Today was Liam's cardiology check up. There were no great surprises but it is always just a heavy reminder that we parent a child with a very serious heart defect. It is so easy to forget most days when he is running around the house or riding his bike that his heart has a string of diagnoses: ASD, VSD, CCTGA and a host of associated valve issues.
Our cardiologist said that she always has to pay special attention to looking at his echocardiograms because everything is backwards and I compared it to when I, as a meteorologist, have to do weather in the Southern Hemisphere. Nothing looks how you expect it to.
Not much has changed since his last appointment late last year. One of his valves has gone from having a mild issue to have a mild-moderate issue so we will keep an eye on it. Many kids with Liam's condition have already had at least one surgery and some have pacemakers. For now, we will just be thankful he's made it thus far without major intervention.
Our cardiologist did suggest getting a second opinion at Texas Children's Hospital so we will probably do that in the next year. She said that there are no easy answers with CCTGA patients because we either risk 2 complex heart surgeries with risks of complications now or we wait and most likely he will end up with a heart transplant. The advantage of waiting is that medical technology continues to improve and there may be a better option with lower risks down the road.
I'm sure we can manage to combine a hospital trip with some fun memories in Houston and Galveston so we will start planning. I'm thankful we have such great doctors and hospitals in this state.
And for now, we keep waiting and praying he stays healthy and active and remembering this:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
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