It's been a long road getting to 12 pounds. Before her ng tube, we were feeding her around the clock. Because of the hole in her heart (a VSD), her heart inefficiently pumps already oxygenated blood back into her lungs. It pumps up to eleven times more blood that a normal heart would. Therefore, her little heart has to work extra hard to manage the simple tasks of breathing and eating. She burns a lot more calories, with these chores alone, than a baby with a normal heart. Once the ng tube was in place, we could manage her feedings, both in number and in quantity, much easier. It's been a good thing and I'm certain that she could not have had this weight gain without it.
Here's Erin before the ng tube. We tried everything in an attempt to get her to gain weight. We even tried this big "Jethro bottle", which my kids nicknamed after Jethro Bodine of the Beverly Hillbillies. It's almost as big as she is LOL!
Here's the little 12 pounder, with the ng tube, enjoying her excersauser that Grandma and Grandpa McKillen gave her.
Tomorrow Erin's cardiologist will present her case to a larger group of cardiologists and surgeons at Children's Hospital in Milwaukee. They will examine her latest echocardiograms. If there are any changes, or differences of opinion, our cardiologist will give us a call later tomorrow. Otherwise, we are set to head out for Erin's pre-op on the 18th.
Thank you once again for all of the prayers! We appreciate them so much!
