Surgery for 11/26/14: Gratitude

The past few days have progressed very quickly, all while feeling anxiously long awaiting further answers to our questions regarding Walter and surgery.

Though he is stable and relatively comfortable, Walter’s tet (blue) spells have become more frequent, even while on oxygen, and he has been placed on an IV and beta blockers to lessen their severity. He seems more exhausted than his usual chipper self, making us glad that his surgery is scheduled for tomorrow around 7:30 AM.

It is quickly becoming apparent that Walter’s condition was not the mild Tetralogy we had been told was so “phenomenal” at birth. Medicine becomes ever more an art and practice in our eyes, as we see that amongst varying medical opinions and room for interpretations, doctor’s impressions are not always as accurate as we may like to believe. Walter has a severe case of pulmonary stenosis, meaning that the obstruction of blood flow from his heart to his lungs is less than 50% of what it should be. The same is true of his valve. The valve which we had been told measured 7mm to 7.5mm at birth, in fact measures 4.5mm to 5.0 mm.

This means that Walter will not be able to keep his valve and faces further surgeries down the road. Whether he will receive a replacement valve now or later depends on many factors, but even if this surgery is successful, he could be facing another surgery in as soon as a year or two (though depending on outcomes may be longer).

We have been so overwhelmed by the sincere love, concern, and uplifting prayers for Wally and our little family. Knowing that such a little life can touch the hearts of so many, only reaffirms our spirit as we head into surgery. This little heart holds a whole lot of love thanks to you, and we are forever humbled.