Echo of Hope

Here’s small update of what’s happened since yesterday’s big post-surgery update.

Danger – Overall:

Danger is awake and dancing the swim dance (see creepy 3d pics below). Making up for lost time today after his double dose of sedation yesterday. (They hit him once with the sleepy drugs in the shoulder and he kept dancing, so they had to hit him again in the butt. Then it was Sleepsville City until last night.)

Danger – Ticker:

• Started the morning with an echo at the Advanced Fetal Care Center at Children’s Hospital. Dr. Tworetzky reported that the left ventricle and the rest of the heart looks “5 times better than yesterday.” That’s still no guarantee of anything, but it’s the right direction.
• The left ventricle is “more contractile” (a.k.a. pumping better) and is starting to get to be the right size. It was previously way too big because of the over stress.
• Our post-ultrasound paperwork reads, “Large jet of flow across the aortic valve.” This was the idea. English Channel.
• There’s some fluid in the baby’s lungs, an after effect of the surgery, but this should go away.
• There’s still leakage in the aortic valve and the mitral valve. It was leakage in the mitral valve that, until yesterday, was the only release of the pressure because the other release point was blocked. The hope is that this heals with time, but may need to be fixed later.
• The leakage in the aortic valve is to be expected. They expanded the balloon 20% larger than the aortic valve is supposed to be so they could open up the valve and get the flow going. This stresses the valve, but, like the mitral valve, is hoped to heal with time.

Dangermom:

Erica feels just ducky and is ready to hike the Grand Canyon, but they told her to take it easy for four or five days. (Apparently the Grand Canyon isn’t going anywhere. Thanks for that tip, Jill.)

Dangerme:

Can’t wait to buy my very own Brigham and Women’s wonder chair – recliner by day, dream bed by night. Watch out La-Z-Boy.

Again, as good as it could be at this point. Next step is ultrasound next Monday and another echo around that time as well.

Wait. See. Hope.

Danger Does the Swim Dance

Knuckle Nose

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