tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3274270617016141412024-03-05T08:22:31.303-08:00Baby KirbyAshley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-3473043516672237962013-11-11T08:30:00.001-08:002013-11-11T08:30:55.683-08:001 yearKirby "Faith" Bradley<br />
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On this day 1 year ago, our sweet Kirby went to be with Jesus. We never expected this day would come and our faith was stronger than ever that her healing was coming. Since that day, we have had moments where our faith was strong, weak, and waivering. The stories of how Kirby has in turn changed the lives of so many has been our strength in knowing God's plan though this journey. Her smile was and is our strength on days of weakness and her fighting spirit infectious to so many.<br />
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Since November 11th, we have endured nights and days of tears and sorrow, questioning why, hope in knowing her journey was not void of changing lives, confusion of how we were to move on, how to keep her memories alive forever. Moments where we were angry, frustrated and weak. The roller coaster of emotions continued to flood us just as they did during the 7 months she was with us. Over the past few months, we have been able to experience a greater sense of peace in knowing we will never have all the answers as long as we are here on this earth. Her life changed so many, and ultimately that is what matters most. Her life has changed our life forever and for that I am truly grateful. <br />
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As we near the time of welcoming our second child in early December, Joshua Brock Bradley, we are filled with joy in knowing he is being carefully watched over by our precious angel Kirby Faith. Brock will forever know that he has an angel by his side.....that his sister will be with him always. We look forward to the day we all meet as a family in heaven. We know Gods plan is perfect and Brock's life will continue to help restore and heal our hearts.<br />
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As I sit here today with continuous tears pouring down my face with every text message, Facebook post, message, etc. I am filled with joy in how the love of friends and family have pulled us through. To our friends and family, those we know and those we have never met, who have continuously supported us when we were grumpy, sad, happy, up or down, we say Thank You from the bottom of our hearts. You will never know how you have given us strength at just the right moment. My prayer today is that our lives and relationship with God will only grow stronger through the journey of "Faith" that we have endured. So today, as we reflect on the days we had with Kirby and the time since her passing, our hearts are heavy, yet hopeful and full in knowing our hope is in the Lord. Our "Faith" is forever in Him. <br />
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Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-88083496839854955392012-11-09T18:04:00.003-08:002012-11-09T18:04:31.910-08:00Bump part 2Since the last update, there have been some changes. After a closer look at Kirby's resent echos and because of the increased swelling, they became more concerned about the valve. They decided to look closer and some comparisons and it looks like there is a clot in a vein going into her Glen (her second stage surgery) as well as some possible clotting causing the valve to not open as effectively. So...they are giving an 8 hour drip through iv of a clot dissolving med. This should take care of the clot and the valve issue so blood can flow more freely. The risk of this med is the dissolving of clots that are good clots...like where an iv line was removed or surgical incisions, etc. and bleeding risks. We know God is in complete control and has her right in His hands. Continue to join us in prayer.Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-42994326771756975672012-11-09T08:09:00.002-08:002012-11-09T08:09:48.220-08:00UpdateJust a quick update with what we know so far. Kirby is still on the vent and is pretty swollen. She has begun to "pee" a little more so our prayer is that the swelling begins to decrease. They echoed the valve 2 different ways and did an xray under fluoroscopy. The valve looks good and does not seem to causing any problems. So...they decided to start running tests including blood, urine, and sputum. It takes a while for the cultures to grow but it looks like something is showing up in the urine. They have already started antibiotics and steroids to help. They have thrown out UTI and Spesis. So, right now we are just waiting and praying. Thank you Lord that Kirby is healed in Jesus name. Continue to pray for "pee", for all her organs to function just as they are designed to funtion, the swelling to decrease, fluid in her lungs to leave, and for strength in her little body. Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-34397018866978298132012-11-07T15:19:00.001-08:002012-11-07T15:19:19.974-08:00BumpKirby has had several really good days. The sedation meds were taken off Monday night and yesterday Kirby was awake all day. She was alert and comfortable. Today, as the day went on, Kirby's breathing seemed to get progressively more labored and she was very sleepy and difficult to wake up. This progressed to a point that the drs. needed to do more to look into what was going on. After several breathing treatments and some therapy, they decided to place the vent back in. Her co2 levels were really high due to ineffective breaths and causing her to be very sleepy and her breathing to be dificult. They are looking at her valve to see if it opening effectively under fluoroscopy as I type. They had to turn her blood thinner off yesterday in order to pull some lines, and they are concerned that a clot could have formed in the valve during that time. If this is the case, they will give some meds to help desolve the clot. This can be the cause of some of her complications today with breathing. Continue to pray for complete and total healing of Kirby's body. My God is able!Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-31421023397521784912012-11-05T15:16:00.000-08:002012-11-05T15:16:01.096-08:00Slow and SteadyKirby has had a good steady weekend. They have been slowly working on weaning meds and weaning her vapotherm. She has been sleeping most of the time but the rest is good for her. They will be continuing to work on meds and getting some lines out over the next few days. Keep praying for healing and strength for her body.Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-1795423057240101692012-11-01T09:34:00.001-07:002012-11-01T09:34:22.881-07:00Big Day!Kirby has had a big day today! They were finally able to take out the ventilator this morning! YAY! She is so relieved and is doing great. The plan was to take it out 2 days ago but her blood gases weren't reflecting that she was not ready and had slowly gone down hill, so she had to wait until today. We prayed hard last night that her gases would improve and God intervened....they began to come up at her 9:00 blood draw. We have also been praying hard for the pacing of her heart/heart rhythm and they turned off the pace maker this morning and she is doing great! I can't begin to express how truly grateful we are for Kirby's life. We learn more each day of how sick she was and how little hope they had for her these last few weeks. She has truly pulled through some tough times only because of the prayers and our trust in Him. We know and continue to stand on God's promised of healing! Thank you Lord that Kirby is healed!Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-68203488047750619952012-10-29T08:27:00.002-07:002012-10-29T08:27:10.967-07:00A New WeekKirby has had a good stable weekend. She has continued to make progress and gets stronger each day. They were able to close her chest on Saturday with no complications and she tolerated it well. They have begun to feed her a small amount of food to help her get stronger and ready for getting the ventilator out. They are doing CPAP trials (turning off of the ventilator) today and hopefully take the ventilator out tomorrow. We had a little hiccup yesterday with the pacing and rhythm of her heart. They had to turn the temporary pacemaker back on bc of some heart rhythm issues, but they don't seem too worried about it right now. They think it will work itself out bc of her response when they turn it off. Continue to pray for miraculous healing and for us to be home for the holidays.<br />
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*I have been meaning to say that I do not spell/grammar check bc I am hurrying to type this so I apologize for my mistakes on here. :)Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-36207478114727326982012-10-26T10:17:00.001-07:002012-10-26T10:17:33.218-07:00Post-Op Day 3Kirby continues to amaze Drs. And nurses with how well she is doing. We have been amazed at God's goodness through this journey....the support, prayers, encouragement, visits, etc. have been amazing. Kirby had a good night and a good day so far. Although she has an open chest and many many lines attached to her, she is doing great. They have weaned all blood pressure medicines except one, which is only a small amount. She is still sedated and on lots of pain meds. The ventilator has been weaned a good bit and her swelling is pretty much gone.....amazing considering how swollen she was before surgery. She continues to "pee" in excess getting off all of the extra fluids. The plan is to close her chest tomorrow and then the next step will be weaning the ventilator. The X-ray of her lungs looks good also. Thank you all again for your continued prayers. She truly is a miracle!Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-76409453037936547972012-10-25T09:25:00.001-07:002012-10-25T09:25:04.154-07:002 Days Post-OpKirby had a good night. Took her off one blood pressure medicine and weaned down on another. They turned down the ventilator a bit as well. They decided to turn off the paralytic.....which they had to turn back on after only 5 minutes b/c Kirby decided to start moving all over the place......my little fighter. They also gave some more sedation and pain meds. Her stats, sats and blood gases all look good. Thank you Lord for a great day!<br />
