+ 0 - 0 | § ¶Hanging in there!
Everything has been pretty normal around the house since our last post. Alex saw his cardiologist last week to have his annual echo, EKG, and visit with the doc. All is okay, though I'm getting the impression that Alex's pulmonary artery isn't quite growing like his surgeon in Hershey had hoped. The doc said that there was a bit more of a blockage this time than last time (meaning last year), and that this is causing the pressures in the right side of his heart to be about twice normal. He said that they start to worry when it gets to be 3-4 times normal. Basically, this just means that it's likey that Alex will have to have something done about it in the next one or two years. "Something" could either be a catheterization (more likely) or surgery. THe doc couldn't really say which without getting the surgical reports from Hershey. Hopefully, they'll find that there is enough of Alex's tissue at the opening of his pulmonary artery that they can just stretch it open in a cath rather than have to do open heart. Unfortunately, we won't know anything until our next appt. in a year. So, not great news, but not horrible. Alex is definitely growing though. They measured him at 37" and 28 lbs (with clothes on). Woo hoo!
The baby and I are doing fine. Things are actually going pretty normally as far as I can tell. I'm at 32 weeks now, so even if the baby does come early now, most of the really bad complications of prematurity are likely behind us. Dan and I have still been unable to come up with a name, so don't bother asking. We just have very different ideas when it comes to boys' names. We'll figure it out sooner or later...hopefully, before we bring the baby home.