We’re now just over a week post-surgery and Jessica has been a little superstar. I am so, so proud of how well she is coping with her recovery and how much she is just taking in her stride. She is so brave. She’s had a lot of chest secretions since her surgery which have resulted in her needing a lot of chest physio and suction to help clear her chest. Having this done has clearly been very unpleasant and yet she has understood and accepted that it’s to help make her feel better and has been brilliant when it comes to allowing the doctors and nurses to do it. She made me chuckle a little a few days post-surgery when one of the nurses asked her how she was feeling and she responded with “fine”.
We moved up to high care from PICU on Tuesday evening. Jessica’s chest is gradually clearing and each day she is getting a little better. She is managing to get out of bed and sit in a chair for a few hours now and has taken a few very wobbly steps. The wires and tubes that were surrounding her last week have started to decrease – we’re now down to one chest drain, a couple of intravenous lines, oxygen and NG tubes and monitoring wires. It sounds a lot still but it’s a big difference from this time last week!
Sophie has also been a little superstar during this time. She is still with my mum at the moment and has been enjoying her sleepover with Nanny’s. I’m also impressed at how brave she has been. She’s never spent more than a couple of nights apart from us and never gone more than a day without seeing me, but she has also taken the enforced separation in her stride. I think it’s helped too that she’s been able to spend so much time with her cousins while staying with Nanny which she has loved. Hopefully once Jessica is well enough to move off high care and into a “normal” bay, we will be able to reunited as a family once again.
Things I have loved this week:
- A surprise late visit from Father Christmas at PICU – a bag of toys for Jessica to play with when she is feeling better and a bag of goodies for us, including useful things like body wash and lip balm.
- Having one of the consultants who looked after Jessica during her previous PICU stays coming over to look at her monitors and standing there beaming at us. He’s commented before about how many grey hairs Jessica has given him and I know he was anticipating another rough ride this time. So nice to see how happy he was with her progress.
- Jessica’s godmummy Katy dropping off a bag at PICU with snacks and Shloer for us to see the new year in and a cuddly toy for Jessica.
- Jessica waking up briefly just before midnight on New Year’s Eve and one of the doctors bringing a laptop over so she could watch the New Year fireworks at the London Eye.
- That first cuddle with Jessica on PICU three days after her surgery. It was so wonderful to be able to give her a proper cuddle again, even if it was just for a couple of minutes.
- Receiving a lovely card and a couple of very thoughtful gifts on PICU from some of my Tribal Chat blogging buddies.
- Chatting to some of the nurses who looked after us when we were first on PICU when Jessica was a newborn.
- Seeing Jessica’s happy little personality begin to re-emerge and to hear her say “love you too” and give me smiles again.
- Getting to talk to Sophie on FaceTime and watching Jessica talking to her sister. She’s been missing Sophie over the last few days.
- Watching Jessica having fun doing some arts and crafts with the play worker.
- Having so much love and support from friends, family and the wider social media community.
I’ve been checking Instagram daily for your updates, it’s wonderful to see how well Jessica is recovering. She certainly is a very strong little girl, well done to Sophie too for being a trooper. The team at the hospital sound amazing, they have looked after you all so well. Wishing Jessica a continued speedy recovery xx #WotW
Thank you Angela, she is really doing well and it’s so lovely to see 🙂
She really is a superstar, as are you all and how great that Sophie’s managing so well too. I’ve been following her progress, so pleased that it all went so well and that Jessica is recovering well. I hope she’s up and about more soon and you get lots more cuddles in with her x Thanks for sharing with #WotW
Thank you, so glad both the girls are doing so well. Looking forward to hopefully being all together again soon 🙂
Awww, I’m so glad it’s all going well and speedy recovery wishes for your little superstar xx It sounds like you have two little superstars there with Sophie managing so well with her separation. I really hope it’s not too long before you are all back home as a family again. sending much love and healing thoughts xx
Thank you Anne, I’m looking forward to when we can be reunited as a family again 🙂
What a superstar. Not surprised it’s your word of the week. I can’t imagine how much Jessica is coping with. All of you. I’m sure Sophie is doing well too. I know when I’ve been separated from any of mine, they seem to have grown two foot taller and be that little bit more confident in themselves. Lovely that she had face time with her big sister too. Hope Jessica goes from strength to strength. #wotw
Thank you Cheryl. FaceTime has been very useful! Lovely to see Jessica doing so well and we are looking forward to when we can have Sophie back with us too 🙂
Jessica definitely does sound like a superstar; you all do in fact! Positive thoughts to you and your family at this time.
Thank you so much, it is so lovely to see how well she is doing 🙂
Awww so pleased that Jessica is making progress, it is must be such a worrying time and to see the light at the end of tunnel must be amazing X #wotw
Thank you, it is so good to see her improving day by day 🙂
Oh Louise I’m so pleased to hear how well she’s doing. I have been looking at your updates every day and keeping you all in my thoughts. I hope her progress continues to go speedily and that it won’t be too long before she is home and on the mend.
Nat.x
Thank you so much Nat. It is so lovely to see her doing so well x
I have been keeping an eye on the photos you have been posting. It founds like you are all going through so much at the moment. It also sounds like you are all doing so well. Wishing Jessica a speedy recovery #WotW
Thank you Jane, it is good to see Jessica doing well and also helps to know Sophie is happy and settled at my mum’s too 🙂
This brought a tear to my eye. Such a brave girl, definitely a superstar. So pleased to hear she is making such good progress. That first cuddle must have been magical.
Thank you Sarah. It was so amazing to be able to cuddle her after her surgery. That first cuddle is definitely a magical one
Aww! Your girls really are superstars….
I am so glad Jessica is doing well. It sounds like she’s coming on leaps and bounds every day.
I hope you are all reunited soon.. x
Thank you Kim, so proud of how well they have both coped 🙂
She certainly sounds like a superstar. May she continue to get better and you all be reunited as a family son. #WotW
Thanks Helena. She is doing so well. Looking forward to having Sophie back with us later today 🙂