A Miracle Witnessed

I want to start by telling you thank you for praying for Anna Grace this morning. I believe I was witness to a miracle today. Seriously.

The morning started off great. My Mom, sweet woman that she is, took the day off work today to watch Zachary so that Brian and I could both go with Anna Grace to the cardiologist appointment. What an awesome Mom I have to do this for us. Brian had to go into work early this morning to get something urgent wrapped up before AG's appointment so my Mom also came to the house at 7:30 today to watch the kids so that I could take a shower. Alone. In peace. Oh.... it was such a rare treat to just shower and get ready uninterrupted. Once I was ready my Mom headed out with Zachary to go to her house and Anna Grace and I waited at home until Brian got home from work about 9:30. At 9:40 Anna Grace got her dose of Benadryl and at 9:45 we hopped in the car and headed to the cardiologist.

Before we walked in the doctor's office Brian stopped us and we prayed for Anna Grace and for the Lord to calm her. Now... here comes the miracle. Dr. R had made special arrangements for us to go directly into the echo room. No one talked to us or looked at Anna Grace. We didn't have to check in or even be taken into an exam room. We went straight in and put her favorite movie in "Sesame Street's: What's the Name of That Song" (thank you Michelle for this gift). I tried laying Anna Grace on the table, but she wasn't having it, so being the nimble Mom that I am, I hopped up on the table and sat her on my lap. I dressed her in a zip-up outfit so that I could leave her clothes on her during the exam. I just unzipped her sleeper and gave her a bottle of milk and she sat quietly on my lap drinking her milk and watching Elmo. She didn't make a peep. The tech did the echo and got phenomenal pictures of her heart - the shunt, the aortic arch, her pulmonary artery - EVRYTHING. It was amazing. It was a miracle. You might not appreciate the magnitude of this miracle unless you really understand how upset Anna Grace gets at the doctor's office. Believe me when I tell you - this was a direct hand of the Lord on Anna Grace. Thank you Lord and thank you all for praying for her.

Now.... here is what Dr. R saw on those wonderful pictures..... he saw no more mitral valve regurgitation which means she can now stop taking her Lasix. Her aortic arch was wide open as was her pulmonary artery. This means no cath and no ballooning (at least right now). It was great news.

We also checked her O2 sats which were 89. They have NEVER been that high before, but I suppose that is because she is usually SCREAMING and crying which she wasn't doing today. (She usually reads 83 at the MOST).

However, when Dr. R decided to pull out his stereoscope to have a listen to her heart she started screaming and crying in normal Anna Grace fashion. It was at this point we called it a day. We didn't attempt a blood pressure check or a weight check. Dr. R was satisfied with what was accomplished this morning and didn't feel like pushing her farther.

Dr. R also cancelled the sedated echo which we had scheduled for April 7. Whew.... what a blessing.

So, as it stands right now, we go back again in June for another echo. He said to call him if we needed him any sooner than that, but he thought she looked real good. He did make the comment that he has had to be more "creative" with Anna Grace than any of his other patients - I am really thankful that he is so willing to work with us and accommodate us to make things easier for Anna Grace. Truly, I think most cardiologists would just say "let's sedate her" and not have to jump through all the hoops he has done AND his staff has done to help Anna Grace.

So.... right now I am feeling very blessed and thankful and honestly I never want to forget that I truly did witness a miracle today.

P.S. - I am thinking of purchasing a "real" stereoscope to have at the house to start having Brian and I place it on her chest to get her more comfortable with it. If anyone has one that maybe is old or doesn't work anymore I would be interested in buying it. I don't really need it to work, but I do want it to be a "real" one and not a toy so that she gets used to the feel and weight of it. I think it might help her some.