Gangles and Scrappy – A New Chapter Begins….

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And you thought my pregnancy and delivery were topsy turvey…have a seat my readers and I will spin a good yarn for ya…the first chapter of a new journey…the journey of Gangles and Scrappy…

Mr. Gerrit has limbs and fingers that are gangly and long…real long… and toes that are as strong and long as fingers (some may even call them finger-toes) so his new name is Gangles (otherwise known as Bo Gangles, Squeaky McGee, and Gypsy).  When Gangles was sprung from the NICU by his posse (hubby and I…but doesn’t posse sound tougher?), we were informed by Austin’s  pediatric cardiologist that a bed was reserved and open heart surgery was scheduled for this Friday (today) at U of M hospital by one of the three senior surgeons who specialize in Austin’s condition.  Austin (herein nicknamed Scrappy for reasons that follow) was diagnosed with a large VSD (Ventricular Septal Defect) at day 3 of his 12 day life and because of it’s size and location, it would require open heart surgery and a gortex patch to close it. 

After one night at home packing enough baby crap to compete with Babies R’ Us, we suited up with Gangles, mother in-law, hubby and I in a two mini-van caravan that followed Scrappy’s ambulance transport to Ann Arbor.  Just before suiting up for the caravan, we met up with Sarah and Lynn and picked up the oodles of handknits from the participants of the Dutchican virtual shower …THANK YOU!!!!!  We promise to delve in and get all of these knits on their rightful owners ASAP!!! 

Upon arrival, Scrappy was placed in a NICU that was crazy, loud, and crowded, and we headed to look for a hotel…Gangles has now officially lived one night at our house and two nights in two different hotels…He now wears a sign…”Have Pack-and-Play..Will Travel.” 

We spent the entire day in NICU yesterday with Scrappy who has holes poked in every orifice in his body and where hubby and I watched a baby in the next crib turn blue and be brought back to life by an entire team of nurses and doctors.  At the close of the afternoon, we were told that Scrappy’s surgery may have to be cancelled due to some problems with his kidney function…after two more hours of waiting, we were told that it was still a go.

Today, we paced in the waiting room for hours while Scrappy was taken apart, patched, and put back together.  After hours of pacing, Scrappy’s doc came skipping in (wearing really cool orange rubbery shoes…how do I still take time to examine a person’s shoe taste?…I just can’t help it).  Scrappy is now resting in the ICU with a round the clock team in a private room…surgery was successful and now for the day to day recovery…at least hubby and I were wearing our lucky handknit socks and I actually used my knitting as a form of worry bead therapy – a few rounds of a raglan sweater to be Scrappy’s good luck sweater when he is big and strong and we can look back at this little 4 pound guy who has been pricked and prodded and stitched and patched and laugh at his Scrappy persistence to beat the odds while he beats up his little brother and partner in crime.

Did someone say something about a 6-week recovery from a c-section?

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