Bye Bye Brody

On Monday, Adela had her broviac catheter (a.k.a. “Brody”) removed.  As we’ve mentioned before, we have mixed feelings about her no longer having the broviac.  It was a safety net and a convenience — if she ever needed IV medicines quickly it was available, it made for painless blood draws, and it would be great to have for as long as she’ll be on the Remicade (which is indefinitely).  However, a broviac is an infection risk and any fever over about 101°F lands us in the hospital on antibiotics for at least three days to ensure it’s not a major infection.  So, we decided it was time for Brody to go bye bye.

We arrived about 7:30 AM, spent about an hour with admission paperwork and waiting room fun, then moved back to the pre-op area about 8:30 AM.  After more paperwork and meeting all the doctors and anesthesiologists that would be working with Adela, she got a nice dose of Midazolam (Versed) to relax her before surgery around 9:00 AM.  Within a few minutes, she was relaxed and went back to the operating room.  We waited for about 30 minutes and the doctor came out to let us know that everything went well.  Mommy sat with her in the post-op room (only one parent was allowed back at a time) for a little while then we asked to be moved to the pre-op area to observe her a little while longer.  We’re hesitant anytime she gets anesthesia since it’s one of the factors that could have led to her stay in the PICU last year.  By about 11:00 AM, it was clear that she was back to her normal self and spunky enough to leave.  In fact, she was so energetic, she wanted to go to Bear Rock Cafe in University Mall (one of her favorite places to go out to eat…even though she can’t have anything from the menu).  After lunch, we walked around the mall and listened to a group of school children sing Christmas carols on a little stage that had been setup in the middle of the walkway.  Adela was so excited about it that, after they were done and everyone had left, she got up on stage and sang “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and showed off her own dance moves.  So much for the nurse’s warning that “she might be tired and woozy for a day from the anesthesia”.

Tuesday, she had a follow-up appointment with her GI doctor to discuss her Crohn’s.  The results from the tests all suggest that she’s doing well on the Remicade.  She’s still on steroids, but that dose is being weaned down a bit each week.

So, overall, good progress.  We’re pleased with the new medicine and we can see a major improvement in her energy level and mood.