*Relief*

I am sooooooooooooooo happy indeed! Mum has told us that yvonne is awake in ICU and is doing good. She has talked quite a bit, and replied 'sikit sikit' when asked by nurse if there is pain. She will be tranferred to HDU (High-Dependency Unit) ward later in the afternoon, and I can't wait to see her!


This week has been a roller-coaster ride for us. My 4th sis, yvonne, was admitted to IJN on Monday; we had expected the operation to be on wednesday. Thus the 'mental' preparation was there.....but on tues night, mum was told that the wed slot was given to a baby with more critical condition. Thus we speculated again, will it be thurs? or fri? Thurs came and I received a sms from morn early morn: the operation will be 12 noon on fri.


These few nights have been hard for us. Before yvonne was admitted to IJN, I was still okay; I could assure her how professional the doctors are, and that they would make the best decision for her (she had asked me 'what if it is a valve replacement?). It was when mum and her went to hosp that it really sank in: yvonne is going to have heart operation. I couldn't help thinking about her being brought into the operation theatre alone (as in without us beside her), the doctors having to make a 6-8 inches incision on her ribcage to perform surgery, the pain she has to endure.


Then, there was the question of valve repair or replacement. The doctor had told my mum that the operation would be '97% successful, 80% valve repair but KIV replacement'. This is because all the assessments thus far have been made based on echocardiogram, thus if they found a need to do a replacement during the surgery, they would do so. Yvonne is aware that a person with valve replacement has the possibility of having to undergo a second replacement during one's lifetime. Thus, she has been hoping that it will be a mitral valve repair, and not replacement. We all have been assuring her that it is very likely that it will be a repair, and she shouldn't think too much.


I am such a 'bad role model' in that I couldn't help to tear when yvonne was sent in to the OT yesterday. I had donned the baju for her, and knowing my tears were about to shed, I turned my back. I kept thinking about her being so young and having to go through all this. I admit that had it been me, I may not have been so brave. She only had tears around her eyes when we were at the 'garisan merah' (the boundary where family members could be with the patient going to OT).


When we were informed by the ICU guard at 5.45 p.m. that yvonne was out from OT, all of us were so anxious to see her. As only 2 passes could be given at one time, we took turns to go in. Mum and serene, then jy and I,then dad and mum. As I saw yvonne still unconscious under the effect of anaesthesia, and with several i.v. lines at her neck, tears started to well up again. I have been to ICU in hosp serdang andI could look at other patients with my emotions unaffected, but with yvonne, I just couldn't control my emotion T_T. Yvonne was given propofol for anaesthesia, potassium citrate, adrenaline, and several other drugs that I didn't manage to see.


Today at 12 plus, mum went in to ICU and when she got home, she shared the good news with us: yvonne is awake now, and she talked to mum quite a bit!! Some IV drugs have been switched to tablets, and her heart is left to work on its own now (yesterday a machine facilitated the pumping to allow her heart to rest).


Like my dad said, this is a girl who took photos with tiger and snake before! She is very very brave indeed. I have much to learn from her =) Yvonne, hope you will not see yourself as 'handicapped' just because you cannot participate in competitive sports. You can still enjoy sports, but your health is of utmost importance. It is all that matters to us, really. Wishing you a speedy recovery dear *hugs*