Joseph's Heart

Well, sigh !

We received a phone call from the cardiologist today with the results of Joseph's echocardiogram. We already know he has regular chest pain every day or every other day because he tells us. We also know that he has 2.4 second pauses between his heartbeats, which is longer than normal. We also know that Joseph already had two heart surgeries so far, and that his right ventricle (which normally pumps under low pressure to the lungs) is pumping under high pressure to the body because his vessels are still backwards.

The echocardiogram showed decreased functioning of his right ventricle. We found out that his heart WILL fail at some point. We just don't know when. Some people with his condition live a long time the his heart was corrected, and some not.

Our choices were 1. Wait until his heart fails and put him on a transplant list. 2. Do surgery, a Double Switch Procedure, to correct his heart. It is a two stage (meaning two surgeries) procedure and would maintain the function he still has once he had completed it. The success rate and long term survival rates are really good, but it is a highly complex and highly risky surgery.

Option one is just not an option. I mean, come on, hearts are just not that easy to come by these days. So, we know he will need surgery. The question then is when to do the surgery, not if. The cardiologists will review his case at conference next Wednesday and way the pros and cons. We will find out their recommendations at the end of next week. Also, we are wondering if they will put in a pacemaker during surgery since we already know his sinus node with the pauses is compromised.

Please keep our Joseph in prayer. That is a lot for a seven year old boy to go through as we anticipate surgery this upcoming year.

Please keep us in prayer in the decision process. It seems pretty simple, but decisions like this rarely are. The high risk of surgery vs. the high risk of waiting.

Jennifer