Start
Bijkomen van de operatie.
Our son was born on Wednesday 29 April at 1040 am in the Lucas Andreas Hospital in Amsterdam, he weighed 3790 grams. His names are Quinn Tural Kerkhoven, Quinn means wisdom, Tural is an Azeri-name and signifies life. The delivery took place in the hospital after Sibrenne’s waters had broken on Sunday 26 April. The delivery showed a star role of for Sibrenne, who delivered without noteworthy problems. We were glad with our healthy looking son, who was complimented on his length.
Net geboren!
At eight o’clock, that evening we were celebrating with my best friend and a clandestine bottle of champagne. Quinn was wheeled off in a cot, because he colour was too bluish. A child specialist appeared who did a few things and appeared more concerned about her mobile phone and the impeding Queen’s birthday, two and a half hours later he was wheeled off by an emergency ambulance to the child intensive care unit of the VUMC (Free University). At his departure we were told by the accompanying child specialist that our son had a serious heart problem and that they were taking him away to the Child intensive care.
This was the beginning of a journey, during which we watched our son being transformed into a panic stricken bundle of misery and Sibrenne and I have had a crash course in the working of the heart. By the time we managed to make our way to that unit, he had drips to both hands, connected to a range of different wires and monitors were flashing, unknown alarms sounded and different people were discussing him in terms not known to us. After a couple of hours we were explained what had been discovered: Quinn has a condition known a transposition (the main lung and body vessels are miss wired) with two further complications (too narrow blood vessel and a malfunctioning valve) in the construction of his heart. All in all this means a ‘standard’ rectification operation of switching the heart blood vessels is not possible.
The following morning his situation had deteriorated further , he was not responding well to the different emergency measures and he was rushed off to the Newly born intensive care in Leiden. A professor of some sort had been called up just to take him there, all we could see that he was fighting.
A friend took us to Leiden. Further examinations there, seemed to confirm the seriousness and exceptional deficits found earlier. Maximum dosages were applied and nursing staff looked and behaved worried. During the course of the day he underwent a ‘Rashkind operation (they created an extra hole in his heart) and they drew spinal fluid. Our bundle of misery could only be touched in one place and even stroking him was considered too much strain. The further chronological order of events is not so clear in our memory, but Quinn managed to pull through this ordeal. Sibrenne was admitted, the nursing staff took lots of care of us, they gave me a bed next Sibrenne. Night staff walked small bottles of breast milk through the corridors.
Lekker met al die knuffels om je heen.
On Saturday afternoon it dawned on us that the period of waiting and trusting the strength of our son was all we could do. Since then his recovery has been as good as may be hoped. On Monday the possibility was suggested that might be allowed to go home with us over the weekend. He was transferred from the Intensive care to High Care, by Tuesday his departure would be sooner than the weekend. Yesterday, Wednesday, Quinn is 8 days old a child cardiologist informed us that he could go home. Today, Thursday has been the first day that we have had our son to ourselves, he is relaxed, sleeps well, drinks from the breast and enjoyed his first bath.
We have to prepare him for the first major heart operation that will take place in the next three to six months, during this they will most probably make a new, artificial, connection to his heart. This operation will have to be repeated a number of times during his child and youth. All we can do is prepare him for that by giving lots of TLC, energy and happiness. A heart is a muscle that can be trained and strengthened to make sure it is perfect condition.
We have learnt that living from day to day is best and giving this little treasure as much attention and love as we can summon, and that is a lot!!! We are fortunate to have good and close friends who have supported us in many ways during the past days, this has been heart warming …. for us. Most important is that we are able to find and support each other. There are many noteworthy details, that surprise, amuse or at times frustrate us. The main point is hope and trust in our son and enjoying his presence.
