The Pediatric Cardiologist

Tuesday 2/5/08
The day came to visit the pediatric cardiologist and I was still hopeful that today we would get better news. Again there was the scared and helpless feeling when we entered the specialists office, Bradley was right there by my side as he had been from the beginning of all this, he went ahead and went into the ultrasound room as I had to make one last stop to the potty since a pregnant woman often times becomes a member of the FBI aka(Federal Bathroom Inspector) and has to pee at least twice at every place she goes. Bradley was already seated in the room as I made my way in and I noticed this little old lady in a wheel chair, I was thinking to myself, did they put us in the wrong room, nope this was our pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Cottrill who is probably in her early 70’s. She was warm and sincere as she watched the ultrasound and studied his heart and how it was functioning, I could see the look of concern in her eyes. Bradley wiped the tears from my eyes as they finished the ultrasound and fetal echocardiogram. I sat up and Dr. Cottrill said that Colt has a congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). I had already done some research and I remembered reading about this defect and was so relieved when Dr. Campbell said Aortic Stenosis and not Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome since the information I read on (HLHS) was even more serious then the Aortic Stenosis. As Dr. Cottrill explained the defect and explained that there are 3 reconstructive open heart surgeries that are done to redirect the blood flow using the Right Ventricle of the heart as the main supply to the body. She continued to explain that the 1st surgery will be done right after the baby is born, then the 2nd around 6 months of age, and the 3rd ranging from 1 ½ - 3 years old. I was trying to let it all sink in that instead of our little Colt having 1 surgery on his heart is going to have to have 3. I asked where will he being having surgery thinking it would be in another state.

Dr. Cottrill said that UK just recently got a surgeon who transferred from California who specializes in this surgery…..Amen some good news, if all goes well we won’t have to be away from home to have the baby. She said when I get further along we will meet with the surgeon and he will explain everything more in detail and that she will see us again in a month to monitor the babies progress. After we got out of the pediatric cardiologist office Bradley called his mom and I called my mom and we both explained what was going on and the news of the UK surgeon who recently transferred to the hospital who specializes in this surgery.


*God works in mysterious ways.