She's doing great!

Today we had our cardiology follow-up at Children's. To make a long story short, she's doing great! Her heart function looks good. Her EKG was good. Her energy level is good. Dr. Lewin was very pleased with how she's doing. So pleased, in fact, that we don't have to go back for a full year! Woo hoo!

I've been asked when she's going to need her next procedure. The answer is: we don't know. Dr. Lewin doesn't think that it will be until "late childhood" (think 9 or 10). He's hoping they can deal with the stent and put in a pulmonary valve at the same time. He said that they wouldn't do it in 2 different surgeries. Now, that's a relief.

Gabby was fine with having the echo done. She got to watch Winnie the Pooh while they were doing it. She didn't like the EKG much, though. She doesn't like when they take the stickers off. They pull on the skin when you remove them, and it hurts. So, she still has the stickers on while she takes a nap. I'll take them off later in the shower or bath. She was great for Dr. Lewin and getting her height and weight done, too. Dr. Lewin even got a hug from her. She's such a champ. (She got 4 Sesame Street stickers, too! Plus 2 sugar-free suckers.)

While we were in the cafeteria, we ran into Dr. Jefferies, one of the ICU docs. He was one of the docs who put her on ECMO all that time ago. He remembered us (and her diagnosis and even where her room was!). He was pleased to see that she's doing so well. Gabby even gave him 2 hugs. He just lit up. What I'm learning is that she's one of their ECMO superstars. ECMO was made to help kids like her, and she's had a wonderful outcome. Not all kids who wind up on ECMO do as well as she has. They don't all make it, and some have long-term problems. I'm sure that seeing kids come back for follow-up when they're doing as well as Gabby is makes a lot of what they do worthwhile for the staff there. Me, I'm just glad that she IS doing so well. It's nice to have something good like this happen this year.