Wednesday, July 15, 2009

A Day in the Life- Take 2

Today U.C. Davis called and said Aviana has been stable enough to go to Kaiser. They said the neurosurgery team reviewed her CT scans from last night and today and determined there was no new changes..... no signs of stroke. Can I get a "Wooo Hooo."

I felt anxious about her transfer today. I was so concerned about her trip in the ambulance and her feelings of all of the changes to come. Change though is what this is all about...every minute of every day! I feel as though this is a double edge sword. I feel sad that she is leaving, "the best of the best," but happy she is stable and moving out of the trauma 1 location.

I voiced my hesitation to the doctor at U.C. Davis and he put my mind at ease as he explained they look at it as a graduation of sorts. I am so going to miss all of the wonderful people at U.C. Davis. I am going to miss all of our favorite people, like Ken, Mina, Uneice, Faith, Karen, Kristine and others. We loved the way they would care for Aviana. We felt comfortable with them and felt they were always taking such good, loving care of her.

I suppose we will make new bonds along the way though. The Kaiser she was transferred to is in Roseville, and is very close to our house. We are incredibly thankful for this. There has always been a Kaiser in Roseville, but they just opened a brand new expansion which opened in January of this year. The area where Aviana is staying is absolutely beautiful!!

Aviana is in need of a VP Shunt and the neurosurgery team is going to examine her tomorrow and determine when this 5th surgery will take place. The shunt is an internal tube which will run from the ventricles in her brain down her back and into her stomach. This way she will be able to drain the fluid directly from her head and digest it in her stomach. The rate for infection is much less than the external type drains she currently has.

Although Aviana was quite shaken up from the transfer, she looked better than she has ever looked. Her head and face looked beautiful. My mom and Gary were down at Davis for much of today and said they could swear she was focused and looking straight at them. When we saw her it was apparent this was a fact. We could see her looking from Dave to me...it was different today....she seemed to know....to be there with us :o) Sooooooo nice to see.

Aviana was more than exhausted from all of the travel. Finally, they had given her all of her medication and she began to rest. She kept falling asleep at times and looked so peaceful in those moments. Avi has a new home for the time being which is close to home.....feels good!!

11 comments:

  1. Great news! It is always unsettling to leave the place that has become "home" for a long time, but it truly means she has made great improvements! And you can always ask for the advice of her former team. When I took Casey home for the first time at 6 weeks old, we only lasted for 45 minutes before calling the on-call cardiologist...Don't be afraid to be pushy, bossy, and demanding when it comes to getting answers, no matter how small they may seem.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jen I am so happy she is closer to home!!!! It does look beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is wonderful news. Hope she understands what is going on is for her to get better so she can come home. I can't even imagine how hard this has been for all of you. Still praying for your precious family. V's Grama

    ReplyDelete
  4. so glad to hear all the good news. i too would be a little unsure of the move, but im sure they're doing whats best for aviana. that is so great that aviana is on to her next steps of recovery. i hope everything is starting to get a little easier for you both. i will keep you all in my prayers.

    ReplyDelete
  5. So very glad to hear of all of Aviana's im-provements. It's anew day for her and we hope and pray for her everyday that she will be home sooner than you think.

    Love to all,
    Becci & Angela

    ReplyDelete
  6. WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

    So happy to hear that she was stable enough to be moved! This is a HUGE step forward!

    You'll find kind and loving folks at Kaiser!! I'm sure of it!

    Hugs!

    Janet

    ReplyDelete
  7. what great news! So happy to hear all the wonderful progress. You have all been in my thoughts and prayers from Boston...
    Laura from the gym

    ReplyDelete
  8. This sounds like great news. Thank you for sharing the pictures. The facility looks beautiful, as it should be for your beautiful princess. Hopefully she will be in her home castle. Still praying and thinking of you all. ~Your new friend.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I can totally understand the double edged sword feeling. You have come so far, and you felt so safe at UC Davis, but yes, graduation, and yes, more changes, and yes, more healing. I am so happy she has come so far.

    The new hospital section is amazing---and close to home. No worries here, the prayers will keep flowing and the support is right at your fingertips. hugs to you all

    ReplyDelete
  10. Reading every day. Wishing you the best in your "new home". Leaving one place for another is very difficult-but the good news is she no longer needs that urgert care. You will find strenght with your new medical team. Continue to think of your little girl.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am SO happy to hear she has been moved close to your home( near ours also). It will help you all so much more, taking a lot of stress too in visiting with her. Makes her feel closer to coming home too, I bet. Keep up the Faith, as I surely have it that she will come back to you as her bright, happy little fighter self..
    ((gentle hugs))Deborah

    ReplyDelete