We are all feeling a lot more relieved since Hana’s Berlin Heart surgery. Her vital signs look a lot more normal. This is so reassuring from Monday before surgery when I saw her heart rate drop to 60.
Hana is still doing great in recovery. Her X-ray still looks the same but all the doctors, NPs and nurses that listen to her say they hear a lot more aeration in her left lung. Today they did an echocardiogram and they feel that her right ventricle is still working pretty hard so they don’t want to go down on the epinephrine yet. She is still on all the same meds. Today they started her Heparin therapy which helps to prevent blood clots which is the biggest risk/side effect of the Berlin Heart. They also started her feeds although only 2 mL/hour which I guess is just to activate her gut. In think they need to come down on the epinephrine before they increase feeds.
I got to watch them change the dressing on her surgery site today. I saw the staples up her chest which were the strangest looking because the skin is raised. I also saw where the chest tubes and the cannulas are coming out of her body. Eventually I will have to help ace bandage up the area to keep everything secure.
Hana was in and out of wakefulness today. She seemed less agitated than yesterday. Although she seems more frustrated, maybe because she is more aware. She seems to want to stretch. Her nurses have been great and she often has two nurses. One nurse will train the second nurse for four hours on the Berlin Heart. I hope four hours is enough training. One interesting thing is they have to send blood work to a special lab. A runner comes up and waits by the bed while the nurse draws the blood. Then the runner goes and takes it immediately to a lab a few miles away.
As for the rest of us, Paul is getting work done as is my dad. I’m trying to get logistical things settled – canceling cable and appointments and getting forms submitted. I think by tomorrow Hana will be awake enough where we will need to be by her bedside more. We are all looking forward to this! Today we did spend time hanging up some of the cards she has received. Hopefully we don’t have to change rooms until we get to go upstairs!
Hana's Heart 
I thought of you guys as I read the Daily Reading for today, and I thought it was beautiful. Count Indiana on the list, my sis lives there and is lifting your family up in prayer.
Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent
Lectionary: 183
Reading 1 IS 40:25-31
To whom can you liken me as an equal?
says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these things:
He leads out their army and numbers them,
calling them all by name.
By his great might and the strength of his power
not one of them is missing!
Why, O Jacob, do you say,
and declare, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
Do you not know
or have you not heard?
The LORD is the eternal God,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
He gives strength to the fainting;
for the weak he makes vigor abound.
Though young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.
When you grow faint, know that God does not and is holding your precious family in His loving hands. Keeping you and the medical staff close to my heart in prayer during this Advent season.
peace,
Erin O’Smith
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Indiana is added! 24 states and counting. And thank you Erin, for the reading, very timely I’m sure.
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Connecticut is added too! 25 states!
That’s HALF our country praying for Hana!! ( and Japan and Amsterdam) How great is this news?
Kathleen, your wonderful blog has reached across our glorious country and across the oceans reaching folks that are praying for Hana. ( and I’ll bet there’s more that I haven’t heard from yet!) Boy do I have some things to tell Hana when she grows up, how wonderful her mom and dad are!!
Thank you everyone from all over the place!! Your prayers and words of support are helping big time. Paul, Kathleen and Hana are entering the marathon and will need continued prayer and support on going.
this is the current list of states:
NJ, Maine, Ill, Wash, Mass, GA, NC, PA ,CA, VA, NY, WV, FL, MA, OR, TN, UT, MINN, TX, KT, HW, DEL, AL, IND, CONN. Plus Japan and Amsterdam.
We’ll shoot for all 50 states – keep ’em coming in!
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Prayers coming from Vermont!!! Oh sweet Hana, stay strong! Thank you for the blog Kathleen and I think of you everyday.
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Vermont is added! Now 26. more than half the country!
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I am glad that little Hana is getting rest. We love this blog and our invested in following this very brave little girl and her family. Question, does anyone have an address where we can send this courageous little girl something? Here in NJ, we continue to pray for this family.
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One of the earlier blog entries has this as the address to use to send cards to Hana and family.
Hana Yago
725 Welch Rd
Palo Alto, CA 94304
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Gary this is wonderful !!! Thank you for getting the prayer chain going. What a great way to show support for Paul and Kathleen by lifting them and Hana up in prayer! Love to you for this 😉
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The least I could do is track which states everyone is from. It’s Kathleen doing all the blog stuff. But its great that half the country,so far, is praying for Hana!
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