The BIG day

We had another ultrasound and echocardiogram on Tuesday and Shawn is still getting bigger and bigger.  He is now 5 lbs 11 ozs.  He passed his biophysical profile exam with flying colors and if not for his heart you'd think he was a strong, thriving baby boy.  We got a little more information on what to expect at the delivery and a little bit thereafter but maybe most importantly...

We have a date!  Shawn's birthday will be March 27th.  Speaking with Dr. Cordes and Dr. Farrell they have scheduled two adjacent operating rooms at Riley for 3/27.  That will be only 36 weeks along for Beth and Shawn but the doctors are not confident that with the excess fluids Beth is carrying that she will make it much past that date.  Going into unexpected labor and having to pull together the necessary resources in a rush is a much greater risk to Shawn then being delivered two more weeks early.  The doctors have stated that he is big enough currently to do these procedures.  They will perform the c-section and post op on Beth in one room and work on Shawn in the next.  In fact they will be performing what is called an EXIT procedure where they will deliver him halfway and begin working on him while still attached to Beth.  They will secure breathing tubes and IVs before cutting the umbilical cord.  They will then rush him into the next room where a team will be waiting to open up the atrial septum either via cath or surgery. 

To get an idea of the level of coordination that will be needed on the 27th, Dr. Farrell sent us the below list of all parties needing involved for this delivery.  Shawn will enter this world with quite an entourage!  The whole team will consist of 30+ medical professionals.

1.   High risk OBs

2.   Pediatric Cardiology

3.   Pediatric Cardiac Interventionalists

4.   Pediatric CV surgery

5.   Pediatric Cardiac critical Care/Intensivists

6.   Pediatric anesthesia

7.   Neonatology

8.   Pediatric general surgery

9.   OB adult anesthesia

10. Perfusion team

11. Cardiac OR/scrub team

12. OB scrub team

If Shawn survives the surgery and the subsequent atrial septum intervention we will play a wait and see game.  Both events of the days will be extremely invasive and stressful on the little guy.  If they succeed in opening the septum, relieving the pressures, and stabilizing him after the procedure, the rest will be on him and how much he wants to fight.  If he responds well and seems to be making improvements then we can proceed with the next stage.

As a parent you want to shelter your children from the perils of the world.  You want them to smile and laugh, hug and love.  You want to minimize their recollection of pain to a faint and distance memory.  It pains me to know that my son will go through more pain and peril in his first 29 minutes than I have in my first 29 years of life.  It pains me greater that there is little more I can do for him at this point. I hope he knows that I will be there for him. I hope he knows I will be his biggest supporter, his biggest cheerleader. I hope he knows that I will be right there in the corner as he fights this. Even though he does not know me yet nor I him, I hope he knows that I love him.