*Written Tuesday, April 9, 2019:

We are finished with today’s surgery. Lilyan took a new buddy with her to the OR. She also came through it all beautifully this time.

Her IV stick last night was so terrible that it’s apparently practically legendary. The nurses are all still talking about it on the day shift today. First the Vascular Access Team worked a very long time, trying to get in, and then they reached out to PICC nurses who were finally successful. But it took a full hour of digging around in her little arms. Lilyan did so great even though her whole body was trembling by the time it was done. We  decided that this ordeal warranted one more stuffed animal. She named him Michael. Doesn’t he have a great smile?

Waiting for transport to take her into the ORThey finally came and wheeled her into the OR at about 10:15 this morning (after a dose of IV Versed like last time). One of the same anesthesiologists who was with Lilyan for her big surgery three weeks ago, was with her again today and touched base with us before the surgery started. We were thankful that someone who was fully aware of the crisis Lilyan went through during that surgery was with her again today, and she assured us that she would be watching Lilyan very closely. This really kind doctor was clearly still shaken by what happened and told us she would never forget it.

Riding to surgery together (that incredibly straight part in her hair was done by her older sister, Robyn, who braided her for me before we headed to the hospital yesterday; I was impressed.)

The whole surgery took about three hours. Her spine surgeon told us that the wound was pretty bad, and that it was opened up all the way to her new rod that was placed three weeks ago. It also appears, based on her inflammation markers in her blood work and on the bacteria spotted in the initial microscopic peek of her wound culture, that the wound is the source of the fever. The good news is that it appears we caught this infection at its very beginning, and everyone is hoping for a fast turnaround once the Infectious Disease (ID) doctors decide what antibiotic to start.

Once her ortho/spine surgeon finished his part, he handed Lilyan over to the plastic surgeon, and that group got her wound VAC placed. When we got back to her in Recovery, she asked, tearfully, how much longer she would have to wait for her surgery to start. She was very happy to hear that it was done, and visibly relaxed so much then.