Dear Family and Friends -
Above is a picture of Nathan. His name means gift from God.
They removed the ventilator on Saturday, revealing his cute little face. We were able to hold him for the first time! Trisha waited until she was in physical pain to give him up after three hours of holding him. He is a bit puffy from the fluids used to manage his blood pressure, but that will return to normal after his surgery.
Friday he underwent a cardiac catheterrization. This is a catheter placed inside the heart under x-ray to map all anatomy. Our prayers for a pulmonary artery were answered! The artery, though imperfect and small, looks to be viable, and feeds all 15 sections of the lungs. This news changed the earlier diagnosis--dropping pulmonary atresia. Additionally, the vessel/valve which connect the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery (which we were told didn't exist) was clearly visible. Repair/replacement of this section will be needed in a few months as it is malformed.
His surgery is scheduled for Monday morning at 7am to place a shunt between the aorta and pulmonary artery. This increases blood flow in the proper direction, and should result in growth of the pulmonary artery. They may also close off abnormal vessels (collaterals) which route blood in the wrong direction.
The surgery and the 48 hours following surgery are critical, so please continue your prayers.
We will try to update tomorrow sometime after surgery.
Erik & Trisha
No comments:
Post a Comment