Surgery Date + Cardiology & Pediatrician Appointments

We learned a few weeks ago that Evin has date set for her second surgery.

August 7th- Surgery Consult

September 2nd- Surgery Pre-Op

September 3rd- SURGERY DAY

Typing this out gives me a lump in my throat and is like a punch in the gut.  It is nice to have a date instead of just wondering all the time when her surgery will be, but it makes it very real that our sweet girl will have to have major open heart surgery in just a few weeks.



This was a busy week of doctor's appointments for our little peanut!  

On Tuesday she visited the cardiologist.  They skipped the EKG this week so she just had a weight check, sats check, and an ECHO done.  

She weighed in at 11 lbs 4 oz and was 23 1/2 inches long.  Evin was in a good mood and was enjoying laying on the table as we waited for the nurse to come in.  She ended up having a difficult time getting a really accurate reading on her oxygen saturation this appointment because Evin wouldn't stop kicking her legs and the sat monitor wraps around her foot.  She kept getting an "Error" message!  She finally got a reading of 93, which is close to the 90s and 91s that I get at home when I check her sats.

Happily waiting for the nurse to come in!

The smiles didn't last long because Evin wasn't a fan of the ECHO this month.  For those that don't know, during an echocardiogram the tech squirts some jelly on her chest and uses a small wand that takes pictures of her heart.  It is very similar to the sonograms that I got done when she was in my belly!  It doesn't hurt her at all, she just has to hold still for it, and after awhile I am sure it isn't that comfortable.  In the past she has done pretty well and even fallen asleep a time or two.  Not this time!!!  She started fussing right away and the nurse offered her "Sweeties" which is basically sugar water that you can dip her paci in.  Evin loved it at first, but wasn't so thrilled with it the second, third, fourth or fifth times we offered it...ha!  Her lungs (and our ears!) got a good workout during the rest of the ECHO.

Her cardiologist reviewed all the tests and then came in for a visit.  

-Overall, Evin's heart looked good and is flowing as they expect it to.

-Her pulmonary valve has actually gotten a little bit smaller, which is good news.  If you remember, last month it had gotten a bit bigger and was allowing for more blood to flow into her lungs, in addition to the blood that is flowing through her shunt.  This was causing her heart to work harder than it needed to.  With the valve being smaller, it allows for better outfield gradient.

-Fantastic news...Evin's growth is actually better than normal!  I've mentioned several times that heart babies often have a hard time gaining weight because eating is like running a marathon for them.  I am SO proud that she is doing better than expected in the weight gain department!  Her doc seemed impressed with her current weight.  Way to go, Evin!

-We know during her next surgery that the hole between her ventricles will be patched, her pulmonary valve will be patched or replaced, and if she still has a hole between her atriums, that will be patched.  She also has hypoplastic branch arteries (small arteries that lead to the lungs).  These have actually grown some since last month (woohoo!) and they tend to grow as she grows.  We are praying they will continue to grow so they will not have to be augmented during surgery.

-After surgery Evin shouldn't have to take aspirin anymore and if she is sent home on Lasix, it will only be for a few weeks.  This is wonderful to hear because giving medicine each day (twice) has become a fight!  I dread it every day...

-We will visit with the surgeon on August 7th to get a much more clear picture of what they will be doing during surgery. 

I was VERY pleased with her report this month.  Please join us in praying that she continues to grow at a rapid rate so she will be big and strong for her next surgery!



Yesterday, Evin had her 4 month well-check with the pediatrician.  4 month stats:

Weight: 11 lbs 7 oz (5th percentile)

Length:  23 inches  (10th percentile)

Please note that she gained 3 oz in 2 days and SHRUNK 1/2 inch.  We joke about the difference in her measurements between doctor's offices constantly!  

She went up from the 2nd percentile to the 5th in weight.  I guess it is paying off to wake this sleep-lover up to make her eat!

Her pediatrician said she is growing and developing wonderfully and we heard him use the phrase "doing great" several times.

It was a pretty simple appointment in comparison to her cardiologist appointments, but she did have to get her shots which is never fun!  She recovered semi-quickly and we were able to get out of there with a couple of cute band-aids and a sleepy girl.  I enjoyed the extra cuddle time I got with her after her appointment!