24 Week Cardiologist Appointment

We just finished up with our cardiologist. Can I just say...I have NO idea how they can see SO MUCH detail on a heart that is so small. Mind boggling. I guess this is why they make the big bucks, and we don't.


Given the circumstances, Wyatt's heart is doing well. His heart is growing where it should be and isn't growing where it shouldn't be (that's my take on a whole lot of medical words, anyway). Our Dr. said that there are a few cases where HLHS could be worse than other cases, and that we are not one of them. I don't want to go into too much detail on those, as I don't have all the facts, and I don't want to mis-inform anyone. He did say that if blood had made its way into Wyatt's left ventricle, allowing his ventricle to partially grow, and then stop, that that would have been worse. He also said that while Wyatt's aorta is underdeveloped, which is common with HLHS, it is not severely underdeveloped. So, in the end, it could be worse. 


We asked him all the questions we could think of, and got the following answers:


Here is what we know for sure - Wyatt will be born cyanotic, and will require a catheter into his belly button in order to administer the drugs which will keep his PDA open. That is all we can be certain of.


Provided Wyatt is born crying and moving around, like you'd expect a healthy baby to be born, we will be able to have a somewhat normal post-delivery. DJ will be able to cut the cord, and we will be able to hold him. If his heart continues down the road it is on, we can expect that there won't be very much emergency medical treatment necessary. Surgery is still to be within the first 7 days.


Wyatt is in control here. We don't get to call the shots, he does. All of this depends on what Wyatt wants to do, when he wants to do it, and how well he wants to do it. So, hopefully, Wyatt is also on Team Wyatt.


We can expect Wyatt to have a NG tube for feedings, and there is a chance he won't even get to try eating by mouth prior to surgery. They want to give him that chance, but again, it all depends on Wyatt. He may also need a G tube down the road, which is pretty prevalent among HLHS kids. 


He will be sedated at least 24 hours post surgery, depending on if they are able to close his sternum during surgery or not. He will be sedated even longer if his sternum has to remain open. 


The fact that Wyatt has HLHS, combined with the fact that my labor with Austyn was so short (5 hours start to finish, 2 pushes), our cardiologist would really like for us to be induced. Our OB has already said that this is likely anyway. Everyone just wants us to be where we need to be when the time comes, rather than scrambling to get to a hospital because we are pretty sure he is going to come fast. Having a scheduled induction would also help us to plan ahead for Austyn's care, where he is going to be, etc. 


There are still about a million and one unknowns. There are so many questions that no one is able to answer, because we have to just wait and see. In 8 weeks, we will go back to the Cardiologist, and have another fetal echo, as well as meet our surgeon, meet the NICU and PICU staff, and meet the neotalogists that will be a part of Wyatt's team. We will also tour the hospital campus this day. This will be a long, informational day for us, but will be tremendous in helping us to 'prepare' for Wyatt's arrival and surgeries. 


At the end of the day, I am happy. Wyatt is doing well in there, and could be doing worse. Our cardiologist seems hopeful, and we are too. With all of your continued support, we will get through this, somehow. These positive days definitely help, and I love being able to post good news rather than sadness or depression.