Month: September 2004

Wednesday, 29 Sep 2004

Wednesday, 29 Sep 2004 ( 9 pm ):

Gabriella came off of the ventilator this afternoon and she is doing very well thus far. Although GG still has several challenges ahead, overcoming this particularly hurdle is especially meaningful.

Since Gabriella’s birth, every breathe for her has been a struggle. With neither heart nor lungs in synch, life for her was harder than any of us will ever know. Nevertheless, she bravely endured and rarely fussed.

Thus, watching Gabriella breathe effortlessly, for the first time in her life, was a moment and memory we will treasure always.

Thank you for your prayers.

Tuesday, 28 Sep 2004

Tuesday, 28 Sep 2004 ( 8 pm ):

Gabriella is doing well and the outlook for her continued progress remains positive. However, there have been a few small setbacks.

On Sunday morning they removed GG’s breathing tube. Analysis of her arterial blood gases immediately after the “extubation” procedure indicated her respiratory system was not quiet ready to handle the load.

They reinserted her breathing tube after less than an hour and GG quickly stabilized and regained her happy personality. Later that same day, the arterial catheter in GG’s right wrist became unusable and it was removed.

Since access to arterial blood was still a priority, the doctors tried for several hours to reinsert an arterial catheter – unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. Luckily, little GG was fully sedated throughout the procedures.

On Monday, GG rested and regained her strength and vitality. Today GG has been as pink as a rose and very lively.

The surgeons just (7 pm) successfully completed a surgical procedure in which they insert an arterial catheter in GG’s lower leg. As such, Gabriella is now ready for her second attempt to come off of the ventilator – which should happen tomorrow morning. Details to follow…

Thank you for your prayers.

Friday, 24 Sep 2004

Friday, September 24 ( 7 pm ): The last 24 hours have been fairly busy for little Gabriella. Early yesterday evening Dr. Lamberti and team closed GG’s chest. The two-hour procedure was completed without incident. Gabriella tolerated the procedure very well – all of her “numbers” looked good through out the closing and overnight. It is absolutely amazing how closely she is monitored.

During the initial surgery on the 21st pressure sensors were placed in and around her heart. These sensors will be removed, one by one, as her condition improves. Just a few hours ago they removed the sensor from her pulmonary artery and another sensor from the upper left chamber of her heart.

But the best news is her lungs are working incredibly well – her oxygen saturation rates have remained in the high 90 percent range even though they have reduced the percentage of oxygen she is receiving through the ventilator.  She will likely remain on the ventilator and in the ICU over the weekend.

We feel very positive about her progress but still remain guarded, as setbacks are not uncommon in the ICU.

Thank you for your prayers.

Wednesday, 22 Sep 2004

Wednesday, September 22: Gabriella remains in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) following her heart surgery yesterday. Her condition is stable and she looks a bit more pink than she did immediately after surgery. All signs indicate the repairs to her heart are successful. Additionally, no adverse reactions – such as a stroke, or damage to her liver, kidneys, or other organs – have been noted. Dr. Lamberti is pleased with her progress and he anticipates closing her chest tomorrow night or on Friday. The reason he decided not to close her chest is because her lungs are swollen with fluid – a condition not uncommon in this type of case. We have great confidence in her caregivers, especially the ICU nurses. They NEVER leave her side.

We are grateful for all of the emails of support and apologize that we are not able to respond to them. Several of you have asked for our mailing address her in Palo Alto, it is:

The Gentry Family
1812 Sand Hill Road Apt# 207
Palo Alto, CA 94304-2135

God Bless you all for your support and thank you for your prayers.

Tuesday, 21 Sep 2004

Tuesday, September 21 (1400 Update): Dr. Lamberti just came out of surgery and updated us. Initial report very positive. Good repairs within the heart: – hole in Septum was very large – Septum Patch holding well – Both Valves and all flaps operating as desired – No apparent damage to heart’s natural “pacemaker” nerve so no need for artificial pacemaker.

