Team Travis: Post Surgery Pictures

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Post Surgery Pictures

WARNING! The post-surgery pictures may be difficult to look at. If you do not have a tolerance for graphic post-surgery images, you may only want to look at the pictures leading up to Travis' surgery and the forthcoming recovery pictures which will be less graphic.

Click the link below to see the album of the post-surgery pictures.

http://picasaweb.google.com/rogerd56/PostNorwoodSurgery?feat=directlink

We feel the need to share with everybody the whole Travis' journey and that includes the tough pictures that we have to endure. This is a necessary step for Travis to get healthy and even though it is extremely tough to see our baby boy like this, we understand the need for this step. A lot of people have been following Travis the past couple of months and have a vested interest in his health. Thanks again for all of the support.

5 comments:

LisaNovember 22, 2009 at 5:18 AM
I am happy and relieved to see Travis out of surgery and on the road to recovery.
Thank you for sharing those pictures.
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AnonymousNovember 22, 2009 at 6:58 AM
We are thinking and praying for you all. I am so relieved to hear he made it through surgery. Don't worry about his blood gases, he will be fine and they will come up. He's a tough dude with a huge support system. Most importantly he has you and Nicole with him. Let me know if there's ANYTHING we can do. love ya ! - Kobi
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AnonymousNovember 22, 2009 at 9:12 AM
Prayers went up yesterday, and continue today. He is strong and knows he is in your hands and hearts. The wait for the surgery gave you bonding time, probably the best thing ever!
Jodi Read, friend of Grandma Karen Sue :)
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AnonymousNovember 22, 2009 at 9:42 AM
Praying for you and your family. Go Travis!! What a little trooper!
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AnonymousNovember 22, 2009 at 1:59 PM
I don't think I have admired two people more than I admire both of you now. What you are going through is unimaginable yet you are doing everything for T. I love you all and can't wait to hold my precious nephew.

Always here for you,
Aunt Tina
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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.....