Great Update

When I came into Tehilla's room about two hours ago, the doctors and nurses looked very grim. They told me she was unstable, that her blood work showed that her lungs were not doing well and her hemoglobin was low. They had done a chest x-ray and were waiting for the results.

Then Professor Rein, our pediatric cardiologist walked in. I have to say this. Not only is he a brilliant doctor, Harvard trained, the head of the department and highly respected in the international medical community- he is also kind, friendly, patient, and positive. Whenever he sees Tehilla and checks her, he sings a passuk (passage) from Tehillim (Psalms) with the word Tehilla in it. 

Professor Rein walked in, sang a bit to Tehilla, remarked about how beautiful she is and specifically that she has a very nice colour- something very important to note with heart patients. Then he did a heart echocardiogram. 

The first thing he noticed right away was that her left lung was completely collapsed and the left side of her chest was filled with a lot of fluid. Her right lung was open and fine.

He looked at her heart and said that he was very happy. Her heart functionality was very very good. Her heart beat and rate were very good. There is a little leaking in the tricuspid valve, but that is normal after heart surgery and as long as her heart functionality was good (which it is), then it will clear up on its own. 

He went to consult with her other doctors about her lungs. They came in to explain that now they understood why her lung was collapsed. The fluid is built up after surgery and is a normal response of the body. That's what caused her lung to collapse and it's what is causing her blood work to look the way it has. The low hemoglobin is because they have been taking a lot of blood tests because they've been concerned about her lungs. They are giving her blood right now.

They are putting in a chest tube in her left side to drain all the fluid. They expect that her lung will expand afterwards and then she will be able to breath well. They will keep the chest tube there until they are sure all the fluid is gone. And then, they expect that everything should go back and she will be able to continue to progress.

Please continue to pray for her, that Hashem should aid her in her recovery. As well, take the time to go donate blood. Do it in Tehilla's name and you will be helping save more than one person's life.