Angie and I found out just before Memorial Day weekend. Needless to say it was a shock like we have never had in our lives to find out first, that we were going to have a little boy, but then second, that this little helpless baby had a major medical condition. All we knew at this point was that there was a serious structural defect with his heart... We'd have to go to a specialist a week or so later to get an exact diagnosis. It was a trying week to say the least, but we made it to the next appointment. Angie's doctors in Rutherfordton were really supportive and caring, but the week still dragged on. Once the appointment day came in Asheville, we went hoping that nothing was wrong, that maybe they were just mistaken. Unfortunately, it was not to be. The specialists confirmed after a couple long hours of scanning the diagnosis we are now very familiar with.
HLHS, if you haven't already read or heard about it, is a fairly rare and severe heart condition that affects about 1 in 5000 kids. In a child with HLHS, the left side of their heart, specifically the left ventricle, is undersized and cannot properly pump blood to the body. If left untreated, the child would not survive past their first 5-20 days of life. Thankfully, over the last 30 years a palliative treatment has been developed that helps to manage this condition and enable children to live fairly normal, healthy lives if all goes well. The treatment consists of 3 surgeries performed at birth, around 6 months, and last 2.5-3 years of age. The goal of the surgeries is to reroute the circulatory system so that the body can be run with only the right side of the heart.
So, we then had to cope, and we coped fairly well all considering. There were good days and bad days, but we've made it through. More appointments, and a plan was made: we are going to deliver in Charlotte, where Jacob will have his first surgery. We are very fortunate that one of the best Pediatric Cardiologist surgeons was right at our back door (Dr. Peeler at Carolina Medical Center in Charlotte). As I write this, we are sitting in the Ronald McDonald House (yet another blessing) anxiously waiting Angie's induction which will begin tomorrow night.
I couldn't begin to describe the emotional roller coaster we've been through. Just having a child is enough of a change to throw most people for a loop, but this is something we would have never expected, something you don't think would ever happen to you. Yet here it is! We are definitely excited to be bringing another little boy into the world and wish to no end that we could just take him home after a couple days. Instead, it will be a longer wait, not quite the beginning we'd like, but nonetheless, we still are planning on bringing home a little boy ready to meet the world!
This blog will be a way for us to keep our friends and family up to date on this journey of ours. In the end, we can't wait for you all to meet our wonderful son!
Here's a preview - Jacob at 36 weeks!
Well done, Chris!
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