Cardiology Update

Good news up front - Clare's next cardiology appointment is in six months!

Clare had her cardiology appointment and echocardiogram done today. It came up so suddenly (or seemed to) that I didn't even get a chance to properly freak out about it. She had a lung scan done at one of the Children's Hospital sites in Waltham a couple weeks ago. A normal lung scan reads 45-55 (cannot remember which lung is which) - Clare's measured 43-57, so she is almost at a typical output for her lungs, which is fabulous news. She was very squiggly-wiggly for the echo this afternoon. I kept threatening her that if she did not sit still, she would end up having her echos done under anesthesia in the ambulatory center. And we don't want that. Those words failed to impress her, but having two lollipops in her mouth at the same time worked wonders. Thankfully, we have the best echo tech in the universe (who has been echoing Clare since she was one day old), and she was able to get what she needed.

Clare's blood pressures and oxygen levels were great. Her weight was up two pounds from her last visit three months ago. And all her gradients measured almost exactly the same from her last echo! Truly awesome news!! Her doctor was very pleased. So much so that Clare does not have to return for six months. This will be our longest stretch ever between echos. Hopefully my nerves will last the entire length as well!

While we were at the clinic, I had scheduled an impromptu appointment for Simon with our pediatrician. He caught the lovely virus that Jamie and Clare had a couple weeks ago, but it seemed to linger in him. After a few days with a fever, congestion, and general crankiness and clinginess, it turns out that Simon has another double ear infection. (His third double ear infection in a little over a month.) We're now at the point where the doctor has brought up "the tubes." Personally, I think it's all an act and Simon just wants to have his thing. You know, Jamie has that thyroid thing, and Clare her heart thing. I think Simon is vying for the spot of the ear thing. God forbid one of our kids is (tongue-in-cheek) "normal."

[The photos are from our recent trip to the local children's museum. The kids love going to this place. Clare's favorite part was playing in the doctor's office (hmmmm... I wonder why?). She enjoyed being the medical secretary more than being the doctor. And, as you can see, even firemen go to the dentist.]