Magdalena - Post Surgery Days 2 and 3

Magdalena has been such a trooper in all this post-surgery recovery. She was really swollen on Thursday (Day 2), and towards the evening got some bruises under her eyes. Friday (Day 3) has been a slight bit less puffy now that it is evening, and she can open both eyes to reasonable slits. She laughed for the first time today, over a book or song, and also started eating quite well (finally!) today. She still does not want to drink milk or apple juice from a bottle, preferring to nurse only. However, she has been eating rice cereal with peas and carrots as well as putting some crackers and cheerios into her own mouth.

Once she got a cheerio into her hand with the IV on the arm. She tried to put it in her mouth, but with the big arm gauze around the IV, couldn't quite make it.

Yesterday we had our first visitors! I forgot to take photos, but thanks to Amber, Jacoby & Nia for coming and bringing a cute barking stuffed dog. And thanks to Natalie and Liana for coming and bringing a helium balloon (big hit with Magdalena!) and a finger puppet pen for her recovery amusement. Magdalena also got her first post-surgery bath yesterday, though we had to have a bag around the IV gauze, and could only wash the back of her hair.

Today, Day 3, my parents came with Lucia this evening, and Magdalena really hammed it up for them. She also got her second post-surgery bath - finally with all the tubes out! Both the IV (was there for antibiotic and fluids, though the latter stopped yesterday) and the drain tube from the back of her left ear came out just before our family arrived (antibiotic stopped now that this drain is out), and we were able to wash all her hair in the bath, so between all those things, Magdalena is looking and feeling much more like normal.

She still has a puffy face - probably will be pretty puffy for another week, then will really start going down. And she has this little rash under her neck and in her armpits from liquids (sweat, breastmilk, drool) - getting in there and the puffiness causing no escape for air. We think it is fungal, and have to get some anti-fungal ointment for it.

Also, I am cleaning her scar five times a day now with a half 3% H2O2 (hydrogen perioxide) half water solution. I roll this on with a q-tip, then use another q-tip to put anti-bacterial ointment on her head. She also still gets tylenol and oxycodone orally every 4 hours, though we're going to start weaning off the oxycodone - a little later each time, but not the tylenol. Once she's off the oxy, we can start to cut back on the tylenol. Even now, she has gone 30 mins past due on both without issue, whereas just yesterday morning at 4 when she didn't get the meds till 4:15, there were ISSUES (crying) for up to an hour even after she took the meds. So we're seeing lots of improvement.

She's also talking, shaking her head, and playing with toys and books like her old self. So I think her spirit is back, and she'll be up to her happy self quite soon.

Thursday morning early (she has been waking after her 4 am meds and stays up for a few hours, then we both go back to sleep!):

From Blog All

Scar on Thursday morning:

From Blog All

Thursday afternoon - a bit puffier, and bruises under the eyes starting:

From Blog All

Friday (Day 3) morning - again early (around 5 am):

From Blog All

Scar on Friday morning:

From Blog All

Friday midday - bruising a little better - this was after an especially peppy period :-)

From Blog All

Playing Baby Smash on the computer and waiting for the fam (around 5:40 pm)!

From Blog All

Finally - all the family together - and post bath! (around 6:20 pm):

From Blog All

Finally, we should be able to go tomorrow (Saturday, Day 4)! Hopefully sometime around mid-morning to early afternoon, and we'll be heading to the Cornetts for some family time before Alex returns to China on Sunday. Thank goodness my parents will be helping me out - it would sure be hard without them! And thanks again to everyone for such a dramatic show of love and support - all the comments in FB and here, the texts, emails, visits, phone calls - it means so much to us, and we'll be sure to tell Magdalena about all the love and prayers people have sent her way for this surgery when she is older.