I’m often pretty casual when I talk about them.
My daughter’s medical issues, that is.
When listening to me, some people may think I’m being flippant or minimizing serious issues like “surgery” and “hospitalizations” and “heart valve replacements”. And you know what? When I listen to myself sometimes I guess I can hear that, too. But it’s actually not the case at all.
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When you have a child with a serious health issue, “routine” appointments are never routine.
Tomorrow we will be traveling for Evalyn’s cardiology check-up. Last November at the age of 8, she underwent her 4th cardiac catheterization where the stent in her heart that began to close up was ballooned open again. The cardiologists had hoped to put a new pulmonary valve in at the time as well, but were unable to, due to her crowded cardiac anatomy. The risks of performing the valve replacement at the time outweighed the possible benefits.
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When I reminisce about past Valentine’s Days, my mind inevitable wanders back to 2011.
Yes, there are many other memorable Valentine’s Day I could think about, including my engagement, but this particular year stands out most of all.
That’s because February 14, 2011 was the day before my daughter’s first open heart surgery. She was seven weeks old.
My journey as a “Heart Mom” began in 2010 when our daughter was born with a serious congenital heart defect (CHD). Within hours, she was transferred to a cardiac intensive care unit in a children’s hospital in another state. Continue reading
This post is sponsored by Custom Ink. All opinions are my own.
I will always vividly remember the day that I learned I was going to be a Heart Mom.
It was midway through my first pregnancy, and my husband and I were at our Anatomy Scan appointment at my doctor’s office. We were so excited knowing that in just minutes we would find out if we were having a boy or a girl. The ultrasound technician was happy to tell us that we were expecting a little girl, and I’m sure she enjoyed watching our expressions of pride on our faces.