Thirty-seven weeks pregnant, and what an eventful week it has been! Our family drove in from the lodge early Tuesday morning dropped Hank off at school (he was dying to get back and convinced that his literacy partner was missing him terribly). Tyler dropped me off at my doctor’s appointment, and I saw Dr. Chang for my last echocardiogram, a BPP, and a regular prenatal check-up and got my TDAP shot. Believe it or not, my brother Van and I had appointments simultaneously. Unfortunately, for both of us, we received less than ideal news.
His scan showed that the mechanical valve put in 3 years ago was/is covered in vegetation. He has been on endless rounds of antibiotics since his last open-heart surgery to keep infection around his heart at bay. We hoped that this scan would show that he could taper back those meds and start feeling more like himself. Alas, the opposite was true. He was admitted into Vandy, and plans of a third OHS were underway. The details are still being ironed out, and the weekend will be a long one for him as he anticipates another risky surgery. Of course, he is in great spirits, but I know this is so far from easy for him, and my heart aches that he will have to go through all of this once again. I am also sad that I won’t have the option of going this time as I have in the past.
As for Amos, his growth is right on track. Those rolls on his arms are still going strong, and he is getting larger every minute that passes. His Cisterna magna is still measuring a bit large, and I still have a mild case of Polyhydramnios. Chang reviewed his D-TGA diagnosis and found a hypo-plastic aortic arch. Bit of a tongue twister! An HAA is similar to the more common coarctation of the aorta but slightly different. Essentially it means that his aortic arch is underdeveloped and needs extra tissue to help it function to its best ability. During his arterial switch operation, they will address this and create a patch where needed. From my limited understanding, this will mean a longer time on bypass, a higher risk of inflammation/swelling, bleeding, and long-term concern of high blood pressure. After surgery, they will keep his chest open for some time so that swelling can go down. I don’t wholly know what this entails, and my questions are on hold for the time being. I am sure I will have plenty of time (the rest of my life) digging into every detail of his diagnosis. We continue to trust God knowing He has a plan for Van and for Amos.
tocarryamos.com 