HEART SURGERY UPDATE 9/8/08

As some of you know, and as many of you don't.. my son Angelo underwent open-heart surgery this morning due to a hole in his heart and a leaky valve. This matter has been known since birth and I was fortunate enough to have the care I do at the Golosano's Children's Hospital here at Strong Memorial.


I am happy to say that after 4 hours of surgery, Angelo has done magnificant and is currently in the Cardiac Perinatal Intensive Care Unit and doing VERY well. He is breathing through a breathing tube for the time being but will hopefully be off of it sometime tonight. We are aiming to go home sometime on Sunday.



The staff and surgeon's here have been Godsent.

Keep Angel in your prayers.

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008: Heart surgery update - As some of you know, Angelo has VSD (a hole in his heart) & Pulmonary Stenosis (pulmonary artery is small). Congeniatial heart surgery has been scheduled for September 8th, 2008 & his estimated recovery time will be about 7-10 days. Please keep him in your prayers.. my lil man is sooo amazing.. acts as if nothing was ever wrong with him =]

BIRTH STORY

It was 8:45am on Febuary 29th, 2008; 37.6 days pregnant with my identical mono/di twin boys. Feet majorally swollen, I got up to go to the bathroom; the morning ritual. Baby father was downstairs on the computer & grandma was getting ready to take big bro Dominic to school in a couple minutes. Just as I was getting up to pull my pants up.. MY WATER BROKE ALL OVER THE FLOOR! I quickly sat back down & the only thing that came to my mind was "UHHH BABE?!" ... Daddy answered with the usual "WHAT?".. I answered "MY WATER BROKEEEEEEEE!" All of a sudden Mike (daddy) & grandma came stampeding up the stairs practically knocking each other over. It was such a picture perfect moment with both of them being there so to speak (lol). I took a quick shower & stuffed a towel in my pants & awaited any type of pain. Not feeling a thing, daddy & me decided to take a quick spin up to McDonald's for breakfast (considering I wouldnt be able to eat at the hospital, I thought it was only right to pig out haha). Got back home.. ate.. daddy played Guitar Hero while I got on the phone & called Labor & Delivery. Doc told me to come in as soon as I can. So, I went upstairs, grabbed mine & the babies bags, & headed out to Strong Memorial Hospital, grandma riding in back, around 11:30am.

As I got to the hospital, the nurses had been expecting my arrival. I got admitted into triage where they did an exam around 12:15pm & found out i was 3 1/2cm dilated & 90% effaced. Nurses there are WONDERFUL & after being admited to the delivery room; painless mind you, they decided to start me on Pitocin around 1:45pm to speed things up a bit. I started feeling a little pain so they then started me on Nuben (sp?) which was REAL trippy until the Anethesiologist (we'll call him the an-man) was able to perform my epidural. The an-man was real funny & ladies, I don't known about you but the epi was PAINLESS.. I didn't feel a thing! I was feeling GOOD after a half hour with the combination of both. Speaking too soon.. I was in major pain around 3:45pm, even though it wasn't lasting more than a few seconds. They gave me the max dosage possible but it seemed like I was immuned. After waiting what seemed like FOREVER, the doc finally came in to check me. COMPLETELY DIALTED & READY FOR ACTION. At this time, I was having a vaginal delivery. Around 12:15am the next morning of March 1st, 2008 , I started pushing (YES, NO LEAP YEAR BABIES LIKE EVERYONE THOUGHT!). I was in major pain as alllll the drugs were completely worn off (just my luck!). After 3 consectutive hours of pushing, Baby A's big ol head just would not seem to get from under my pelvic bone. By this time, I was completely exhausted.. nothing left in me.

I then made the decision to go through with a c-section after the long battle. I tried for vaginal; I did the best I could. Daddy got prepped in his scrubs & I was wheeled off to undergo surgery around 3:30am, give or take. Since the epidural didn't work for me, I was preped to have a spinal blockage. Again, painless. After a couple minutes, I was COMPLETELY numb, waste down. I was shaking like a leaf, but was told that was suspected from the spinal block. Daddy finally came in & got REAL nervous. Holding my hand while the procedure was being done, I got some real bad pressure in my stomach area as they were getting the babies out.

At 4:08am, 38 weeks to the day, Anthony James was born, weighing in at 6lbs 12oz & 20 inches long, screaming his little head off. 2 minutes later at 4:10am, Angelo John was born, weighing in at 5lbs 14oz & 20 inches long, screaming his little head off too. Both scored an amazing 9 on the apgar & are healthy babyboys.

Recovery was a breeze. The first 24 hours I was still numb & couldn't walk. Once I was able to get up & moving, I slowly but surely progressed. Now I am sitting here, babyboys 8 days old, tired but amazed that these two little blessings are MINE. I am totally up & running from this c-section which everyone finds amazing! I mean, I am wearing my reg jeans & took the boys on their first mall extravaganza today =p

The experience has been amazing but rest to sure you, I will definitly not be going through it again. I am completely satisfied with my little men & can not wait to watch them grow up & shape them into who & what they'll become.

Congrats to all the mommies on I-Am-Pregnant.. yahll have been down for me since geez.. week 12?!

I'll keep everyone posted (as if I have all the time on my hands lol).. take care!!