2011 was a big year for Nina and for us as well. Having recovered well from her 1st Cranial Vault last year, the doctors set the date for her syndactyly release. The date was finally set for June 7th at 7am and so we were admitted at Cardinal Santos Medical Center the day before. Her first operation was done at the PGH but because Dr. Teng Castillo (the plastic surgeon/hand doctor) whom Dr. Bernie Tansipek would be working with was no longer affiliated with PGH, the surgery had to be done in Cardinal Santos.
I would say that one of the hardest things for us was the fasting requirement prior to the surgery. Because Nina is breastfed, she is used to latching on to me in the evenings. I’ve become her evening pacifier so to speak. Fasting for surgeries usually require that a patient does not take any liquid for something like 10 hours before the surgery! But we were lucky the anesthesiologist was considerate and allowed her to take in BM up to 6 hours before. After the 6th hour, hubs and I switched places with him sleeping beside Nina and me sleeping on the bunk so that she wouldn’t look for me. Thank God we survived that night with little crying. Maybe I should try and see if I can still teach her to take in the pacifier even at this age because I know that as she grows older, this fasting thing will prove to be even more difficult.
Apart from her surgery, one of the biggest obstacles we had were bouts with pneumonia. We almost spent Christmas eve in the hospital because of that. Thankfully, our pedia allowed us to go home with strict instructions for her to be nebulized every 3 hours and that she was in no way to engage in any strenuous play. It was a challenge but it was definitely better than spending Christmas eve in the hospital. I’m so wary of her getting coughs and colds these days simply because I’m always afraid that it might turn into pneumonia again.
On a positive note, our biggest blessing this year (apart from having one another) was Nina’s incredible development from being assessed with Global Developmental Delay to only having Speech Delay in a matter of 6 months without any therapy whatsoever. A miracle indeed! Another blessing was the fact that we were able to overcome the many unexpected expenses we had this year – most especially the surgeries. Hubs and I are both blessed with jobs but even with our incomes combined, it’s a miracle that we even manage to get by. Of course, credit goes to our family members who generously help us out during these times. So glad to have a wonderful support system and a loving family behind us.
To summarize the year, 2011 was a big challenge for the family, but with God’s grace, we were able to overcome every obstacle, hand in hand with humbled hearts and smiles on our faces. We know that 2012 will be an even better year with the love of God, our family and friends. Merry Christmas and a Blessed 2012 everyone! Here's wishing that you feel loved and blessed every moment of 2012!
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