Formerly Known as Laurel...: Is it time for this already?

July 28, 2009

Is it time for this already?

Hello to all my friends who live inside the computer. How are things in there today? Hopefully everything is computing the way it should. Things out here are a little overwhelming at the moment - think you could move over and make room for one more?
Lyla's surgery has been scheduled for THIS Thursday. Yep, you read that right. Originally we thought that it wold take place sometime in September. But, when we took Little Miss in for her surgical consult yesterday, we were told that her case required more immediate attention. Apparently she isn't as "pink" as we had thought she was. So, things on the Formerly Known As Laurel front are going to be quiet for a while.
If you've got a second on Thursday morning, maybe you could send Lyla some good luck vibes. She'll take anything she can get!

What is Tetralogy of Fallot?

Lyla was born with a Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) called Tetralogy of Fallot(TOF). Her condition is also occasionally referred to as Blue Baby Syndrome, and children with TOF are sometimes called Tet Babies.

Tetralogy is a combination of 4 different heart defects and, when found together, is known as TOF. The separate defects are:
- a hole (called a Ventricular Sepal Defect, or VSD) between her two ventricles, which allows unoxygenated blood to bypass the lungs and head straight back out into her body, resulting in low blood oxygen levels and the trademark blue color.
- displacement of the Aorta
- enlarged heart muscle on one side of the heart, caused by the heart working harder than normal to pump blood through the body as a result of the VSD
- a blockage above the Pulmonary Artery, created by the enlarged heart muscle

Lyla had what is known as a "complete repair" on July 30th, 2009 at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. The VSD was patched using tissue from her pericardium. The pulmonary valve was too poorly formed to leave alone, so a "transannular patch" was made, again using tissue from her pericardium. This patch will require close observation throughout her life, as the patches leak (by definition, they always leak), and she may require a valve replacement at some point in the future.

The staff at Children's was AMAZING. Her surgeon, Dr. Vaughn Starns, is world-renown for his skill at pediatric cardio-thorasic surgery, but what they don't tell you is he is also a kind, caring man. Of course we hoped he would be nice, but, to be honest, we didn't care if he was the biggest jerk in the world, so long as he fixed her heart. It was a huge bonus to meet him and realize that he really cared about our little family.

Formerly Known as Laurel...

July 28, 2009

Is it time for this already?

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What is Tetralogy of Fallot?