Team Travis: Another Sunday at the NICU

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Another Sunday at the NICU

We sat in the waiting room for most of the day checking in on Travis every hour for our 5 minute visit. Travis is doing really well. Blood gases continue to look good. They will not wean him anymore tonight from the ventilator because they plan to close his chest tomorrow at 11. Travis is so strong! He is moving a lot & they don't want him to. We are really trying not to talk to him or touch him much. Imagine moving around with your chest wide open. He amazes us! And God amazes us!

Now for some fun with Pictures. It is a needed distraction for me to work on the computer with this blog and use the computer. It occupies the time in my mind, so please don't make too much fun of me.

Travis definitely had his Charger Mojo going again.

He couldn't wear his Charger hat or bib today, but be sure he had them near him.

These are the pictures that are connected to Travis' bed in the NICU.

Although Rivers, Tomlinson and Gates played great today Travis is showing them how to fight beyond all expectations. I love my baby boy.

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Travis Gary DiCarlo

Travis Gary DiCarlo, first son of Roger and Nicole DiCarlo, was born at San Diego Kaiser Hospital, October 23, 2009 with a Congenital Heart Defect known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, or HLHS. The short explanation is that Travis was born with only half of a heart. In order for him to live, a series of three operations were planned.

Due to an infection, Travis had to have an additional open heart surgery to insert pulmonary artery bands on October 29, 2009. He had his Norwood Surgery on November 21, 2009. He was sent home on December 14, 2009 from Rady's Children Hospital of San Diego after spending his first 52 nights of life in the hospital.

After being home for several months, Travis was due to for his next surgery in the plan, the Glenn procedure. But the life of a cardiac kid can change in an instant and life doesn't always go as planned. Due to the anatomy of his heart and some rhythm issues, Travis had what the surgeons called Norwood part 2. They replaced his Sano Shunt with a bigger one, enlarged his pulmonary arteries and installed a pacemaker. This surgery was performed on May 3, 2010. Travis went home on May 17th, 2010.

Around Travis' first birthday in October his cardiologist detected some narrowing in his pulmonary artery and ordered a heart cath. The heart cath showed extensive narrowing in his aorta and his pulmonary artery. On February 17, 2011 Travis had his 4th open heart surgery. He was doing well with recovery until he suddenly went into cardiac arrest on Friday (2/18). After two hours of CPR Travis was placed on ECMO (a heart/lung bypass). Although his heart did begin to beat again on its own, his brain was damaged during the whole ordeal and he lost all brain function. We had to say goodbye to our beautiful boy on Saturday, February 19th. We miss our boy terribly.....