tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-156934562011-04-21T14:48:39.436-07:00This weblog is dedicated to my daughter Sophia. She inspires all that meet her with her strength and perseverance. Though she was born with a severe congenital heart defect, the bounds of her love are infinite.Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.comBlogger1791100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1162404818458149212006-11-01T10:13:00.000-08:002008-04-18T11:48:55.700-07:00

I have transferred the blog to a new domain and will not be updating this blog.The new URL will be http://www.iheartsophia.com/blog.Please update any feeds, bookmarks, subscriptions, etc. with the new URL. The URL for the RSS feed is here.There are new posts there now. Thanks.-M

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1162174776133722742006-10-29T20:07:00.000-08:002006-11-01T10:21:08.016-08:00

Hi everyone.I am in the process of moving WisdomHeart to a new domain. The new URL will be http://www.iheartsophia.com/blog. At this point, I have moved all the archives and links and I will likely be posting at the new site from here forward, as it is now fully functional. The site still looks pretty spare as I have not yet designed a template for it.I will leave this site up and in the next

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1161916700244302972006-10-26T18:54:00.000-07:002006-10-26T19:38:21.276-07:00

Sophia is two years old at 4:32pm Friday, October 27th.We are so thankful our little girl is doing so well. When Sophia was born, we new our lives would never be the same. We could never have guessed that within a few hours of her making her way into the world, she would be diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. I remember her diagnosis with such vivid detail. Within a couple of hours of

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1161383960528720942006-10-20T15:02:00.000-07:002006-10-20T15:58:15.593-07:00

I know I haven't been posting much lately.Well, here is why. I Heart Community is a forum for the CHD community.I thought it might be nice to have a central location where everyone could meet online. I have benefited so much from the support of this community and I thought it would be nice to have a forum in which we could interact with each other online. My hope is to unify the CHD community in

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1160928296363974092006-10-15T08:59:00.000-07:002006-10-15T09:04:56.383-07:00

I set up a CHD group on flickr.I thought it might be a good central location to share photos and possibly raise some CHD awareness.It has a photo pool and a discussion forum.I named it "I Heart Community" and the URL is http://www.flickr.com/groups/iheartcommunity/. If you are already a member of flickr and your life has been affected by a CHD, please consider joining the group and posting some

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1160707338906067122006-10-12T19:42:00.000-07:002006-10-12T19:49:34.380-07:00

Sorry for the lack of activity. I am working on some exciting new stuff.I will post something soon.Please hang in there.-MichaelIn the meantime, there are some new pics at flickr.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1159847069238942522006-10-02T20:43:00.000-07:002006-10-02T20:44:29.260-07:00

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1159223611753911272006-09-25T17:26:00.000-07:002006-09-25T15:34:04.276-07:00

Patty, Sophia and I took a day-trip to the local botanical gardens on Sunday.The park is called Powell Gardens.We all had a wonderful time and it was really nice to get out of the city and have some family time.Sophia really loves to be out in nature and she beamed her satisfaction all day long.The gardens were so beautiful and the weather was perfect. What a great day.There are many photos on

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1159118571646716782006-09-24T10:18:00.000-07:002006-09-24T10:22:51.753-07:00

Patty, her mother, and Sophia attended The Erika Bender 2nd Annual Plant Hope For Hearts in Parkville, MO. The weather was nice and they had a really good time. I was unable to attend because of work. Seems like a great event.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1158966731765914252006-09-22T18:09:00.000-07:002006-09-23T05:07:33.456-07:00

A few months ago, Sophia was chosen to be this years recipient for the 12th Annual Steven Hagedorn Police Officer's Charity Golf Tournament. My mother has worked for the Lee's Summit Police Dept since I was in grade school and this event always benefits one of their officers or an officers immediate family member. The news of Sophia being selected by a nominating board was very overwhelming for

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1158809911353033342006-09-20T20:31:00.000-07:002006-09-20T20:38:31.376-07:00

What a sad story this is. They verify all the narcotics at Children's Mercy in KC. But, heparin seemed to be used pretty freely to keep IVs patent (hep-locked?). More evidence of the necessity of parental vigilance. Although, I am not sure it would make much difference in a freak accident like this. My thoughts are with the families of these newborns.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1158790050150489832006-09-20T14:36:00.000-07:002006-09-20T15:07:30.426-07:00

As many of you who read the blog on a regular basis know, I posted a few rants about some of the doctors we encountered during Sophia's last hospital stay. In retrospect, it seems posts like these are counter-productive in regards to the purpose of this blog and as a consequence I have removed my questionable commentary from the previous posts. I started this blog in an attempt to help other

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1158444256611567352006-09-16T16:51:00.000-07:002006-09-16T15:04:16.643-07:00

