Pictures from Stage 2, the Glenn
Pictures from Stage 3, the Fontan Please note - these pictures, for the most part, are "safe". If you're interested in post-op pictures from the Norwood, please email us at us@babysamson.com for access.
Doctor Visits
Fontan
General Updates
Glenn
Life with Sammy
Norwood
Other HLHS families
Support
Surgery & Recovery
Surprises
Test Results
Worrying
Four years old
Happy holidays!
Home, home, home!
Recovery
Unexpected Open Heart Surgery
Fenestration-closing cath
One year post-Fontan!
NSTAR's Walk for Children's Hospital Boston
3 years old & cardiology visit
Wild Man
Update and Santa
Blue episodes and a cardiology appointment today
Ellie's Fontan
Post-Fontan Cardiology Visit
"You've gotta just let him be."
Sammy's Recovery from the Fontan
Life Post-Fontan
Bump from home
We are home!
Fontanized - Day 6 Update
Day 4 Post-Op 2:30pm Update
Fontanized, Day 4 Post-Op
Bump #2 - Pneumothorax
Little Bump
Fontan Post-Op, Day 2
Extubated!
Fontan Post-Op Update
Fontan Day
Fontan Pre-op Done
Checking in
Update, 2 years old, Fontan date, more
And we're free!
Pre-Fontan cath DONE.
Cath Day
Day 1, Pre-Fontan Cath Prep
Pre-Fontan cath
Twenty-three months: chatterbox, the holidays and the cath
Twenty-two months
Cardiology visit
Eighteen months
Seventeen months
Early Intervention Assessment
Fourteen month update
Miles for Miracles - Together in Heart.
Sedated echo
Look who's one!
One year.
11 1/2 months old!
Almost 10 months old!
Cardiologist Visit
Just about nine months!
Who is this kid, and what did you do with my baby?
Eight months old!
7 months old!
Coming up on 7 months
Six month update
Post-op Checkup & Life post-Glenn
And we're outta here!
Waiting to go home & a few firsts...
Truckin' along
Step-Down!
And the lines are OUT!
Happy updates
Post-Glenn, Day 4
Post-Glenn, Day 3
Post-Glenn, Post-Bronchial Spams, Day 3
Not fun - post-Glenn, night 2
Post-Glenn, Day 2
Post-Glenn, Day 2 - morning
Post-Glenn, Day 1, part 2
Post-Glenn, Day 1
He's out!
In surgery - updates
the wait
The night before the Glenn
Preparing for the Glenn
Update & Surgery
Milk Allergy Fun
Chatty Sammy
Cath Hospitalization
Catheterization
Gasmonster!
Teaching Sammy about the world.
Miles for Miracles
First bath!
Gassy infant prodigy
Rockin' Sammy
Revelations about mamahood
Babymoon, Part 2
Babymoon, Part 1
Home Sweet Home
Discharged!
Rumor has it...
Stepdown, Day 2
We have step down!
Today was pretty mellow
No step-down for you
Time to buy stock in St. Joseph's
One step closer
Extubation!
One step at a time
Done with the closing
Chest Closing
Birth story
Chest Closing & Mama in Triage
Recovery
Out of Surgery
Welcome, Sammy!
Samson Arrives
Labor update
Of due dates and inductions
Baby Grace
Snow baby?
Welcome to the jungle
Getting closer...
37 1/2 week update
Fighting the bad thoughts
Getting bigger - and closer!
31 weeks with Dr. Brown, CHB
31 Week Appt. w/ Dr. Johnson
One big monkey!
Starting to Get Ready
30 Weeks and Full-blown Panic
Silly Pregnant Lady
27 Week Visit
Fears
EFO Shout Out
Weird Pains & an Early Morning Trip to the Hospital
Fetal Echo at Boston Children's Hospital
DiGeorge's - Negative!
Evil Genetics Counselor
Full amnio results
22 weeks and Life Now
Pediatric Cardiologist
Redefining Normal
FISH Results
Embarrassing the poor boy already
The Baby's Name
Post-Amnio
Pre-amnio, Baby痴 name riddle
Reiki energy, and not being alone
Friends and Tarzan
Trying to get through the day
The diagnosis
Trying to stay positive
Pre-Diagnosis
Pre-op went okay. Sammy did fantastic with the xray, smiling and flirting like a champ with the nurse. The bloodwork was a completely different story, and it was just as awful for us as it was for him. That scream, that cry - makes me, on such a primitive level, want to seriously hurt whomever is causing my baby to scream like that. I think Jay might have claw marks where I dug my fingers into him because I couldn't make them stop. It was awful.
Jay was awesome enough to go through the consents without me. Essentially, he got to listen to the surgical fellow explain just what it is they're going to do to Sammy, and then sign a paper saying that we agree to let them. If I had had to stay, I think I would have passed out or thrown up or ended up curled up in a corner, rocking back and forth. I'm afraid I've gotten a bit of a reputation with the doctors for being a nervous, anxiety-filled blubbery mess.
Anyway, we're in the hotel, Sammy's sleeping, we ordered room service and the glass of wine is starting to kick in. They bumped him from first case tomorrow to second, which means we have to bring him in for 10. We'll hopefully be able to see him by 5-ish. I've never been away from him for that long. I'm hoping I'll be able to come back here and curl up in a little ball in bed, sleeping off the anxiety and waiting for the phone calls to come in from the nurse, letting us know he made it through each stage okay.
I go back and forth between acceptance, denial and plain old freaking out. Part of me really wishes denial would just take over and create this perfect little bubble around me, protecting me until he's out and I can hold him and know he's okay. What gets me the worst? This sweet, sweet baby has no idea what's in store for him tomorrow. He's sleeping peacefully while we're nervous wrecks, oblivious to what's about to happen. It makes me sick thinking about it.
I want to take him and run very, very far away with him. I know this is what's best, what he needs to live, that this will make him better. But it goes against every cell, every fiber of my being, to willingly give him to the doctors tomorrow morning.
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This Hope for HLHS site belongs to Erika, Jason & Samson
I have no words to express how I feel about what you guys are facing. I pray for you to be strong. All of you are in my prayers always
Posted by: Shamira at July 19, 2006 5:06 AM