Heart Update and Explanation

Several of you have asked about Maggie's heart and I promise I haven't been avoiding you.  I just wanted to wait until she had her visit here in the states first.

Well we were supposed to go today (Friday) but yesterday she woke up a little ashen and being new at this, I called the cardiologist to see when I should be concerned.  He said to go ahead and take her to the Texas Children's ER and he would have the cardiac team there do the work up that day.  It must have been God's will because the cardiologist on call was a China adoptive parent from the same province!  She was great and did the full work up that had been scheduled for Friday.

So here are the facts:

1.  Maggie has a single working right ventricle.  Her left one is tiny and there is a big hole between them.  If that were it, she would not have lived longer than a few days.

2. She also has Pulmonary Stenosis.  This sounds bad but it is actually a blessing. This protected her lungs from the overpressure of the single ventricular pump.

3. Maggie looks good and is stable.  Her oxygen sats are hanging out in the 80s which is not ideal but not critical.

4. Being an adoptive parent, the cardiologist encouraged us to take the next few weeks and settle in then return to our regular cardiologist for a plan.  One option is for her to have a Glen procedure this spring but that may not be necessary since she is doing pretty good.  The second procedure, the Fontan, would definitely need to be done but not until she is 4 and her heart is a little bigger.  Texas Children's has a Single Ventricle Team and they are going to meet and review her unique case.  They don't see kids like Maggie with single ventricles who have not had surgery but look this good.  She really shouldn't be alive.

Long term?  We really don't know.  Right now people with single ventricles are living into their 20s and 30s and then either having a stroke or suffering from liver damage.  These kids had surgery a long time ago and the procedure has improved since then so feasibly the outcomes should be better for Maggie.  Mortality rate from surgery is less than 5%.

Trent said that when the lady was doing the ultrasound, she looked surprised when Trent told her that we knew already about her condition.  The lady didn't have a frame of reference for someone who would voluntarily take this on.  We are praying that she saw a glimpse of Jesus yesterday and that others will see Jesus through Maggie's life and story too.  He has a plan for her and we are blessed to be a part of it.

Thanks for praying for our girl.  We are so in love with this newest blessing.