Heart Update

This summer was filled with lots of different appointments.  I tried to schedule everything before school started up again to make life a little easier: well-child checks, dentist, orthodontist, eye doc.  But Matt's cardiologist couldn't get us in for a check up until today.  So, here it is the end of the third week of school and already Matt has missed half a day for a doctor's appointment.  Oh wait, I nearly forgot last week when I had to check him out early to get a cast on his arm.  Man.  There's nuthin like starting the year off just right, eh?

Matt and Josh on Matt's baptism day
July 2012

Today's appointment actually went pretty well.  If you don't remember, Matthew has Pulmonary Atresia and there's a pretty descriptive post about it you can find HERE.  Last summer Matt had an MRI and you can relive that adventure HERE and HERE.

First we had to do the obligatory EKG.  Matt got all the stickers all over his torso.  When the nurse went to pull them off, they all stuck a LOT.  Poor boy was stuck in that place between laughing at the absurdity of the situation and crying out in pain.  Luckily, he chose to laugh and the nurse said, "Just wait until you have your 'man hair.'"  I can only imagine how much more the EKG stickers will hurt in ten or fifteen years.  Yikes.

We went into the echocardiogram room and Matt and Millie happily watched Over the Hedge while I tried my best to read the echo myself.  Yeah.  That didn't happen.  I've seen many of those echoes over the years and still have no idea how to know what's going on.  I always come out of that room determined to go back to school to become an echo tech so I can be much less ignorant than I am.  Maybe when I have all the kids in school.  Eh, probably not, but it's a nice thought.

The doc came in with a medical student.  I love it when the students come in.  Matt's heartbeat is so unique that it's kind of fun to watch for that look of, "Holy cow, what was that?" when they listen to his heart.

The final verdict came back that Matt's heart seems to be as good as it was ten months ago at his last check up.  The next step is for another MRI next summer.  His pulmonary valve has significant enough leakage that his right ventricle is at risk for enlarging too much and causing permanent damage so that will be evaluated after the MRI.  That information alone could cause Matt to need his next valve replacement.  Or if he becomes too sleepy and lethargic.  Otherwise his heart is good enough to avoid surgery until at least next summer.

Once again the doctor mentioned that they are beginning to use catheters in lieu of open heart surgery for valve replacements.  Matt could be a candidate for that, especially if we can get him to hit a growth spurt of two before the next replacement.  The doctor's practice has already been a part of 15 or 20 replacements with that method.  They try the catheter first and then go to open heart as a last resort.  I can't tell you the relief that is to me.  No one can ever tell me that miracles don't happen in this day and age.  The use of this procedure is proof enough to me!