Cup of Blessings

What a wild 24 hours I’ve had!!

Yesterday I took my 3 y.o. daughter to have her third, yes, THIRD set of tubes for her ears and a tonsillectomy in the hopes it would stop all her ear infections.  Very routine, in and out the same day.

Until disaster struck.  I had been waiting in her cubicle for awhile when the surgery coordinator came in to tell me that the ENT had hit a vessel in her ear and she had lost what was a great deal of blood for her.  About 200ml.  They started a blood transfusion and it was decided that the small rural hospital we were at was not enough.  She needed to be airlifted to Minneapolis, 2 hours away by car.  I’ve never been so devastated!!  I flew with her, she was intubated, poor baby. She's been saying she wants to fly, how ironic it was this way.  And she won't remember it........in fact when she was somewhat conscious last evening she shook her head 'no' when I told her she rode in a helicopter.

We got to University Children’s hospital and the docs did an angiogram.  Turns out her carotid arteries, which supply our brain with blood, were curved into her middle ear which isn’t where they should be.  The doctor had nicked this artery but luckily was centered enough to apply pressure and packing. 

Layla will be intubated until at least  Monday and will be in hospital until the end of the week.  The doctor wants her to remain quiet and watch her for further bleeding.  No further surgery needs to be done at this point.

It’s my feeling now that this artery bulging into her ear canal could have been one of the issues with her ear infections.  Not sure how tubes may help in the future.  Yes, she still could use them but it will be done here, at the U of Mn, where they can fix problems much quicker.

I sit here and I could be wallowing in self pity but seeing the other two very little ones in here in much worse condition humbles me.  It reminds me to thank God for my blessings and that despite this very scary incident she is still a healthy little girl! Keep us in your prayers that everything else goes smoothly.  I know my faith in God is getting me through this.