Few updates to add…. We had an appointment with our pediatric cardiologist on Tuesday and just to warn you, the following explains my (very) basic understanding of the heart. I would hope that any heart experts would forgive and direct me if I am incorrect about the cardiovascular physiology.
After the echocardiogram, our doctor was able to confirm that our baby's pulmonary arteries have visible and adequate blood flow to the lungs. This can mean a lot of different things but most importantly it means that our baby does not have pulmonary stenosis or an obstruction of her pulmonary valve. This was really encouraging to learn about because it’s one less surgical procedure to endure. However, what cannot be measured in utero is the amount of flow resistance from the single ventricle to the lungs. If the resistance is too weak, then too much blood flow could oversaturate the lungs. From what I have read, this is a common possibility with single ventricle babies. If there is too much volume in the lungs, and not enough volume carried out through the rest of the body the heart can overwork and the lungs can become congested. A flow resistance issue is a possibility to prepare for; however, it doesn’t mean that our baby will have a problem with it. In fact, she may be born completely stable! If this is the case, we may even be able to take her home and fatten her up for a few months before surgery becomes necessary.
This experience has been life altering. Mark and I have had to learn so much about life and what ‘thinking positively’ means. The uncertainty is the hardest part. As much as I want to celebrate any shred of ‘good’ news, I’m also cautious to balance my emotions because I don’t want to grieve every bit of ‘bad’ news. Even though I may not be celebrating my pregnancy the way I planned, I’m still very appreciative for every bit of good that has come from this experience so far. We have been blessed with a team of fantastic doctors to work with who have been not only thorough but also patient and understanding. Aside from medical professionals, we also have amazing family, friends and new friends who have reached out and shown so much love and support.
Mark and I are still deciding on our daughter’s name….we have some ideas and will hopefully decide soon. I really-really like the idea of using a Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter name, but then I remember that I’m 29 and should be more mature than that.
~Melissa
I say if you want a Fighter name, you go for it. BT
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you received a piece of good news! Sonya or Chun Lee would be fantastic names. I wanted Carter's middle name to be 'Chainsaw'
ReplyDeleteI never get what I want.
Is there any sort of possibility for a heart transplant? My friends' baby just had one. I'm completely lost in this area, and I spent an hour last week staring at my own daughter's echo. No clue what anything was. 'that squishing thing is her heart, yes?'
Yes! Chainsaw would have been a great middle name. I also like the name Sarah Connor, but only pronounced with a Terminator accent.
DeleteI did ask the doctor about a heart transplant. He said that based on how the heart looks now it would be less risky to go with the Glenn and Fontan operations then it would be to go with the transplant. However, the option for a transplant might come up later in life. I guess we don't really know.
Who knows what can happen in the future though, what if we can grow a band new heart on the back of a mouse or something! I'm optimisitic and considering banking her cord blood just in case.
The echo is very abstract to look like. A heart should look like this <3 right? I admire the heck out of the professionals that can look at those pictures and know what's going on.
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