Denver Appointments

So as Gary said, we had a few appointments in Denver on Friday afternoon. We got up there early and had plenty of time to park and find our way where we needed to go. We met an OB at University Hosiptal and a pediatric cardiolgoist for a fetal echocardiagram at Denver Children's Hopsital. The two doctors as well as the nurses at both offices were great. Both of the doctors were straightforward and knowledgeable, but also specifically made efforts to address the emotional side of what we're in the midst of. They reiterated that there is nothing we could have done to cause or prevent this heart defect and talked some about the things that we will need to be prepared to face together as we go through this process.

Between the two appointments, we had a few major "takeaways". One- the heart valve that dictates whether or not the baby needs that 1st surgery is looking good right now. Blood is flowing through it, but it doesn't look like too much. If there is too much or too little blood flowing through that valve at birth, then surgery will be required within the first 7-10 days. However, if this valve continues to remain a good size, there is a possibility that he could skip the first surgery altogether. This would be a wonderful thing to give him time to grow and get stronger before the 2nd surgery which now sounds like it would be around 4-6 months.

Two- If it is pretty certain the baby indeed will not need surgery then I may not have to go up to Denver to deliver; I could instead deliver at the hospital less than 10 minutes from our house as originally planned. This is still a very tentative thought, and the whole team of doctors will collaborate to make this decision as they continue to monitor the baby's heart. The possibility of delivering close to home is wonderful, but also a little bit frustrating, since now I'm not even sure which city I'll be in. Of course, being wherever Baby W can get the care he needs when he's born is the MOST important thing. All the same, I'm a planner, and having a set course of action helps me prepare, but I guess I need to get used to a lot of changing plans!

Three - if I do end up going to Denver for delivery and surgery for the baby, then they would want me to be up there staying close by the hospital at about 36-37 weeks. This came as a little bit of a surprise to Gary and I, because we hadn't anticipated I'd have to be up there that early. I could likely get hooked up with the Ronald McDonald house or something, but just the idea of being away from home for that much longer just throws me off. However, if it means that the baby can be in as controlled of a setting as possible with the care he needs close by, then I'll do whatever I need to!

So overall, the day was filled with some GREAT news that the baby might not have to go into surgery right away and some unexpected news that if I might have to get up to Denver a lot earlier than we thought (if I end up there). Overall, we feel great about the team of doctors that we have in both cities and the care that will be provided no matter where we end up.

After a long afternoon of appointments, we enjoyed a nice dinner at D Bar in Denver. It's just a delightful restaurant I've been to several times that Gary hasn't been to so I wanted us to go together. We enjoyed some tasty food and had a good chance to process some of what we heard. (There was a lot, believe me, this is the cliffs notes version.) Now we just wait for more fetal echos in several weeks and hopefully the doctors will be able to make the call about where they want me and when!

Allison