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!)