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Friday, September 4, 2009

My long weekend and some good news

I am working on a post about trust, control and letting go so hopefully it'll be ready on Tuesday. For now, I am looking forward to my long weekend and hoping to get in some fun, quality time and relaxation.

Today, my niece Bella (5 1/2 months old) and my nephew CJ (9) both went to specialists for different reasons. Both of them got pretty good news at their visits.

Bella has a large birth mark on her head that is really red and swollen. It has only gotten bigger so her pediatrician sent her to a specialist in Cleveland to see if it needed removed. Thankfully it does not right now. She goes back in a year and the doctor doesn't think anything will change by then, but wants to monitor it just to be sure. If things do, surgery to remove it may be in order, but right now we are glad it's not necessary.

My nephew kept complaining his chest hurt. My sister figured he pulled a muscle and it would quit soon enough. Then he started saying he thought he was having a heart attack and he would get really short of breath. It had been a week since the pulled muscle and it wasn't getting any better. My sister took him to the doctor and he said he also thought CJ just pulled a muscle, but that he has a heart murmur and was probably ok. He ordered an EKG just to be sure, but told my sister it was probably nothing to worry about. Both my mom and I have heart murmurs and have for years so we all thought it was just something hereditary.
When they got the results back he told my sister that he didn't think there was *too* much to worry about, but wanted him to see a cardiologist just to make sure. He went this morning and found out his aortic valve is pumping the blood into his lungs at a hard and rapid pace which is causing the chest pains and shortness of breath. It also caused the heart murmur, the heart murmur did not cause the heart condition.
He has to wear a heart monitor for 24 hours to monitor how hard and fast his heart is pumping the blood to see what course of action is the best one for him. He can do normal 9 year old boy activities, but needs to have an EKG done once a year to monitor how strong his valve continues to be. It will weaken over time and the chances of him having to have it replaced is very great. He just needs to be monitored closely, but will live now that it is detected and hopefully will be on the right meds soon.
So even though none of you knew about the issues, I thought I'd share the good outcomes of it with all of you. Below is a picture of CJ kissing Bella and you can see her birth mark in it. I am really glad they are both okay and neither needs surgery right away.

4 comments:

Jennie said...

That is so awful when there is something wrong with kids. I'm glad that everything is ok for now and will continue to pray for them in the future.

Looking forward to the tuesday post.

Angela said...

Glad things are getting good results.
It is hard when there are so many worries.

Cheffie-Mom said...

I'm glad Bella and CJ are ok. Keep us posted. Hugs.

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