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Initially viewed a success, the PA banding would assist in limiting the amount
of blood that flows from the ventricle to his body and lungs.
However, as the days passed in the PICU, things weren’t looking so
favorable. Dalton should have been able to be weaned off of some
medications and oxygen. This wasn’t the case. Plus, he was requiring
boosts from transfusions to keep his SAT levels up. Early on the morning of
January 21, we received a phone call while at the Ronald McDonald House.
Dr. Lofland wanted to meet with us, immediately. We dashed to the hospital,
with Papa and Grammy alongside. Dr. Lofland continued to be concerned
about Dalton’s response to the PA banding. He wanted to take Dalton back
into surgery and either loosen the band or remove it altogether. The later
was not favorable, but might be necessary before Dalton could withstand the
change of blood flow, giving him time to grow.
Fortunately, the rebanding was a success. Dalton did begin to show
improvement. Over the next two weeks, Mom stayed with Dalton in KC, while
Dad went home to sister Blake and work. He would return to KC on the
weekend, with the hopes that he’d go to Kanopolis with his family alongside.
Other visitors came and went, including Grandpa and Grandma. A feeding
tube had been placed, and on February 9, Dalton had his first attempt at a
bottle. Oxygen was finally shut off on the 10th, and on his one month birthday,
Dalton was moved out of the PICU and onto the regular floor on 4 Tower.
Just three days on the floor, and Dalton was ready to go home!
Ironically, Uncle Brian, Aunt Deanna, and Baby Cousin Brenna were visiting
at the hospital. They chaffered Dalton and Mom back to Kanopolis on
February 13. Dalton and Brenna took turns fussing and sleeping on the 3 ½
hour trek. It didn’t dampen the mood, however, that Dalton was going home!
Once at home, life settled into a bit of a routine. Dalton required
supplemental feeds through an ng tube that we used with a gravity pump.
Medications were given periodically throughout the day. A home health
nurse visited once a week to check Dalton’s weight gain. Dalton and Mom
also made weekly trips to Salina for weight checks with the pediatrician.
One and a half months old, and Dalton still barely tipped the scales at 7lbs, 8
½ oz. (His birth weight was 6 lbs, 10oz??) Shortly after a month, Dalton was
eating enough by mouth to allow for the removal of the ng tube.
And so for awhile, we continued on. Dad went to work each day, while Mom
stayed home thanks to extra days from the school district’s sick leave pool.
Blake still went to daycare because with Dalton’s additional needs, frequent
naps were necessary for both he and Mom. Physical, occupational, and
speech therapists began scheduling visits.
Everyday cold and flu bugs would wreck havoc with Dalton, so the family lived
in a bubble until spring arrived. Children were discouraged from coming to
the house. Blake would be popped into the bathtub as soon as she returned
from daycare. Mom and Dad would tag-team on attending social events so
that one could stay with Dalton.
With the arrival of warmer weather, Dalton grew stronger. Knowing she
needed to return to school, Mom went back to work. Dalton went to daycare
at Helen’s with Blake. The plan was short lived, however. By day 3, Dalton
became sick and was admitted to SRHC with RSV. Again, Mom and Dad
took turns staying with him while the other worked and was with Blake. The
Harlem Globetrotters were in Salina for a performance, and during this time,
Dalton was visited by one of the players. A fellow patient on his floor was
featured on the front page of the Salina Journal with the ballplayer. Dalton,
uninterested, slept through all of the goings-on.
After six days, Dalton returned home. Two weeks later, Mom was able to go
back to school thanks to family friends who agreed to watch Dalton at their
home. Dina Rankin, and 5 year old Laura gave Dalton the TLC necessary
for Mom to finish out the remainder of the school year. Dalton seemed to
have a soft spot for Laura, and vice versa, already proving that he would be
quite the charmer.
Summer temperatures turned up, and Dalton’s personality seemed to warm
as well. Finally, the cranky baby no longer cried at every loud voice or
sound. All of a sudden, smiles replaced the tears. The long fussy nights of
rocking and walking the floor were replaced with peaceful bouts of sleep,
only interrupted for feedings. Life was more pleasant for everyone at the
Ploutz house.
On June 9, 2002, Dalton was baptized by Pastor Mark Kayser. During the
service, Dalton was in very good spirits. He “blew” his pacifier out of his
mouth, causing it to shoot across the front of the sanctuary. Dalton smiled
while Pastor Kayser explained the beauty of God’s gift of eternal life.
Watching and listening, it was as though Dalton was understanding all that
was occurring.
