Today has been an extremely long day. From 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Ross and I didn’t see our daughter — by far the longest surgery she’s ever had.
The hospital called us to meet in a consultation room to go over how surgery went. Our surgeon immediately smiled and said it went as smoothly as it could have, and just as expected, it took a very long time to get through all of the scar tissue. She was extremely meticulous throughout the entire procedure.
We also spoke with the anesthesiologist afterward, who explained they were very slow and extremely cautious putting Evelyn under anesthesia because of how fragile her heart function is right now and the risk that she could have gone into cardiac arrest. They were surprised at how well she did through that process. We should never doubt our girl.
She was able to avoid having to move Evelyn’s pacemaker wires, which even surprised the team because initially they thought those would need to be moved as well. Her pacemaker battery was also not changed today as intended due to her high anticoagulant levels.
Evelyn came back with an open chest, with the plan to close her either Sunday or Monday depending on how the next 48 hours go. She is still critical and being watched extremely closely. So far, the right side of her heart is adjusting well to the new physiology of the LVAD. It is very overwhelming to see compared to past surgeries — knowing that a machine is now what’s keeping her alive until she gets her transplant.
We are so incredibly grateful to everyone who has reached out, sent prayers, messages, meals, gifts, and love. Please continue praying for a smooth recovery and uneventful healing over these next few days.
Heart surgery number 10 in the books. You absolutely rocked it, baby girl. We love you so much, Evelyn. 
How You Can Help
We’re getting ready for the big fundraiser garage sale for COTA for Evelyn’s Heart! Thank you to everyone who has donated items to the garage sale!
Garage Sale Details:
June 4-6
Location: 7040 Eagle Trail, Centerville, MN
Time: Thurs. and Fri. 8am to 5pm
Sat. 8am to 12pm
Get your “Hearts for Evelyn” T-Shirt
Join our “Hearts for Evelyn” Facebook Group
What makes our partnership with COTA so great is that they will be with Evelyn throughout her lifetime. Every dollar donated to COTA in honor of Evelyn goes to transplant-related expenses. Thank you for being here with us for Evelyn.