Home Sweet Home!!!

We are finally home.  Dr. Kelly came in this morning and released us to leave the hospital.  Over the last few days, I wasn’t quite sure if we would ever return to the comfort of our own sheets and showers.

Emme is doing well.  As expected, as soon as we got in the car she went sound asleep and has not woken yet.  I expect her to sleep quite a bit for the next week or so.  The good news is that she is still sleeping at night, so I hope her sleep patterns continue to be good.  If you didn’t know, Shannon and I were blessed with a baby who sleeps through the night, usually 11 hours.  She looks better today than ever, it’s amazing from one day to the next the difference.  She hasn’t had any pain medicine since around 11:30 last night, so my suspicion is that she is comfortable.  In fact, she is completely off the hard stuff and only taking Tylenol now. 

I must say I almost killed a nurse last night.  Emme went sound asleep around 9:30 and I was right after.  Around 11:30 I hear her screaming so I look up and the nurse has decided to do a “neuro” check which means she wanted to shine a flashlight in her eyes.  Emme was not amused and neither was her Mommy.  Our plan was to let her sleep and if she woke they would come and take her vitals and do the “neuro” checks and anything else.  Apparently this was not communicated very well to her nurse who had a different plan.  So, after Emme refused to open her eyes (good girl!) she was allowed to go back to sleep- until around 6:00 this morning when her nurse decided Emme needed to be weighed.  Are you kidding me?  I almost lost it, but instead just paced the hallways until they were done.  Where is the common sense today?

We arrived home around 10:30 this morning and I have been a busy girl getting unpacked and showered.  Shannon cleaned the house last night (good boy!) so we would rest comfortably when Emme came home.  He’s putting the finishing touches on the house while I write this update.  Emme’s sleeping in her swing and I hope she stays this content so I can take a little nap myself.

Next up for me is some “me” time.  When time and money permit, I plan on taking a full day to myself (I haven’t had one of those in almost 6 months) to feel pretty again.  I plan on a manicure, pedicure, eyebrow wax, haircut, and color.  I get to do this about once a year and I always look forward to it.  It make take a month or so for me to be able to do it, but it’s gonna happen.  I have been growing my hair out for about 1 1/2 years now so that I can donate it to a charity.  I found a charity through Pantene that can use my hair for adult women cancer survivors.  So that’s where it’s going

Shannon will be back on the road in about 2 weeks.  His schedule has been tough this Summer, so I’m hoping that his next trip will be good.  If all is going well with Emme, we plan to be on the road with him.  It will be a week long trip to Ohio and then on to Branson, MO.  As soon as that trip is over, I go back to school.  It feels like I haven’t had a summer, but that’s okay- I have a healthy baby. 

Keep praying for us and we will do the same for you!

Blessings,
Melissa

Hopefully our last night at VCH…

Today was pretty uneventful, but last night was a bit scary.  Emme began rolling her eyes in the back of her head (yes, she’s a girl, but too young for that yet) about 11:00 last night and things just looked a little weird.  Our instinct was that she was tired, and as all played out, we were probably right.  Just in case, she had a CT scan this mornig and earned herself another night in the hospital.  Obviously, when you have been here a week, you get a little weary.

Our day was blessed with more visitors and we are grateful for each.  Everyone who has come to see our sweet baby has been so kind and full of blessings.  If I don’t have the opportunity to thank each one of you again, let me say tonight that I feel the love of God more than ever.  This has been a long, tough week, but we have endured it only by each and every one of you and your thoughtfulness and kindness.

Other than the eyerolling last night, every other aspect of Emme is back to normal.  She is smiling and happy, which makes us happy.  We were really concerned that the surgery might change her loving, sweet personality, but we were wrong.  She’s just as sweet as ever, maybe even more!  Emme’s appetite is still a bit decreased, but she is gradually getting back her hearty appetite.  I’m just happy she’s drinking her formula again.  Tomorrow, we might add back in her fruits and veggies. 

Shannon’s home tonight cleaning the house and preparing for Emme’s arrival.  His Dystonia makes it very hard to sleep in these uncomfortable beds and I am more than happy to stay here.  I hope for a day that he doesn’t have to worry about pain anymore. 

