Annika Joyce’s Story

Site created on January 27, 2020

Hello! After our 20 week ultrasound came back a little strange, we found out that Baby Dercks has CHD (congenital heart defects). We will use this site to update family and friends on her journey.

Newest Update

Journal entry by Alyssa Dercks

Hello from home! Annika's shirt says it all - HAPPY HEART! She has been so much happier at home and seems much more like Annika. (However, still on the crankier side and still tired - all for good reason). 

We got the good word on Thursday that we were being discharged. It is amazing - 7 days post OPEN HEART surgery. Hard to believe! There was some talk of us being discharged on Wednesday but it was decided to give her another day or two. I was perfectly fine with that. Though going home would have felt nice, it didn't feel great being discharged on Wednesday since Annika was still kind of iffy. Thursday felt much better being discharged. And we had some fun visitors on Wednesday that helped pass the day! Grandma and Grandpa came and hung out with us for the afternoon. Brought Annika a fun monkey outfit to wear. Monkeys are her favorite animal and she loved it. 

Annika still hadn't eaten well on Wednesday nor Thursday morning. But the doctors said that was normal and it usually picks back up at home. And they were right. She has eaten so much better today (Friday). That is truly normal for most toddlers isn't it? You never know if they will eat like a bird or a horse. And it is usually pretty certain that they eat very little in a different environment - restaurant, friends house, and in Annika's case - hospital. I've actually heard "I'm hungry" a couple of times today and she has requested and ate the food. That never happened in the hospital.

Her electrolytes are still a little low - but they weren't too concern. They dropped a diuretic to helped with that and will keep an eye on it. 

There are a couple of restrictions over the next 6-8 weeks. She is on a low fat diet for awhile to help with blood flow. We can't pick her up from her armpits. She can't lift more than 5 lbs and shouldn't like do the monkey bars or something. She can't wear a backpack. She can't go swimming or submerge herself in a bath for the next 6 weeks. I'm sure there are a few others that I can't remember at the moment. 

Her meds changed a bit. She is now on a whole baby aspirin instead of a half. She switched and increased a blood pressure med. She is currently on a diuretic to help relieve some fluid in her chest, but that will be dropped sometime in the near future.

We have an appointment for labs/xrays and a check up with her cardiologist on Monday to make sure everything is going well. Hopefully I won't have anything to write about here after that!
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