Day 1

By
Tyler did great in the NICU. They put some lines through his belly button and he was pink and breathing on his own. He looked so great. The cardiologist came and talked to us about 8:30 PM after his echo and said that his left ventricle looked larger than they expected. He said that discussions and decisions at UCSF will be very interesting in the next week as we plan what the best surgery option is for Tyler. He confirmed that he had a hypoplastic left ventricle and aorta as well as other smaller issues including an AV canal and valve problems. There was some discussion that the 3 stage Norwood procedure might not be needed if the left side of the heart can sustain life, which was hopeful but by no means the prognosis. It was great to see him peaceful and resting. The next morning, he was still doing great and they decided to intubate him for the ambulance ride to UCSF in case the medication he was on caused him to stop breathing which is common. He looked great and Danny and I got to hold him for over an hour before he left. He was so peaceful and looked so great. What a blessing. They released me that morning so I could go to UCSF to be with him. It is amazing what your body will do to be with your little one. I went to UCSF that evening with my parents and Scott. Scott was a little scared of the machines and doctors so he didn't get to see him.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Update

By
Image
My mom is in town from Utah. She spent the night at the hospital last night and has been holding Tyler quite a bit. He really enjoys being held, so he's less fussy and has responded well to the weaning of the oxygen. He's on regular air, but I guess it's still the high-flow to keep his lungs inflated. He's up to 9 cc's of food per hour, an improvement over yesterday's 2 cc's. The picture is of Betty and Bob Maddox (Heather's in-laws), Jacquie Lietz (Heidi's mom), Heather Maddox (Heidi's sister), and Walt Lietz, Heidi's dad. They did a 5K walk to raise money for the American Heart Association. Thanks to all who donated on behalf of Heather and Tyler!
Read more

Periacetabular Osteotomy "Hip" Surgery

By
Image
Ok, should we just rename our blog the McMillan Pediatrics Medical Journal? Everyone has issues. Our family is congenital medical disorders. Tylers heart, Carls brain and Dannys Hips. Danny had hip discomfort growing up, visited the doc at 17 and was dismissed with "bad hips." He learned to make the best of his hips by monitoring his activity, walking slowly, making me wear hiking packs and taking breaks. After experiencing back pain this year he went to a doctor who took one look at his x-ray and sent him to orthopedics who sent him to a surgeon. We are blessed with a great friend who is amazing hip surgeon and chief of orthopedics AKA John Kronick who guided us in our decision. Our family is always taken care of in miraculous ways. Here are his hips: The Problem: acetabular (hip) dysplasia is a congenital disorder usually formed by age 3. His acetabular is more dish shaped instead of cup shaped. A normal hip would surround the head of his femur. His X-ray shows signs of art
Read more

Swim Lessons

By
The season has begun for summer swim lessons. If anyone is interested in or knows someone who is looking for swim lessons please pass on my information. Thanks and enjoy the summer!! I began coaching 9 years ago at the recreational level and currently coach the Walnut Creek Aquabears United States Swim Team (www.Aquabears.org). I grew up in Walnut Creek, was a nationally ranked swimmer and collegiate record holder for BYU. I specialize in private lessons and customize each lesson to meet your child’s specific needs. I provide instruction in Walnut Creek or in the privacy of your own pool. Beginning Lessons Learning to swim helps children gain self-esteem, independence and motor skills. I use a gentle approach to help teach your child to love the water. I help children learn water safety skills, breathing techniques, floating and the four basic strokes. Advanced Stroke Technique Attention to stroke technique is important for an advanced swimmer to improve efficiency in the water. Pri
Read more