cherylchapa
Well-known member
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 with exercise... which really throws a monkey wrench into the heart issues which are definitely not improved with exercise. In fact the heart is exactly the opposite.
The dr. stopped the test after only 8 minutes. He didn't even make it to the jogging stage. His EKG was doing this weird dipping thing on 2 of the leads which had the dr a little bit alarmed so he stopped the test.
What he thinks may be happening is that the new pulmonary valve may be compressing the coronary artery with every heartbeat causing a blockage. He said that if he were an adult with normal heart anatomy, we would be doing the testing and scheduling for bypass surgery. If this is the cause, Melody valve is absolutely not an option because it would only stretch the conduit out further causing increased compression of the coronary artery. In short it would make the problem worse.
So the course of action now is to do a cardiac cath in 3 weeks which will be purely exploratory. Then we will decide if he needs the valve replaced surgically and he will give the recommendation on where to have it done and by whom. He said that the surgeon that implanted the valve is really good but he may not be the right guy to do the next replacement based on Chris' particular anatomy. So we may be traveling soon. Where, though, is a mystery. Once we know, I would love to hear if anyone has experience with the facility and surgeon he recommends.
The valve itself is definitely leaking significantly. Dr says that is also a problem but less so than the blockage. He and the surgeon are both surprised that this particular valve is leaking so soon after it was implanted. It's not unheard of but it is rare.
The tentative date for the cath is June 6. So now we wait. He is still on limited exercise but dr says he can continue to play baseball as long as dad watches and limits the amount of exertion. Dad coaches so not a problem. No workouts. No drills. No running. Dr. wanted him to be a designated hitter but Little League apparently doesn't allow that. So if he gets a hit, he can get on base but then may need a sub to finish the bases for him.
That's what we know. So many questions filling my head right now. It's going to be a stressful 3 weeks!
The dr. stopped the test after only 8 minutes. He didn't even make it to the jogging stage. His EKG was doing this weird dipping thing on 2 of the leads which had the dr a little bit alarmed so he stopped the test.
What he thinks may be happening is that the new pulmonary valve may be compressing the coronary artery with every heartbeat causing a blockage. He said that if he were an adult with normal heart anatomy, we would be doing the testing and scheduling for bypass surgery. If this is the cause, Melody valve is absolutely not an option because it would only stretch the conduit out further causing increased compression of the coronary artery. In short it would make the problem worse.
So the course of action now is to do a cardiac cath in 3 weeks which will be purely exploratory. Then we will decide if he needs the valve replaced surgically and he will give the recommendation on where to have it done and by whom. He said that the surgeon that implanted the valve is really good but he may not be the right guy to do the next replacement based on Chris' particular anatomy. So we may be traveling soon. Where, though, is a mystery. Once we know, I would love to hear if anyone has experience with the facility and surgeon he recommends.
The valve itself is definitely leaking significantly. Dr says that is also a problem but less so than the blockage. He and the surgeon are both surprised that this particular valve is leaking so soon after it was implanted. It's not unheard of but it is rare.
The tentative date for the cath is June 6. So now we wait. He is still on limited exercise but dr says he can continue to play baseball as long as dad watches and limits the amount of exertion. Dad coaches so not a problem. No workouts. No drills. No running. Dr. wanted him to be a designated hitter but Little League apparently doesn't allow that. So if he gets a hit, he can get on base but then may need a sub to finish the bases for him.
That's what we know. So many questions filling my head right now. It's going to be a stressful 3 weeks!
