Diagnosis: Transposition of the great arteries (TGA), Double outlet right ventricle (DORV), Ventricular septic defect (VSD)
Over the course of the next 9 days, I was driven back and forth to the hospital to see Max and Edgar. Nothing was really happening with Max. They were monitoring him, but overall he seemed like a normal baby. He stayed in the CVICU until they decided it was time for his first procedure. He was going to the catheter lab to get a heart catheter. The plan was to make the hole in his heart larger so the blood could circulate easier. Dr. Ing came in to explain the procedure. He spoke very quickly and he seemed confident that the procedure wasn't going to be a big deal. They were going to go up through his leg to perform the procedure. (Amazing)
We were escorted down to the Cath Lab and we obtained his anesthesia clearance. They took Max away and within an hour he was back resting before he woke up from the anesthesia. Edgar and I were pretty calm through this procedure. The doctors and nurses assured us that this was pretty routine and there weren't many risks. Max recovered well from the procedure and at the end of the 9 days we were allowed to go home. I can remember when we were waiting for our discharge papers being so afraid of going home. Dr. Lindsay, a resident, must have come in more than 2 or 3 times to tell us how to tell if Max's health was deteriorating. He was so patient with our repeated questions. He told us more than once that Max was not going to die suddenly. I needed to hear that.
We were instructed to see our pediatrician once a week and to come to TCH for cardiology check-ups once a week. It seemed like a major chore to me, but anything was better than being stuck in the hospital. Anything was better than being separated from my husband and my son at night.
Once we were home, things momentarily went back to normal. Max was (and is) a wonderful baby. Maybe it was because he was put on such a stringent schedule in the hospital or maybe it's just his nature. I was trying to adjust to having two children. I was adjusting to breastfeeding again. But mostly, I was adjusting to my amazement of Max.