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Also, I think I forgot to mention that when she came out of surgery, she was on a temporary pace maker and we were told she would probably need a permanent one. The morning after surgery, they turned it off to test her and her heart was completely in rhythm on its own and has been ever since. Praise the Lord. She also has been "peeing" so much that she soaked through her cathater, through her diaper and all over the bed. Ha....thats what happens when you pray for "pee" more than can be contained. Kirby got her toenails painted last night and is doing great!Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-88710067074982086212012-10-24T17:23:00.001-07:002012-10-25T09:15:28.213-07:00God is Good!After a VERY long day Kirby came out of surgery last night around 10:00. We were surrounded with around 15-20 family members and friends in the waiting room all day to support us and Kirby during this difficult day. Kirby went through the most difficult surgery so far specifically with how sick she was going in. The team actually questioned doing the surgery once they got to the OR bc her stats were so low..... But knew this was the only option at that point. It again took several hours to get through scar tissue, took some difficulty greeting on the heart lung bypass, and then the difficult procedure itself. We got continuous hourly updates from the OR which contained positive messages that she was stable the entire time. Praise God. Once the procedure was finished it took several hours to get the bleeding to stop. We were warned that she was coming out of the OR very sick and unstable. When we got this report we came together and prayed as a group and once we got the final call....things had improved. Dr K came out and was very concerned about her state at that point. They did a mechanical valve replacement, place several chest tubes, scraped scar tissue from around the lungs to drain fluid, the left lung was partially collapsed, she had not "peed" in days but began peeing during the surgery despite renal failure, etc. Lots went on during the day. Kirby had a good stable night and improved. She had a great restful day. The Dr was very pleased today. Kirby has a long way to go so keep praying. God hears our cries.Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-30703964817998144902012-10-23T16:29:00.001-07:002012-10-23T16:29:05.223-07:00Update 2Kirby's valve was replaced with a mechanical valve. She remained stable throughout surgery. She is off the heart lung bypass and they are finished with surgery. They are monitoring bleeding and she will be out of the OR soon. Thank you Lord for surrounding Kirby today.Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-45319835947333303202012-10-23T10:02:00.000-07:002012-10-23T10:02:06.587-07:00Surgery UpdateKirby went back to surgery around 7:45 this morning. It took a while to get all of her lines in before the surgeon began. It also took several hours to get through scar tissue. The last update said they were about to go on the heart lung bypass. She is good and stable. Keep the prayers coming.Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-2537953757202587212012-10-22T13:56:00.004-07:002012-10-22T13:56:52.322-07:00SurgeryKirby has continued to accumulate fluid in her body and at this point continues to have difficulty getting the fluid out. It is ultimately due to the heart valve leaking more than her body can handle. It is working against what her previous second stage surgery was designed to do. Dr. K and the team have determined the best route right now is to do a valve replacement in the morning. At her state right now she can't wait any longer to do something. So, Tuesday morning the surgeon will take Kirby for one of the toughest procedures yet specifically bc of how sick she is right now. Pray for complete healing as we continue to place Kirby in God's hands.Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-71415987134232533932012-10-21T09:21:00.002-07:002012-10-21T09:21:53.099-07:00PrayersKirby continues to be in ICU. Since the last update Kirby has retained a lot of fluid in and around her lungs. Thursday morning they attempted for 3 hours to place a chest tube on the left side. She had fluid around the lungs in a place that is difficult to get to and where scar tissue is, causing the fluid to form in different pockets around the lungs. Because of this, it is nearly impossible to get to all the pockets. They decided to put the ventilator in so they could sedate her really well to try again with the chest tube. Dr. K tried for 2 hours that evening to place a chest tube. They did leave 2 tubes in and they have drained some, but not a lot. They took the ventilator out Friday afternoon but Kirby struggled with breathing and was very uncomfortable. They were not able to feed her bc of her struggle to breathe, they couldn't give her morphine bc it interferes with her respiratory drive and they couldn't give oxy bc she hadn't eaten and it can upset their stomach. So...they decided the best thing was to put the ventilator back in so they could feed, sedate, and let her rest and get stronger. The X-rays have looked better but Kirby's swelling has not decreased. She is very swollen. She continues to have major fluid build up that can only be explained by her leaking heart valve. They have explained it to us but there is no way I could explain it here in writing. Saturday was a rough day for Kirby. She seemed to be struggling breathing, her blood gases were not good, her oxygen levels were low, and she was not "peeing". So....we did what we knew to do and that was PRAY and intercede. Soon after Kirby's sats improved and she began "peeing". God hears our cries. She had a good night and things improved overnight. Prayer works so keep Kirby lifted up in your prayers continually. She is still fluid overloaded. We will be talking to the drs tomorrow so I will update.Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-40659124751781995182012-10-16T08:27:00.000-07:002012-10-16T08:27:01.184-07:00Roller coasterWell since last Wednesday we have continued the roller coaster ride that we are so ready to get off of. Kirby stayed in ICU overnight.ht last Wednesday after putting in a chest tube to drain the fluid from the right side. She had a good night so they sent us back up to the room Thursday morning. Kirby seemed to be feeling better by Friday evening and began to give us that sweet smile again. She continued to smile and laugh throughout the day on Saturday. Sunday she didn't seem to feel good and seemed more tired. During Friday night, she seemed to be working harder to breath and her o2 sats were on the lower side. They did an X-ray and an echo and it appeared that there was some fluid build up around the left lung which was causing some difficulty breathing. They decided to take her to the ICU again to monitor her and decide whether or not to put in another chest tube, this time in the left side. They were not able to put in a chest tube bc of where the fluid is located and bc it is a smaller amount of fluid o they are working on getting the fluid off using diuretics. Kirby was very content and smiling this morning and looks better. The X-ray during the night showed less fluid so hopefully this means the diuretics are working. They have currently taken her back to re-wire or redo her PICC line bc it will no longer work to draw blood from. So...right now we are waiting on the fluid build up to diminish so we can get her healthy and home. We have had several days of being frustrated and discouraged but have been refreshed by some encouraging words and songs. We stand on God's word that Kirby is healed. Also James 1:1-18 are what we choose to believe each day. He is stretching our faith and preparing us for a great journey. Josh is also reading a book called "The Circle Maker". Such an encouraging book. I have started it but am not as far as he is. Keep lifting Kirby up in your prayers.Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-92156107249831762302012-10-10T12:37:00.002-07:002012-10-10T12:37:32.833-07:00ComplicationsKirby is now back in ICU after some fluid build up in and around her lungs. They put in a small chest tube in the pleural space around her lungs to drain the fluid and she is resting more comfortably now. She has had a rough morning with pain from thr procedure yesterday and the difficulty breathing due to the fluid around and in the lungs.Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-52158698217494203912012-10-10T07:54:00.001-07:002012-10-10T07:54:37.851-07:00Long dayWell it was a long day in ICU but we made it back to Kirby's room at almost 10 last night. Surgery went well. She had a hard time waking up after surgery bc they gave her some extra sedation once she started waking up bc they were afraid she would wake up with a vengeance. Once she finally woke up they took out her ventilator pretty quick and she did just fine. They put in several lines during surgery so they also had to be removed before moving to her room. She had a pretty restless night and this morning has continued to be in pain and difficult to console. She is also very puffy from some fluid build up so they are giving her some extra diuretics. Pray for comfort and peace for her throughout the next few days.Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-19417778426066996042012-10-09T07:27:00.001-07:002012-10-09T07:27:40.217-07:00Closer than everWell I have been slack with updates over the last few weeks. We have have been busy busy around here. Kirby has been doing really good. She has finally gotten back to herself...smiling and sweet. We have been busy with PT, OT, and Speech. Now that she is feeling better they are working her hard to catch her up. Today we have reached yet another trying day. As we speak, she is in surgery getting a G-tube (a feeding tube in her belly) and a Nissen (a procedure where the stomach is wrapped around the base of the esophagus to help prevent and deal with reflux). This procedure should take around 3-4 hours. We took her down this morning and handed her over around 8:00 and they planned to start the surgery around 8:30. Another obstacle but a step closer to home. Kirby has begun eating some by mouth but it will take a while for her to be able to consume enough by mouth for adequate nutrition, therefore, these procedures were necessary. After the surgery, she will recover for the day and possibly overnight in the PCICU then return to her room. The plan after this surgery is to work on getting off a few meds and tolerate being off the meds, then we are HOME FREE! Keep the prayers coming for a safe procedure today and a speedy recovery.<br />
Here are some recent pictures:<br />
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<br />Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-44373220386560746482012-09-27T06:01:00.003-07:002012-09-27T06:03:21.286-07:00R and RKirby has continued to settle out and improve over the past few days. She is definitely not as fussy...really not fussy at all unless someone comes to mess with her. The oxygen was turned off yesterday morning and has remained off since. She went down for an upper GI study yesterday which is basically prep for the possibility of getting a G-tube. The drs. want to go this route to avoid the risk of aspiration since she has never eaten by mouth. This will be used until she is able to learn to eat and drink by mouth. She is going down today for a swallow study (Modified Barium Swallow) to look at her ability to suck and swallow. This will give us an idea what she can and cannot tolerate by mouth so we can continue to work with her on eating and drinking. Kirby has shown great interest in the baby food and formula she has been given so far, so, that is a positive sign. She actually LOVES it! <br />
