Light at the End of the Tunnel

We can see the light! (There's some song with that lyric, "I can see the light. I can see the light." which has been stuck in my head all afternoon.)

Clare had her follow-up with the cardiologist here at home. She had a chest x-ray and echocardiogram done as usual. Her cardiologist is super-pleased with what she saw. Her blood pressures were terrific in that the pressure taken on her arm matched that of her leg. Her blood pressure was on the high side, which is normal for Clare, but the pressures being the same means there is no blood flow problems through Clare's aorta. Which means that the cath was very successful. The cardiologist went over the entire cath procedure with me, and I saw the photos and video of the dilations.

Sidebar: I did meet Clare's interventional cardiologist at Children's Hospital (he's the one who performs the caths and is the chief cardiologist at Children's), but he did not go over the procedure with me. He literally walked into Clare's room post-cath, didn't introduce himself or say a word, checked Clare out, then on his way out told me to watch that she doesn't become "febrile." I knew who he was because his photo hangs on the wall on the cardiac floor. But this was the first time he had personally come to the cardiac floor to check on Clare, so I was stunned speechless and didn't say a word either. Luckily, I know what "febrile" means (fever). Clare's cardiologist explained to me that this doctor was a brilliant man, but one that rarely speaks. He had no bedside manner, but who cares, as long as he is an expert at what he does!

So we went over the cath. It was a big procedure - her biggest catheterization yet. In retrospect, that is why she had such a tough time the night after her cath. Seven of Clare's pulmonary arteries were dilated (which is a lot - usually it's 3-4), and the dilation of her aortic coarctation was a huge dilation. Her lung scan post-cath was that of a typical lung scan. So even though Clare still has many occlusions throughout her pulmonic side, her blood flow is being evenly distributed to her lungs.

The cardiologist also showed me the two arteries that were completely occluded in Clare (which is the fancy cardiology term for "blocked" - it means that there is no blood flow through these vessels). One is on her left pulmonary side, and the other is her right femoral artery. In both cases, collateral vessels have developed around the arteries, so that the blood is getting where it needs to be, just taking a different route. This is not a big deal in her pulmonary side. However, as I stated after Clare's cath, the occlusion of her femoral artery means that the doctors can no longer gain access there for her caths. The only access they have now is through her left femoral artery. If, in the future, the left side also becomes occluded, then the doctors will have to go through Clare's jugular. Not something we want to happen, but it can be done.

Where's the light you ask? Clare does not need to go back to the cardiologist for three months! Wow! When she goes back, she will have an echo done under sedation so they can get a really good look at her heart. I am so happy we have reached a point where Clare can go three months between visits. The cardiologist (who tends to be conservative, which I believe is a good thing when it comes to heart issues) is not as positive that Clare can go a year without needing another cath, but she is at least going 3-4 months again. So I can see that light at the end of this VERY long tunnel. It may just be a faint glimmer, but I know it's there.