Charleston visit

Charlotte has had a small place, "bubble" on her chest at the bottom of her incision since we came home from Charleston almost 2 years ago.  Well, last week Charlotte started complaining that her chest hurt and she would rub the "bubble".  Thursday I noticed that it started getting red and I called the Pediatrician.  Friday morning we saw our wonderful Pediatrician, Dr. Donna and she called our Cardiologist, Dr. Horne to be on the safe side.  Dr. Horne decided that we needed to see a Pediatric Surgeon, so off to Greenville we went for an afternoon appointment and Charlotte was placed on Bactrim and to return the following Wednesday to recheck unless things got worse.  Well, over the weekend, the bubble got more red and bigger so I decided to call Dr. Donna instead of Ped's Surgery Monday morning because with surgery looming, I didn't want anything to jeopardize surgery!!  Dr. Donna is so AWESOME, and after we talked about things we decided that a call to Dr. Bradley was warranted.  I was to wait for a call from Dr. Bradley's office for an appointment this week for him to look at it.  Monday evening around 6:30 the phone rings and it is Cathy, Dr. Bradley's Practitioner asking what's going on.  After about 2 minutes on the phone it was decided that I would be seen Tuesday in Clinic because Dr. Bradley usually isn't in surgery and he would be able to look at the bubble himself. 

Tuesday Morning we are on the road by 8:30 and headed to Charleston as fast as we can.  We make it to Charleston after a few stops along the way around 11:30 and straight to clinic we go.  After Cathy evaluated the bubble she decided that it needed to be lanced, OUCH!!  As it worked out, Dr. Bradley was tied up with a procedure, but it didn't take long for him to finish.  Waiting for something so easy is almost as hard as waiting for heart surgery...... I was just as nervous and sweating and not looking forward to my baby being in pain and crying!  Dr. Bradley and Cathy decided that lancing it and send off cultures would be a good idea.  If cultures are negative, surgery is still a go May 9th.  We held her down and it was all over in about 15 minutes.  Seems that that little bubble ended up having a bunch of granulated tissue in it.  Cathy told me that the culture should be back by Friday and to just keep a check on it, a little antibiotic ointment and it should heal right up. 

Tonight, I took the bandage off for good.  Charlotte has tried her best to get the tape off and she has managed to get it off almost all the way every time, so I just decided to leave it off.  It looks good I guess, but she still want let me touch it.  I just pray that the culture comes back negative.  With 8 weeks to go before the baby comes, I really am stressed out about getting Charlotte to Charleston for surgery and home, hopefully fully recovered before the baby comes.  I have never prayed for any of my babies to be late before, but I have been praying that the Lord makes me wait for 42 weeks:)

The Waiting Game

Well, as you know we have been playing the waiting game, waiting to see if surgery is now or later.  I hate the waiting game, it is so hard to just sit and wait for the phone to ring, and when it finally does, I feel sick all over my body. 

Dr. Horne called on Thursday, March 22th to inform us that he had gotten an e-mail from Dr. Bradley and they were in discussion about what is best for Charlotte.  o we sit and wait while they discuss options.  Dr. Horne was leaving for a conference and would only be in touch by e-mail, but promised that as soon as he heard from Dr. Bradley he would call us to let us know the game plan.  I had my home phone forwarded to my cell every day to catch a much anticipated call from Dr. Horne and nothing.  Like always, we go to my parents house for supper on Thursday's and me thinking it was after 6, I didn't forward the phone.  When we came home, a message on the machine from Dr. Horne.  I felt a knot in my stomach as I hit the play button, and the voice started, "Mr. & Mrs. Cooper, this is Dr. Horne".................At first, I couldn't hear what Dr. Horne was telling us in the message for kicking myself for not forwarding the phone before we left for my parents.   We listened to the message 3 times just to make sure we understood him~ everyone agrees that it is for the best that Charlotte have surgery now instead of waiting.  I am expecting daughter # 6 in 10 weeks or less and Charlotte will need my undivided attention for a while, especially after surgery and once home.  So, with the birth looming near, the clock is ticking for us to get to Charleston and home before the baby.

Well, it has been the longest two weeks of my life waiting for the call, and FINALLY today we got it.  The first call, the lady said she had two dates for us to choose, July and then my mind goes blank.  JULY, really, July???  All I can think is, "This isn't BEFORE the baby and I thought that was the plan."  So I inform the scheduler what I was told and she said she would call me back.  About two hours later the phone rings again, This time Diane is on the line telling me that the Surgery date is May 9th.  Honestly, I am so sick right now fighting strep that I haven't had time to think about surgery.  Now that I am getting over it, I am scared to death............. because I will have 5 weeks til I am due and that is if I go full term!!!  I have joked with Brian that we go to Charleston with Charlotte, and come home with Charlotte and a new baby!!!  That would be my luck.

Well, I just have to trust knowing the Lord is in control and that all of this is happening in His time.  He has a plan and I just have to follow.  I must admit, it isn't as easy as I would like, but I will follow!!