Zach is no longer on a fat-free diet... AND the doctor released Zach from all activity restrictions which means he can finally enjoy the playground at preschool! Hooray!
I have to admit that the fat-free diet hasn't been all bad. I think I have lost a little weight without even trying! The problem is, so has Zach!
Bill sent me the picture below today after Zach's marathon cardiology visit (x-ray AND echo, and all the other usual stuff). As they were headed to Zach's preschool, Zach asked if they could stop at Zaxby's. Dad told him they were not open. Zach thought about it a second and said, "OK, we can go to Chick-a lay!"
See the box of Chick Fil A chicken nuggets? See Zach's BIG smile?
This is one happy boy with a good lookin' Heart Zipper!
What a privilege it is to pray for our fellow heart families...
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12
And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.James 5:15
Two more cardiac kids are going to make their appearance very soon. That means that two more families will jump onto this CHD rollercoaster. Two more families will be turned upside down, twisting and turning, going up and down, just wishing they could stop it all. We veteran heart families have two more chances to lift up prayer for those who will feel overwhelmed as we once did.
The first, Mason, who was diagnosed en utero with Tetrology of Fallot (TOF), was actually due Saturday. Mason's mom will be going to the OB Monday. They could possibly decide to induce, although she does not want that. Please pray for discernment for her doctors as they decide what will be best for him, for a smooth delivery, and for Mason to be stable.
I heard about this second family during an interview on the radio. A member of the Christian group Sanctus Real is about to have his third child, Bowen, who was diagnosed en utero with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). Bowen is due to come in the next couple of weeks I think.
Also, please pray for us as Zach goes back to the cardiologist on Tuesday morning. He will have a chest x-ray to make sure there is no accumulation of fluid left over from surgery. The doctor will let us know if Zach can begin to eat fatty foods again. Zach will be soooooo happy to go get some Chick-Fil-A nuggets! We are also praying that Zach will get rid of the cough that he has had since last week.
Today my good friend and fellow heart mom, Stef, shown below, is hosting a linking blogging thingy. Not sure what to call it, but it is a great way for heart families to connect and share their heart journeys. It is also a great way to spread awareness of the #1 birth defect in our country - Congenital Heart Defects.
Every heart is different but one thing's for sure... Every heart has a story! For us, we were "adopted" into this world of CHD's.
Just to catch you up, we began the process of adopting Zach about 2 months before he was born. We took his birth mother, Nora, to several doctors appointments, but never knew that there was a problem with his heart. Rewind to April 29, 2006...
Our family a few hours after Zach's birth --- before we knew there was a problem...
Click here to visit and read the rest of this earlier post telling Zach's heart story...
Now, in August of 2010, I am proud to announce that we are post-Fontan and Zach is doing great! He is an amazing boy who is full of life and smiles for everyone he meets. He has started preschool and is learning new things every day. We are blessed.
So, I am finally getting around to blogging about our first day of school. It's been a very hectic week, but a good one!
On Sunday, my sweet family gave me a framed collage to put on my desk. Every time I look at it I feel so loved!
We got Zach an alarm clock to help him get up and get ready for school. We hoped it would help him be excited about getting up at 6am (he's never had to get up early for anything except an occasional early doctor's appointment) and we hoped it would help him to sleep in his room all night rather than coming into our room as he now does every night. So, on Sunday night we set the alarm and put it on his dresser. Lo, and behold, he comes into our room at 2am carrying the alarm clock! Stinker!!!
Monday morning at 5am my alarm clock woke me from a deep sleep. Like Zach, I am not used to having to get up super early, or at least not used to having to be ready and out the door at 6:45am! I have about a 20 minute drive and have to drop Zach off too and be at school by 7:30. Zach wanted to know why it was still dark outside!
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Here we all are ready for our first day of school! Despite the look on Zach's face he really was awake and in a good mood. A few minutes later he started fussing. Do you see what Zach has in his hand? Cardiac Kid's Breakfast of Champions --- Enalipril!!
Zach did really well going to preschool all week. Bill was able to pick him up after lunch on the first day but he had to stay for pretty much full days for the rest of the week. I was afraid he would be wailing every day but he fussed very little and really seemed to have a good time. He is learning a lot already!
