Some exciting news! And Nicholas turned 4 years old!

I took Nicholas to his third cardiology appointment since we got home from Stanford and at the previous two appointments his gradient was measuring consistanly at around 30mmHg.  But on Tuesday this week, we finally saw Dr. Wright and he took another two echos and he found the gradient was about 45mmHg.  I AM SO EXCITED about this!!!  I was feeling a bit discouraged that everything we have gone through so far was kind of in vain, but 45mmHg is double from what Nicholas started from.  And to make it even better, Dr. Wright thinks that it is even higher, but Nic's anatomy and his tenderness around his incision makes it hard to get a true, accurate measurement.  He thinks we will probably be looking at going back to Stanford in a few months for more Cardiac Catheterization and another MRI so they can get an accurate measurement inside his heart and then decide when to do his next PA banding.  Hopefully that band is doing it's job and getting Nic's LV ready to take over systemic pumping....

On another note, Nicholas celebrated his 4th birthday on January 9th.  Happy Birthday to my big boy!  We enjoyed the company of Nonna and Nono Degano and Nic's cousin Noah and auntie Laura and uncle Wayne.  I attempted to make Nicholas a "monster truck cake" and it turned out pretty cute.  He liked it at least! 

Worry Wart

I should be in bed right now, but for whatever reason, I am not.  So I decided to update my blog! 

I started back to work this week, and it was good to be back.  I often feel like work is my "escape" and that it is what keeps me sane, so needless to say, it felt really good.  I had a moment of insanity, though, right before I left on Monday morning.  Nicholas woke up while I was getting ready and I decided that the area above his incision looked puffy, like it was really swollen.  I thought, OF ALL THE LUCK!  It swells up the day I go back to work!  So I called home later that morning to talk to Lorenzo and he said it looked fine, the same as before.  I asked to talk to my mom and she said it felt normal, like bone underneath, not fluid or something.  But I was still unsure, so I called our pediatric cardiologist and made an appointment for after I got off work.  I met Lorenzo and the kids there and the cardiologist was having the echo tech take an echo.  We came back into the exam room and the cardiologist (a different one than usual, Dr Wright is on vacation) said although he could see what I meant, it was completely normal and nothing to worry about.  WHEW!!  

I think the moral of this story is that mommies worry.  I want my little Nicholas to be healthy and I worry that I won't be able to protect him as I go back to work.  I need to remember that he needs to just be a kid and that I can't shield him from everything.  With that being said, it is easier said than done! 

We are three weeks post-op today and he continues to amaze me.  

Happy New Year!!!

Today is the first day of a new year, a new decade even, and I'm sure there will be many changes and excitement to come our way.  I am happy and proud because I think for the first time that I can remember, I actually followed through with my New Year's Resolution last year and accomplished the goals that I set for myself.  I resolved to participate in 6 5-k's and to train for them on a monthly basis.  I had some months where I was very active, and others where I was not so active, but overall I excercised on a pretty regular basis and I am sure that my heart is healthier this January 1st than it was last January 1st.  I even stretched my expectations of myself and did a 10-k and a half-marathon. 

I wish all of you, my friends, my family, and anyone reading this blog, a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year.