Praise the Lord!  Maddie successfully came off the bypass machine this morning around 7:30AM.  The surgeon and cardiac doctors were very impressed with how well her system is handling the transition and her heart is beating now without pacemaker support.  They gave her a lot of anesthetic and muscle relaxers to prevent her from moving too much and she’s been asleep since the operation to remove the bypass tubes.  There are two nurses assigned to her and besides keeping up with her medicine, they shift her every few hours and move her arms and legs to prevent any swelling and stiffness. The latest team has wrapped her up to keep her warm – so she looks like a pile of blankets.

She pooped twice and is peeing a lot, which means her body is returning to normal function.  The nurses say her blood tests have all come back as expected for someone in her condition.  She still has the breathing tubes to breathe for her while she’s under sedation and her chest is still open in case they need to put her back on the bypass machine.  There are still lots of unknowns, but everyone seems satisfied about her progress so far.

Jen and I have been napping in her room and eating in the cafeteria and are doing well.  Last night when Maddie was more awake, we talked with her and she reacted by opening her eyes and moving her arms and legs.  Here’s a picture of her holding on to my finger in the morning before the procedure.