updates-on-cassiana-blog

Thankful!

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:17:01 +0100

Cassiana is doing well and she enjoyed some baby sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner. She is still not gaining as much as the docs would like and they have upped her formula intake. She didn't particularly care for it last night but I am hopeful that in the coming days she will adjust. We are so thankful that she is doing so well and has made an amazing recovery.

We are also thankful for...
* the freedom to worship God
* being blessed with 6 gifts from the Lord (TJ, Kaetlyn, Bradley, Greysen, Lilea & Cassiana) and for Jeff and I to have each other,
* AMAZING support from our church, friends, heart families, and many other caring people
* The WONDERFUL people that help to care for Cassiana: Dr. Rick Mersch and his staff, home nursing services (Kristin & Cheryl and the other staff members that provide support services), and the Univeristy of Iowa Children's Hospital staff(doctors, nurses, housekeeping, pharmacist, phlebotomy, nutritionalist, social workers, and the many others involved with caring for the many children in the hospital)
* our health (no major health issues right now)
* a roof over our head,
* food to fill our tummies
* a van that runs for the most part
* bills being paid for another month
* and there is so much more that we are thankful for

Often we don't take enought time to give our sincere thanks for all that we do have. We are blessed with so much!!

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
~1 Thessalonians 5:18~

keeping up-to-date

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:42:19 +0100

I am finding it difficult to post updates in two different spots right now. If you would like to follow the daily updates on Cassiana please visit her carepage at http://www.carepages.com/carepages/BabyCassiana. Registration is required but it is very simple to do. If this doesn't work for you please let me know by emailing me at babycassiana@gmail.com.

Currently, Cassiana is doing well. Her breathing tube was removed yesterday!! She was started back on her feedings through her g-tube early this morning.

Praise the Lord!!

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:41:56 +0100

Cassiana arrived back in the PICU around 4 PM. There were lots
of people in the room getting her stable. She is doing well right
now!! The surgeon did what he could to repair her tricuspid valve,
he said it may or may not work and they would need to watch it
closely. All the other procedures went well.

Please give the Lord praise for our little miracle
Cassiana!!

New diagnoses and new surgery date

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:48:43 +0100

This all might be alot of info to taken in but I wanted to make sure that at least you are informed.

Diagnoses have been revised to Double Outlet Right Ventricle, Unbalanced AV Canal, Mitral Atresia, large ASD, and tricuspid valve regurgitation.

Cassiana will leave at about 6:30 AM for surgery and will spend most of the day in surgery. The procedures being done are pulmonary artery transection, tie off pulmonary valve, Blalock Taussing Shunt to create new pulmonary blood flow, and attempt to repair the tricuspid valve.

We have been able to hold her a few times and will get to hold her a few more times before she goes to surgery. After surgery it will be awhile before she will be in our arms again. She will be on a ventilator and sedated for several days. She is expected to be in the hospital until at least August and will probably need to stay longer than that.

Cassiana Day 2

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:56:37 +0100

Today has been a busy, busy day!!

Cassiana had her eyes open today and was sucking on a binki! She has been keeping the nurse busy by pulling off the leads monitoring her heart.

This morning we talked with lots of doctors and nurses and were given lots of information. Cassiana was taken off some meds and another echo was done this morning. After all of that she was moved from the NICU to the PICU (take elevator I to the 7^th floor, check in at nurses station). Finally, we were given a chance to hold Cassiana in our arms. It felt so wonderful to have her in my arms!! Cassiana’s oxygen levels were a bit high for her and it makes her heart work hard so she is in a special tent that helps take away oxygen.

A decision hasn’t been made as to what she needs done on her heart yet. Something will need to be done but as to what procedure will be done remains unknown. The date for a procedure has been set for Tuesday, June 30^th. It may be a simpler procedure or open-heart surgery. As I know more I will let you know.

We truly appreciate all your thoughts and prayers!

Cassiana Day 1

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:35:16 +0100

Praise the Lord!! Cassiana has had a wonderful first day of life! She is stable and doing well.

This morning Cassiana had another echo to look at her heart some more. They don't think that her great vessels are malposed as previously thought but will do repeat echos over the next few days to continue to look at her heart structure and function. All the other diagnoses were still seen on the echo. The surgical team will decide later this week what the plan is for her.