I guess that’s about it tonight.  I will eventually load up some more pictures, but I am beat tonight! 

Blessings,
Melissa

New Room, New Attitude #8301

Well, it’s 9:00 and Emme’s asleep until they wake her up.  Today was uneventful, yet full of milestones.

My day started by watching our churches service online.  We attend Cornerstone in Nashville and today was their big 4th of July celebration.  It was good on screen, but I’m sure it was phenomenal in person.  Pastor Chris has been here all week for visits and he did a really good job today.  Who knew he could dance like that?

First, we had to devise a plan to get Emme to take her formula.  The nurse in ICU decided that it was time for a little “tough love” and I decided to take her advise.  We had brought Emme’s own bottles in after the advise of a friend, but she still wasn’t taking the milk.  So today, she got nothing to eat, except milk.  We decided that if she got hungry enough, she would take it, and she did!  So far we are up to 24 oz for the day which isn’t bad considering we had nothing except applejuice and Pedialyte for the past week. 

Next, we moved up to the 8th floor.  After 5 days in ICU, it was a pleasant change of scenary.  Don’t mistake me, I was thankful for the constant care that the ICU provided, but it’s a little overwhelming to see trauma after trauma.  There are a lot of hurting folks here at Vanderbilt Children’s.  Please keep them all in your prayers. 

After moving up to the 8th floor, Shannon went to fetch us some lunch from Jason’s Deli.  I was so thankful to eat, since it had been almost 24 hours since my last real meal.  In the ICU, you can’t bring any food back to your room so you have to leave to eat.  Here on the 8th floor, you can bring food into your room which is nice.  We have enjoyed snacks all day from some friends who visited yesterday. 

Lunch was great, then two of my students and their parents came to visit.  I’ve never worked somewhere that has shown me so much love.  My Stoner Creek family is amazing.  I guess when you go through something like this, you just realize or put into perspective the important things in life. 

After our visit, Shannon and I snuggled ourselves onto the lovely twin and a half pull out sofa.  I can’t say that it was too comfortable, but while you’re here you just don’t even care.  Emme slept and so did we for nearly 2 hours.  Well…Shannon got 3, but are you surprised?

Emme got up and I fed her a good bottle, then we took her out for a walk in the hospital.  We took her out to a play area on the 6th floor, to the fish pond on the first floor, and for a little piano playing on the 2nd floor.  Daddy played and Emme sat and smiled.  We’re almost back to normal.

We should be leaving here either tomorrow or Tuesday.  I have a good feeling about it being tomorrow, but we will see.  Shannon says he’s ready to get home, and of course I am too, but I don’t want to jump the gun.  We will do what Dr. Kelly thinks is best. 

I guess that’s about it for now.  We are signing off and going to bed. 

Still in VCH #5423

Still in VCH #5423

I didn’t post anything yesterday and had planned on posting last night, but it was such a busy day that I was tired! 

Yesterday was our best day by far.  Emme’s eyes are fully open and she has her same sweet smile and laugh back.  She’s playing with all of her stuffed animals and charms all of the nurses and doctors here.  She is still taking quite a bit of pain medicine which is keeping her comfort controlled.  We tried to back off on the pain meds a little bit yesterday, but she didn’t like that too much.  So we are back to every four hours, but maybe today we can try to back off again.

Shannon and I had a lot of visitors yesterday.  Each visitor was special in their own way and we continued to be reminded of just how blessed we really are.  It seems like each time we have a need, God meets it through a special person.  Thank you to all who have come by and shown us God’s amazing love.  On that note, I haven’t really answered to all of our comments on Facebook, MySpace, Shannon’s website, or Twitter (we are too technologically in tune I think) but please don’t feel that I haven’t read them.  I have read them all and they each mean something special to me and Shannon too. 

Emme rode in a wagon yesterday for a little bit and she slept very peacefully through the night.  She gets a little agitated when the nurses come in during the night to take vitals and administer medicine.  Each time she gets irritated, I pull out my phone and turn on some of Shannon’s music and she calms right down.  She ought to know the words to Beulah Land, He Set Me Free, Amazing Grace, etc. by heart by the time we leave here.  It really is quite sweet how she reacts to his voice.  She is definitely a Daddy’s girl. 

