Another Doctor Appt, Another Worry

Today Allison had her two week check up. She has gained 1 pound and 3 oz since our last appointment, so that's great! But the doctor is concerned, again, about her heart murmur. He did say that he may be overly-concerned because his daughter has had a lot of heart problems, including a valve replacement, so the issue is a sensitive one for him. But he wants to be sure. He called a specialist at Primary Children's to discuss the sounds he heard, and the two of them decided that we should go in to see a pediatric cardiologist. Our appointment is November 10.

The doctor did explain that he thinks it is one of two problems. The first (and most likely problem) is a flow murmur, and is not very serious at all. The left lower chamber of the heart could be leaking into the left upper chamber. It's a common occurrence, and as long as she continues to gain weight well and the sounds don't increase, it wont require any treatment.

The other problem is called a VSD. (More information here) This is when the left lower chamber could be leaking into the right lower chamber. It's a little bit more of a problem because one chamber handles oxygenated blood, while the other side handles oxygen-poor blood. When the two chambers don't keep blood separate, it can mean her heart is pumping less oxygen than it should to her body. Left untreated it can also cause lung disease from the increased pressure of too much blood flow.

Since he made it very clear that he's probably jumping the gun by sending us in to the specialist, and the chance of a VSD is quite slim, I'm not letting myself cry and get worked up about it.

However, my stash of Halloween candy has taken a serious hit! :) The next 19 days may be longs ones!