Here We Go!

Just as I had thought and worried it would be, today has been very hard for Apollo. The morning started off smoothly with a lot of time in the house's play room followed by mass at The Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. We arrived early and found a great park on the cathedral's grounds. This boy never refuses a swing ride with Mama!

I thought last week's mass would be the first and last for Apollo before his heart surgery. But because of the delay, everything seems as it should be that we returned to the basilica since this is where we attended before Magnus's miraculous surgery. It was a beautiful service with a spot-on homily to the 12 children being confirmed to go change the world. That is wholeheartedly what I want for Apollo and all of our children, to go change this world!

I was holding strong emotionally until a sweet woman in front of us gave Apollo a coin during the sign of peace. He wouldn't let me see it for a bit so I thought it was a $1 gold coin. Oh no, it was so much better and priceless - a guardian angel medal! She had no idea how special it is and will be forever cherished. Cue the tears. Apollo was mesmerized and made it through another mass to my astonishment!

We once again lit a candle and I begged for another son's life to be spared for the second time in just over a year. 

We hauled it back to the patient house to pick up our luggage and head to the hospital. The little boy who has experienced so much trauma, confusion, fear, and instability completely melted down. And it was second only to the night of our Family Day when he cried for his nanny. He turned the scariest shade of purple and screamed til their was no sound coming out. It was one of the saddest 45 minutes of our time together. He finally settled and and fell fast asleep as I rocked him in the cafeteria.

In the middle of his meltdown on our way to the hospital, we ran into a father of a little heart princess from China who had heart surgery almost 2 weeks ago. He sent his wife (whom I know through the adoptive community) to say hello in the cafeteria. They offered to help in any way and I'm so grateful. Our adoptive community, and even more specifically our heart adoptive community, are the most supportive groups. I'm so blessed to be a member! Their daughter is rocking it and hopefully will be discharged this week.

Apollo was admitted and we settled into his room quickly. He will be the second case in the cath lab tomorrow so he won't be able to eat after midnight tonight and will likely not go under anesthesia til noonish. Yikes! 

See that blue number above - 62. It actually dipped to 55 and the alarms went off with two nurses running in. His dedicated nurse quickly informed them this is in his normal range (sadly) and lowered the monitor's range since his sats are normally so low. If you remember from Magnus, we want it to be 100. This is his oxygen saturation level and the reason Apollo is so blue/purple. 100 percent isn't sustainable for a child with his anatomy so we will dream of the 90s!

He is scared and confused so we will have an interpreter and Child Life specialists talk to and pretend play with him to understand what he is about to endure tomorrow. Tonight, the attending cardiologist came to explain the cath and risks. He said Apollo is a very high risk and that some of his numbers are higher than he has ever seen so please pray. Please pray so very hard since he is at a high risk for a stroke. We have faith, know he is in God's almighty hands, and believe Thy will be done.