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-Without this surgery she would not survive for even one more month, says Dr Crooke of Montefiore Medical Center, N.Y.
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June 10 - 16, 2002
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boes.org/internetlifeline
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Arife had surgery during 4½ hours.
Arife Zejna 7, from Kosovo, in the Pediatric Critical Care Unit, shortly after her returning from surgery.
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Arife was moved into that surgical slot last minute because
one of the Escoton twins who was supposed to have surgery this morning was still running a fever, and Arife was doing quite well, so it was decided to move her's up and delay the other.
Arife did very well, surprisingly so. Dr. Crooke did not need to use
the metal midral valve which is much better for her, and the other repairs
also went quite uneventfully. She will, of course, be listed as critical for
24 hours, and many things can still happen in that time, but right now it
looks like she will do very well.
June 12 - Arife is recovering nicely. She was taken off the respirator yesterday early, only one drainage tube remains as well as the necessary IV lines. All of her vital signs are strong.
She is sitting up and wants to hold the hand of whoever is with her. Many nurses and doctors have been coming to visit, they are very pleased with her progress. Her mitral valve
repair leaks a little, but they anticipated that and are happy with it the way that it is. It is very good that she did not need a metal mitral valve.
June 13 - Arife continues to improve. She asked for something to eat yesterday and they gave her some flavored ice. The doctors may take her last drainage tubes out today and then she should be ready to go out of PCCU for a few days, before going home.
Arife's Visa expires June 14. Contact is taken with officials at the U.S. Embassy in Pristina, Kosovo, by LtCdr (Senior Grade) Andreas Papke, Germany, and Dr Jeton Vorfi, Kosovo.
June 14 - Arife is doing very well. The doctors have taken out all tubes, and
IVs, she has been moved to a regular pediatric floor, and she is beginning to
walk again on her own.
She also had the feeding tube removed and she is
beginning to eat on her own, several times a day. She should be released to
go back to her host families home sometime this weekend.
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