3/30 Update: Coincidence?

After we left yesterday afternoon to be able to enjoy dinner with the rest of the family, the staff did challenge Hope by removing her oxygen. She's doing really well. Sats are holding stable in low to mid 90's. Again, not quite 100%, but some kids here never get out of the 60's with full flow O2. Her sats stayed stable through the night. What a joy it was for me to see her this morning with NOTHING on her face.

One of the 'perks' of being in the CCU instead of the CICU is that one parent can stay overnight by the bedside. There is a little daybed where one can try to sleep. Mon took the first shift last night. When I arrived this morning, she looked exhausted, saying, "What a wake-up call to remind us what it will be like when we get home." Hope was up wanting to feed every 1-1/2 -- 2 hours. While it's been hard to not be with Hope during the overnights, we've gotten really spoiled by the round the clock care she's been getting.

In the CCU, we're in a two-bed room. The mother of the little boy with whom we're sharing the room approached us yesterday to let us know that she also was a TGA baby. She wanted to reassure us that kids with this defect have pretty normal lives, including having children of their own, and that she was living proof. She was also quick to point out the fact that her second son has Hypoplastic Left Heart is completely coincidental -- her first son is totally healthy. We've heard of moms with TGA having successful pregnancies, but to actually meet someone is very reassuring. Sometimes I wonder if these encounters are more than coincidence...