We are home and resting. It sure feels good to be home.The doctors' consensus on Sophia's hospitalization was respiratory distress caused by pneumonia. She also had two horrible ear infections, likely from the same infection that caused the pneumonia.But she is much better now and we sure are glad to be home. Sophia clapped the whole way home in the car. I will post some type of summary of our

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1158361280934118552006-09-15T15:51:00.000-07:002006-09-15T16:02:32.163-07:00

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. It has been difficult to make any time. I went back to work. So I have been sleeping and showering at the hospital and leaving for work from the hospital.Sophia is doing much better. We got her antibiotics switched to per tube. So no more IVs.She got a bath today which she loved. She has been happy and playing and sleeping and eating well.Her respiratory status

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1158168761541999672006-09-13T10:12:00.000-07:002006-09-20T14:35:00.450-07:00

Hi everyone. Sophia is still doing good.She still needs IV antibiotics, so no talk of discharge yet.Thanks for all the comments. Your support is so important to Patty and I.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1158107989429505132006-09-12T17:11:00.000-07:002006-09-20T14:31:01.193-07:00

Sophia is doing much better. She is off of oxygen and her sats are holding in the 80s (we've even seen some 90s).She is eating well and tolerating all of her home regimen.She has been awake more, happy and playing. We are pleased to have our little girl back. But, we have not yet heard any murmurs of discharge just yet...maybe, tomorrow.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1158013492298266282006-09-11T14:32:00.000-07:002006-09-11T16:14:15.530-07:00

We have been sent to the step-down floor. Sophia is pretty uncomfortable with her ear infections. She is still on a little bit of O², but it is just minimal. Her sats are hanging in the 80s with the oxygen. Her x-ray may be showing some pneumonia, but it has been my experience at this stage of the game to not lend too much credence to chest x-rays, as there interpretation is so subjective.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1157934473890893902006-09-10T17:26:00.000-07:002006-09-10T17:28:58.920-07:00

We went to the pediatrician today because Sophia had been coughing and vomiting overnight. Her breathing was labored and her color was a little blue. She had been sniffly the last couple of days but for the most part wasn't letting it get her down. The pediatrician was concerned enough to send us to the ER. The ER was concerned enough to admit us. So we are in the ICU getting IV fluids and

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1157666791505611532006-09-07T14:46:00.000-07:002006-09-07T15:06:31.650-07:00

Sophia has had a great week. She is getting all around the house (and outside too) in her new walker. She loves it so much that she even asks us to put her in it. It makes me so happy to see her standing up like a toddler should. We went to story time at the library again this morning. They read stories about the abc's, sang songs and decorated bookmarks. Sophia can't get enough of the

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1157310611513177642006-09-03T13:59:00.000-07:002006-09-03T12:10:11.560-07:00

Here is a picture of Sophia in her new gait trainer. Eventhough, she threw the biggest fit I have ever witnessed from her while they were fitting it to her, she really likes it now. Hopefully, she will be standing and walking on her own before too long.It turns out her ears were fine. The ENT said, no blockage and the tubes looked good. Patty or I will post more soon.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1157070634383479722006-08-31T17:14:00.000-07:002006-08-31T17:30:34.443-07:00

We are feeling much better as far as the coughing goes but Sophia still has an ear infection. I took her back to the doc on Monday and he said her right ear had some major blockage and he could not see her ear tube. He made an appointment for her to see an ENT tomorrow to have her ears cleaned out. Hopefully after her ear is cleaned it can drain out the infection (and hopefully he will see the

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1156208208040319492006-08-21T19:10:00.000-07:002006-08-21T17:57:29.700-07:00

Patty had a sore throat last week and went to see her doctor. It turned out she had strep throat. By this morning, it had turned into a nasty cough even though she had been taking penicillin. And to add to things, Sophia had a really restless night and was getting a runny nose and cough. So both went to the doctor today. Patty has bronchitis and started some stronger antibiotics. Sophia has

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1156198743249536582006-08-21T15:14:00.000-07:002006-08-21T15:19:36.226-07:00

Please do what ever it is positive that you do (pray, meditate, knock wood, or just send love and good thoughts), and dedicate it to little Cason. He and his family could use your support.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1156039782834110732006-08-19T21:05:00.000-07:002006-08-19T22:47:05.663-07:00

My mother and I took Sophia to a local park today. I wanted to experiment with my camera and try to get some good shots of Sophia. The results were mixed but I did get some good shots. You can see them at flickr.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1155841447729042912006-08-17T13:49:00.000-07:002006-08-24T22:33:59.886-07:00

I have been experimenting with a new blog host called Vox.I have no plans of changing wisdom heart.I think vox is still in beta testing. It is really easy to use but it differs quite a bit from blogger.The idea behind it seems to be a merger of blogging and social networking (ala myspace). It makes it really easy to share photos, music, videos, and books. I don't think it allows comments