Apparently he hasn't learned to avoid the kids with the snotty noses (heart mom humor!) because he has a little cold. Yesterday we hovered around the tissue box, wiping his little nose every 2 minutes. Today he sounds a little stuffy. Nonetheless, he has felt good and been his usual self. I know sickness is inevitable and I am thankful this hasn't developled into something bad.
So, I guess we will get up and do it all over again starting tomorrow morning!
Please lift up some big prayers for the newest member of the cardiac kid club --- baby Joshua, born yesterday with HLHS. He and his family have just hopped on this rollercoaster that we veterans know so well. Right now, he is stable and they are praising God for all the little victories. Check out how he's doing at http://fierceandfiesty.blogspot.com/.
I will post about our first day of school soon... hopefully before mid-semester!
You might be wondering about the title of the post. Click below...
The question is...
Just how many ways can you fix chicken???!!!
Hopefully, we only have a couple more weeks on the low fat diet (PTL), but I declare... I cannot wait to go get a big, juicy, dripping cheeseburger! Wherever we go to get that big burger, I'm sure when we ask Zach what he wants to eat, he will say, "Chicken!"
Zach loves to tell everyone, "I am on a fat-free diet!" like it's something to be proud of. Not easy to explain to complete strangers in the grocery store or to the poor girl at Chick Fil A that took our order today (he can eat 1/2 of a grilled chicken sandwich from CFA --- he cannot eat his favorite 6-pack of nuggets). And I'm pretty sure that Zach is the only 4 year old who reads nutrition labels. The other night we were having a snack and I was reading the label on a couple of boxes from the pantry. He said, "Lemme see." He turned the box around to the label and said, "OK, two grams of fat!" Funny Boy!
So, praise the Lord, Zach continues to do well. He still gets tired but we are at that point where an afternoon nap keeps him up at night, so we just deal with a grumpy boy at night and try to get him to bed earlier. We have been trying to adjust his schedule to get him used to getting up early and going to bed early because he starts preschool Monday! He will just go for 1/2 day for a few days this week to allow him to build some more endurance. I am nervous about dropping him off this week and pray that it goes smoothly. We have not been used to getting up and having to be much of anywhere early in the morning so this is a big deal!
Rebecca has been in try-outs for volleyball at her school this week. There are 40 girls trying out for 12-15 spots! We hope she makes it --- I might be biased but I think she is pretty good! I think she is all ready for school --- in middle school a girl's gotta have just the right school supplies and clothes!
Bill has been busy following up from summer FCA camps and gearing up for the new school year. Football season is always busy for him --- lots of ministry opportunities. Zach has been glued to Daddy's side these past few weeks, so we hope we can un-glue him (Zach, I mean) on Monday.
I worked the first three days this week getting my library ready for the start of school. I love the folks that I work with and am really excited! I felt like our kids on their first day of school --- Bill just had to take a picture of me all ready for my first day of work! Notice the sleepy look in my eye and the large mug of coffee?
Zach's cardiology appointment went well today... except for the part about holding him down to remove... you guessed it --- THE BANDAID!!! The good news is that Dr. Raunikar said that we do not need to keep a bandaid on it anymore. Hallelujah!!!
He weighs 30.3 lbs, is 37.5 inches tall, good bp, good pulse ox at 90-92, EKG and echo looked good. He left him on the same doses of aspirin and enalipril and reduced his lasix to one time a day (Yay!!!). The poor kid gets a lot of exercise running back and forth to the potty after taking that lasix!
The doctor said he can start preschool when school starts but he cannot climb on the outdoor play equipment. I will have to check to see if they can accomodate him in that way. The other issue is that he is still on the fat-free diet until the end of the month, so we will have to provide all his food. You can imagine that this "hovering heart mom" is having a hard time with trusting that someone else will protect him from collisions, climbing, and fat-laden food. I also have to compile a list of symptoms for the preschool staff to look for in order to educate them about his condition. Fortunately, he will be at a preschool about 2 minutes away from my school.
Rebecca will be trying out for volleyball at her school next week. She loves the sport and is pretty good at it, so we are hopeful that she will make the team.
Speaking of school, I can't believe its almost here!!! I have been in my first-year-teacher class this week and will be officially starting next week. I am feeling overwhelmed and anxious but I am really excited to begin this new adventure! We welcome your prayers as we make these adjustments within our family.
