I heard somewhere that Moms with preeclampsia produce a steroid that helps babies with heart defects.  I don't know if that is true, but I do know that my preeclampsia saved Delaney.  Because I was being induced at 35 weeks, there was a NICU team in the delivery room.  Because of all the medications I was on, Delaney was taken to the NICU for observation.  I am frightened to think what would have happened if she had been full term and not so closely watched.
 
She was a little lethargic, but that was normal with all the medications I was on.  She had a slight murmur, but that was normal because she was early.  They told me that she would probably get to go home with me.  So far all signs pointed to happy healthy baby!  It didn't take long for her condition to deteriorate.  Her oxygen saturation levels were dropping fast and they didn't know why.  They quickly put her on a ventilator, but there was no improvement.  When they did the echo, all they could tell was that there was something wrong with her heart.  They immediately transferred her to the Children's Hospital.
 
Within an hour of getting to the Children's hospital, the Pediatric Cardiologist diagnosed Delaney with Tetralogy of Fallot with Pulmonary Atresia.  She had a VSD, the right side of her heart was enlarged, an overriding aorta, and there was no blood flow through her closed pulmonary artery.  The breathing tube was removed and Delaney was stable.  About 24 hours later we got the call that is every parent's worst nightmare. They told us that, "Things are not going well with your baby and you need to get here as soon as possible." By the time we got to the hospital, Delaney was back on the ventilator but she was stable.
 
In a rare event that no one at this hospital had seen before, Delaney's umbilical line ruptured much like an IV in your arm.  All the IV fluids she had been receiving had been filling into her abdomen.  They built up around her heart and prevented it from beating.  They drained almost 2 ounces of fluid off her heart and everything returned to "normal".  They kept the breathing tube until after a Diagnostic Catherization could be performed.
 
Her Cath went as schedule and gave the doctors a clear picture of what was going on with her heart.  The breathing tube was removed and she was then scheduled for surgery to place a BT Shunt.  Because Delaney was so stable, her surgery was rescheduled 6 times over the next two weeks!  Surgery went very well, but it was devastating to see my tiny little baby in this great big bed surrounded by tubes and pumps and wires.  I felt so helpless.  Her recovery went well and at 6 weeks old we finally got to take her home.
 
At six months old, Delaney's oxygen saturations dropped from the 80s to the 70s and she had another Cath.  At 9 months she had her full repair surgery.  They removed the BT Shunt, closed multiple ASDs and VSDs, and they replaced a portion of her pulmonary artery with cadaver portion (conduit).  She came out of surgery looking GREAT.  With oxygen saturations at near 100%, her color had improved so much the she looked like we was coming back from vacation, not major open heart surgery!  Within 2 days, she was sitting up in bed, playing and bouncing!  How can you bounce when you just had your chest cut open?!
 
We were told that Delaney would outgrow the conduit - it would narrow as it stretched and the valve would deteriorate.  It would need to be replaced at some point between age 3 and 5, and again as she reached puberty.  In 2006, at 4 years old, her cardiologist decided to try opening up the conduit with a stint.  If they could open it up, it could put off surgery for another 6 month to two years.  It was very successful, and now 3 years later, technology has changed enough that instead of surgery, we are scheduling another Cath.  She goes in on April 16, 2009.  If all goes well, they might be able to keep stretching the conduit until it is back to its original size.  Instead of two or three more surgeries, she may only need one more!

 
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