So I think I just need to change the name of our blog to "Well I know its been a while but..." That way I wont have to say that every time I finally make a new post. But we are starting our next adventure with Patrick so I guess it is time to post something new. As most know, Patrick has a very complex heart defect that will require surgery in the summer or fall. Yesterday we started the evaluation process for his surgery. We went to Children's Hospital of Atlanta for a heart catheterization and echocardiogram. Because of the length of time the procedure takes and because apparently 3 year olds don't lie still when you ask them to, general anesthesia was required. Patrick did great with the doctors and nurses, and we were so impressed with the care that he was given. , After the procedure we were able to talk with multiple cardiologists who talked with us about the surgeries that Patrick will need. All along we expected them to tell us that he will have a procedure known as Fontan, which doesn't so much fix the defects he has but routes blood around the heart to give him better oxygen levels and a better quality of life. The good side of the Fontan is that most children who have it do very well after the immediate post operative period and can experience a relatively normal childhood and young adulthood. The downside is that the life expectancy of those who have the procedure is in the 30's maybe into the 40s. However, the docs yesterday think that Patrick may be able to have a procedure to provide him with a more physiologic heart anatomy that may not be as limiting as far as activity and life span. Everything has a down side and this is no different. Technically this is a much more difficult surgery with more risk during and immediately after the surgery so more hospital time is expected. Also he would likely need it repeated as he grows. We won't know anything until next week and even then we will probably need more testing to know for sure. We are very excited to know that a "better" surgery may be an option, but making these life altering decisions weighs heavy on the heart of moms, dads, brothers, sisters, and grandparents.
So what is this about Lauren and MacGyver? Well Patrick is officially an Ayres and as many of you know we rarely make things easy. Yesterday didn't disappoint. Because of Patrick's anatomy his catheterization had to be performed through his groin as well as his neck. Unfortunately his neck didn't want to quit bleeding. I think every nurse and fellow held pressure on his neck to control the bleeding. Patrick was still through the whole process and was really a trooper. Finally they decided to use a different type of gauze that was made of Adobe or at least something similar and it stopped the bleeding. We waited another few hours and were told we were heading home. We started home and of course the neck started bleeding again. Okay we made it down to the lobby but that's a start right? Any normal person would have gone back upstairs and let the staff care for the neck, but I've never been called normal. I knew if we went back upstairs we were spending the night in the hospital. I guess that was my only thought. Maybe I should have thought we don't have the supplies to care for a bleeding neck, Atlanta is two hours from Gadsden, it's rush hour, what is the weather doing, this is your son's neck. Yeah none of those thoughts went through my brain when they should have. We put Patrick in his car seat, Lauren climbed in the back seat with him (kindof) and we headed home. Lauren sat on a cooler next to Patrick so that she could be close enough to his neck to hold pressure, we exhausted our supply of gauze roughly 1 minute after we pulled out of the parking deck. That's where MacGyver stepped her game up. I looked up and Patrick's head was secured on both sides with folded up blankets and Lauren was holding pressure on his neck with another blanket. All the while I think she was providing a running commentary with her mother via text, drinking a diet coke, checking Facebook, and ordering matching bathing suits for the boys. Okay maybe that is a little bit exaggerated but not a tear was shed and no one was screaming or fussing. This was all carried out in an orderly, calm fashion and that is truly not an exaggeration. So I drove long enough to get out of Atlanta traffic and eventually found a Walgreens. I ran in to get supplies while Lauren continued holding pressure and entertaining a 3 year old who was pretty much tired of everyone pushing on his neck. Eventually I removed the dressing totally and placed another piece of Adobe on the oozing hole in my son's neck as Lauren drove us home. 30 minutes later Patrick had a brand new, almost blood free dressing on his neck with tape and everything. Did I mention that about 1.7 minutes into the trip a driving rain storm started up and basically was with us until about Saks? At least it wasn't hail like our last trip home from Atlanta. Be thankful for the small things right? This morning after a little sleep and some much needed coffee, I can laugh a little bit. If I had any doubt before, I have no doubt that Lauren is fully ready to nurse a 3 year old back to health following a huge heart surgery. Maybe next time we have a "little" complication I will at least have a first aid kit in the car!!!
We are thankful to everyone who prayed for us yesterday and many days before. I ask that you continue to pray for Patrick, his doctors, and us as we make decisions regarding his upcoming surgery. We have confidence that he is in God's hand regardless of the decisions and regardless of the outcome. It's nice to be able to rest in that fact.