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1155603459835974672006-08-14T19:52:00.000-07:002006-08-23T05:05:40.696-07:00

Sophia is doing really well self-feeding. She ate her whole dinner tonight unassisted. Go Sophia!You can see more pics at flickr.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1155497761831114282006-08-13T10:57:00.000-07:002006-08-13T12:39:50.350-07:00

Hi everybody. It has been a while since I have last posted on the blog, so I thought I would take advantage of Sophia's naptime and update everyone on her therapy sessions. One of the main reasons I choose to be stay at home mamma is so that I can manage and be involved with our daughters on-going weekly therapy sessions. Sophia's therapy program is funded by the state of Missouri. It is

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1155145059740850602006-08-09T12:40:00.000-07:002006-08-09T10:39:48.273-07:00

Here is a short Jim Hensen tribute video I dug up. I added a bunch more videos and edited the text a little in yesterday's Sesame Street post. Enjoy. I will post a Sophia update soon. She is doing really well since surgery.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1155083122022062542006-08-09T12:25:00.000-07:002006-08-09T10:31:29.160-07:00

Sophia loves Sesame Street. We were watching old Sesame Street clips on YouTube and I was reminded off one of my favorite muppets. His name was "Bip Bipadotta". He was a sort of beatnik character with wild red hair.I loved Jim Henson for pushing against so many boundaries on television in a way that wasn't about being shocking or offensive. I have posted all the "Bip" videos I could find on

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1154643315892618392006-08-03T17:05:00.000-07:002006-08-03T15:16:43.280-07:00

There is a certain charm to setting up a wading pool on the front porch of a house in an urban neighborhood during the heat of a summer afternoon, I can only describe as transcendent. If you add one beautiful curly-locked bather the whole scene borders on the sublime. Enjoy the new photos at Flickr.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1154479951161761532006-08-01T19:40:00.000-07:002006-08-01T18:23:32.770-07:00

We saw Dr. O'Laughlin today. He is Sophia's cardiologist. It was just a routine follow-up.Sophia got a great report from her appointment. Her systemic oxygen saturation was around 87. There was not fluid around her heart and Dr. O'Laughlin was pleased overall by her appearance. He also showed us her stents on echo.We do not have another appointment for three months. The really good news is,

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1154310262704019422006-07-30T20:40:00.000-07:002006-07-30T18:46:04.376-07:00

Here's another eating pic. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as Sophia enjoys cake and ice cream. You can go here for a whole set.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1154211840793339612006-07-30T11:45:00.000-07:002006-07-30T09:54:15.720-07:00

I am going to try a little experiment. This blog will always be primarily dedicated to news and views related to Sophia's CHD and parenting issues associated with CHDs in general. But, I would like to occasionally post about things outside of these parameters that I think my audience might appreciate. This will be the first of this type of post. Please let me know your thoughts on this idea or

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1153982241006820932006-07-26T00:21:00.000-07:002006-07-26T23:37:29.890-07:00

I guess this isn't really a milestone. But...Sophia had some real pasta with red sauce today while I was at work. Patty took some good pictures.There are some more on Flickr! She took Sophia's clothes off in anticipation of the mess. She had to go straight to the bath afterward. That's the measure I usually use for a good meal. She seems to have really enjoyed it. I hope you like the pics.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1153804770035582132006-07-25T00:13:00.000-07:002006-07-24T22:19:49.100-07:00

For some reason, I think it had something to do with privacy concerns, I have been less than specific in my discussion of Sophia's doctors. In other words, I have avoided using any names to this point in writing the blog.I realized during this last surgery this was not well thought out.First, the doctors whose care Sophia has depended on, to even be alive in some cases, deserve credit for all

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1153781894502184572006-07-24T15:40:00.000-07:002006-07-26T23:50:33.406-07:00

Sophia did really great using a paint brush for the first time.Here is a photo. There are more on Flickr!I was really impressed. I am really excited to do this activity again.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1153540153901745602006-07-21T22:47:00.000-07:002006-07-26T23:46:22.766-07:00

I wanted to post a comparison picture. The right side of the picture was taken in September 2005, just before her BT shunt surgery, the left side is right after her third surgery. In other words, this was how Sophia looked prior to surgical repair side-by-side how she looks now. She sure has come a long way.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1153528557223000072006-07-21T19:28:00.000-07:002006-07-21T17:53:30.346-07:00

Hi everyone.Don't have any real news. I just wanted to show you this picture of Sophia tooling around the house on her little car.She didn't really have the strength and energy to push this little car around a couple of months ago.I can't wait until she crawls, stands or walks on her own. Although in some ways I am a little intimidated by her new energy.She is whole lot harder to keep up with

