Summer... almost!

The kids are out of school now! I am so looking forward to a schedule that is not packed so our family can enjoy spending time together.

I have to work on Tuesday :( and then we head to the beach! My side of the family is going to Nags Head this year --- there will be about 30 people there at various times throughout the week. It's always a blast --- crazy, but a blast!

Last Monday afternoon, Zach started running a fever. Once we got his fever down, he acted fine. Tuesday, he stayed home with Daddy and he ran no fever so we thought he was ok until 5pm when it started again. I took a look at his throat, which looked like he had 2 red-hot fireballs (you know the hot candies?) stuck back there. When I saw that, Zach did tell me that "his tongue hurt". The child hardly ever complains! I declare that he does not feel pain the way other children do, with all that he's been through. Anyway, I took him in on Wed. mornint and the dr. said his throat looked "impressive" but the strep test came back negative. She decided to treat him with an antibiotic anyway because the strep test is only about 90% accurate. He seems to be back to his old self again and was able to finish out the week at school.

So now, as a reward for taking such good care of Zach, I am the one suffering with a sore throat and now a "like-a-faucet-runny-nose" and sneezing. UUUGGGHHH! I woke up at 5:30am and could not go back to sleep. I kept trying to sneeze but could never get it out. My eyes are watering and watering. Please pray with me that everyone else can stay healthy for our beach trip.

Also, I have a couple of other prayer requests... Our neighbors, Jo and Al, have a new grandbaby. They knew something was not right all during the pregnancy but the possible diagnosis changed with each doctor's visit. He was born on Thursday, and they know he will have surgery sometime because his esophagus and stomach do not meet. I do not even know his name yet, but you can pray for Carter and Amy, his mom and dad. Many of you with heart babies know how they are feeling right now.

Also, please pray for Emma and her family, who go to church with my mom. I think Emma has the same heart defect as Zach and she had surgery on Thursday. I do not know any other details yet but will update when I know more.

Hope you have a blessed Memorial Day Weekend! We have so much to be thankful for in our country and we owe so much to those that made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and those who are serving us at this moment. Remember them this weekend!

Cath Success!

Zach was such a brave little man today! We are so proud of him. He was in the cath lab for over 3 hours today and Dr. Bandisode said everything looked great. All his pressures were right where they want them to be. She placed a device (a stopper of sorts) in the fenestration and they coiled a couple of co-lateral vessels while they were at it. Co-lateral vessels form as the body tries to compensate for itself.

She said that we can expect those co-lateral vessels to open up from time to time throughout his life. They serve no purpose and actually cause his heart to work harder. Hopefully, we won't see MUSC for a few years before he needs another cath done. I can truly say that, as much as we owe to the great folks at MUSC, we will not miss coming down here.

Zach is resting peacefully here in the hotel, watching Toy Story 3. We will be ready for bed soon since we are all wiped out. The next 3 days will be filled with lots of couch-potato activities. Please pray that we will be able to keep the little man on the couch!

Also pray for some new heart friends that we met this morning in the waiting room. Harrison (2 months old) is in PCICU right now. He went to the pedi on Tuesday for upper respiratory symptoms, was admitted to the hospital for tachycardia, and was finally transferred (flown in) last night. His mom and dad, Paige and Kyle, are really having a tough time as they watch their son suffer. As of this morning, Harrison's heart rate is still as high as 220. Please pray that the doctors will be able to find a drug therapy to bring his heart rate down and as they try to figure out the cause of these issues. I feel blessed to know that God used us to reach out to them in their time of need.

Thank you to everyone for all your prayers for us! God is an amazing God!

CHD Awareness Week

Feb. 7-14 is CHD Awareness week. A time to make others aware of what we heart families live with day in and day out. A time to educate the public about just how common CHD is and just how little money actually goes toward CHD research. A time to advocate for our cardiac kids. A time to show just how much passion we have about making a difference for the 1 in 100 babies that are born with CHD.

I have been trying to figure out how our family can make a difference. One heart buddy, Logan, and his family operate "Cuddles From the Heart" --- they make and collect blankets which they donate to CHD patients in the hospital. Logan's mom, Stef, is an awesome advocate for CHD Awareness, using her blog this week to present testimonies of heart moms and dads.

Anna Grace and her Mom and Dad (Tina and Brian) are going to be on a local news show this Thursday sharing about CHDs and how it has affected their life. How exciting! I already have it set to record! Tina has also established a Heart Moms' Night Out once a month in our area. What a blessing!
Another heart buddy, Derrick, and his family make BraveHeart Baskets to give to cardiac kids when they are in the hospital. As a matter of fact, Zach got one when he had his last surgery. It was like Christmas morning!

Zach with one of the gifts from his basket - the blue elephant

Saturday, Derrick threw a CHD Pancake Breakfast at Fatz in Columbia. This Saturday, he is throwing another pancake breakfast at the Fatz in Easley. He is one busy boy! The proceeds will help them make more BraveHeart Baskets. How awesome is that?!

How can our family make a difference for CHD Awareness week? I think our first step will be to get some tickets to that pancake breakfast and to eat some yummy pancakes!

Prayers needed...

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.

Thank you prayer warriors!

Every Heart Has a Story...

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.

Heart friends are the best!

My blog buddy, Shannon, is doing a fabulous giveaway on her blog --- click HERE to see the adorable picture frames that you can win and what you need to do to win them. While you are at it, you can check up on Shannon's adorable son, Derrick. What a cutie!