In the mean time....I have been kicked out and sent home for a few days. Ha! My mom and aunt have gone down to be with Kirby and made me come home for some R and R. After talking with the nurses and with mom, they insist that I do that. So, after battling with feeling like a bad mom for leaving my child, feeling guilty for putting the responsibility on someone else, feeling sad to leave Kirby, etc. etc., I decided to go. So, I am home for a few days to get some R and R. When I have come home in the past it has been quick and for a specific purpose and right back to Charleston when I finished with what I had to do. This time it is for no purpose other than refreshing my mind and body. I think it is hard for anyone to understand what those 4 walls of that room drain out of you and nearly 6 months of it, they begin to close in on you. Josh and I have been drained lately and the roller coaster of emotions have been hard. This break will most definitely refresh us for the weeks ahead. With that all that said...I am enjoying my coffee on the back porch, reading "Jesus Calling" and enjoying the fresh Fall air! I cooked dinner last night, washed a load of clothes, washed dishes, enjoyed a few season premiers of our favorite shows, showered in my own shower (AAHHHH that was great compared to the hospital shower) and cuddled in my own bed. Oh the little things I never thought I would enjoy so much (cooking, washing dishes, laundry in my own washing machine, ha). Continue to pray for healing and strength as we endure a few more weeks. Love to all!<br />
Oh yeah...I don't usually spell check or or grammar check so sorry if I look extremely un-educated at times. Ha1<br />
Here are a few pics from the last few weeks:<br />
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Colt came to visit! He loved reading Kirby some books.<br />
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Kirby's first taste of baby food! Peaches!</div>
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Trying to get a smile....unsuccessful. :(<br />
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Happy Fall!</div>
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Daddy lovin' time</div>
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No oxygen and no tape all over my face!</div>
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Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-77078574783738737122012-09-25T16:56:00.002-07:002012-09-25T16:59:43.605-07:00Well....Since Saturday we have had ups, downs and all arounds. Kirby was extremely fussy Sunday and Monday. Nothing seemed to pacify her and she just didn't appear to feel good. We keep thinking she is teething so that makes her feel bad but not sure what is wrong exactly...could be just adjusting from the surgery. Monday mid morning Kirby's sats began dropping and they had to turn her oxygen back on after being off for 2 days. They still didn't improve so they turned the oxygen up more and did an X-ray. The X-ray showed fluid in the lungs which explains the drop in sats. So...they restarted one of her diuretics and by Tuesday morning the lungs were pretty much cleared up. Today has been a better day and they were able to turn the oxygen back down but not off yet. She was not fussy but not her sweet smiley self yet....we are getting there. She likes to be left alone so we just have to do that most of the time. I guess if I had been through what she has I would want to be left alone too. Something fun happened today...Kirby got her first taste of baby food and she seemed to really like it. They are beginning to introduce her to some tastes to see how she does. So right now the plan is to continue compressing her feeds and work on oral strengthening and oral training, work on weaning oxygen, and meds. We are continuing to but this situation in God's hands and believe for healing and strength. I will try to get some pics uploaded soon.Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-45701415747688977012012-09-22T17:56:00.001-07:002012-09-22T17:56:26.203-07:00Chest tube out!The drs came by today and decided to take out the chest tube! Kirby already seems to feel more comfortable. Her oxygen has been turned off for half of the day and she has done great! These were great things to come back to today after spending an evening at home to attend the Crossfit Spartanburg "Fight Gone Bad" benefit for Kirby. What an awesome turnout and a great event. We are so thankful for all who came early this morning to give 17 minutes of blood, sweat and tears to show their support for Kirby. Thanks to all who planned, donated, served, cleaned, organized, fought hard to give it all they had, cooked, etc. It was so great to see everyone they we miss so much. We continue to be humbled by the goodness of God through this journey. He continues to show himself strong through it all. We continue to see miracle after miracle of healing and provision. Until next time..............keep the faith and keep praying. Keep fighting baby Kirby!<br />
