Some News

So we have held off on sharing this news until we had a further diagnosis, which we received today. At birth, the midwives detected a heart murmur in Rachel and suggested we take her in to the Pediatrician for further investigation, which we did. He, too, heard the murmur and referred us to a Pediatric Cardiologist, whom we saw on Monday. He then ordered an echo (an ultrasound of the heart) which was done today and revealed Pulmonary Stenosis. Please spare me the work of relaying details by clicking on the link and reading for yourself, but essentially what this condition is is a blocked valve going from the right side of the heart into the lungs. If left untreated, it can lead to an enlarged heart and other difficulties. So why are we sharing this news? Because we know there are lots of friends and family reading our blog, and we are asking for your prayers. In about 1/3 of the cases, this condition can heal up on its own. I do not doubt the power of faith, and I believe that if there are enough people praying for baby Rachel and sending good thoughts her way, the outcome of this can be positive. As for now, she is a good candidate for Balloon Valvuloplasty, a non-invasive procedure in which a balloon is inserted to widen the valve via a catheter placed in the leg. She is not exhibiting any signs of distress that can be associated with an advanced form of this condition, nonetheless, it is something that must be addressed and monitored closely throughout the duration of her childhood and more than likely into adulthood. Rachel is a beautiful, healthy girl, and I feel optimistic about her. She is being seen by two wonderful doctors at Kaiser and I know she is in good hands. In the mean time, I am just continuing to feed, love, and snuggle her, and hope for the best.