We are getting ready for Rowan to have his Glenn. The Glenn is supposed to be cake compared to the Norwood, but getting close to it has made me think back to before Rowan had his Norwood. I went back and looked at the pictures we took of Rowan during his recovery. We have not shared them up to this point, largely because we didn’t want to show the bad until we knew there was a happy ending for him.
Honestly, I wish I had seen pictures of kids who had the Norwood done before Rowan had his. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I think you can’t ever be ready, but it certainly helps to have an idea of what to expect.
Rowan’s recovery took nearly 3 months. He was born December 10th, had his Norwood December 23rd, and came home on March 19th.
Rowan had complications with persistent chest fluid build up that prevented him being extubated for a long time. He eventually needed a second surgery (thoracic duct ligation) to fix it. He later had surgery for a g-button placement and fundoplication to make sure that he was not aspirating fluids.
These photos are somewhat graphic. I am posting a link so that parents who may have to watch their child go through this can see what it looked like for us. This is encouragement for them to “hang in there” because Rowan had it rough. Today he is smiling and happy. He is a little behind developmentally, but he is progressing. He doesn’t act like he’s been through this incredible trial. He doesn’t hate life (though for months of narcotic withdrawal, we were worried he wouldn’t ever be happy). He took the long hard recovery route, and he made it. It’s hard – but you have to be tougher than your kid. So if being prepared helps you – here is Rowan’s Norwood Recovery Link.
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