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1153425156600169552006-07-20T14:37:00.000-07:002006-07-20T18:00:07.666-07:00

We had Sophia's surgery follow-up today. It was really no big deal. We had to get a chest x-ray and see one of the Cardiovascular Surgery nurses. She listened to Sophia's heart and lungs via stethoscope. We reviewed medications. We had the nurse do a spot check of Sophia's sats, which came out as 86. She looks so much better than 86.Her lungs were really clear and everyone said she looked

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1153189921963071202006-07-17T21:15:00.000-07:002006-07-17T19:34:34.953-07:00

I wanted to take a minute to point you to another blog.Patty and I have just fell in love with little Sammy through his photos and through his mother's insightful and funny writing.Sammy has a form of HLHS (Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome). It is a congenital heart defect that differs from Sophia's in many aspects but obviously there are a great deal of similarities in their situations.Sammy is

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1153065544024322042006-07-16T09:51:00.000-07:002006-07-16T09:00:25.160-07:00

Erin at Nova's Heart and Poetic Acceptance has posted regarding the thoughts I put here yesterday. She adds the perspective of a parent who has lost children to CHDs. I am really happy to know that my experience is not uncommon. Thanks for the comments. And thanks to Erin for her post.I feel compelled to share this Buddhist parable. It seems to be appropriate for this discussion, and though

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1153011470666244682006-07-15T19:47:00.000-07:002006-07-15T17:57:50.690-07:00

I have added a couple of photos to flickr!.You can view all my sets here if you haven't been to the flickr! page.I had to post this one to the blog. I know it will not mean much to any of you unfamiliar with CHDs that cause blood mixing, and I hope it translates via everyone's monitor settings. But, these piggies are really pink.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152993108568214902006-07-15T11:04:00.000-07:002006-07-15T12:55:21.283-07:00

When we are at the hospital, I use this blog as both a way to convey information and to help bring order to all the information I need to process. As a consequence I usually am not able to post regarding the myriad emotions and thoughts such an occasion brings.I think posting about these thoughts and feelings can benefit others going through similar situations as well as those who have not had

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152907456263796482006-07-14T14:52:00.000-07:002006-07-14T13:04:16.303-07:00

It took most of the day. But, we are finally home.Sophia just beamed all the way home. Once we got here she grabbed her favorite toy (check-up time elmo) and started scooting all around the living room.I hadn't mentioned it as we had other things on our mind. But, today is our 11th wedding anniversary. I cannot think of a better gift than to be home with Sophia.She certainly had a rough go.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152887114042636222006-07-14T09:25:00.000-07:002006-07-14T07:48:01.210-07:00

Sophia's cardiologist is reading her echo right now. Hopefully, we will be home by the afternoon. She ate about a cup and a half of oatmeal and a whole kiwi for breakfast. So her appetite is better this morning. They did a spot check of her sats this morning and it was in the mid to upper 90s.Below is a couple of links to a story about a CHD kid, Andrew Geracoulis, that had a special sports

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152847166166867182006-07-13T22:04:00.000-07:002006-07-13T20:19:26.290-07:00

We are anxiously awaiting discharge.Sophia has not been eating very well today.This hasn't kept us from feeding her formula through her g-tube.We think she may be cutting new teeth on top of all she has been through.There is some concern with her loss of appetite, grumpiness, and lethargy. There is a slight possibility this could indicate some fluid around her heart. We are getting a cardiac

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152804538813923702006-07-13T10:14:00.000-07:002006-07-13T12:15:45.643-07:00

Sophia is still doing well. I think we are coming to the home stretch.Once they clear her on her respiratory stuff, we should be released.Everything else is pretty much back to normal.They took her stitches and staples out this morning. All her IVs are out. I will let you know if hear something about release.Edit: We received a nice blanket from CHD Families while we were in the ICU.You can

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152748708025819802006-07-12T18:53:00.000-07:002006-07-12T17:38:26.126-07:00

The blood cultures were negative this morning. Sorry I didn't post this earlier. I just found out myself. Bonus points to anyone who knows where the post title came from.Hint: She's reinacting a shot from a movie.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152741609170279642006-07-12T16:33:00.000-07:002006-07-12T15:13:04.283-07:00

Sophia had a good long nap. She woke up right about the time her mommy got back from a short nap at home. Sophia seems pretty ticked but things are progressing.The oxygen has been off for a few hours now. Systemic oxygen saturation has been around 90%.Sophia has had one full feed of formula and at 3:30pm she had about a cup of oatmeal and some water. She is awake and alert and she starting to

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152721471793176462006-07-12T11:19:00.000-07:002006-07-12T09:24:31.810-07:00

