Nathan watches a Disney video during EKG testing at Children's Hospital in New Orleans.
Annual checkups are an important part of maintaining Nathan’s heart and back health. Recently, Bryan, daughter Michelle, and I traveled with Nathan to Children’s Hospital in New Orleans to see how his heart looks four years after surgery to correct Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return (PAPVR), a problem associated with his scimitar syndrome.
The echocardiogram seems to be a challenge for the technician each year. His heart is positioned strangely in his chest (dextrocardia), so it takes a little patience to capture the desired images. It doesn’t help that Nathan is extremely ticklish, especially when the transducer is placed at his neck.
During Nathan’s heart surgery, a baffle (tunnel) was created to redirect oxygenated blood from the right atrium to the correct chamber, the left atrium. The last time the technician was able to capture an image showing the baffle was a few days after his surgery in 2006. So it was a pleasant surprise when the cardiologist spotted it and reported that it appears to be unobstructed and working fine!
Nathan poses by a whimsical seahorse painting while he waits for one of his doctors.
In addition to his congenital heart defect, Nathan was born with a hemi-vertebra which was diagnosed as congenital kyphosis three months after his heart surgery. We visited Nathan’s pediatric orthopedic surgeon on the same day. I wish I had snapped a photo of the radiographs Dr. King presented to us. One showed his spinal column right after spinal fusion surgery; a piece of cadaver bone replaced the hemi-vertebra and was easily discerned from his natural vertebrae. The latest x-ray showed the cadaver-bone vertebra and the two vertebrae directly above and below had transformed into one solid piece, just as it was supposed to do. There was concern, however, that the fusion was curving about 40 degrees. If it continues to curve, reaching 50 degrees or more, it may be necessary to place rods in his back.
I hope, I hope, I hope… it will hold.
We pushed that thought out of our minds and went to Copeland’s after our day at Children’s. We had their fabulous Spinach and Artichoke dip with fried bow-tie noodles for an appetizer (Nathan only eats the noodles). Bryan had barbeque with cornbread. Michelle and I had a delicious pecan encrusted fish. Nathan had his usual–chicken tenders with fries. Dessert: Cheesecake Napoleon with praline sauce for us big kids, Big Al’s Chocolate Fudge Cake for Nathan.
Sometimes, you have to look at life’s challenges with the mindset of that famous philosopher, Scarlett O’Hara: “I’ll think about that tomorrow.”
Tags: Children's Hospital in New Orleans, congenital heart defect, congenital kyphosis, Copeland's, dextrocardia, Nathan, PAPVR, Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return, Scimitar Syndrome
