And Babies Make...5

What a day! We had Tyson's Cardiology appointment today to check on how is RPA Stenosis is doing and to decide what the next step was as the last time we were in his levels were increasing from moderate to high and they were talking procedures to correct it.  Well it turns out that we don't have to have any surgeries or procedures done because his heart is finally growing and his RPA Stenosis has significantly gotten better!!!!!!! Thank you volunteers for playing with the kids, they had a blast!! Could there be any better news?!  We seriously have been waiting for this for almost 3 years!  All we have wanted was for him to be able to be a "normal" kiddo and we finally can do so!!!  I seriously am beyond ecstatic :o) Due to scheduling, we had the entire family with us and suprisingly they did really well!  We started the appointment as usual, getting his vitals.  He wanted mommy with him the whole time, but he did so good!! A special thanks to Renee fo...

I witnessed the sweetest thing ever while the boys were in the bathtub tonight:   Tyson was sitting back along the tub and Lincoln was touching his scars along his chest and pouring water on it saying "your boo-boo? boo-boo done".  He was attempting to make his "boo-boo" all better. I'll be honest...I got a little teary at how sweet and concerned Lincoln was and how Tyson was responding.  They didn't really say much, but just they behaviour towards each other was so genuine and caring.  And really touched my heart.  Tyson has actually been noticing his scar a lot lately.  I have been catching him looking in the mirror and touching it---He still doesn't understand why or what it is from, but it's amazing to watch him look at it and feel it.  Actually, they both have realized that it is there and it is truly a sight to see. Within moments after that sweet moment, they went right back to being boys...I was going to post o...

I have noticed for about a month now, that Tyson has a suture coming through his chest.  Yep, a suture from surgery about 2 and a half years ago.  For some reason it won't dissolve and is trying to get out of his body. We made an appointment with the Heart Center to have the surgeon take a look at and he confirmed that it is and if it's bothering him we need to take it out...that means surgery :(  Since he is still sick, we had to schedule it a few weeks out for March 20th at 7am.  Not a fan of surgery, especially since this is the 2nd time we have to take a suture out, but he is uncomfortable and won't let me wash his chest very good so we're going through with it. The risk to his heart is minimal, as less than 1%.  It's the actual putting under anethesia that is risky so please say some prayers for an easy quick procedure!

Tyson had a follow-up cardiology appointment to check on his heart...Our last appointment was 6 months ago and at that time we were left with the following results... -Has RPA Stenosis, levels are lower ~20's (has had RPA Stenosis since November of 2009) -Has MPA Stenosis, almost completely subsided ( has had since some time in late 2010/early 2011) This time around things are a little different, we got a bit of both good and bad. Good news is...his MPA Stenosis is not a factor---Woot-Woot!! Bad news is...his RPA Stenosis has worsened.  Per his Cardiologist, 95% of his heart is in great working shape, but the 5% has become worrisome. Basically the "kink" in his right pulmonary artery (the RPA Stenosis) has become more constricted.  Therefore his gradient level has increased.  In a normal heart-- that level is at 30, he is measuring 40 above that.  That places him in a more risky stage.  So now 2 years after the last surgery, he's...

Finally, we got some good news for a change!! To be honest, I was really thinking we were going to have to a) sedate him during his echo & b) talk about procedure/surgeries and I was wrong on both accounts!!  And I am so thrilled to be able to admit that!! With how things went the night before in the hospital when Tyson broke his growth plate, I was for sure this appointment was going to be beyond insane.  Especially, since we were at a new hospital with St. Joe's now transferred to PCH.  After waiting for awhile we were taken back and immediately Tyson began to scream, he was terrified at first to get his vitals taken and then once we went back to the room to get started on the Echo we popped in "Cars" and surprisingly enough, he quieted down and they were able to get some good shots of his heart.  During the Echo, I started to worry as a new (PCH tech) was looking at his heart for the first time and got worried himself when he couldn't find what he ...

Well, I should just get right to it.  Not the best appointment we'd hope for, but it could have been a lot worse, at least that's what I keep telling myself.  Getting the Echo done was insane!  From the moment we walked into the room to get his vitals checked to walking out, Tyson was not happy.  We had 2 nurses helping to get his vitals but he was just not having any of it.  He was throwing such a tantrum that his O2's were in the 70's & 80's and his blood pressure was out of the roof---I haven't seen these numbers since before his heart was repaired in Nov of '09.  Now, those numbers really didn't count since he was so upset, but it did worry them a little until he finally calmed down and his O2's hit the 90's and we got his blood pressure at the end of the appt which was fine. Once we got in the room to actually get the Echo nothing really seemed to help except for a sucker, but that soon didn't help either.  At one point...

We attended Ethan's Run again this year for the 2nd time and it was so great to see everyone working towards a great cause!  Due to scheduling conflicts it ended up just being me, Rob and the boys. Our Heart Baby running! The boys are so active these days that we really didn't have time to take a lot pictures, but we had lots of fun.  After registration we ate a yummy pancake breakfast and then it was off to the starting line...and the boys quickly reminded us that they don't understand patience or that they have to wait in line!  That's how we started the race in the front... all the way on the left side in the 2nd row by the guy in blue is where you can see me bending down to grab the kid from being ran over w/ Rob right behind me! Most of the time I carried Tyson like this...upside down! Not my choice, after he screamed the first time that's all he wanted to do ! Lincoln only wanted to throw rocks... We decided, I should clarify, Rob decided, t...

We can't believe that it's been a year since Tyson, aka Our Million Dollar Baby , had his little broken heart fixed.  We're amazed every day at how much he's endured at such a young age. The BIG day...Getting ready to head to the hospital Not that it is ever easy to let your child's life be placed in the care of someone else's, but for me the first surgery was easier.  Everything was such a whirlwind, we had just had twins boys and one who was swept away so fast to be cared for that we really hadn't had much time to truly bond.  This time around was like giving away a piece of my heart (no pun intended).  We were able to have him home with us and really bonded with one another. They basically had to rip him from my arms.  I could barely let him go, I knew that he was finally going to get his heart fixed, but I wasn't ready to say goodbye. Right after surgery After we sent him back, we waited for...

We took Tyson to his Cardiology appointment on Thursday and we are pleased to say that his heart function is great and his gradient level was lower than expected!  They had to double check the gradient level just to be sure before they let us leave cause it was that low!!  It was expected to be 25 and higher, but it was 18!!  We are so close to him having a "normal" heart!! Dr. Pophal said we'll see him in about 4-5 months, then confirmed to be back in 5.  I'll be honest, I was hoping for at least a 6 month clearance, but 5 is better than next week/2 weeks/1 month so I'll take it.  Since our little man didn't follow the rules and his repair was complicated (the pulmonary arteries are straddling the Aorta) we have to be sure that everything stays secured and moving in the right direction. With that being said, we'll be seeing our favorite people a lot over the next couple of years!  Which is fine by me because, not only do I ...