done with the hospital for today and information

Jack did great!!  He was better then I could have every asked for.  We arrived at the hospital at 7:30am and did not leave until 4:30.  Wow, what a long day.  It was filled with talking to every team member that will be taking care of him (anastesia, cardilogist, CICU team, pacemaker specialist/cardioloigst  I got to hold a pacemaker in my hand...technology is amazing!!  We did learn today that because of his Fontan procedure, he will always have to have his pacemaker in his abdominal.  So, the original thought of it being moved up to his clavicle area can not happen because of his soon to be corrective anatomy.  Dr. Brietbart showed us exactly the procedure he was going to do on Monday.

Before I explain...imagine this image switched with the left side being on the right and the right side being on the left (which is Jack's defect L-TGA with double inlet single ventricle and pulmonary stenosis).  So, the Fontan consists of stitching the superior vena cava and inferior vena cava through the anatomical right atrium (R.A. in this picture, L.A. in jack), making an artificial wall to make a chamber and leaving a small hole for pressure to not build up, and cutting the pulmonary artery away from the hear itself.  The small hole is likely to close up on its own as the body learns to function with the new O2 stats.  If it does not close up within a year, they will go back in and close it.  It is really fascinating when you stop and look at it.  It is truly amazing how far modern medicine has come.