Yearly echo

It has been 18 months since Carson was diagnosed with congenital heart disease. Which is a horrid term, to be more specific he has a bicuspid aortic valve. To put it short and simple one of his heart valves only consists of two leaflets instead of three. It can create stenosis or leakage of the blood pumping through his heart. Because the 2 vessels are trying to make up the work of the standard three, over time they cause his aorta to dialate. When it gets to large, which it will, if left untreated it would eventually rupture causing an aneurism. He will have surgery done to prevent this at some point in his life. For now, we just go in for our yearly echo's and "watchfully wait" as they put it. When his aorta reaches a certain size they will go in and replace the valve in order to prevent the aneurism. We would never let it reach the point where it could harm him. I have complete trust in his doctors and feel completely at peace with the situation. Still, when those echo's roll around each year my heart starts to feel just a little bit heavy. After all this is my baby's heart we are talking about, and that is no small subject.


So come Monday afternoon me and my boy dropped off the baby brothers at my mother in laws and headed down to Salt Lake.


Stopped at Wendy's first to get him some chicken nuggets (which by the way, he has outgrown the kids meals appearantly, he informed me that he was really hungry and needed more than just 5. I got him the ten piece meal and he ate every last bite. My growing boy.)


We then headed to Thiago's work to meet up with him. He showed us his new office and all that. Very exciting. Now we just need to decorate it. Honey could use some new pictures and organizers and what not. That can be next week's project.


Thiago was still finishing some things up, so Carson and I just kicked our feet up in his old office and waited for him to get done. We entertained ourselves by taking random pictures and making fun of a giant manequin that was in the room with us. Should have taken a picture of that for you all. It was quite frightening.


The three of us then headed to Primary Children's Hospital. This place always leaves a pit in my stomach. I truly feel so blessed that we live so close to one of the finest children's hospitals in the country, but my heart truly breaks when I think of all that goes on within these walls. The little lives that are going through so much, things a child should never have to suffer through. And their parents, their poor parents. It hurts my heart.


We headed back for his echo, doesn't even phase him. No biggie.


He gets all cuddly in his new blanket (they give us a new fleece blanket everytime we go) and he picks out a movie and he just lays there while the tech does her thing. Takes about 45 minutes or so.


Everything came back good on his echo. Their is still stenosis, but that is a given. And the aorta is expanding, but that is also a given. However, its rate is slow and still remains unconcerning. One thing that changed is the time frame for when he will most likely need surgery. At first they guessed in his mid forties or so, they are now saying mid twenties. A strange thought to me, Carson will be my age and going through heart surgery. Hard to wrap your brain around. However, surprisingly enough it doesn't really concern me. Which is weird. If you know me, you know I am quite possibly the worlds greatest hypochondriac when it comes to me and my kids. I am constantly convinced we are all suffering from something or the other. Sounds funny, I know, but it is a real life problem for me and something I will always struggle with. So you would think, I would be a basket case knowing my child has a heart condition. However, I have always felt complete peace over the situation. Can't explain why, I just have. It doesn't concern me, I just know that all will be well with my boy. I am grateful for that.


We always stop by the gift shop on our way out and pick up a prize for the boy. He chose a helicopter and got one for Linc as well.



We told Carson we would take him out to dinner after, just him and us. We told him to pick. At first he said Zupa's and then at the last minute he changed his mind and said he wanted some place where they had steak. Texas Roadhouse it is. It was delicious.

Another year down....