Friday the 13th and Heart Day

Friday, December 13th.  Even though it may be Taylor Swift's birthday, I was kind of glad that they decided to transplant Annika on the morning of the 14th instead of on Friday the 13th.  I may not be superstitious, but I am a little stitious.  No need to tempt fate.

So how do you spend your last day with the heart you were born with?  Start with a hearty breakfast--Breakfast sandwich with avocado, scrambled eggs, and bacon.  Meet your Uncle Justin for sushi and grapefruit gelato for lunch.

Fill the rest of the day with family time.  While we were encouraged by Dr. Lal to keep a low profile about the transplant and not announce it widely, particularly on social media, Talia and Eli took the day off of school to spend time with Annika.  Here they are wrestling over air hockey in the Family Play Room.  The great news is that while wrestling would make her chest hurt then, she is totally fine horsing around now.

Thanks to the 3D printer, she was also able to create a Secret Santa gift for her 6th grade class exchange.  She created a clown fish to give to her classmate who was a fish in the school musical, Commotion in the Ocean.  (Annika was supposed to be a rapping shark, but sadly that didn't work out.)

Paw Patrol came to Seacrest Studios, but Annika was less impressed.  When asked who her favorite character is, she told them that she doesn't watch the show.  Perhaps not the most amicable answer, but true nonetheless.

Now as for the therapy pup she met, Annika was definitely a fan.

More pictures with family.

Brooklyn, aka Toad, you were with us in spirit.  And effigy.

We reached out to the Wilhoits to ask if they would want to come play for a bit.  Cousin time is always the best.

Better yet, Papa Kay made it from Omaha just in time to see Annika before her surgery.  The timing was great--he'd started his trip before we even knew Annika would have a heart offer.  Also, look closely in this picture and you'll see that Talia's actually the one lounging in bed.  

In general, we tried to reserve the day just for immediate family.  Charles and Susie came down from Hyde Park, and Justin came by the room after work.  Annika received a special priesthood blessing from Papa Kay, Justin, Grandpa Charles, and her Dad.  

We did, however, invite one very special guest.  Berkeley came by update Annie's nails to a Christmas theme.  After all, Annika's cute nails have become hospital legend.  Like many others, Berkeley and her family have been so wonderful to Annika.  We are so grateful!

Jealous?  Me too.

As our company trickled home, the mood grew a bit more somber.  Lots of snuggles all around.

There were lots of labs, a chest X-ray, and a CHG bath to get scrubbed sparkly clean.  The nasal swab for a viral panel was not Annika's favorite--in fact, it took three of us to hold her down.  She hated it even more than when the IV team came to make sure she had plenty of IV access.

Before bed, we let Annika play a little X-box.  After all, I would want some mind-numbing distraction before such a major surgery.

Annika slept surprisingly well, all things considered.  Her surgery was scheduled for 8am the next morning, so the timing was pretty ideal.  She didn't have to be NPO for too long, plus as soon as she woke up, it was time to get everything going.  Less time to get anxious.

December 14, 2024.  Heart day.

Getting wheeled downstairs.  I can only imagine all she must have been thinking and feeling right here.  This child is so very brave.  

She chose the platypus Aiden to keep her company.

After meeting the anesthesiologist, Annika requested that he sing the names of all the reindeer from Rudolf as she drifted off to sleep.  Unfortunately he didn't comply.  He said it was because he was Jewish, but I'm not sure I buy that excuse.  I suspect he just doesn't like to sing that early in the morning.

Annika was understandably nervous, so they gave her a little bit of Zoloft.  After that, she got this goofy grin on her face and started staring at Eli, commenting non-stop on how he had two mouthsies and four eyesies.  

We love you, Annie!

After Annika was wheeled into the operating room, we headed upstairs to move all her loot out of the Cardiac Care Unit.  Most all of it went into the back of the car since space in the ICU is to limited.

It made us so happy to see this tiny note she'd left in the back of the coat closet.  We left it there, hoping that it would make the next family smile.

Then I headed into the Ronald McDonald room, found a private space, and let myself cry.  My guess is that other tears have fallen here before. Maybe that's why they have leather furniture.

I thought I would feel extremely anxious and pace all of the hospital corridors.  Instead, I cuddled up with my blanket, napped, and helped Talia decorate a tree for Annika's new room.  #mirrorball

Eventually I went for a stroll above the hospital.

The blanket of snow reminded me of blogging about Annika's arrest two years ago: A Beautiful Heart.

We received periodic updates throughout the eight-hour procedure.  Around 4:30 pm they called to let us know that they were nearly done and that the surgeon, Dr. Reilly Hobbs, would meet us in the ICU waiting room to talk about how the surgery went.  I think his comment a couple days later sums it up: "Annika, you're super great at surgery!"  

Dr. Eric Griffiths was the surgeon who helped with the heart on the donor's end.  And Dr. Eckhauser was the surgeon who helped a few days later when they had to re-open Annika's chest, so in the end, three out of Primary's four cardiothoracic surgeons ended up working on our daughter.

When we arrived in the ICU, this is how Annika looked.

And this is how she looked yesterday drinking hot chocolate with her cousin.  What a difference three weeks can make.

We believe in miracles.  With gratitude to all the miracle workers both in the hospital and without who helped bring our little girl home.