Happy CHD Awareness week!
I have written about Allyson's CHD journey quite a few times. In 2012 I wrote down most of the details Diagnosis, Doctor Visits, Surgery. Here is the post from 2010 right after we got home from the hospital, and here is last year's CHD Awareness week.
As I wrote last year, I was concerned Eva might be born with some type of CHD. The chances were slim, yet once you have experienced having a baby with a defect numbers and percentiles don't hold a lot of weight. You know the reality that is possible, in a way you have lost your innocence. You know the fear and concern that can come.
We were lucky with Allyson, her defect was caught shortly after birth. Early detection is key in being able to monitor and treat heart defects. One easy (non invasive) test that can helps identify CHD's is the pulse oximeter test.
They place a little monitor (see Ally's glowing toe) on a toe or a finger and it monitors the oxygen saturation level of the blood stream.
I was pleasantly surprised to find the pulse oximeter test part of routine newborn screening for Eva (a happy moment during the mountains of admittance paperwork). California has added the pulse oximeter test to routine newborn screening, hospitals were to start implementing July 1st 2013 and be fully compliant by 2016. One more reason I love our hospital, ahead of the game! Eva passed the test with flying colors, our pediatrician also declared that her heart sounded perfect (he is also Allyson's pediatrician and knew our concern). It is such a relief to know Eva's heart is strong and working just as it should.
Here is a little video of Allyson post surgery. It is a short video and doesn't show much, but the sights and sounds bring back so many memories for me. Linda took this video, I wish I had thought to take videos to remember. At the time I was just focused on making it through the surgery and post op recovery.
3 comments:
We love that girl! ❤
I have loved following your blog. Thank you so much for helping to spread CHD Awareness. :) I hope you know how much I love and respect your strength and courage. You are such an amazing Heart Mom!
Yes, numbers and statistics mean very little once you've experienced a defect. And yet, here we both are with perfectly healthy babies. That's interesting about the pulse-ox. I don't think they did that when Noah was born. My sister is due with a baby in August, so I'll be sure to tell her about that. I don't have any videos of Mia in the hospital. I wish I would have thought of that, lots of pictures but no video. Sorry for rambling, love these posts from you every year. And your girls are adorable. Yay for healthy babies!!
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