Shannon went home last night and I stayed with Emme.  He should be back to the hospital soon (but we all know Shannon’s sleeping habits J) so he can get a glimpse of his little girl bright and early.  The resident came by just a little bit ago and said we would definitely be staying another night.  I’m hoping to get moved to another room this morning on the regular floor.  I love the care in the ICU, but selfishly we would like to have a bathroom in our room, as many visitors as we want at a time, and to be able to eat without having to go somewhere else to do it.  The hospital was full yesterday so we didn’t get moved, so we are keeping our fingers crossed for today. 

Our prayer request for Emme today would be that she will begin to take her formula again.  She has rejected her formula since surgery.  If she doesn’t start drinking her formula, we will be here longer.  I think she got a taste of apple juice and pedialyte and has decided she likes that much better.  Today my plan is to show a little tough love and not give her anything else (within a reasonable time limit) and somewhat force her to drink the formula.  If she gets hungry enough, I’m hoping she will do it.  If not, the plan is to mix some formula with rice cereal really thin and try to get it in her that way.  I’m hoping!

That’s about it for now.  I’m going to also upload many new pictures to all of our sites so please be sure to go check out her progress, you’ll be amazed!

Thanks for praying for us, supporting us, loving us, calling us, letting our dog out, cooking for us, and all of the other things I know I am forgetting.  We are so grateful for everyone, but God first. 

I’m off to watch our church service online, and I can’t wait.  Have a great day!

Two updates in one~!

06.25.09 Update from VCH #5423 I guess I can start by saying that I am exhausted. I think everybody here is. I stayed home last night and Shannon stayed at the hospital with Emme. It was bittersweet to leave because I knew I would get some time with my Mom, but wasn’t quite sure if I was ready to be away from Emme.

There were many triumphs today. First, the doctors removed the drain tube that was inside Emme’s head. To some this may not seem like a big deal, but to us it was huge. Once the drain tube was removed, we knew we would be able to hold Emme. I went first because Shannon was out of the room. When he returned he held her for quite awhile, then we handed her over to my Mom- Emme’s Nonna. Shannon and I went on a mission to find our friend Makenzie (a young lady I teach at Stoner Creek) and her Mom Kathleen (Makenzie was here today doing blood work because she has stupid cancer) while my Mom was holding Emme. When we returned back to the room, the area where Emme’s drain tube was removed was oozing blood and fluid. It was a little scary, so we decided that we would limit holding her today.

Emme also opened her left eye partially. This was shocking to us because we didn’t anticipate her eyes to open until at least Saturday. She has been very agitated today, so they finally decided to give her some medicine to calm her down. This is normal because babies (or anyone really) would be very frustrated not to be able to open their eyes and not know why.

06.26.09 Morning update from VCH #5423

Sorry I didn’t get to post last night, I got to writing and was so tired that I couldn’t finish. Yesterday we also got to see Kathleen and Makenzie which was great for me. Kathleen thought of so many “little” things that I didn’t think of to help Emme feel comfortable. Makenzie looked GREAT! This morning, I feel well rested and am ready to tackle the day. We are hoping that Emme opens her eyes more today than yesterday. I can tell you that her little face is starting to look like my sweet girl again. I was relieved to wake up and see some of her features back.

Shannon has a doctor’s appointment today for pain management. He has waited on this appointment for nearly 6 months and I told him not to cancel it. His Dystonia has really pushed him to the limit in the last several months so I hope that this appointment really helps. He hopes to get some steroid injections to hold him through until his next round of Botox. With all of that being said, he probably won’t be to the hospital until this afternoon. He plans to stay tonight and I plan to go home.

 The doctor just came by and said that Emme’s looking really good. She only has one I.V. in her hand and they will probably take that out today and start giving her oral antibiotics. If Emme opens both eyes today, they will move her to a regular room and out of the ICU. This is bittersweet because when she goes to a regular room, she won’t have as much attention from the nurses. I’ve really enjoyed the nurses here and all of the attention they have paid Emme.

