Thursday, January 15, 2009

Cath... over!

Are you all chomping at the bit yet?!?! Well, here's how our day went...


Feeling quite relaxed & ready for a nap.


Daddy talking to Dr. Butto before the cath


The day started off not so hot, but once someone finally told them that we were there, it improved. They actually started her about a half an hour late, which I didn't think was too bad. Dr. Butto told us that he was going in with the intent of ballooning, but that if things looked okay, then he may not have to balloon anything.


So after the cath & following discussion, we got to look at the moving version of this...



They were actually able to print out a still shot from her cath film (sorry about the poor quality pic - I didn't have a scanner). Doesn't she look like she has an octopus in her chest?! (lol) The ring is her valve inside her conduit. Then of course there are the sternal wires & the catheter wires. He actually said everything looked really good & he didn't feel he needed to balloon anything. He did check the pressures on room air & said that there wasn't that much difference. Then he noticed she still had one little collateral left that they weren't able to move (too difficult per Dr. Bove her surgeon) in the left lower lung area. He checked, & basically she was getting double blood supply to that lung with that collateral still being connected. He checked its pressure & she was getting a lot of pressure from the aorta via the collateral, so... he coiled it.


So after she was up on the floor & the residents okayed it with Dr. Butto, she now looks like...

"Look, Momma... no cannula!"

He said that she no longer has to wear the oxygen! So, when we go somewhere I can just pick her up & GO!! I'm not sure I'll know how to act or what to do! Thank you so much for all your prayers. The pictures above & how our day went are proof positive that prayer DOES WORK!!! Thank you all again!
(Here you go, Vanessa!)

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

She looks amazing! I am so proud of her.

I have to admit it was very interesting to see the ultrasound picture of her heart. I wouldn't of known what I was looking at without you explaining though.

Now you get to leave the house without the tank....YIPPEE!!!!

Tina:0) said...

Actually what you're looking at in that picture is her pulmonary arteries (to the right & left) the the bigger portion in the middle is the top of her conduit... which he said she has no leakage!!!

Kathy said...

I'm SO HAPPY to hear the good news!

Wait until you see a chest xray now...all those tiny coils...now...that's funnier than the octopus picture!

Have a good night's sleep.
Go home and bury the canula!!!

my life: said...

Yay!!! Wonderful news!!!!!!!! :0)
She looks so....free. :0)

Really, I am so, so, so...happy for you all.

The Portas said...

Oh what wonderful news!! NO OXYGEN! You won't know what to do with yourself! I'm so glad this is behind you...one more thing to check off the list.

She looks great in the pic. You can see all of her pretty face now!

I hope you all got good rest last night. xooxxoxo

Stephanie Ellinger said...

Good for her! Won't that be nice to just take her somewhere without having people STARE are you? That will make life seem a little more "normal" (whatever that can be with a heart kiddo).

Carley Rousse said...

I've never seen any film from K's caths. I'll have to ask next time. You are probably feeling like I felt after K was off of her home vent and decannulated. SWEET FREEDOM!!! I'm so excited for you guys. So what's the next step? Just valve maintenance? How did her new valve look...leaky at all? Give Vaeh kisses from us. She looks beautiful, btw!

mina said...

Finally! Good news about the O2, now we get to see more of that pretty face, keep your camera snapping, Tina!

Anonymous said...

Thank you GOD!!!!!! She looks so beautiful and like such a big girl in these pictures! Im so happy for you that the cath went well, we were saying prayers from our end!!! Isn't weird to just pick up and go, the first week or so you will feel like you are forgetting something!! As long as it isn't Vaeh :) COngrats and enjoy the relaxation for a while!!
Love,
The Budde family
www.caringbridge.org/visit/averibudde

jencooper said...

Woohoo!! I am so excited!! Way to go! She looks absolutely beautiful without the canula covering her face!

<3,
Jennifer

Anonymous said...

This is great news Tina I'm glad things went well for her. She's a little princess to not only her mommy & daddy but to me too. Give her a big hug & kiss for me & tell her I love her bunches. Love & miss you guys! hope we can get together again sometime!

Anonymous said...

Hey Tina,
Love you!! Veah looks awesome without her cannula. Her whole looks great too. Love You!!!!!!!!

Leslie