Surgery Update

Last Wednesday we took Harper to Great Ormond Street for her pre admission tests. They all went well and we were told that Harper's heart wasn't as complex as they first thought and they should be able to repair it in this one operation.

We had a chance to meet with the surgeon who explained what they planned to do and told us to expect surgery to last around 5 hours. We were given fasting times and told to bring Harper back to the ward at 11am the following day.

We stayed at Joe's Nan's that night as she lives in London and would be easier to get back to GOSH the next day. We woke Harper at 6am to try to get her to have something to eat as she wouldn't be allowed anything after half 6. By 8am we were in a cab travelling across London. I held back tears as I cuddled her feeling sick at the thought that I'd be handing her over to surgeons in just a few hours.

We arrived at the hospital at 9am and had planned to sort out our accommodation before taking Harper down to the ward. As we walked up to reception my phone rang..'I'm sorry but we have had to cancel Harper's surgery today..we no longer have a bed for her on intensive care'.

My first reaction was to cry, we were there in the hospital..I had prepared myself as much as I could that today she was going to have surgery. Now I'd have to go through all this again. 

Once I had time to let it sink in I realised just how lucky we are. Harper's surgery had been cancelled because babies and children had been rushed to GOSH for live saving surgery, hers was cancelled because she isn't a priority right now. Harper is living with her condition, she is almost a year old and has lived with Heterotaxy without any surgery. Something that's extremely rare. For that we have to be grateful. 

Harpers surgery is now going to be on the 25th of June, although it's only a few weeks away I'm able to push it to the back of my mind for now. Harper will be turning 1 on the 21st and we are going to make sure we make it as special as we can for her.