 Emme also is eating solid foods again. Well, by solid I mean applesauce, peas, squash, sweet potatoes….All the typical baby foods. She still refuses her milk, and is still loving the apple pedialyte. What will we do with this child? That’s about it for now, I will try to update later.

Emme Update

All is well. Emme had very smooth night. It appears that NO ADDITIONAL swelling has occurred over the past several hours. I’m relieved.

Update from VCH #5419 6.24.09

I’m writing from the PCCU room # 5419 this morning.  It’s been a good morning overall.  I woke up early, around 7:00 a.m., and feel rested. 

Shannon, my Mom, and Shannon’s Mom got here about 10:00 a.m.  When they came in the room, Emme was crying for the first time this morning.  I know that was hard for them.  Coupled with her swollenness and sad face, it was a hard thing to walk into.  Shannon broke down and cried, as did his Mother.  I tried to forewarn that her face would be very swollen (even more than yesterday) and that it might be a little hard to take, but I don’t think it’s reality until you see it.  I haven’t broken down yet, but every time I get close, I remind myself that this will all be better in a week or so.  There are many children in this unit that don’t have such a good outlook.  It really puts life in to perspective. 

I want to express my gratitude to all who have prayed, sent well wishes, and called.  Many have asked how they can help.  It used to be hard for me to ask for help, but I’ve learned that it’s okay to accept love from those who extend it.  I know several of you are planning meals for when we get home from the hospital, but it occurred to me that it’s going to get very expensive here at the hospital eating out for every meal.  So, with that being said, if you want to come and visit and would like to bring a meal for us, we will accept.  Shannon’s cell phone number is 606.524.8028 if you want to call.

Tomorrow will most likely be the hardest day of our vacation here at Vanderbilt.  Emme will swell even more and she will become fussier because she is unable to open her eyes.  So far she has exceeded my expectations in the fussy area.  She has been very calm and only cries when it’s time for more pain medicine.  I tried again to give her formula this morning, but so far she only wants the Pedialyte.  As far as I’m concerned, she can have whatever she wants.  I do hope, however, that she decides to take some formula soon.

Shannon’s Mom plans to leave tonight and my Mom will be leaving on Saturday.  Both have taken time off from work to be here (I know they wouldn’t have it any other way) which can be very difficult.  I would like to express my gratitude to Muratec, First Baptist Church of Garland, and all of my Mom’s extended family for being so thoughtful.  Also, thanks to Shannon’s Mom’s clients who rearranged their schedules to allow her to be here with us.  Of course all of our family and friends have been great too.  It’s always hard to pinpoint who to thank, because you always leave someone out.  So with that being said, if I left you out, know that we still appreciate you.

That’s all the news for now, I’ll try to update later.

More on Emme’s Surgery today…

Written by Melissa on 6.23.09

Thanks to everyone who has followed our updates today and for all of the prayers and support. Emme’s surgery went very well today, “textbook” to be exact, and we are so grateful again for such a good team of doctors here at Vanderbilt Children’s.

Today started very early. We left the house about 5:00 a.m. and headed to VCH to check in. Shannon’s Mom, Barbara, said she couldn’t remember ever being up that early in her life. I felt rested and I think Shannon did too.

Shortly after we checked in, a pastor from our church came by to pray for Emme. There were also two ladies who came to sit with us while she was in the operating room. Cornerstone is such a wonderful church and we are so thankful for the people there.

Right before they took Emme back to the operating room, she fell asleep. As they wheeled her back to the O.R. she was peaceful and calm. Those to words are how I felt today also. Neither Shannon nor I shed a tear (not that we didn’t want to) and we both seemed to handle the stress of the day very well. I will admit, seeing her after surgery was a great feeling. Although she was swollen and stuck with I.V.’s everywhere, she looked beautiful to me.

After touring the PICU, Shannon and I decided that we would take shifts at the hospital. We had first intended on both staying the night, but there is only room for one in Emme’s room. The hospital does have family rooms, but they usually reserve those for out of town guests. We are so lucky to live in Nashville and not have to worry about where we will sleep during Emme’s stay here.