Dr. Lamberti did not close sternum at this time to avoid increased pressure on lungs and heart – Sternum to be closed in 24-72 hrs, once swelling has gone down. Nothing unusual about this aspect of the procedure – Mom and Dad to see GG in ICU within the hour. Details to follow…

Thank you for your prayers.

Tuesday, 21 Sep 2004

Tuesday, September 21 (Gabriella is Three Months Old Today!): At 0700 this morning we handed little Gabriella over to the doctors from the anesthesia team. We sent her off on her big adventure with lots of hugs and kisses and prayers – and more than just a few tears. She assured us that she is ready.

Over the weekend she was in fine form. She slept and slept and slept some more. It was almost as if she could sense the challenge ahead and was resting up for it. Finally, we were pleasantly surprised by her weight this morning: 5 Kilos or 11 pounds.

Thank you for your prayers.

Saturday, 18 Sep 2004

Saturday, September 18: Everyone will be happy to hear that Gabriella is doing well and her “numbers” (Heart Rate, Oxygen Saturation, Blood Pressure, Intake and Output, etc.) are all stable and within acceptable ranges for a little girl with her medical conditions. We are hoping for a nice quiet weekend so that all of us are able to rest prior to this Tuesday – the date of GG’s surgery.

The staff here at Stanford are all very busy and business-like. Although they do their best to make us feel welcome, it’s still not the same as being looked after by our Tripler family. Lucy can’t seem to understand why she can’t find “Nurse Bonnie” or “Nurse Kim.” The past few days were a bit hectic. We moved from the Marriott Residence Hotel which was several miles away from the hospital and not especially well suited to the needs of a two-year old, to an “executive apartment” that is almost right next to the hospital. The new digs are more like being at home – with room for Lucy to play (inside and outside).

Throughout all of the recent upheaval, Lucy has been a real trooper. We are truly blessed to have her, as she is a ray of sunshine.

On Wednesday, Dad and Lucy went to the Commissary and Navy Exchange at Naval Air Station Moffet Field for food and supplies. Both places were amazingly well stocked with goods – prior to our arrival – we put a sizable dent in their inventory.

Lastly, we will try to post updates more often now that we are settled. Ironically, Internet access here at the hospital is somewhat limited – hard to imagine that would be the case here in the heart of high-tech northern California.

Thank you for your prayers.

Tuesday, 14 Sep 2004

Tuesday, September 14: Gabriella and crew (Doctor, Nurse, Mum, Dad, and Lucy) arrived at Stanford late on Sunday, 12 September – everyone is doing well and settling in.

Gabriella was without a doubt the star of the show on Sunday, as she was the only patient on the U.S. Air Force C-141 MedEvac flight from Hawaii to Travis Air Force Base (AFB). She remained stable and calm throughout the five-hour flight. Her oxygen level dipped a bit when the plane went above 30,000 feet, so we flew the majority of the flight at 29,000 feet.

GG was especially well looked after as she traveled the 82 miles from Travis AFB to Stanford in an ambulance – as she had 2 doctors and 2 nurses along for the ride (one each from Stanford and Hawaii).

Yesterday, GG’s condition was reconfirmed by the Stanford team when they performed ultra-sound and EKG examinations. Gabriella’s surgery is still scheduled for 21 September; however, that may change – we see Dr Lamberti tomorrow. Details to follow…

Thank you for your prayers.

Friday, 10 Sep 2004

Friday, September 10: Gabriella continues to do well as she approaches the next milestone in her journey – the flight to the mainland. Today, GG’s doctors will determine the exact requirements for her “medical evacuation” (MedEvac).

Initially, it was thought that she would be stable enough to travel on a commercial flight. But since her condition has progressed, a military flight may be the better option – – – (Dad, hereby formally retracts every derogatory comment he has ever made about the United States Air Force).

A military flight may also make more sense because we need their “heavy lift” capabilities – as Gabriella now weighs over 9 and a half pounds. Either way, GG will have members of her team along for the ride to ensure her safety. Mum, Dad, and Lucy continue to do well.