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Prayer requests: Keep the oxygen off, continued healing of the valve, successful feeding (including sucking and taking a bottle) and toleration of the feeds, wheaning of the heart medications and other meds., and continued strengthening of her heart. Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-61615236034691866902012-09-20T12:19:00.000-07:002012-09-20T12:19:11.662-07:00Slow and SteadySo I again apologize for the delay in posting. We have been in our room now for almost a week. The first few days were rough dealing with the fussiness due to the milk protein allergy and her being miserable bc of that. They decided to give her a days rest from feeding and restarted her feeds the next day. .....and we prayed hard. They restarted the feeds and her belly has been fine since. They haven't they have tweaked a few things but Kirby again has shown us that slow and steady wins this race. She still has her chest tube and it has been draining until the last 24 hours. We had a little scare that we were going to have to go back to ICU to put in another chest tube on the other side but thank the Lord the fluid on that side diminished. Our hope is that the chest tube can come out in the next few days which will hopefully give her some relief and comfort. We are still limited with how much she can be moved around. They are beginning to compress her feeds giving her bolus amounts as compared to continuous feeds. Continue to keep us in your prayers. The days get long here and we can grow weary at times. We miss home and are ready to bring Kirby home.Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-26374933778189528692012-09-14T11:16:00.000-07:002012-09-14T11:16:26.499-07:00Friday, September 14Kirby has continued to make good progress over the last few days. They were able to remove her arterial line yesterday so we were finally able to hold her. She has one chest tube still that is not ready to be removed because it is still draining some fluids from around her lungs. They will leave that in for a few more days as it continues to minimize. Some of this fluid comes from the pressures in her heart because of them having to do an early second stage surgery, along with her having chylothorax (due to the surgery, the fats from formula leak into the pleural space around the lungs). She had this after the previous surgery as well. She is on a special formula that is essentially fat free that will help with the leaking of the fats. With that said, we also have to battle the fact that she has the milk protein allergy and this formula is not made to help with that....so we have an uncomfortable at times fussy baby. Bless her heart.<br />
Today is a big day! We were able to move back upstairs to her regular room! We love the PCICU staff but love being back in a room. Pray for continued healing of Kirby's valve (it is still leaking but about 50% less which Dr K says is ok), healing of the chylothorax and the milk protein allergy and reflux. The goals for Kirby over the next few weeks will be to come off of the oxygen (she is only on a small amount), come off of the heart medicine that is going through her PICC line, and learn to eat by mouth. So, these are our prayer request! We are closer than ever to coming home and we are so ready to begin our life together at home as a happy family! Love to allAshley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-49096884621700347092012-09-12T11:18:00.001-07:002012-09-12T11:18:38.345-07:00ProgressKirby is doing great! She came off the ventilator yesterday morning and has done really well. Her oxygen saturations are good along with all her vitals. She is a bit frustrated with laying around and being confined to the bed in ICU. She is used to being held, moved around and in her swing. She is limited with being moved due to the lines and tubes all over her.....but....they are removing some of those as I type. Hopefully I can hold her very soon. The dr is pleased with her progress and we are happy that she is moving right along too. Josh and I are going a little stir crazy being back in ICU but we will just have to get over it. It's all worth it to be with our little girl. Lord, it is only bc of you that e were able to stay sain for 2 1/2 months of this last time we were in ICU. Ha!Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-327427061701614141.post-1686147082939620372012-09-09T19:43:00.001-07:002012-09-09T19:43:34.817-07:00UpdateKirby has had a good day and had a good night last night. She was awake a little more today but continues to be puffy in her face. This is to be expected due to the body adjusting to the pressures from the new anatomy from surgery. There was some fluid buildup around the lungs today which is also to be expected from being on the heart-lung bypass during surgery, therefore, the doctor placed a small chest tube to drain the fluid from that area. He was unable to get to this area during the open heart surgery, so, the tubes were not placed at that time. It was a simple procedure done at her beside today with some sedation. So, now that the fluid is gone and the chest is closed, the next step is to get Kirby off of the ventilator. That is the plan for tonight and tomorrow. They will begin CPAP trials (turning off the ventilator to let her breathe on her own) during the night and tomorrow and depending on how she does, they will remove the ventilator tomorrow evening. Praise God for continued progress!Ashley Bradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06479945523320808309noreply@blogger.com1