Emme is doing so awesome. As I type this she is sleeping peacefully. She only gets a little fussy when she’s hungry, and don’t we all do that? The nurse quickly learned that Emme’s appetite was way bigger than anyone could imagine. They gave us these little bitty bottles (kind of like what they use in the nursery when you have a baby) to begin feeding Emme with. In 15 seconds she had the whole bottle finished and was asking for more. After a few rounds of this, big bottles showed up!

She is opening her eyes off and on, but her face is getting more swollen as the minutes roll by. I anticipate by the morning her eyes will be swollen shut. Please don’t let this scare you, they will reopen in a few days. Until her eyes are open and she is eating well (we all know that won’t be a problem) she will not move from the PICU. Her room number here is 5419.

Speaking of her room number (5419), visitors are welcome. I was a little unsure of who would be allowed to come back into the room, but she can have up to 3 people in her room at a time. So, if you want to come by, even if it’s just for a few minutes, please feel free to do so.

Many of you know that I teach elementary school P.E. and this year I had a student who was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Her family has been such a blessing to Shannon and I by giving us all the details and ins and outs of VCH. Their daughter will be here on Thursday to have some bloodwork done and they plan on coming by to see Emme. We are so thankful to have such a huge support team and don’t know what we would do without any of you.

I’m going to sign off for tonight, I’m sleep deprived and I think I better take the chance to rest up now before it’s too late. I’ll try to update more tomorrow.

Emme’s Surgery Complete

Emme has completed surgery with flying colors & almost 2 hours ahead of schedule! Dr. Kelly, the plastic surgeon, said it was “text book perfect”! Melissa & I are so thankful for your continued thoughts & prayers. Hospital stay is still estimated to be 7 days. Pictures will be posted to the website soon.

Emme’s Surgery Tomorrow

Today, my Mom, Emme, and I went to her pre-op appointments at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.  We visited with her plastic surgeon, Dr. Kevin Kelley, had blood drawn, looked at “what to expect” pictures, and learned what we could and couldn’t do post-op. 

Emme’s surgery for Metopic Craniosynostosis will be tomorrow (June 23^rd) at 7:30 a.m.  We have to be at the hospital at 6:00 a.m. to prepare her for surgery.  She will be in surgery for 6-7 hours.  After surgery, she will be in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for at least 2 days, possibly longer.  They will move her from PICU after her swelling has gone down enough for her to open her eyes.  This may take up to 3-4 days.  After she leaves the PICU, she will be moved to a regular room for several days.  Overall, her stay will be at least one week. 

I would like for everyone to know that visitors are welcome tomorrow at the hospital.  I’m not sure if Emme will be allowed visitors after surgery, but please feel free to come and keep Shannon and I company throughout the surgery.  My Mom (Patti) and Shannon’s Mom (Barbara) are both in town and will be at the hospital with us.  After Emme leaves the PICU, I believe she can have visitors to her room.  This should be around Thursday or Friday.   Please know that if you come to visit, Emme will be quite swollen and may not look like her usual self for the first few days.  I want everyone to be prepared.

For updates on Emme’s surgery tomorrow, please check Shannon’s website: www.shannonbunch.com Shannon and I both have “twitter” accounts that run a live feed on his homepage.  We will be sure to keep everyone posted throughout the day.

Many of you have asked what you could do to help us during this time.  Most importantly, please keep our family in your prayers.  Also, pray for Emme’s team of doctors including the neurologist, anesthesiologist, and plastic surgeon.  Our dog, Walter, is at his “foster” home right now and we plan to get him back to our house on Wednesday.  That goal might be wishful thinking, but I sure hope to see him soon!  We may need someone to let him in and out of our house a few times, but my great neighbors can probably help us with that.  Many have asked if they could prepare a meal for us, and the answer is YES!  I’m expecting life to be a little hectic when we return from the hospital and having pre-made meals would be a great blessing.  If you want to prepare something, it might be best to prepare it to be frozen as I have no idea what to expect when we get home.  Other than those few things, I have no other ideas at this time.  I’m sure plenty will come up, after we get through the surgery.

I just want to say thanks again to all of our family and friends who have supported us, prayed for us, and who will hold us up through this time.  Emme, Shannon, and I truly appreciate everything.