Cardiac Update February 2015

Hear Ye...Hear YE....Tucker Watson will not be see in CARDILOGY CLINIC for SIX more Months!!!   I could honestly scream it from the rooftops. We got a glowing Cardiac update and couldn't be more grateful. 




Cardiology Visit
EKG-Looked good, we even got a copy of it this visit.
Pulse OX- 95% - higher than last time, could be because the fenestration in his heart has closed from surgery.
Blood Pressure-97/58 - Normal range.
ECHO - All of his artery pressures looked good.  Bloodflow through narrow areas from surgery looked great.  Fenestration is still open.  Good amount of flow.
Here are our take home notes
1. Lasix, ok to discontinue.  Watch for retracting and swelling.
2. Emergency Action Plan, email it to Dr. Porras.
3. Should Tucker have an allergic reaction to Milk (whey), he can have a 1tsp (12.5mg) dose of Benedryl.  Watch heart rate.  Should that not work, ER visit and MUST be Epi-pen'd. 
4. Dentist appointment in a few months.  Must have pediatritian write antibiotic prescription prior to appointment.
5. Email Dr. Porras for Chest x-rays, ECHO images and clinic notes to update emergency flash drive.
6. Behavioral Assessment, keep Tucker involved with Cardiology Neurodevelopmental Clinic.  Get IEP evaluation from school.  (qualifies for medical IEP)  Find behavioral therapist to work with his aggression issues.
7. Sports.  Keep him active, soccer, limited.  T-Ball would be ok.  (Contact sports = nope.  Also, would not want him to play varsity sports due to the high endurance and the physical limit pushing.)


 

2014 Year end update.

Well here we are at the end of 2014...and this might be the most difficult update to have to write.  
 

I can't help but think what an busy year we have all had in 2014!  For a family that doesn't like a whole lot of change, we certainly have had our fair share of it this year.  First, I started 2014 off unemployed, what was a devastating surprise turned out to be the utmost blessing.  My days in January were filled with paperwork and many phone calls to unemployment and our various medical insurance providers.  After all...taking care of Tucker's medical needs are a full time job in itself.

February came fast...almost too fast.  We celebrated CHD week with our heart friends and family. 

Then, March came fast and fierce, first we lost a dear family friend, and this world is a little less of a beautiful place without her laughter and happiness in it.  Shortly after the services, we had to prepare for Tucker's next open heart surgery, The Fontan.  It was an emotional and trying month for all of us.  But as I revisit that time in my mind, again, our family and friends carried us through it.  There were endless phone calls and a constant supply of food and visitors to our hospital room.  Our friends at the hospital are always speechless of our support system. 


March was filled with a lot of recovery for us, both emotional and physically (for Tucker).  We started a vigorous routine of Early Intervention, weekly, PT,OT and speech therapy.

April was filled with a lot of recovery as well.  Both for Tucker and us as a family.  Finding our new normal seemed difficult.  These two little boys have had so very much structure in their lives since birth and I wanted to give them the summer of their lives.  (Ultimately, this would be detrimental to Tuckers learning and growth)  After the school year ended, Spencer and Tucker's daily happiness was my main priority, we went everywhere, the beach, parks, waterparks and had picnics on a daily basis.  Anything that we imagined...we did!  And as I look back on what I would refer to as the hardest summer of my life, it by far exceeded some of the greatest days of my life to date.  I was finally able to enjoy so much of the missed time that I missed out on working in Boston all of these years, I got to enjoy these amazing boys.  What an absolute treasure! 


With the final days of the summer winding down, I was offered a new position being an Administrative Assistant to a small business owner.  It was the schedule of a lifetime since I was enrolled in college classes and it would allow me to work from home and get Spencer on and off of the bus everyday.  Well, if it looks to good to be true...It probably is! ( I have since left this position and I am on to better things in early 2015) I also rounded off the year with a 3.85GPA, which I couldn't be prouder of.  This semester was long and very hard on our family life.  It took a lot of time away from my family as I had to write weekly essay's (5+ pages) for an English class.
 

In December, we had Tucker's 3 year Neuro Developmental Cardiac Assessment.  This is where a specialized psychiatrist/physician looks at all of Tucker's physical and developmental skills.  (Let's just say that it didn't go as planned.)  In October, Tucker graduated from Early Intervention and he was tested by our town to see if he qualified for special education services (IEP) within our school district.  He was tested as being advanced  for his age and that he did not qualify for any special services.  At Tucker's NDCA in early December, Tucker has started exhibiting some strange habits and some developmental behaviors.  We received the report several weeks ago and we will be having a lot of follow-up care for his strange behaviors.  We are working with a neurodevelopmental specialist at Children's to choose our next steps.