Good news: your pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) has not spread or worsened and he said it was more difficult to get through the hole in your heart which means the hole is getting smaller!
Bad news: the pressures in your heart and lungs are higher than desired. The doc said your lungs are still pretty damaged which probably contributes to higher pressures. If we don't do anything, it could force your heart to work too hard. The would cause the right side of your heart to grow larger, and eventually lead to heart failure. He recommended we put you on oxygen all the time again to give your heart and lungs a break until your lungs have healed some more.
This was both a huge relief and a bummer. Your dad and I had secretly hoped that we would be getting permission to get rid of the oxygen all together this trip, so we were pretty shocked to find that you would be wearing it 24/7 again. I think it was hard to take in because I (and a lot of other people) have noticed how much more social you have been since getting your oxygen off. You explore and talk far more. Part of me worries that being attached will hinder you socially and emotionally, but the doc did say we could give you breaks to go to the nursery at church, story time, and the park. While wearing the oxygen at home all the time really drives you nuts, I am so happy to know you will have opportunities to run free. All in all, we had a lot of positive news.
After receiving the news, we headed up to post-op. They let me come in first. You were already wild and trying to sit up in your bed. You were so upset, so I picked you up and gave you loves right away. The anesthesia always makes you extremely nauseated, so you puked a few times before the nurse gave you some Zofran. Less than 10 minutes later you had calmed down and laid on my shoulder. Then we went to another post-op room and met your dad. Not much later you were sound asleep on my shoulder. It was so nice to snuggle and hold you close. You had to stay for observation for 6 hours post-op to make sure that you didn't have any bleeding or other significant problems. Your dad held you for awhile after that until you woke up. You were so much more happy and more Sofi-like than your last cath. Just check out the pictures. After some apple juice, you ate a few graham crackers and chocolate pudding. We read and watched t.v. until it was time to go home.
They told us to have you take it easy for a few days, but as usual, you were back to your normal self just a few hours later. You would never had known anything had happened.
We love you, baby girl. Now if we could just get you growing so those little lungs of yours can heal and grow...
