"I'm ok"

Hi~

Thanks Moll for the update last night. I knew I couldn't get to a computer, and I couldn't leave ya'll hangin' in suspence.

Ok, here is the run down from surgery yesterday (now that my brain is more clear).
Matt and I sat with Riley in Pre - op until 12:30. She didn't say a peep the entire time we were in there. Tracy, the child life specialist came and gave Riley a "shadow" doll who was all dressed in scrubs. Tracy talked to her about what was going to be happening and practiced it on the doll. Riley also got to pick what flavor smell she wanted in her "happy" gas mask.

We then got her dressed into her gown and that's when the tears started. The staff offered me to carry her into the OR. So, I got my pretty little scrubs on, carried her into the OR, and that's when her eyes just about popped out of her head and the tears started to flow. They quickly put the "happy" mask on and she was out in seconds.

Riley came out of surgery at 5:45 and went right to the PICU. She was able to open her eye very slightly once or twice and even asked for me.

A few time we had asked her how she was doing. Most of the time she would nod, but one time she said, "I'm ok".

Dr. Frim come in and gave us his perspective of how the surgery went.
This is where Molly got a bit lost. I know, it's the pregnancy brain goin' on. It's ok!

Riley's left cerebral tonsil was MUCH bigger than her right. It was almost to the point of cutting off the cerebral spinal fluid (csp). Once he shrunk that tonsil down, he was able to see much better of what was going on. He also cleared out some debris and he said the "traffic jam" was relased, and the csf went back to normal. They removed bone from the base of her skull and from the C1 vertabre.

They seem to think we should see a big improvement in her life.

There is one troublesome spot that they are concerned about. Riley has a bump on the back of her head from where they took the graph matterial. They seem to think there is a blood clot forming. They will watch it today, and decided either later on tonight or tomorrow what will need to be done, if anything. It scares the bagibbers out of me. I am trying not to jump to anything until I know fully what the situation is.

She has been a trooper. She's done everything that they have asked of her.
Her pain level is pretty high, but they are keeping it under control with morphine, valium, and zofran for the nausea.

There is no rush to place her on a regular floor, so she may stay inthe PICU until tomorrow. We'll see how her day goes.

We ordered breakfast, and will try to get her sitting up in a chair aswell.

I will post again later with more updates.

Again, thanks for all the thoughts and prayers.