Christopher was diagnosed with a coarctation of the aorta when he was 11 days old, on June 19, 2011. Here's a link to a description of this condition.
We noticed the day before that he was breathing very quickly and having trouble with his feeds. He would suck and swallow once or twice and then stop to breathe four or five breaths before continuing. He didn't seem to have a cold, just fast breathing. He got worse over the course of the day and in the evening, I (Nikki) took him to the ER because his respiratory rate was very fast.
A chest x-ray showed that his heart was very large, which is common with coarctations. The heart enlarges because it is working so hard to pump against the blockage. We were seen by the cardiologist that night (at 3 a.m.) and he did an ultrasound of Christopher's heart. This was when we discovered that he had a coarctation. I was told that night that he would need urgent surgery, probably the same day and possibly the following day.
He was started on some medication to help re-open his ductus arteriosus and take some pressure off of his heart. Thankfully it did help some and he looked better. Therefore, the surgeons decided to wait a day before doing the surgery to give Christopher some time to get a little stronger.
Sweet and strong, little Christopher... you are all in my heart and prayers. So much love and strength to you.
Posted by: Erin Sullivan | 06/21/2011 at 10:33 PM
So glad that things are going so well. So neat that you are taking time to keep everybody up to date! You are looking great and Christopher, just overwhelming to see such a tiny body in such a big bed. How is Katie adjusting? I am sure her world is turned upside down. Love and prayers
Posted by: Teresa Ghent | 06/23/2011 at 10:06 AM