We are progressing with bolus feeds. She is getting 185mL over two hours. We are going to try some of her regular foods this afternoon. But, she seems to be tolerating everything just fine. She has a pretty serious case of the "chocolate syrup" diapers.But, I am just glad she is eating and pooping. Her lungs are about the same. But hopefully we will make some more progress there as well.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152708238826028822006-07-12T07:35:00.000-07:002006-07-12T05:43:58.843-07:00

Sophia slept through the night. She has reached her goal with her continuous feeds. She is getting 40mL per hour of Kindercal continuously.She is a little fussy this morning.Her weight was a little high this morning, indicating she may have a little extra fluid onboard. They are going to replace one of her by mouth (in her case by g-tube) doses of Lasix with an IV dose.Otherwise we will hope

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152672766242730532006-07-11T21:45:00.000-07:002006-07-11T19:52:46.256-07:00

Sophia is tolerating her feeds and much happier. She is sleeping now. Hopefully, she will sleep through the rest of the night. She is just getting 30mL of Kindercal per hour at a continuous rate. If this goes well, we will eventually switch to bolus(185mL at a time every few hours)feeds. I am in no rush. I am happy to let her take her time. We are both just so thrilled she is finally

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152668911681638012006-07-11T20:39:00.000-07:002006-07-11T18:59:57.046-07:00

For some reason, I lost all the code from my sidebar about two hours ago. Luckily, It was mostly backed up.I have added some new stuff at the bottom of the sidebar. I set up a Frappr! Map for the blog. If you do not know about Frappr!, what I would like you to do is put a pin on your location so I can see where the readers are located. It is really simple. Just click on the link below. In the

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152656120179544942006-07-11T15:11:00.000-07:002006-07-11T16:01:43.433-07:00

Sophia is doing much better today.We have started some very slow continuous feeds.She is still getting a little O2.She has been sitting up in her bed and playing with toys.We have both had some smiles and a few chuckles.I will post some new pics to flickr! shortly.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152641068237904322006-07-11T12:02:00.000-07:002006-07-11T19:53:45.206-07:00

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152622752180232402006-07-11T07:58:00.000-07:002006-07-11T06:12:31.313-07:00

Sophia is having a little better morning.Aside from the nurses digging for blood for an hour, she has been resting.Around the time we all went to sleep last night, Sophia's numbers were just perfect. Her heart rate was down to 120bpm. Her respiration rate was around 25, and her sats were 91...yes, that was "91" with no oxygen. Unfortunately, her sats dropped late in the night causing her to go

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152580894689248042006-07-10T19:15:00.000-07:002006-07-10T18:21:34.690-07:00

Things have been quiet for a couple hours now. Once the fluids settled into her system and all the poking and prodding quit her heart rate came down to about 125bpm and her sats have stayed in the mid-80s. She has been asleep for a while now. We will hope things stay quiet for the rest of the night.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152561048403886292006-07-10T14:06:00.000-07:002006-07-10T13:03:02.120-07:00

Sophia's heart rate continued to rise overnight and into the morning. At one point this morning it reached as high as 188 bpm. The consensus seemed to be dehydration probably brought on by a combination of vomiting and diuretics (lasix). There is of course the possibility she is developing an infection. She has been getting motrin every four hours and still has a slightly elevated temperature.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152537989699671652006-07-10T08:04:00.000-07:002006-07-10T06:26:29.716-07:00

We had a pretty rough night last night. Sophia started vomiting around 8pm and a couple more times later. Her heart rate has been up pretty high since yesterday afternoon. We think because of nausea. She seems pretty dehydrated which also could be elevating her heart rate. She has been dry heaving all morning. She is getting some anti-nausea medicine(zofran). And we are going to try some

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152492510875873842006-07-09T19:44:00.000-07:002006-07-09T17:48:30.876-07:00

Sophia is doing fine. She is off the oxygen, but she is still receiving respiratory treatments. I think we will get out of here when her respiratory issues are resolved and CV surgery removes her chest drains and releases her. I will keep you posted in the meantime. Hopefully, I will post some photos of Sophia from the regular floor with my next post.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152465653503965782006-07-09T00:11:00.000-07:002006-07-09T10:20:53.523-07:00

Everybody do a little dance. We are out of the ICU and moved to the regular floor.Sophia seems to be tolerating oxygen weaning. I just need to make sure her nurses and doctors are diligent about getting her off of oxygen. Obviously, the care is different on the floor. The nurses have more patients and do not do anything to rock the boat. But I am shooting to get her off of the O2 by tonight.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152419032141559362006-07-08T23:19:00.000-07:002006-07-08T21:23:52.156-07:00

Things are pretty much the same. Sophia still has diminished breath sounds on the left side. She doesn't care much for the treatments. But, she is getting them every four hours. She seems to be resting pretty comfortably most of the time. Once we get her respiratory issues resolved we will move to the floor.I hope you enjoy the picture.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152383256254120112006-07-08T11:04:00.000-07:002006-07-08T11:27:36.270-07:00

