Ruth's Appointment

Today, Ruth went to her cardiologist, Dr. Goel.

Here are the facts:

Age: 6 days shy of 5 months

Weight: 10 lbs 4 oz (Up a whole 7 oz since last visit and 4 lbs 7lbs since birth)

Height: 23"

O2 Saturation: 79 (average) Her range was 74-79 the whole time.

Heart Rate: 151 (average)

Check Up: Blood Pressures- good- average
Liver- enlarged a bit (not a good sign)

Echo: No coarctation of the aorta
No blockage or major constructional changes or damages

The appointment:

Ruthie slept quietly in the waiting room until Kelly came out to get us started. The appointment ran pretty routine. I am starting to understand how doctor visits work. It helps to know what to expect. It makes me calmer and helps me to focus on Ruth and her needs while we are there. It is amazing how a routine (even at a doctors office) can change and control my whole outlook. But, I digress...

So back to our appointment:
Kelly came out to get us started around 9:45am.
Before 10am, Ruth had undergone all of her normal tests. She was weighed, measured, had her O2 saturations and blood pressures checked. Oh and of course, Kelly had listened to her little heart and lungs. Whew! What a good 15 minutes, all pretty good news.
After discussing her most up to date medications, Kelly was out the door.

While we waited on Dr. Goel, Ruthie enjoyed her breakfast. (well her second breakfast). She is really good at eating almost anywhere. It is AMAZING, especially since 4 months ago we were using an NG tube and not able to eat anywhere else but home or the hospital.
Upon arrival, Dr. Goel reviewed Ruthie's information (mostly the new saturation and weight). He said that her weight looked good and so did her sats. It is so nice to hear those things. I like hearing that she looks good. Makes a momma proud and relieved.
However, my bubble was burst when he began to check her stomach and listen to her heart and lungs. Her heart and lungs sounded fine. He did not seem too concerned. Her stomach was another story. Ruth's liver is a bit enlarged. As soon as he realized her liver was enlarged, Dr. Goel ordered an echo.

Ruth did really well during her echo. She was able to watch Elmo (one of her favorite voices) during the checking of her arch. After Elmo was off, Ruth just focused on the echo, itself. She watched the screen, the tech, the tech' s hand. She even put her hand on the tech's to help out with her echo. Oh so adorable. The only time Ruthie cried throughout the entire echo (which takes 15 minutes) was at the end when the tech wiped the jelly off her chest. It was like she was sad for it to be over:(

After the echo, we waited on Dr. Goel's assessment of the her heart from the pictures. He was extremely concerned that there could be coarctation of her aorta or other constructional issues that would be causes her liver to show problems. When a liver is enlarged in a HLHS baby the first thought is heart failure.

"Heart failure. Also called congestive heart failure, this condition means your heart can't pump enough blood to meet your body's needs."

.

Good news! There was no sign of coarctation of the aorta or of any damages or new issues. However, that good news did not last for long. Her heart muscle is not very strong. It is becoming stretched out. Pre-Glenn, a HLHS baby's heart is doing twice the work of a normal heart. The right side of Ruth's heart is seeing twice the amount of blood compared to a regular heart. Once we have the Glenn though, this wont be the case. The blood that is in Ruth's upper half of her body will begin to bi-pass the heart and go straight to the lungs creating a lot less work for her heart to handle.

Since the echo did not give point to any other issues, we are probably just waiting it out until surgery. Dr. Goel said that he would call our surgeon, Dr. Huddleson, to get his opinion on the matter. So now we are waiting. We are waiting on Dr. Huddleson and Dr. Goel to decide when her Glenn should take place. It may be a week earlier than planned (which will put us into late next week). Or, it may remain unchanged. We should know the plan of action by the end of the week.

All I know is that from today on, I am not worrying about anything else in this world except my little girl. I will not remember whether my house was clean every day or if the laundry was folded just right and done. I will remember, though, the smile of my little girl as she plays. Or how her eyes light up when she hears some of our favorite songs. After today, I am putting my life back into perspective. It is about the here and the now.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference.

Heart hugs!