What a day!

This was one of the worst days of our lives. We got Emily to the hospital this morning and things went from bad to worse. Emily vomited and moaned on the entire way to the hospital. Once we got to the hospital, we had to wait a while because our neurosurgeon was in emergency surgery with another child. She was already expecting us, though, and so she had ordered a CT scan for Emily. We had the scan done and then we had to wait longer. During this time, Emily seemed to just get even worse. She was totally lethargic and barely responsive. She would moan in pain from her head hurting and the only time she she was awake was when she was vomiting. Finally, one of the ER doctors told us that her CT scan did indicate that her ventricles were enlarged compared to her last scans and that the OR was getting ready to come down and pick Emily up for surgery. Dr. Canady would talk to us once we got up there. Well, knowing that Emily's ventricles showed enlargement in a CT scan meant that the pressure in her head was HUGE because she has slit vents and they don't expand. It is no wonder that she was in so much pain and so miserable. By the time we got up to the third floor pre-op area, I was actually ready to send Emily in to surgery. It was either that, or it was like I was watching my child waste away right in front of me. At that point I would have done anything to help her out. I tried talking to her and explaining to her what was being done, but I didn't think she was coherent enough to understand me.

Before Emily was taken into surgery, Dr. Canady came in to talk to us. I asked her what could have gone wrong since Monday. She showed us her scans and showed us the slit ventricles and how delicate the surgery is. She also told us something that I would have liked to have known before now. She said that a child that has slit vents has a higher chance of shunt failure immediately after a revision. She said that if it is going to happen, it will happen within the first two weeks following the revision. So, you can guarantee that we will be on pins and needles for the next couple of weeks. There is nothing to prevent it from happening. It either will or it won't.

When it was time to take her away, Rob and I just kissed her and told her we loved her. She was really out of it, but she cried a little bit and said she was scared, but I don't really know if she knew what was happening. One thing that was good was that she was with the same OR nurses that she had on Monday and they all loved her to pieces and they were taking very good care of her. They were all just heartbroken that she was back. I knew that she was in very good hands.

After we shed our tears, we headed to our usual spot in the waiting room. We saw Ethan there with my mom and dad and Grandma. We gave Ethan some great big hugs and he helped ease our minds for a bit. He was just so happy and full of life and was excited to show us the stuffed dog that he had picked out for Emily in the gift shop.

The surgery only lasted 45 minutes and Dr. Canady came in with a smile on her face. That is always a good sign. It didn't take as long this time because Emily's head was already shaved and they just went through the same incision. The doctor said that she tested the shunt valve and it was working properly, but the catheter was blocked again. It's amazing how quickly things went downhill.

When we were finally able to see Emily in Recovery, she was a sight for sore eyes. She was the old Emily again. Her head was sore because of the incision, but she was talking and doing so well. One of the first things she said to me was that she loved me and she reached for my hand so she could kiss me. After a few minutes she asked me where she was and asked what happened. That just broke my heart! I had to explain to her that her shunt broke again and that she just had it fixed. I told her that she was back in the hospital and that she would be feeling better soon. And one of the first things she asked me was where Ethan was because she wanted to see him. :)

Emily is now in her room on the third floor of the hospital. It has only been 4 hours since her sixth brain surgery and she has already been watching SpongeBob. She has eaten 5 chicken nuggets and a vanilla frosty. And she is now sitting up in bed and playing her Pocket V-Smile. This girl is a real trouper and the bravest girl I know!!!