I thought I would take a minute to post a pic and explain the respiratory therapy Sophia is receiving.Sophia has a condition called atelectasis in her left lung. This basically means part of her lung is not inflating. The treatments they are giving her (NPPV?) involve sealing a mask over her mouth and nose. When she inhales the therapist provides extra pressure on the bag to create more

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152372918666666872006-07-08T10:25:00.000-07:002006-07-08T08:35:18.680-07:00

Sophia is doing pretty good this morning. Her lungs are still not back to 100%. Her left lung in particular is pretty diminished. So today she will be receiving more respiratory treatments to open up that lung.Her systemic oxygen saturation is in the 70's today. She is getting about half a liter of oxygen, which isn't much. Once her lungs are more open I am sure she will be off the oxygen.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152326441731564052006-07-07T21:35:00.000-07:002006-07-07T19:40:41.746-07:00

Sophia seems to be tolerating the extubation. She is requiring a lot of oxygen. But is to receive some treatments from respiratory therapy overnight. She still seems to have a lot of junk in her chest. And she is still a little groggy from sedatives and narcotics. But all this would be expected with the difficult surgery she had.I am going to get some rest.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152302493588592002006-07-07T12:54:00.000-07:002006-07-07T13:01:33.603-07:00

Sophia is off the ventilator and extubated. Her airway is a little sqeaky. But she is moving air well. She is getting oxygen via nasal canula. Her sats are holding in the mid-80s. Looks like she is going to stay extubated. Progress as promised.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152285865196928142006-07-07T10:07:00.000-07:002006-07-07T08:24:25.230-07:00

Not much has changed since chest closure. They have made some changes to her ventilator settings that require her to breath on her own a little. They eliminated a couple of medicines for controlling her blood pressure and profusion. Her chest drainage is way down. They increased her lasix (diuretic) to get some more fluid off her lungs. They increased her calcium to a dose more appropriate

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152235566628694422006-07-06T18:22:00.000-07:002006-07-06T18:26:06.643-07:00

They closed Sophia's chest at about 3:30pm. Everything went just fine.We are now waiting for her to wake up a little so we can get her off of the ventilator.Her sedation medication was turned off after the chest was closed. But she got a good sized dose for the closing. She has to wake up on her own at her own pace. So all we can do is wait. I will let you know when she is off the vent.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152206750363492452006-07-06T12:08:00.000-07:002006-07-06T10:27:58.136-07:00

No transfusions. This was my suspicion. Patty was just confusing her getting blood with a transfusion. She has however had about every blood product the blood bank offers. She has not had white cells. But she got whole blood, platelets, plasma, and red cells. Her chest drains have slowed substantially. She only had about 20cc output overnight. This means the fluid in her chest is decreasing

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152191445571002502006-07-06T08:01:00.000-07:002006-07-06T06:10:45.596-07:00

Well, we slept last night. And of course, Sophia did the same.The main changes since my last post relate to blood products. Sophia has received several blood products in order to get her blood make-up back to normal after being on bypass so long. I think she may have got some whole blood early in the evening. She also got some plasma and platelets. And Patty mentioned some transfusions but I

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152152973932855812006-07-05T21:00:00.000-07:002006-07-05T21:26:52.036-07:00

What a terrifying day. We are settled into the PICU now. For those of you out there who have gone through similar surgeries it should be noted that rather than going to recovery after surgery at Children's Mercy the cardiac kids go straight to the ICU from the OR. I will try to summarize the surgery. As you may know if you have been following the updates today, Sophia was on bypass and her

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152145271223011122006-07-05T19:12:00.000-07:002006-07-05T17:21:11.236-07:00

Sophia is out of the OR and doing better. The surgeon left her chest open, but doesn't anticipate it needing to be open very long. Hopefully, they will close it tomorrow (no promises). I will post later tonight or tomorrow a report on what the surgeon told us. But basically, it seemed we were on the home stretch around lunchtime. Sophia however decided to start bleeding. The surgeon spent

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152134719608315892006-07-05T16:21:00.000-07:002006-07-05T14:32:04.190-07:00

So, things are not going as smoothly as we had hoped. Sophia is on bypass for the third time. Apparently, there is some bleeding. I don't think it is anything major, but the surgeon is suturing now. We are hoping for a speedy resolution. But, at this point we are anxiously awaiting news.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152127296249664482006-07-05T14:14:00.000-07:002006-07-05T13:25:28.086-07:00

