ink and medicine

We got a call from USCIS today - they can get us in for our fingerprinting this week! We can go any morning from 8 to 11. Not sure which day we'll go yet, Matt has to check with work of course, but so glad they seem so on top of things! :)

We also heard from our facilitator for the first time - feels like we've "graduated" ^_^

I also looked over Emerson's medical info again and was finally able to figure out one of her diagnoses. It's listed as "AV canalis completa,DAP,ASD II,HAP" - when I spoke with a nurse at CHOP they figured that HAP is the European acronym for PHN, pulmonary hypertension. They weren't sure what "DAP" was though. After looking through some Spanish medical study and using a handy website translator, it seems that "DAP" stands for Ductus Arteriosus Patent, a.k.a PDA. So she has a complete AV canal, a PDA, an ASD (I did find that ASD II is the type that often closes on its own though, so hopefully that's the case!) and pulmonary hypertension.

Life didn't cut this little one any breaks did it?

I'm grateful we have this information though, hopefully it will allow CPMC to give me some general info on the prognosis of a child with that combination of defects. I'm hoping to call them tonight as I haven't yet received a response to my email.

Thinking of our little girl, hoping her heart stays strong.

* Update *

I finally managed to call Dr. B's office and the person that answered the phone took down Emerson's diagnoses and a bit about our adoption, etc and said we'll get a phone call - from Dr. B! I'm already impressed (not that it takes much to impress me in the medical system hehe, but still!) Hopefully we hear from him soon.

Meredith, thanks for the reassurances - it helps to hear from the voice of experience! :)

* Update II *

We got a phone call tonight from California - Dr. B just calling to introduce himself and say that he has a busy day tomorrow but he will call us on Wednesday to talk more about her case! He asked if we can possibly get the images from her echo on a CD to send to him... not sure about that one! I'll see what our facilitator says in response to my first email before I ask for a prize like that heh!

It's amazing to me that with CHOP they seemed reluctant to talk to me via email and the caseworker there never returned my call; with CPMC just a few hours after my first call the surgeon himself is speaking to us. Thanks Deanie for the recommendation! ^_^