I posted some incorrect information on 8/20 that I wanted to clarify. Mya's temporary vocal cord paralysis isn't affecting her ability to swallow. I misunderstood the information originally. I guess your vocal cords are lower than where you swallow, so the two things are not connected. She just needs healing time on her throat to be able to swallow.

Note to self: Surgeons aren't the most gentile with care.

Usually after surgery they wait 2 weeks to take stitches out. Mya's incision has healed so nicely, we've been a little concerned that they haven't taken them out yet, since it seems to have healed over. It's been only 10 days so they haven't wanted to take them out. Originally she had dissolving stitches in her incision and they use a glue to close the skin. Unfortunately, since they had to open her 3x, a slight infection was forming so they had to use external stitches with her third closure. A new surgeon "fellow" (surgeon in training) did the stitches, and the pattern was not the "norm," so our nurse had her come help take them out today. Keep in mind, patients are knocked out when in surgery, and I'm pretty sure gentile isn't a word used in the operating room. Mya about went through the roof when she started to take them out, it obviously caused her a LOT of pain. Even though she doesn't have all of her sounds, it was very clear that it hurt. Poor kid is bleeding from 4 different areas because they were so buried, not to mention it got blood all over her little shirt and blanket. LAME! She didn't have much sympathy for little Mya as she yanked them out (I was cringing all over) However, she did say, "remind me not to do this type of stitch again!"

Deep breath...

Thank God that they usually work on kids under anesthesia!

The nurse just came in and said we are no longer in isolation, her tests came back negative. Rock on! At least we got a single room out of the deal & now we have a much higher chance of going home tomorrow. Hooray! Isolation was more work for the nursing staff than for us, they had to put masks & gowns on prior to coming into the room so they wouldn't spread her possible infection to other patients if she had one. Crazy. Going home seems a fairy tale right now, a dream that may just come true, we'll see!