We hit a little snag. They took Sophia off bypass and did an echo.The echo showed there was part of the pseudoaneurysm still left attached to the right ventricle. So, they had to put her back on bypass in order to remove it. So it will likely be a while. I will post when I know more. She seems to be tolerating the surgery well. This is just a little set back.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152118024339631172006-07-05T11:39:00.001-07:002006-07-05T20:09:46.653-07:00

Sophia is about half way through surgery. She went in around 8am, I think. We arrived at the hospital at 6am. They took her vitals. We signed consents and met with anesthesia and the OR nurses. Sophia got a dose of Versed and was pretty out of it when they took her. It was a couple of hours before they had got through her sternum and started her on bypass. But she is on bypass now. Her

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152036540861749532006-07-04T13:02:00.000-07:002006-07-04T11:10:49.633-07:00

We just got back from the lab. Unfortunately, we couldn't remember which of Sophia's arms has the best vein. So after they dug in her left until she was screaming. We insisted they use the right. So, the crook of Sophia's right elbow is the spot. I may call on all of you to remember this next time. So remember, because there will be a quiz in the future. We have to be at the hospital at

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1152030995992401772006-07-04T11:34:00.000-07:002006-07-04T20:15:18.790-07:00

New photos added to Flickr.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1151705465697529412006-06-30T17:10:00.000-07:002006-06-30T15:29:05.216-07:00

I haven't posted a diagram in a while. Sophia's pre-op went good today. Now we just have to get through the weekend with no colds. We talked to the surgeon and I will do my best to recount what he said.First, the diagram...1. This is the homograft (human donor tissue). During Sophia's last surgery this conduit (darker blue) was placed from the right ventricle(RV) to the existing pulmonary

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1151639202762354462006-06-29T22:27:00.000-07:002006-06-29T20:46:42.776-07:00

I want to thank the St. Anthony's Altar and Rosary Society (my mom's church). They had a bake sale for Sophia on June 17-18 and raised $717 for us to put toward medical bills. Thanks to everyone that contributed.I also wanted to mention we took Sophia to see her first puppet show on Wednesday morning. It was based on stories by Rudyard Kipling and was put on by Paul Mesner Puppets.She had a

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1151370919728812352006-06-26T20:11:00.000-07:002006-06-26T18:15:19.746-07:00

Hi everyone. I know I often get pretty quiet on the blog before we go in the hospital. I will try to throw up a few photo updates this week. I just don't usually feel like writing too much prior to surgery. Thanks for your understanding.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1151185966213809522006-06-24T16:16:00.000-07:002006-06-24T14:52:46.236-07:00

So we have scheduled surgery.As I explained in a previous post, Sophia has to have the right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery conduit from her last surgery replaced, as it has developed a pseudoaneurysm. This is a outpouching of blood caused by a partial rupture of the interior walls of the PA (pulmonary artery) conduit. There is no bleeding as at least one of the layers of the arterial wall is

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1150926594196199492006-06-21T16:44:00.000-07:002006-06-21T14:50:33.840-07:00

Here is a quick photo update. Sophia is trying some new snacks. She really likes Veggie Booty. I will post a surgery schedule update very soon.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1150667010148282892006-06-18T16:40:00.000-07:002006-06-18T17:28:04.546-07:00

This picture creeps me out a little bit.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1150421121055334542006-06-15T20:23:00.000-07:002006-06-15T18:25:21.070-07:00

Sophia wore herself out in the wading pool on our front porch. It was a beautiful summer evening in Kansas City.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1150335217449212112006-06-14T20:11:00.000-07:002006-06-14T18:33:37.516-07:00

Sophia loves her veggies.We have been really conscious of the way we introduce foods to Sophia. As a consequence, Sophia has always eaten really healthy. We rarely give her anything with processed sugar. She eats all organic (with the exception of her formula, which is down to just a few ounces a day) and completely vegetarian. We went to the local organic farmer's market this evening and

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1150235736134071632006-06-13T16:49:00.000-07:002006-06-13T14:58:33.330-07:00

Sophia and I made the Kansas City Star's webpage of photos from the HeartWalk.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1150132952264084322006-06-12T11:32:00.000-07:002006-06-12T10:22:37.780-07:00

Sophia went to see her cardiologist this morning. She received a good report regarding the stents. Her sats are up and her color is much better. Unfortunately, Sophia is, just now, getting over her cold/infection. Her cardiologist suspected anesthesiology would want to reschedule. We called the hospital and talked to someone regarding this problem. They confirmed our suspicions and asked we

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1149954805748692552006-06-10T10:19:00.001-07:002006-06-10T12:50:30.696-07:00

We just got home after completing the 2.5 mile American Heart Association Heart Walk here in Kansas City. The weather was nice and many people came out to support the cause. I walked with Sophia on my back in a carrier. Patty, my mother, and many of our friends walked in honor of Sophia.I thank everyone that supported us and this event. I think Sophia's team alone raised over $1800. Patty and I