We would like to take a moment to say a special thank you to our lovely neighbor, Carol. She helps us in countless ways, often changing her plans at the last minute to make our lives easier. She is Christianity in action. Carol, you are a gem, we love you.

Thank you for your prayers.

Wednesday, 08 Sep 2004

Wednesday, 08 September: GG returned to the hospital of Sunday, 05 September, for observation and adjustment of her many medications. Although she had a bit of a rough time on Sunday and Monday, as the doctors struggled to establish an intravenous (IV) line, she is now doing well and receiving medications via a central IV line (femoral).

Gabriella’s surgery is now scheduled for 21 September at Stanford. We will be traveling to Stanford early next week – as everyone agrees that it is prudent for GG to be closer to her surgeon. We will all breathe a sigh of relief once the wheels touch-down in the Bay Area. Rest assured, GG continues to receive the finest medical treatment – she is comfortable and doing well. Mum, Dad, and Lucy are scrambling a bit to keep up with the changes, but are also doing well overall.

As always, thank you for your prayers.

Friday, 03 Sep 2004

Friday, 03 September: Today was uneventful, until Gabriella managed to “cough up” her Nasal Gastric Tube (NGT) at about 8 PM. Had it happened just a few hours later we could have waited until the morning to have it reinserted. Unfortunately, that was not the case, so GG and Dad headed off to TAMC Emergency Room.

Since it was a slow night in the ER, we managed to escape in less than 2 hours – a new Olympic record, no doubt. Home by mid-night, we played “catch-up” through the wee hours of Saturday morning. Mum and Dad vaguely remember the concept of uninterrupted sleep.

Thank you for your prayers.

Thursday, 02 Sep 2004

Thursday, 02 September: Today, we met with Dr. Lamberti, the surgeon who will repair Gabriella’s heart. He was in Hawaii this week performing heart operations on children from underprivileged families, something he does approximately five times each year.

He was everything we had hoped and expected him to be: calm, compassionate and professional. He was very straight forward in describing the operation, including the risks and various complications which may present themselves during and after the surgery. He answered all of our questions, including Cousin Shelley’s (it will be a transverse incision) and we feel very comfortable with him.

After our hour-long meeting he took us up to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where two of his patients were recovering. He took each of us, individually, in to see his patients. Although it was a heart wrenching experience, seeing an infant in the trauma that follows open-heart surgery, we realize we needed to be “prepared” for when we see little Gabriella in the ICU. We are still digesting all that we saw and heard today.

Thank you for your prayers.

Wednesday, 01 Sep 2004

Ella sleeping w mittens
Ella sleeping w mittens

Wednesday, 01 September: Here are two photos of Gabriella sleeping (the red aloha mittens are to keep her from pulling out her feeding tube). We believe she prefers this position because it makes it easier for her breathe.

Each day her heart must work a little bit harder as it becomes less efficient in pumping blood out to the rest of her body. As you can imagine, we monitor her closely; looking for any indications she may be experiencing additional stress.

Typically, high stress incidents begin with coughing spells, which usually last 3 to 4 four minutes. After such an incident, Gabriella’s respiration rate remains high for several minutes – until she restores the oxygen saturation (O2%) levels in her blood. Gabriella’s resting O2% level is usually in the high 80’s; which is similar to O2% levels of newborns in Leadville, Colorado (Altitude: 10,000 feet).

During high stress incidents, Gabriella’s O2% levels drop into the 70’s and her heart must work very hard (180+ bpm) to restore her resting O2% level. Each coughing incident is somewhat disturbing as we know from experience (see 24 August below) that any high-stress incident has the potential to quickly become serious.

Gabriella usually has 6 to 10 such coughing incidents each day. Ironically, we are not allowed to give her supplemental oxygen as it tends to worsen her condition – Go figure? Please keep Gabriella in your thoughts and prayers each day and know that we are praying for you and your family also. Have a great day.

Thank you for your prayers.