A place in this world - peace series spin off - ellianas story

transplant

**sunday December 30th – 2040** 6 months and 6 days **   

«Transplant? You want to cut into our baby» I say and feel sick to my stomach. «It's the best course of treatment at this point before the infection takes a dangerous turn. If you will let us, we want to do this today because every day we wait is putting her at more risk» the doctor says, and I look at Alex for some sort of sign about what he is thinking right now. 

«I mean... you're the doctors so if you think it's the best shot then I think we should consent» Alex says, and I nod. I do agree with him, I'm just scared to let them put our little six-month-old under anesthesia. 

«What we will do is take a thin layer of skin from the inside of her thigh which will heal because the skin there is healthy. Afterwards that wound will need to be kept clean, so it doesn't get infected though. Then that piece of skin will be transplanted to the infected site that we will first completely clean out of infected tissue. The skin will be fastened with staples that will be removed once we are certain it has a good hold on her skin. The good news about her being so young is that she is still developing and most likely there won't be a big scar from this» the plastic surgeon explains. It sounds horrible to do that to a baby, but I guess they know what they are doing. They obviously do because if they didn't, they wouldn't be suggesting it right? 

She explains that skin grafts are something they mostly do on severe burns where the patient's skin can't heal on its own, but also in severe infections like Emilias. There is always a chance that a graft won't take, but using her own skin makes it more likely that the body won't reject the graft. In my eyes transplant and grafts sounds horribly serious, and I guess her case is serious, but it's also hard to take it all in. It's happened so fast, but the infection is also aggressive, so it makes sense. 

«Do what you need to do for our girl to get better» I say, and Alex agrees. «Then we will start her on pre-op antibiotics, book the OR which I saw there was a spot for in six hours, and the nurse will come in with the consent forms for the operation. Afterwards, pending any complications, you're looking at a around 2 weeks in the hospital before she can go home. We need to see that her fever goes down, that her graft is taking to the site, that her donor site doesn't look infected and that her general state is improving» the surgeon says. «Now she can't eat for the next six hours because we need her to be fasting for six hours before surgery» 

Of course she needs to go over the risks that come with a surgery like this. It's the chance that her body might reject the graft but it's also the general risks that come with surgery. Putting someone under anesthesia always has risks like the patient not waking up, but we know that the risks of not having the surgery is bigger than having it. 

After they start the pre-op antibiotics, I get to hold my little girl again, but she can't eat so that will make her cranky for sure. «Ba-ba» she babbles like she always does. «Good girl Emilia, ba-ba» 

«I'm really nervous Alex» I say as I look over at him. He has been more quiet than usual since they told us she needs surgery, well actually since we got to the hospital at all. Something is up with him I just don't know what. 

«I know» he says, and I furrow my eyebrows «really Alexander, is that all you have to say. You're not acting like yourself and I'm on the edge of crumbling here» I snap at him but make sure not to scare Emilia either. She is actually falling asleep so I lay her down in the crib so I can actually talk with Alex. 

«I don't know what to say Elliana. How am I supposed to act. Our baby is sick, and I don't know how to fucking act. You're good with hospitals, I'm not» he snaps back at me. Yeah, I have spent more time in the hospital than is normal, but that doesn't mean I know what I'm doing when it's not me that's the patient.