Heart Status 2014

February 7-14 was congenital heart defect awareness week.  We kicked it off by seeing Caroline's cardiologist for her yearly check-up.

For the most part everything looked good.  No residual holes and the regurgitation (blood going the wrong way) looks the same as it did a year ago-trace amounts in the tricuspid valve and moderate amounts in the mitral valve.  The big news in our eyes is where she is stats wise.  For the first eight months of her life she was in the lowest 5th percentile (she was only 11 lbs 8 oz at 6 months old!).  Well now at almost 2 years of age we are happy to say she has been holding steady for the last 6 months or so at the 50th percentile!  Can you believe it???!!!  Our child who was hospitalized at 2 months old for failure to thrive, had a feeding tube, would take over 30 minutes to drink 2 ounces, who we had to measure every mL she drank is THRIVING.  Admittedly she did sit in the 25th percentile for awhile there which was excellent in and of it self but somehow 50th percentile feels soooo much more secure.

This time around we aren't going a year in between appointments.  We will be seeing him again in August.  She had a cold when we saw him and he was having trouble getting a proper pulmonary pressure reading.  So just to make sure that is all okay we get to see him again in 6 months.  He wasn't worried so we aren't.  No need to worry about what may be...heck if that is how we lived I would be going crazy!  In any case, from our understanding of it she isn't in any immediate risk of anything if her pulmonary pressure is a bit higher.  If it is it means that pressure in her lungs is making her heart work harder than it should.  Over time this is not at all good for her heart.  But for the next 6 months it is fine.  He just wants to be on top of it.  Like I said we aren't worried.  She is healthy and thriving and that is what matters.

In other health news Caroline got tubes put on the 17th of February.  She handled the surgery like a champ and seems to be doing well with them.  Hopefully this will deal with her monthly ear infections.
Anyway, that's all the news we have for now.  It feels good to be sharing good news.

Love,

Megan