Overnight with Baby G

This will be a little different then normal. Why? Cause I don´t have any pictures! I can actually write fairly well so I will paint you a word picture of Baby G´s home away from home.

For the second time this year, Baby G has been admitted into Hospital Velga, reported to be the best heart surgery hospital in Cochabamba. The first time he was there it was to run a test on his heart that required he be under anesthesia (sp?). Now he is there for pre-op observation.

I walked in the front door yesterday and went directly to his room, no security was present at the time. The hospital doesn´t look like much from the outside. Just a drab looking building with bars on all the windows. Down a short hallway and there is actually a very beautiful garden area with a winding ramp going up to the second floor. Signs leave you a little confused and it took me a few moments to locate his room which is different then his first visit. Finally on a whim, I walked through an unmarked door and stumbled on his room. This is a double room but he is the only ocupant and there are two twin beds provided for caretakers plus his metal, white crib. He was thrilled to see me and even more excited about the toys I brought for him. At this hospital we are required to bring his bottles and his milk and clothes for him everyday and diapers. Yeah, I know, welcome to Bolivia, its a little different down here! The room is surprisingly warm for this cold season of the year and the best word I can use to describe it is ¨drab¨. Bolivia is vibrant with colors but this room is gray and white and well, its feels like a hospital.

We played with blocks and books for a little bit as nurses zipped in and out. The poor boy has to be on oxygen until the surgery (which at the moment is postponed until Tues or Wed). He is just 1 1/2 years old and doesn´t tolorate the tube very well. So the nurses have to use medical adhesive tape to tape it to his face. He´s not crazy about it but he leaves it be. He needs to have the oxygen to bring up his levels before the surgery. He goes to bed at 7:30 and I got to sit back with a book for a little while. I´ve been struggling with either a sinus or a stress headache for the better part of the week so even when it was time for me to sleep, I couldn´t and needed to take some meds to relieve the pain so I could sleep. Sleep is also dificult because I keep imagining the worst case senarios, trying to prepare myself for whatever may happen next week. The tears come immeditetly. So I keep praying and giving him to God.

He did very well that night and slept just short of 11 hours. The last overnight I did with him he woke up at least 3 times in the night. So I thank God for that. In the AM he was bright eyed and more or less happy. He´s bored and wants to crawl around like he normally does when he´s not attached to oxygen. I wish I had a picture of him sitting on an adult scale as they took his weight. That was pretty comical. At 8AM my replacement came in and I headed home. I will have another overnight with him this coming Monday, hopefully his last night before the surgery. Please keep us all in your prayers during this very emotionally dificult time. thank you.