Stronger and healthier, Dalton was finally able to attend outings with the
family. Barbecues, family reunions, and even wheat harvesting were all on
Dalton’s social calendar. Weekly doctor appointments continued throughout
the summer as well.
Dalton was scheduled for a heart cath at CMH on July 11, 2002. The
procedure was necessary for the next step in rerouting blood from his heart.
After an exhausting day, Mom, Dad, and Dalton drove back to Kanopolis.
Instead of sleeping through the trip, though, Dalton was too worn out and
achy. He cried the entire 3 ½ hours home, making it for a torturous drive.
On July 16,2002, Dalton was again admitted to CMH, this time for a planned
surgical procedure, step #2, known as a Bi-Directional Glenn. In addition to
performing this, it was necessary for the septum wall that divides the top two
chambers of Dalton’s heart to be removed, thus leaving him with a two
chambered heart. (1 atrium, 1 ventricle)
While the surgery and recovery went smoothly, once at home some post-
operative complications developed. On Aug. 2, 2002, during a routine visit
to Cardiologist Dr. Allen in Wichita, fluid was found to be accumulating in
Dalton’s lungs. Once again, Dalton and Mom were flown to KC, and Dad
drove to meet them there. The fluid in the lungs was removed with
medications, and Dalton arrived home on Aug. 10, 2002, only to be
readmitted to CMH on Aug. 14, 2002, due to fluid around his heart. This time
medications were not able to resolve the problem. An attempt to simply drain
the fluid out by needle did not permanently solve the problem, either.
Because of this, Dalton had another surgery, a pericardial window, on
Thursday, Aug. 22, 2002.
On Aug. 27, 2002, Dalton was dismissed from the hospital. He returned
home with a feeding tube, due to the fact that he wasn’t able to ingest enough
on a daily basis to allow him to thrive. He ate by bottle throughout the day
and was hooked to a pump in the evening to receive nutrition via the tube. In
addition, two blake drain tubes (from surgery) were still in place.
Since Dalton needed tube feedings throughout the night, Mom and Dad took
a tag-team approach to the situation. Mom would sleep on the couch while
Dad slept in bed with Dalton. Feeds would be started at 10:30pm, and finish
at 11:30, when Dad would wake, flush through the tube, wash out the bag,
and get a new one ready. The alarm would wake Dad at 2:30 to begin the
process of tube feedings again. An hour later, the feed would be complete,
and Dad would again repeat steps for the feed at 6:30am. Every three days,
Mom and Dad would switch places, allowing the other parent to get a full
nights’ rest. This pattern would continue for nearly 10 months, with the only
“breaks” being a stay in the hospital.
Home nearly a month, Dalton was taken to our pediatrician for what we
suspected to be a cold. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Once again,
fluid was accumulating in his lungs and around his heart. Thanks to pain
medications, Dalton enjoyed his first helicopter ride to CMH. Dad was left to
drive the trip because there was not ample space on the helicopter. At CMH,
assessments were made, and the blake drain tubes were causing the fluid
problem. The old were removed, and new drain tubes put in, resolving the
problem.
It was during this time that friends from the chapter of Iota Kappa in Beta
Sigma Phi decided to take action. Members from the sorority began to
make plans for a benefit dinner and silent auction. Support from the
community and beyond poured in for the event. Hundreds of individuals
donated items for the auction and food for the dinner. Monetarily, the family
was blessed with thousands of dollars that helped defray the ever-increasing
medical expenses.
Life began to take on a bit of a normal routine by early fall. Dalton was cared
for by another family friend, Tania, who came to him, rather than requiring him
to be out in fall and winter elements. Since cooler weather also heralds in
cold and flu season, we again tried to limit Dalton’s exposure outside of the
home. If a cold or the flu did occur, it typically took him two to three times
longer than a healthy child to recover.
Physical and occupational therapists continued to visit. Most of the activities
focused on strengthening Dalton’s weak muscles. Tasks like rolling over and
sitting up were delayed due to Dalton’s additional medical problems.
Assistive products that resembled torture devices were left for use on a daily
basis. Dalton was frequently being strapped into a vest or wooden chair to
work on muscle building, increase strength, and improve posture.
Dad and Dalton went on weekly trips to CMH for drain checks until the tubes
were finally removed in _________. Always making a name for himself,
Dalton was one of the few patients who required drain tubes to be in place
for longer than 3 months past surgery!

For the past six months I have been working on writing this story. I want to
accurately depict Dalton’s brief life so others can see just what miraculous
events he accomplished in his life. This task is rather daunting and
emotionally draining. I have obviously only begun. Please continue to check
back as the “Trilogy of Dalton Donald Ploutz” will be added to so that all 3
years of his life will be covered.
~kjp