(Malposed great vessels means that the great vessels have an abnormal positioning but currently they think that they are positioned as they should be.)

Cassiana is a very quiet baby. She spends all her time resting. I've only seen her open her eyes half-way once today. The nurses say that they don't hear her cry except occassionally she will make a tiny whimper when getting her diaper changed.

Cassiana is here!!

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:09:56 +0100

Sorry I didn't update you all sooner. Jeff didn't get a chance to see Cassiana until after midnight and I was feeling very sick for several hours and finally was able to see her at 2:30 this morning.

Praise the Lord, Cassiana is doing good!! She is breathing on her own and her stats are much better than they had thought they would be. She will have more testing done on her heart today. When we know more we will let you know.

Cassiana Briar Rainey Wentzel-Ashcraft

Born on June 22, 2009 at 9:16 PM

Weight: 6 lbs 11 1/2 OZ

Height: 19 1/2 inches

One more day!!

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 03:49:59 +0100

Induction day is coming soon... 1 more day!! I have had my bloody show already and have been having contractions but they are irregular. At least my cervix is thinned out and ready to go. With the luck I have been having lately I will go into labor while in church. LOL!!

Update on van: The van is fixed. The fuel pump had to be replaced. $$$!!!

The van breaking down wasn’t enough excitement for us… the refrigerator stopped working today. Tried to fit all the food in TJ’s mini fridge but it wouldn’t fit. So, we had no other choice but to buy another one. Ugh!!!

Oh what a day!!

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:01:14 +0100

Today was my weekly appointment check-up at UIHC. Got the kiddos all dropped off at the sitters and headed to Iowa City. The drive was going great until I got to Perkins right off the exit. My van stalled and the streering and brakes locked up. I managed to get the van into the parking lot and parked. I tried starting the van a few times but it would do nothing. So, Jeff and I decided to get a bite to eat and give the van a chance to cool down. Cooling down the van didn't help at all. I decided that the appointments were too important to miss and we had to get to them one way or another. So...we decided to walk.

About a block a way was a service station and we stopped in there to see about them checking the van out. The guy told us that the towing charge would be $60. Wow...to go one block...CRAZY!! With no other real options available we agreed. Again, we proceeded with our walk to UIHC. It was going fine until we turned onto Hawkins Dr. and ended up on some sidewalk that is nestled in the woods and had a steep hill. I made it up the hill but was so exhausted. All I could think was "if this doesn't put me into labor I don't know what will." To our luck this sidewalk led us into a parking area that had buses. YIPPEE!! We caught a bus the rest of the way to the hospital.

My appointment went well. Cassiana was moving around and her heart rate was good on the non-stress test. I am dilated to a loose 2 cm and they stripped my membranes.

My mother picked us up and took us to the service station. The service guy said that a relay burnt out. He didn't have one in stock but he switched with the one for the rear defrost and to just have it replaced before we needed the rear defrost. With towing and labor our grand total was $134. I was thankful it wasn't anything major and that the cost wasn't too terrible.

I spoke too soon...on our way home the van stalled on 380 right at exit 18. Thank goodness my mother was behind us. Jeff had to arrange for a tow truck again ($128 this time). I went with my mother to pick up the kiddos. Had to have her make two trip since she has a small car and couldn't fit them all in her car at once. Decided it would be best to have her stay the night just in case I go into labor.

Hope that what ever is wrong with the van can be fixed easily and quickly. We only have the one vehicle and really can't be without it.

Oh what a day!!!

10 more days to go...oh my!!

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:13:45 +0100

My appointments yesterday went well. Right now baby Cassiana is estimated to weigh about 5 lbs 11 oz. I didn’t have much change in my cervix since last week. Last week I was 1 cm and this week I am 1.5 cm dilated. She has dropped lowered but no signs of going into labor yet. Next week will be my last set of appointments at the University before she comes.

Only 10 more days to go until I am induced! Apart of me wants to go into labor naturally because it is so much easier but another part of me is scared that I wouldn’t make it to the hospital. Induction labor is so much harder and much more painful than natural labor and I’m not looking forward to it.

As the days get closer and closer to baby Cassiana’s arrival I find myself overwhelmed with emotions. I know that the really journey beings once she is born. Am I ready for it? Will I be able to handle it? Will this bring our family closer together or tear us apart? Will we be able to keep up with everything? Excited…scared…nervous…anxious!!! Oh my!!