Thursday, January 21, 2010

And now, a possible Heart Arrhythmia

I swear, this kid just won't give her mommy a break. This week's Nonstress Test uncovered a possible Heart Arrhythmia -- her heart acceleration was good, but was sustained longer than what they want to see, and she also skipped a few beats during the test. Our OB is concerned; she's having us start bi-weekly Nonstress Tests as of Monday, and mentioned the possibility of treating this in utero if it persists (she'd put me on heart medication to help regulate the baby's heart rhythm). She also mentioned that this will be another item on the "to-do" list when the baby arrives -- getting her heart into good rhythm, probably through medications.

Even though Dr. Byrne had consulted with a Cardiologist to make sure this all isn't due to the baby's heart condition, she wasn't able to speak with our Cardiologist directly, Dr. Menon. So, once I got home and dried the tears, we sent him an email to make sure he's kept in the loop ...and literally within 2 minutes of hitting "send," he called us. Though the arrhythmia isn't really due to her heart defect, he told us that the range of the arrhythmia isn't a wide enough "swing" to warrant treatment --our baby's baseline heart rate is 115, her accelerations were around 122 and 140 and sustained just a bit longer than they should be ....if it were more like a baseline of 100 with acceleration to 180, then he'd be concerned, and we'd be looking at medications. As well, her heart skipping beats is somewhat par for the course with Tricuspid Atresia. Making sure she has good heart rhythm once she's here is already among the "to-dos" upon her birth, and medications to help it regulate are also a possibility. Basically, he told us that OBs tend to be a bit overly cautious when it comes to babies with heart conditions; Dr. Byrne is right to be concerned and keep a close eye on this, but it's nothing to lose sleep over either.

So, once again, Shaji Menon is our hero, and I can't thank him enough! And we're just praying that all goes well come Monday.

4 comments:

  1. I love you, girl! Try to keep your chin up. It's good that they're being very cautious with the baby, but I'm concerned about you and how (understandably) upset you've been... If there's anything you need, I am a skip and a jump away.

    Positive vibes and love coming your way.
    xoxo

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  2. Sounds like amazing doctors, I"m so happy you and the baby are in such good care. Wish the ride would smooth out for you both. Also wish I had wise words to give you more peace, but I"m no help in that department. I'm a panic disorder all in its own. :)anyway, I love you, can't wait to catch up in person. Shannon

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  3. You guys are amazing parents!!! Dealing with all you have and still excited to see your new baby is wonderful. I undstand why you get frustrated with the dr's, just remember, they don't want to tell you something until they know for sure. I think it's harder to tell someone the truth telling them something different. Our prayer are with you guys. I'm glad your in good hands with the specialist. We love you guys.

    Love Cindy

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  4. Ahh, what would I do without my girls!!! I love every single one of ya! Thank you for the warm thoughts and well wishes. They really do mean a lot to us!

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