From Guest Blogger, Emmett's Mommy...it is Mother's Day, afterall!
Hello friends and family, and Happy Mother's Day to all of you amazing Mommies out there! Earlier today I posted a little message on Facebook about Emmett needing some tests done, so I thought I would elaborate on that a bit to set some minds at ease.
Thursday was E's cardiology appointment with Dr. Y. Normally, this is a very routine visit - check in, visit fish, grab a snack, check stats, get an echo, have a quick visit with Dr. Y and we're on our way. This has become so routine, in fact, that the last few visits, I have told Joe not to even worry about coming (save that vacation time for a real vacation!) Unfortunately, on Thursday's visit, I wish I'd had Joe with me. All was going well, echo was complete, and we were just waiting for the good doc to drop by. He walked by the room, said he was going to take a quick look at the echo, and be right in....fifteen minutes later, a nurse practitioner came by instead. I knew this wasn't good. She mentioned that Dr. Y was making a call to Dr. Hanley (E's surgeon at Stanford--also not a good sign). She then started to ask questions about Emmett's activity level as of late. Is he wearing out faster? How's the color in his face? Is his breathing labored? Etc. I said that, other than sweating at night, and some occasional bags under his eyes (much like his Mommy's), he was a perfectly "normal" 2 year old. She was very pleasant, playing with Emmett, but I knew something was amiss.
A few minutes later, Dr. Y came in, smile on his face. He gave E his high five and knuckles, listened to his heart, and gave him a good once over. Then came the sentence I was dreading, "I am a little concerned about Emmett's echo today". My heart dropped. What? We hadn't received a bad echo report since BEFORE his first surgery a year and a half ago. Dr. Y said that his left ventricular function was just a little different this time, but was quick to note that he may be making a bigger deal of it than necessary. Regardless, he wants Emmett to get an MRI and Cardiac catheterization done this week--double yikes since they both require anesthesia. We are hopeful that they can schedule the tests together for this reason. We are praying that the tests will simply serve to assure us that everything is fine. If, however, the tests show a negative finding, E's cardiologist will consult with his surgeon, and we'll come together on a plan for Emmett.
I admit that I did something that I don't often do on these visits...I started to cry. I felt a little like a bad Mom--I mean, was Emmett showing signs that I had just missed? After speaking with Joe and several of my friends who spend time with E, however, I realize that no one saw any signs. The optimistic side of me says that this is a great sign! If he is acting this strong and healthy, he
must be fine. The worried Momma side of me, however, says that something could be wrong. I am choosing to remain optimistic. We adore Dr. Y (and he adores Emmett), so we pray that he's just being overly cautious.
I will update as soon as I know when the tests will be. In the meantime, please pray for Emmett. While you're at it, have your friends, family members, co-workers, church friends, next door neighbors, and supermarket clerks say a prayer too :) I
truly believe that all of your prayers have made an incredible difference in our lives so far. We have an amazing God, who is holding Emmett firmly in his hands, and there are no other hands that I would rather he be in :)
Much, much, much love from the Rockies,
Missy, Joe and Big E
