Surgery!

On Monday morning, January 22nd, Adie swallowed a penny. I immediately called the doctor, and was told that because she could breathe, eat, and drink fine that I should just wait for the penny to pass. By Friday the penny had not passed, so I left a message for the doctor. My call was finally returned on Monday, the 29th. The doctor said that the penny had probably passed, and I had just missed it. Adie had her 1-year check-up the following Wednesday (Jan. 31st), so the doctor said she would just examine her then. Over the weekend Adie had started to choke on her food--even things like applesauce--but I just assumed that she was scared of getting something else stuck in her throat. I mentioned this to the doctor on Wednesday and she ordered an x-ray. After 3 sets of x-rays--Adie screaming the whole time--I was informed that the penny was stuck at the top of her esophagus. They sent us directly to the emergency room at Children's Hospital. Daddy met us at home, and we drove to the hospital, expecting to be there a few hours. Once we finally met with the doctor at 1:30pm (we'd left the house that morning at 7:40), we were informed that the penny could have eroded her esophagus, and that emergency surgery must be done immediately. Adie (to my surprise) went quietly into the arms of the anesthesiologist. Then my baby was put to sleep, and Mommy and Daddy had to wait downstairs for an hour and a half before we could see her again! I prayed that there was no erosion, and that my beautiful little girl would not have a permanent scar on her chest.
The surgery went smoothly, with only minor abrasions on Adie's esophagus. However, the doctor found that Adie had severe gastritis and bleeding in her stomach. She would have to be watched overnight. Following surgery, Adie's enery was at its normal (high) level--which wasn't necessarily the best thing. We spent the late afternoon and evening trying to keep her occupied. She especially enjoyed walking quickly from one end of the crib to the other, keeping Mommy busy trying to keep the IV cord and heart monitor cord from getting tangled.
Daddy went home to sleep, and Adie spent most of the night in Mommy's arms on the uncomfy "couch". (While the service was great, you'd think that a children's hospital would have better sleeping arrangements for the parents.) The next morning, Adie was hungry and tired, and we had to wait until late morning to see the doctor. Finally, we were sent home. We still do not have the results of the stomach biopsy, and Adie is on medication. The medicine/eating schedule is very different from our normal routine, and Adie is having a little trouble with it, as it's messing with meals and naps. Thank you everyone for your prayers and support. Please continue to pray that the stomach problems were only from the penny, and that our problems are almost over.