The sweetest picture on earth.  Here is Ari and her Mamani, my mom.

WE'RE HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes!  I said WE'RE HOME!!!!!!!!!  Ari got released last night Sept. 19 after 93 days in the PICU. There was some separation anxiety for everyone, but one of the beautiful parts about the 19th is that her actual Fontan was on June 19.  Exactly 3 months in the hospital. We served our time and now we  are home and trying to adjust to preparing meds, nonfat meals, portagen, running around, redisciplining both of the girls, oh and trying to move back into our house.  Nevertheless that means I better get back to work. We love you all & already miss our Sutter family, the most amazing nurses in the world.  Stay tuned for a new update soon. 

xoxo

Could it be?

Well God willing tomorrow 9/19/08 is the day we have been waiting for.  Yes we are DUE to go home.  Hmm...home that sounds awfully nice, but at the same time a little scary.  Ari is simply excited to see her bunk bed and not to be connected to a pole, that's about it.  As for me, I am elated, scared, anxious, & nervous, all in one.  We want to first Thank God then all of you, our family, friends, Doctors, and nurses who have stood by us and supported us through this very long and scary journey.  

Okay, I know I need to have my sister put some new pics of our little Puff Angel (compliments of the steroids) on the blog.  The pics are her job. I'm just the author.  Hugs and kisses to all of you.  

*Believe in miracles.  We do!! They really do happen!!*

xoxo Bahar

Proud, but exhausted mother of Arianna and Bianca Torrente

By the way:  Bianca truly deserves the Sister of the Year Award!!  She has been a champ throughout this whole thing.

Hippity Hoppity

Hello all! I titled this entry hippity hoppity because that's what Ari was saying as she was skipping-yes skipping down the hallway without her IV pole today. She was freed from her pole this morning. Her Octreotide, her last IV med was turned was turned completely off at 6:00 a.m. and now when she is off of her tube feeds (4 hours a day), she is free to explore without her IV pole. She was so excited to leave the room without the pole, she was telling everyone in sight. Actually at first she (we) were a little shocked. She turned, looked at her pole, looked at herself, then looked at me and then took off. 89 days later we have no pole. There's also a buzz in the air that we might be going home this week. Hallelujah! Miracles do happen!! We love you all and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all the support.

*I'd like to send a special thanks to Valerie for the circus tickets. My sister and I took Bianca yesterday and it was a lot of fun!! xoxo

A Brighter Day!

Hello all, I finally found the station where I can update the blog myself. My sister set it up for me. See I'm still discovering new things even on day 82. Today, Dr. M. and Dr. Falco removed Ari's last chest tube, changed her PICC line dressing, took labs, and fiddled with her NG tube all in about 15 minutes. Now that's teamwork!! Ari felt great afterward and is currently building with legos and walking comfortably. Well gotta go for now, our Octreotide IV just beeped!! xoxo

Day 81

Looking better and better each day! I just hope and pray that it stays like this OR gets better. Yesterday Arianna's drainage was less than 10 ml. WOW! Her x-ray looked beautiful and she is in good spirits! Yesterday she also went for 3 walks, but if you ask her she will tell you she walked, "3 many times!" She will also sit there and say, "Momma, I want someTING... I will then say, what do you want Ari?? I want GRAPES! But she can only have clear liquids so I let her know that we don't have any grapes. Arianna then proceeds to say, "That's ok Momma, just tell Carlotta (PICU nurse) and she will order it for me!" She had us all laughing hysterically!!!



Also, Dr. Mainwaring came in to check her toay and she told him, "I want BOBS ham-bugga with kethcup, corn and ranch!" Really the opposite of the diet Dr. M wants her on. By the way BOBS hambugga are the burgers at The Habbit, a burger place on Howe, def recommend it if you are in the mood for BURGERS! BOBS is a burger resturaunt in Stockton, so she thinks these burgers are from the Stockton BOBS!!!



Overall, Arianna is doing really well, so thank you to all for your continued support and yummy meals! Lets all keep Kira and her family in our prayers as well.

Just checking!

I just created my blog and I am checking to see how it works!!