A Better Explanation

I figured out that there were some people that really didn't understand the pictures that I posted of Marsi's surgery.  I have decided to explain things a bit further with better graphic representation.

First, I want to show you why the heart murmur wasn't seen as worrisome until 4 months of age.

These are her growth charts.  I know that my doctor has never talked about a BMI for age chart.  Well, that is really the only chart that shows any drop in growth and a potential problem.  She was growing so great!!!  All the charts except the BMI chart look like a perfectly normal baby!  (Yay mommy's milk!)

It was just that the murmur got harsh and was still there at 4 months.  We went to the cardiologist within a few days.  At the cardiologist, we got an x-ray and an echo.  The echo showed the PDA...Not necessarily a massive concern, but needed taken care of.  Then we saw what was REALLY concerning.  How big her heart had gotten.

Yes, the oval is around the heart.  It was huge.  Because of this x-ray, something had to be done, and done fast.  Through what I can only say was divine revelation for Endrit and I, we decided on surgery rather than a catheter procedure.

It was the best decision that we made.  The catheter procedure wouldn't have worked.  The PDA was WAY too big to ever have been closed via catheter.  (Just for a comparison I know someone who's daughter had the catheter procedure done to close a PDA at 3 years old.  Marsi wouldn't have lived to 3 years old...probably not even 1 with the size of hers.)

Here is proof of how massive the duct was...

The sutures are the 2 small lines at the top right of the heart.  The clip is the whiter part under the sutures.  The line added on the right picture is the length of the PDA.  The surgeon was even surprised at how big it was.

I hope that cleared more things up.  It is something that Marsi will learn about as she gets older.  I want her to know that it makes her more of a miracle and extremely special.

The last picture I would like to put on is one that I took of her tonight.  In all honesty, if I didn't know that she had surgery, I wouldn't notice the scar on her back.

(Don't look at my horrible cloth diapering.  I am practicing the old fashioned way of putting on a prefold with a snappi and I am not good at it yet.)