Baby T's Journey: June 2009

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Pediatric Visit-Full House

Mason had his 9 month pediatric well visit today and it continues to be all good news. Dr. Etheridge was very happy to see how well he looked and how well he was behaving. He is doing the typical things a 9 month old would do and is looking great on the growth chart! This just confirmed what we already knew, our little boy is so tough! Dr. Etheridge thought it would be a good idea to get a finger prick on him to check his iron levels, which in turn gave us a high result in lead. From what he said, a normal reading would be below 10 and Mason's was 22. Not the best news, but Dr. Etheridge did say they got a new machine so it may be as a result of it not being done properly or the machine malfunctioning. Either way, we were called back to have a venous blood draw to send off to the lab in Albuquerque. Even though the plebotomist was a pro little Mason must have been having flashbacks to the hospital, he was terrified when she started to put the band around his arm. My poor baby was so sad! Thank goodness it was over quickly and I could get him out of there without having to ask to be discharged! I just whisked him away and now we wait for a few days for the results. If it is high after the lab testing then we would be visited by the State to determine what could be causing the unusually high levels. It's good to know there are precautionary measures in place. On the other hand, Mason's hemoglobin levels were great and again, Mason's surprised Dr. Etheridge with how good his numbers looked.

Our niece and nephew Kelly and Kenneth are here for a few weeks of vacation and we so now we have 7 kids at home! Michael is home from college as well and it has truly been great. Everyone is getting along, with the exception of Matthew, who has reached the terrible two stage at 5. Nonetheless, it is a great time to be alive as a full house makes for more fun!

Mason: Height: 28" Weight 19.10

This is all about me...

Diagnosed in utero at 20 weeks with HLHS. On August 1, 2008, after some false contractions and a big scare, Mommy & Daddy traveled to Lucille Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University to give birth and give me a chance at life. I wasn't born until August 19, one day from my due date. I successfully underwent the Norwood on August 22nd and was known as the "Golden Child" for my cardiac recovery. Unfortunately, I developed a pleural effusion which kept me in the hospital longer. Due to my left vocal cord paralysis and reflux, I had a G-tube placement on September 24th. I was finally transferred to UNM Children's Hospital on October 1. I left there on October 15th to go home for the first time.

I returned to LPCH on December 4th and underwent my heart cath on December 9th, and was given the the ok for the Glenn. I went in for the Glenn on December 11th and they nicked my aorta upon opening my chest, which led to it rupturing. I was saved, closed up and the Glenn aborted. We waited seven days to make sure my MRI was okay and I went back in on December 17th for the Glenn. My only ventricle was considered severely dysfunctional afterwards, but nontheless on December 31st I was well enough to return home. On July 18, 2012 my Fontan was completed at LPCH and another pleural effusion kept me in the hospital a long while. On August 9, 2012 I was discharged and made my way back home. So here I am, hanging in there and Mommy thought it would be a great idea to share my life with all of you. I have to agree with her-I'm awake, I'm alive, and I'm glad I survived!