After spending part of the morning at Eucharistic Adoration at Queen of Peace Catholic Church (yes baby Peace that was intentional) we stepped back into the hospital for what we believed would be one more fateful look at our circumstance. Even before the ultrasound began we were visited by our cardiologist in the waiting room, so dedicated to our cause that she came by the hospital in her street clothes on her day off. She explained that she and the surgeon talked over the weekend and have given us the possibility of trying a Valvuloplasty, same as what would have been done in utero in Boston but outside the womb. From there they would hope to relieve the Left Ventricle and see if we can minimize the backward flow of blood through baby's Mitral Valve, which actually has correct structure, but a sickened function.
From here they would consider a "hybrid surgery" where in they would band off the Pulmonary Arteries and create a new stint leaving baby's Ductus Arteriosus (open in womb during pregnancy) permanently open. This is similar, yet different from what would have been baby's originally Stage 1 of open heart surgery. This brings some measure of hope provided baby can grow to meet the new surgical threshold of 1500 grams (3lbs. 3oz.) Baby is currently around 1100 grams (2lbs. 10oz.).
After our talk with the cardiologist, we went in for another ultrasound to have a look at baby. To our suprise and even the doctors surprise, the flow through the Umbilical Artery had returned to being "absent" or "stop and go" as opposed to "reverse" and flowing wrongly back toward the heart. This was good news! It means that baby may still have a chance to grow inside the womb and gain the necessary weight for the heart surgery after birth.
I tell you...you just never know! Obviously, having all of you in prayer with us is doing something!
The next few days I will be bed resting in Denver until my next ultrasound on Thursday while Sharbel runs home for a few days to relieve our awesome relatives, namely his saintly mother who is taking the brunt of our tribe.
Hoping you are all willing to stay tuned in as this ride is not over yet!
Sincerely,
Rebecca and Sharbel
From here they would consider a "hybrid surgery" where in they would band off the Pulmonary Arteries and create a new stint leaving baby's Ductus Arteriosus (open in womb during pregnancy) permanently open. This is similar, yet different from what would have been baby's originally Stage 1 of open heart surgery. This brings some measure of hope provided baby can grow to meet the new surgical threshold of 1500 grams (3lbs. 3oz.) Baby is currently around 1100 grams (2lbs. 10oz.).
After our talk with the cardiologist, we went in for another ultrasound to have a look at baby. To our suprise and even the doctors surprise, the flow through the Umbilical Artery had returned to being "absent" or "stop and go" as opposed to "reverse" and flowing wrongly back toward the heart. This was good news! It means that baby may still have a chance to grow inside the womb and gain the necessary weight for the heart surgery after birth.
I tell you...you just never know! Obviously, having all of you in prayer with us is doing something!
The next few days I will be bed resting in Denver until my next ultrasound on Thursday while Sharbel runs home for a few days to relieve our awesome relatives, namely his saintly mother who is taking the brunt of our tribe.
Hoping you are all willing to stay tuned in as this ride is not over yet!
Sincerely,
Rebecca and Sharbel
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