Today was Sean's first visit to the heart doctor, Dr.Lane. Where do I start...maybe keep it simple. All in all, Sean did pretty well with having doctors and nurses probing him, measuring him, clipping electrodes to his chest. If there's a highlight, it was watching Sean get an Echocardiogram (?). It's like the one pregnant women get, but this one took a look at his heart. Fascinating to see a human heart pump and girate.
Here's the bottom line: Sean is operating on 2/3 rds of his hearts capacity. He has three things wrong with it:
1. Transposition of the Great Arteries
2. Ventricular Septal Defect
3. Pulmonary Stinosis
(may not have gotten all the spelling right).
Oddly, the doctor said that having the three defects has actually helped him, that if one of those problems did not exist, he would be in a graver situation. Normal hearts operate with two arteries, but Sean, having had one surgery in China, is operating on one artery. I could show you this on a diagram I have, so my explanation here will be lacking. Once Sean has surgery, he will still be operating on one artery and primarily one atrium. Not uncommon for those who have had this problem. This however means he will never be an athlete or compete in vigerous activity.
Dawn asked about the lifespan of people who have had this done, and the doctor said most people they have been able to track are now in their 40's. That doesn't mean Sean has only until his 40's. It just means they've been doing this surgery for 40 years, so their first patients are now in their 40's. Sean will always have to have regular checkups on his heart, and may have to take medicine all his life. Not sure yet on that though. You and I operate at 99% oxygen levels, whereas Sean is around 83. When he cries it drops to the 60's, and that is a more dangerous level. If he can stay at the 80 level, he will not need surgery until he's 4. This allows his heart to grow and there is more room to operate and make corrections. He will have three month checkups until then.
So, for now, we live life as normally as one can with a toddler running the house. I'm sure I will have more on this as I get educated and we learn more. Thanks for your prayers, and as you think of him and our family...continue to pray that God heals his heart as I know He can.
1 comment:
It sounds like things went well for you. Glad to hear he seems to be doing so well. He sure is adorable and I enjoyed meeting him. Hopefully Hannah and Makenna won't scare him forever....at times they still scare me!
Tina
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