, 2011. We are walking as members of the Heart 2 Heart Team, a support group we found through St. Louis Children's Hospital while William was there back in Oct./Nov. The purpose of the event is to raise funds for research and to build awareness for heart disease, heart defects, heart attack and stroke. Being the parents of a "Heart Kid" now has really opened our eyes to the need for more research and awareness for all of these things. We had no idea that about 1 out of every 125 babies are born with heart defects each year in the US. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to increasing the chances of survival for these babies and William is living proof of this!

The walk is at Busch Stadium and sounds like a very fun and FREE event and anyone can participate. If you are interested in walking, here is the event information: http://heartwalk.kintera.org/faf/help/helpEventInfo.asp?ievent=426519&lis=0&kntae426519=5953D513CD654614BC929A4ED9511A17

If you would like to donate, here are our donation page links:
Chris: http://heartwalk.kintera.org/metrostlouis/forironwill
Katie: http://heartwalk.kintera.org/metrostlouis/ironwillsaykes

If you'd like to sign up to walk, you can join the "Heart 2 Heart" group here: http://www.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=426519&lis=0&kntae426519=5953D513CD654614BC929A4ED9511A17&team=4008975&tlteam=3805613

We have so much to be thankful for and we hope that you all know how much your love, support, thoughts and prayers have meant to us throughout the past months!

5 Month Photo Shoot

I am growing so fast! I can't believe I am already 5 and 1/2 months old! I am really enjoying all the new foods that mom and dad are giving me! My favorite is definitely bananas but I enjoy my sweet potatoes, carrots, peas and squash, too. I also love to chew on my Sophie the Giraffe and suck on Sox the Fox's ears - yum! I'm making a lot of new noises and I am getting very good at ordering mom and dad around. I am reaching and grabbing for anything that's within reach, so Shelly dog better watch out! Here are some of my favorite pictures from my 5 month photo shoot!
Love,
Will

Surgery date is set

Will's Glenn Shunt procedure is scheduled for the end of March! We know he is going to do great and hopefully will be in the hospital for the minimal amount of time! Thank you to everyone for your continued thoughts and prayers and we ask that you please keep them coming in the next month as he completes his next open heart surgery!

Love,

Will's Mom and Dad

Quick Update

Hi - I had a very good checkup with Dr. Balzer today and he said that surgery will be calling my mom and dad this week to schedule my Glenn procedure. Stay tuned!