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1149650365838200542006-06-10T07:00:00.000-07:002006-06-09T13:58:27.010-07:00

***LAST CHANCE TO MAKE HEARTWALK DONATIONS***Thanks to everyone who has already donated. If you would like to support us on the American Heart Association HeartWalk this Saturday, please use one of the links above. We will of course be walking in honor of Sophia. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks-MichaelNote-This post is dated to remain at the top of the list until Saturday.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1149723562314611702006-06-07T18:35:00.000-07:002006-06-07T16:39:22.336-07:00

Thanks to Sarah at Our Little Braveheart for her HeartWalk donation. I really appreciate it.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1149649496344984122006-06-06T22:04:00.000-07:002006-06-06T20:09:43.336-07:00

Thanks to Erika at Snazzykat for supporting us on the heartwalk. BTW- I have to acknowledge that Sammy's cuteness quotient has gone off the charts. If he gets any cuter he'll be dangerous.Thanks again-Michael

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1149546322980533342006-06-05T17:14:00.000-07:002006-06-05T20:15:56.620-07:00

Went to the pediatrician again today.Sophia has a slight fever today. So we thought we better see her doctor.The tube in her right ear is plugged with mucus and she's got some upper respiritory junk.We are going to do ear drops (Floxin) and a round of antibiotics (Augmentin®).If she can kick this stuff pretty quick, we shouldn't have to reschedule her surgery on the 15th.On a side note-I would

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1149447878762566502006-06-04T12:00:00.000-07:002006-06-04T12:04:52.640-07:00

Well, it looks like we brought a friend home from the hospital.Sophia was up coughing all night and has a runny nose.She doesn't have a fever, but it is still too early for a secondary infection.We saw a pediatrician in her doctor's office today. He prescribed tylenol w/codeine. He said it should help her be a little more comfortable and suppress her cough.We'll see. I hope this doesn't

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1149359638770249282006-06-03T11:33:00.000-07:002006-06-03T11:33:58.773-07:00

We are finally home. The discharge process took forever.Her doctor released her first thing this morning. But since he does not have the authority to write orders in this particular hospital, we have to wait for the resident assigned to Sophia to do it. Her cardiologist still directs all her care but through the resident.It did not help, we had the most incompetent nurse we have ever met. All

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1149342508622801122006-06-03T06:33:00.000-07:002006-06-03T11:31:24.806-07:00

Sophia's cardiologist has released her to go home. Now we just have to wait for the resident assigned to her to write the orders and officially release her. Hopefully we will be home in a couple of hours.Sophia's sats have been about 10% higher since the cath. I saw them as high as 82 this morning. Which, I know doesn't sound particularly high, but she was averaging about 65 ahead of the

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1149278558807755202006-06-02T12:59:00.000-07:002006-06-02T13:02:38.826-07:00

Sophia just isn't feeling very well. So we are probably going to stay the night.Hopefully she will start feeling better soon. I am still waiting to see her sats go higher. I think they will probably settle out at 80 or so.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1149248946591417702006-06-02T04:34:00.000-07:002006-06-03T11:29:33.696-07:00

Sophia is much improved this morning. She just got better last night with a bunch of water and a dose of tylenol. Who knew? They had decided they were going to keep her on oxygen through the night, just to remove that variable from the equation. But by the middle of the night, she had removed her nasal canulla and had sats in the 80s. So they just left it that way. Her face was beet-red when

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1149216742042142622006-06-01T19:43:00.000-07:002006-06-03T11:30:30.036-07:00

Well, we are in our room now. Since we have been here we have seen a few changes/complications.Sophia's heart rate has been on the high end of the spectrum since coming from recovery, not dangerously high, but consistently high. Her sats have been quite low as well. She has responded well to oxygen which is unusual for her. I think this is evidence it is respiratory rather than cardiac.

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1149196261051494862006-06-01T13:35:00.000-07:002006-06-01T14:11:01.146-07:00

The cath went very well. It took most of the day. But for the most part, everything went as planned.We got to the hospital at 7:30am, checked in at admitting and went straight to the cath lab.After some preliminary vitals and consent forms, they gave Sophia a dose of Versed. It wasn't long before she was completely snockered. At this point, anesthesia came and got her. We went to the waiting

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15693456.post-1149121972729682072006-05-31T17:11:00.000-07:002006-05-31T17:32:52.783-07:00

Sophia had her pre-op today.She is all clear to have her cath tomorrow.I explained the specifics of the procedure in an earlier post. But basically, they are placing two stents in her right pulmonary artery. They are going to attempt to stretch the part of the artery narrowed by scarring from her last surgery to 10-12mm. It is currently around 2mm.This shouldn't be a huge procedure compared to

Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04546289834640622106noreply@blogger.com6