Good Report from the Cardiologist!

Yay - finally some good news to report! Sadie had her cardiology appointment today, which we'd been dreading/anticipating anxiously the last couple of weeks since her poor x-ray and pulse ox incidents. It looks like her pulse ox levels were down to some sort of respiratory infection or other ailment, but not because of her heart.

According to the cardiologist, her coronary arteries look great, there's only mild stenosis of the pulmonary vein (to be expected - will have to be watched and may one day require a stent, but for now is a-ok) and her right ventricle pressures look very good (her right ventricle has to be in good shape as with her condition it is responsible for the normal left-ventricle function). These are the three key things to watch with TGA patients as they develop, and all three areas look good. Even better news... there is no sign of pulmonary hypertension any longer. He said it's quite normal for it to abate after surgery and ample time to heal. Hooray!

He also said her pulse ox will run mid-90s frequently, and it's nothing to be concerned about. I had been incorrectly told at UVA that she'd be 99-100, and it simply isn't true. Especially when she's congested, has a chest cold, etc. She was running 96 today, which he was perfectly fine with . If it gets down in the 80s, then we need to double check, otherwise, she's good to go for another year before she needs another echocardiogram.

I also had an opportunity to talk to him a bit about my feelings, recent findings and insurance issues with UVA, which has been a sore spot for me since it was he who told me the only place to send Sadie was UVA. He explained his reasoning, and I agreed we made the right choice for Sadie, but implored him to respect his patients enough to give them options and explain risks more clearly. Though it is a time of shock and stress, often, when he meets with them, I still feel it's essential to have all the information in front of you so that you can make the best decision for your child. He was very kind, agreed to give more consideration to this and thanked me for my frankness. Good guy.

It's amazing to me every time Sadie's had an echo to see that little heart pumping, it's valves moving, the blood flowing. It reminds me of how far we have come since the day she was born, and what a miracle she is. It reminds me of how lucky we are to have her screaming, hysterical little self as part of our family. And it reminds me of all the people who came together to save this one little life. There I go getting a little weepy...

Enough... we're off to the park to celebrate!!