BIG CHANGE

Arden's cath lab is today. Could be as early as 5pm tonight. Eric is keeping me updated. This sucks.

Cath Lab

Arden's doctors decided at morning rounds today that they are scheduling her cath lab for friday morning. She didn't gain any weight from yesterday so they are just being cautious and scheduling the lab now since a decline in weight gain is a warning sign of needing the next surgery. They are hoping she isn't emergantly taken to the lab and that she will gain some weight today so she makes it to Friday. In case the cath doesn't work or shows that they can't wait, her Glenn might be as early as next week - a month before they wanted it. Elliot and I will be traveling down to Arden this week to be there for Friday and through the weekend. Thankfully the H1N1 rule stipulating children under the age of 16 are not allowed in the hospital has been lifted so Elliot will get to come into Arden's room and be with her!

Again, thank you for your prayers and support. We are trying to come up with something that we can send to all of you as a mass thank you note since we've been overwhelmed with provisions - whether they were emotional, physical, or spiritual - because we want you ALL to know how appreciative we are. Please be patient with the timing of our thanks and forgiving of our lack of response to your emails/letters/cards/texts

/checks/cash/care packages/gift cards/messages/visits/prayers/clothes/food/presents/hugs/etc... we've received them all and are so grateful and humbled by your love. We promise we'll get something out there. For now, please know you've brought smiles, warm fuzzies, comfort, and strength to us. Thank you.

Things are not getting better

We had been told that Doctor's wanted Arden to stay close to the hospital because the nature of her current circulatory system is that she will just get more "blue". Since it took SO long for us to get down to the Bay last time they don't feel safe letting Arden go home. So Eric and I arranged for him to stay at the RMH with Arden and for me to head back to Redding with Elliot and to continue working so as to keep my position there. So Eric drove me back to Redding this morning after I held and kissed Arden as much as I could before 8am. We got here and packed up what Eric and Arden will need at the RMH and then drove to my mom's to pick up Elliot. He was THRILLED to see us! We played baseball with him for about an hour and then Eric had to take off back down to the Bay to be with Arden. When Elliot and I were packing up from Tutu's house, the hospital called me. Yesterday she was moved from CVICU (cardiovascular intensive care unit) to 3 West (an intermediate care unit). Well after we left, her sats (oxygen saturation levels) went back down and they had to give her more oxygen. Her team of doctors decided that it was better if she be moved back down to CVICU for closer monitoring. When her cardiologist called she said that right now they were just watching her but that she might be outgrowing her conduit. She said that Arden is most likely headed towards a cath lab in which they will look at her conduit and probably place a metallic stint in it to keep it open. This will hopefully allow her Glen (her next surgery) to not be moved up and stay in April. Right now her lungs are not mature enough to handle the Glen. That is why her surgery date was set for when she was about 3 1/3 months old. Historically babies do the best after the Glen when they are 3-5 months old. Arden turned 2 months today. My heart breaks that I'm not there with her. I felt literally nauseous after I got off the phone with the Doctor. But Eric is almost there now to be with her. Her doctor told me on the phone that now that she is back in the CVICU, she doesn't think she will be discharged anytime soon. She said not to hold her to it, but that she'll probably be in the hospital for about a month. So Elliot and I are holding up here waiting to hear more. I work Sunday -Wednesday and the I have the rest of the week off and Elliot and I will probably drive down. My boss has been AMAZING and is still working with me on my schedules so I can be in the Bay as much a possible. Right now we need to pray for Arden. Pray that her heart is healthy and can get oxygenated blood to the rest of her body efficiently. Pray that if she needs to go to the cath lab, it wouldn't be under emergent circumstances and that it would be at least weeks from now. Pray that her lungs mature and she won't have to have her Glen until they are more than ready for it. Pray that her veins don't clot off at her IV site so she doesn't have to keep getting poked. Pray for her team of doctors as they monitor her and make decisions about her health and future surgeries. Pray that she knows Eric is there and that she doesn't feel alone and that I stop crying when I think about not being there. We know she will be okay, but during these times, it is hard to smile. We SO appreciate all of your prayer and support. Giving Eric and/or I a call sometime with some encouragement would be amazing too. Again, we'll let you know more when we do. Grace, Pearcia and family

Praying for Arden

They think she might be outgrowing the conduit & they don't want to release her. She's too young/small for the next surgery so they aren't sure what they are going to do except to keep her here to monitor her. Last we heard they were going to talk to her surgeon and her cardiologist for suggestions. Please pray with us.

Long time coming

In the last month we've had our share of ups and downs: Arden has gained more weight than the doctor's expected, and is eating like a pro. Although she went home with a feeding tube, we were able to take it out about a week after we got home. We went to the emergency room the day after we got home b/c our home O2 monitor showed her oxygen levels were too low, but when we got to the ER, her levels were fine - it turned out to be our monitor. She can already hold her head up and look around the room, she's got the most beautiful big eyes that just take everything in. We had to call 911 once (2/25 above) but she ended up working things out on her own and the med team just checked her out at the house and left. Elliot LOVES his sister and is quite protective of her. He always wants to hold her and touch her face - he's even changed her diaper a few times times! He's a great big brother! Most recently things took a turn for the scary. I'm writing you this from Stanford b/c yesterday her feet were blue and her oxygen levels were in the 60s and 50s (they are supposed to be between 75-85). When we got to our local emergency room we spent a lot of time teaching the doctors and nurses about Arden and letting them know is was OK for her O2 levels to be in the 70s - if we could get them there. Thankfully, a friend of ours works in the ER and she came over and got us a private room, gave me some food, and just believed us when we said something was wrong. Thank God for Angie! Through the course of the afternoon, Stanford was contacted and they felt strongly enough that things weren't right with Arden that they sent a team up to us to fly us back down to them. Eric drove down as soon as we heard this and I flew with Arden, arriving at Stanford after 1am this morning. We stayed at a motel and are now back at her bedside with surgical coats, masks and gloves until they rule out an air-born viral infection. They've taken a chest x-ray and an echo and we are waiting to hear the results. Her blood cultures for infection won't be back until tomorrow morning. She's still being given oxygen. I'm praying for answers. Having something this wrong happen while we are so far away and not knowing why isn't okay. Tentatively they said they are hoping she will be discharged in 72 hours. Since I came by fixed wing plane, I'm missing work tomorrow. I just went back last week. I'm praying they don't fire me for having such an unpredictable life. We planned on Eric traveling with Arden for her appts down here so I could continue to work, but obviously blue feet and the need for a flight took precedent. Sorry Laurie. We appreciate your prayers. We already had a weather free flight down here and got into the RMH tonight so we don't have to pay for another night at a motel - prayer works! Thanks! We'll write more when we know more.
Pearcia and Eric