Annual Cardiology Visit

Justin had his yearly trip to the cardiologist this week.  It was also his first echo in two years.  They were hoping he would be old enough that he wouldn't need to be sedated so that's why they skipped last year.  It worked!  After the initial placement of the monitor stickers and leads, Justin made it through with just the occasional "ouch" whenever she moved the wand.  He was watching TV and when she moved the wand he remembered she was there and he didn't like it.  He did great; I was seriously impressed.  You see, he's been "helping" at the doctor listen to the baby's heartbeat and at the end he always lifts his shirt for us to listen to his baby.  But whenever we try to touch his tummy with the doppler, he freaks out.  So I was not at all sure how this appointment would go.  But it turned out really well.

And then we had a long wait for the doctor (because that's what you do a doctor's appointment...)  It was nap time so Justin fell asleep on me and did some more work on flattening baby sister.  I might have taken a short catnap myself.  After over an hour waiting, our doctor came in with good news.  Justin's echo is relatively unchanged from two years ago.  There is mitral valve leaking because of the one muscle doing all the work of sealing the valve, but it's working well enough not to cause severe leaking or stenosis.   She was very encouraging about this continuing and not worsening (which would cause valve replacement) because it hasn't changed much since surgery.  There is no way to be completely certain that it won't get worse, but for now, we are going to be thankful.  She gave us clearance for another year.  She is hesitant to say two years because the leaking is on the border of mild to moderate.  We'll do another echo next year, along with the other usual suspects, an EKG and x-ray.

Justin was a hit in the cardiology department.  He told everyone we passed in the halls that they had put stickers on his back and he did not like it.  And apparently I am somehow not as big as I feel.  One of the nurses was hesitant to ask if I was pregnant!  How funny when I told her I am less than a month from my due date!