disbelief

After an incredibly stressful and busy week taking care of one sick little boy (my poor Dawson - his very first ear infections) today was finally the long-awaited appointment with the pediatric cardiology team in Syracuse.

Matt and I decided to divide forces to make it easier on everyone - I took Emerson and Cade (who was very fascinated with the idea of seeing pictures of his little sister's heart LOL) and Matt headed to the huge shopping mall with the other three.

Em had an EKG, an echocardiogram and a visit with one of the very sweet cardiologists. When all was said and done, I sat there staring at him unblinking for a few minutes, trying to decide whether I most felt like crying or laughing, before shaking his hand and heading to the check-out desk to make the next appointment for her...

It was not an appointment for a heart catheterization, as I expected would be the next step. It was not even really a follow-up appointment. It was simply a customary measure to check on her growth.

Because Em doesn't have a complete AV canal anymore.

She has an intermediate (also called transitionary) AV canal. In laymen's terms, a complete AV canal is a hole between the upper chambers and a hole between the lower chambers. Em has a standard sized hole between the upper chambers, and a very tiny hole between the lower chambers.

She doesn't need surgery right now. It's typically done between ages 3 and 5 for this sort of defect.

She doesn't have any pulmonary hypertension at all.

Her oxygen saturation was 100%.

Her blood flow was good, her blood pressure was great, she had only a tiny insignificant amount of leakage from the valve. The cardiologist said her heart looks great.

He ordered her off all medications immediately - she just doesn't need them.

Can you imagine my jaw on the floor?

:)

I am still puzzling over how all this came to be. Who got what wrong, and why. How her oxygen went from 87% two weeks ago to 100% today. How we spent the last year worrying, agonizing, planning.

Disbelief. Miracles. Amazing. ^_^

I promise - a montage to come this weekend! :)