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Hi friends. Last week Chris went in for a catheterization to place a stent in the left pulmonary artery and maybe get a Melody valve. Well, he got the valve! We are so glad that it was the right time to do it. We had a different cardiologist than we usually go to do it on our regular guys...

Hi all! It's been a very busy couple of months around our house with school ending and all of Christopher's appointments. Here's the scoop on his diagnosis and treatment... The heart cath showed that Christopher's left pulmonary artery is extremely narrowed (+/-2 mm). The pulmonary valve is...

Hi everyone. Chris had his cath yesterday and we are definitely headed for another surgery this summer. His cardiologist found that the left pulmonary artery is severely obstructed by scar tissue. This is the same place where his surgeon placed a patch to open it up during his OHS in 2009...

Christopher had his first ever stress test today and we learned a lot but left with more questions than answers. Isn't that the way it always goes? One thing we did find out is that he does not have asthma. He has adhesions inside his chest which constrict his lungs. But his lungs improve...

We visited Chris' cardiologist today thinking he would have a treadmill test. But no go. Because he is fighting a cold now, there was no point in trying. He said it would make him sicker and not give accurate results. So for now, 2 more weeks of on the inhaler and Singulair plus Mucinex...

Chris is out on the field right now playing what is most likely his last Little League game ever. He got to play almost 2 seasons before he started feeling poorly again. And now his cardiologist wants him to slow down and has limited his activities significantly. He's allowed to hit and catch...

Not sure if anyone will remember but my son Christopher had his pulmonary valve replaced with a bovine tissue valve in the summer of 2009 due to tetralogy of fallot. Well, the other day we went to the cardio for a check up and found out we are most likely headed for an early replacement this...

I want to thank everyone here for the great advice, support, and answers I have received in the last few months as we prepared for Christopher's PVR surgery. I am proud to annouce that Dr. Weiner has OK'd Chris to return to school when it begins again on August 20th. That's barely 4 weeks...

I found this article very interesting. As a heart mom I really didn't know this stuff. I probably should have but never really thought about whether or not the treatments doctors for giving my son were approved by the FDA. I just assumed they must be. Not so... You can read the full...

Went to see Dr. Gates (Surgeon) and Dr. Weiner (Peds Cardio) yesterday. Dr. Gates said he is doing great. The incision is healing nicely. He got Chris to peel the steri-strip off all the way. Yay!! I hate those things. OK'd him for bathing and swimming in a private pool. No public pools...

One of Christopher's major complaints before the surgery was recurrent migraines. It is uncommon as far as I know for 10 year old kids to have them. His vision is fine and the cardio told us that it MAY be a symptom of his heart condition. So of course we were hoping that this surgery would...

Chris is now 9 days post-op and one of his chest tube incisions has not scabbed over yet. It bleeds a little bit. Just enough to make a mark on the bandaid. It has been like this since we left the hospital but there is a bigger blood spot on the bandaid each day. 3 days ago it really opened up...

Chris is way over doing it and he cannot be stopped! He is up and down the stairs all day and night. He won't stay on one floor to save his life. I have considered putting the baby gate at the stairs if I didn't think he would try to climb over it. All this sounds great except for the fact...

Surgery was on the 21st and it has been a whirlwind! All that waiting and now it's over in 4 days?! Holy cow! He has a brand spanking new Edwards pericardial tissue valve. I know nothing about this material except that I think it is homograft or cadaver or something like that. I have to...

We took Chris and the rest of the family to Knott's Berry Farm over the weekend for one last hurrah before he goes under the knife. After that it will be quite a while until he can truly enjoy the abundance of amusement parks we have here in SoCal. On the way to the park we had to stop by 7-11...

OK heart moms, I need reassurance that I'm not crazy. So Chris's PVR is a two week sfrom tomorrow and I have become a nervous wreck. My skin is a mess, I get sick after every meal, I'm losing sleep, yelling at the hubby and kids, etc. I placed a call to my family doctor this morning to see if...

Got the news today that I passed the CA Notary exam I took a couple of weeks ago. I know it's an easy test but it's a test none the less and made me nervous. I need this for my job so it's important to me to pass the first time. So now the DOJ is going to assess my moral fiber and then the...

Christopher will have his pulonary valve replaced on July 21st at CHOC by Dr. Richard Gates. We rport at 6 am and aurgery will begin at 7:30. Pre-op testing to be done on Monday the 20th at CHOC if our medical group authorizes it. The nurse said our particular group likes to do it themselves...

I found this interesting... http://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/heart-surgery-blog/2009/06/23/seal-heart-valve-replacements/ I?ll never forget when I learned my options for a heart valve replacement. Dr. Trento, the first surgeon I interviewed, briefly discussed the pros and cons of pig...

Christopher's room is upstairs. His bed is a t-shaped bunk bed. He sleeps on the bottom bunk with the head of his bed in the cubby created by the upper bunk. This situation is not conducive to OHS recovery nor for the comfort of the caregiver and her back. Downstairs, our living room is very...