Sunday, September 13, 2009

Have I got a story to tell you!

Hi there. My name is Ella Katherine. I was born on April 26, 2009, coming 6 weeks early after deciding I was done staying in Mommy's tummy. When I was 3 days old, Mommy and I were getting ready to go home when a Doctor noticed I had really weak femoral pulses, so decided to be safe and got a scan. It turned out that I had a problem with my heart, called Coarctation of the Aorta. That same day Mommy and I got to ride in a cool ambulance across town to Children's Hospital. When we got there, we talked to a lot of Doctors, who told Mommy and Daddy I needed surgery really fast to fix my heart. The next day I went to sleep and the doctors made my heart work better.

I got to stay in a really cool room in the NICU for almost a whole month. Before the doctors fixed my heart, bloodflow to my lower body was slow, so I got what is called necrosis in my bowels, so I didn't get to eat for two whole weeks! Finally, I got to go home for the first time. I loved being with my 2 brothers, Jack and Josh. Then a couple of weeks later, Mommy and my Aunt Beth noticed my heart scar looked red. I went to the Doctor and I had stitches that were supposed to dissolve but didn't. So the doctor pulled one out. I went home, but still didn't feel good. Mommy took me back to the hospital the next day. Turns out I had developed a pretty bad staph infection in my wound. They had to put me to sleep again and get the rest of the stitches out and redo my scar. I stayed in the hospital again for another week. I missed my bed and my brothers. We finally got to go home!

Just last week I started feeling bad and running a high fever. Mommy took me to the Doctor and he couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. We went back to the hospital and they did a bunch of tests on me. I had a urinary tract infection, but the doctors thought something else was wrong. They did more tests and found out my bladder wasn't working right. I have what is called VUR. It is a reflux disease where my bladder pushes my peepee back into my kidneys. I have level 4 to 5, which is the worst kind to have. My kidneys can get really sick if I don't get my bladder fixed. The doctors wanted to wait a little while before doing my surgery so I can get bigger and hopefully a lot healthier. Sometime next year I will probably have my surgery to repair my bladder and kidneys. I know the doctors will take good care of me. Please ask God to keep me safe and let me grow big and strong so I can play with my brothers...
they are so much fun!

4 comments:

  1. Get Well Soon Baby Ella!! In our thoughts and prayers!!

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  2. You are truly an angel--a gift from God. Will be praying for you and your family for strength and comfort.

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  3. Hi little Ella!!! You are such a beautiful girl and GOD is going to take care of you. You keep getting better!!! You are in our thoughts and prayers.

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  4. Oh my goodness, that last picture is precious!

    Keep getting stronger, Ella. We're all here behind you!

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