Hannah’s Surgery 2014

Hannah’s recovery from heart surgery | Day 10

Hannah's recovery from heart surgery | Pneumothorax gone | Cuddling in bed 1

Another great day on Hannah’s heart surgery journey Hannah had a good night after a great day that ended with us snuggling up in her bed watching “Educating Yorkshire: One Year On“. She started getting restless around 5.30 this morning…toilet, water, bed up, bed down, tossing and turning, needing her eye mask to be in […]

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Hannah’s recovery from heart surgery | Day 8

Recovery from heart surgery | Day 8 | Hannah mostly sleeping

A bit of a non-day… …but on the plus side, more gifts for Hannah to get excited about! 9am Hannah has had another good night. She looks great! Cheeky tyke woke me up a couple of times by jiggling my toes, to tell me I was snoring too loudly. Charming! 😉 My back is in […]

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Recovery from heart surgery | Day 6

Recovering from heart surgery | Hannah's get well cards

A really good day – lots of smiles, laughter and general joviality You could almost forget we’re here because Hannah has just had major heart surgery (less than a week ago!) 9am Came in at 8 to find Hannah up & dressed and having breakfast. She’d managed her half shower etc by herself! She’s had […]

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Recovering from heart surgery |Day 5

Heart Surgery | Highs and Lows | Oxygen Saturation Monitor

Highs and Lows A rough night 1am Hannah wakes up as she needs the toilet. Complains of pain…in her chest but also her right shoulder when breathing in. I get her back into bed. ..almost bolt upright as she says it hurts too much otherwise. She probably hardly got any pain relief at her last […]

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Hannah’s recovery from heart surgery | Day 4

Heart surgery | Day 4 | Hannah sitting

Showers and other shenanigans I got back to the ward at around 8am.  Hannah was awake and said hello.  She still had the nasal prong oxygen but no longer needed the additional waft from the oxygen mask (I think that stopped last night before I left) and her O2 Sats were still between 98% and […]

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Hannah’s recovery from heart surgery | Day 3

Hannah's recovery from heart surgery | First breakfast

Steady progress 4 am Woke up to Hannah sitting up in bed (supported by her lovely nurse, Kate) , having a big cough and struggling to shift the ‘frog in her throat’.  She had vomited a little but was fine – had a good drink. Was much stronger getting herself into sitting up position and […]

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Hannah’s post-surgery recovery | day 2

Post-surgery recovery | Back on the Ward

8am I just came back to intensive care after a few hours’ s sleep. Simon has updated me on his 2nd half night shift. Hannah much as she was when I left earlier this morning. Still quite tearful and very thirsty. Pain when she moves, despite the morphine clicker. Very sleepy but still woke a […]

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Hannah’s recovery from heart surgery | The first 24 hours

A child’s recovery from heart surgery can be extremely rapid or excruciatingly slow.  Hannah’s first open heart surgery in 2000 resulted in her spending 2 weeks in intensive care, struggling to breathe, being extubated and re-intubated more times than I dare to remember and contracting all manner of nasty infections.  This was follwed by 2 […]

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