"A Perfect Surgery"

Rebel's surgery went very well. "A perfect surgery," said one of her surgeons. All in all they were nearly done by about 7 AM after being in the operating room since 1AM.

The VAD and ICD( pacemaker /defibrillator) were removed first of all before Rebel was put on the heart/lung machines and the heart surgery could begin. There also had to be extra precautions because of the MRSA virus.

Given she has been on blood thinners there is the possibility of bleeding and that is all being carefully managed.

Rebel is back in the intensive care and recovery rooms. They expect to take her off the breathing tube later today or tomorrow, and they say she has been very responsive.

The new heart is doing very well. We know the donor was an 18 year old young man killed in a car accident somewhere outside our city, about an hour away by plane at least. This is all we are allowed to know.

We will write the donor's family a letter to tell them our story in hopes that it helps comfort them. The letters are forwarded by the Trillium Network, the regional body in Ontario that manages the organ donation programme.


I am now going to try and get a little sleep this afternoon.