Answered Prayer
Caden had his six month cardiology check up today. The appointment came complete with an EKG and an echo cardiogram. The results of the visit seemed to surprise the cardiologist and it lifted a huge weight off of our shoulders. Sherry and I both had trouble sleeping last night. The past few weeks left us contemplating what the cardiologist were expecting to see after they put the brakes on a fairly simple outpatient procedure. The news from the visit was great. We were told yesterday by phone that Caden would require sedation for the echo. That was not the case after all. Caden displayed great self control during the visit and allowed the technician to get accurate data without having Caden sedated. This is just one small example of how applying the principles taught in Growing Kids God’s Way can help a medically challenged child have a better day at the doctor’s office.
As for the specific results from today, the pressure gradient across the aortic valve has not changed hardly at all in six months. If we understood them correctly, it may have even gone down a tad bit. 😉 This means that Caden’s heart is not having to work any harder today than it was working in April. Praise God! This left the cardiologist to clear Caden for the ENT procedure. We hoped for this and had already rescheduled the procedure for the week after Caden’s birthday.
Promised Video
The following video shows some of the events from a fairly typical evening routine for Caden. The beginning of the video shows Caden at the dinner table as we finish up dinner. Caden is tasting some leftover sauce (strong flavors) from a dinner while he is getting his tube feed. You can hear the rhythmic sound of the pump in the background if you listen carefully. You will then see a short clip of Caden getting suctioned. It is not fun, but it is how we help him keep from aspirating secretions. Next you will see a short clip of Caden playing with his shirt off. This shows how thin his upper body has become which has led to many comments about his weight. You will also get a rare glimpse at what the g-tube button looks like. This is where we attach the feeding tube extension to deliver formula, water, and medications. You will also get a quick look at his back. If you look carefully, you will see the curvature of his spin. The video ends with a picture of me giving Caden his water and medicine just before bed. He gets about 150 ml of water three times per day in addition to the 750 ml of formula. The formula is highly concentrated and gives Caden a total of 1500 calories per day.
Thanks to all who have been praying specifically for this cardiology visit. We are blessed by you all. God is faithful and we continue to be surprised with how He is working in our family.