BAV

When Harrison was born, they noticed that he had a heart murmur. The pediatrician at the hospital told us it was somewhat common when babies are born prematurely. (The twins were born at 36 weeks, 3 days.) The doc just told me to tell my regular pediatrician so that she was aware of it and could keep up on it to make sure it was no longer an issue as Han grew. At his 2 year well-child check, Dr. Sheri told me that if the murmur was going to discontinue on it's own, it should've happened at that point. She advised us to have him seen at Primary Children's to have a full chest work up. So we did that last year. 

We saw Dr. Jou (pronounced Joe) and after an EKG, chest x-rays, and an Echocardiogram, Harrison was diagnosed with Bicuspid Aortic Valve or BAV. