Tag: Stanford

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 (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.

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.

Tuesday, 31 Aug 2004

Tuesday, 31 August:

Big News # 1 Gabriella has topped the 9 pound mark and is still growing!

Big News # 2 We now have a date for Gabriella’s heart surgery at Stanford – 28 September 2004.

The surgeon who will perform the operation, Dr John Lamberti, is in Hawaii this week and we are scheduled to meet with him this Thursday. We have great faith and confidence in the Stanford medical team, as they are exceptionally skilled in this type of surgery.

Please take a moment to read the following story about an operation the Stanford team performed on a tiny baby: Packard Heart Surgeon Performs Operation on Smallest Infant.

This morning we headed to Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) to meet with Gabriella’s Cardiologist, Dr. Mahnke, regarding her elevated temperature and the associated tests. All of the tests came back negative, so it is doubtful she has an infection. Nevertheless, we continue to give her Tylenol to keep the fever in check and that seems to be working.

Thank you for your prayers.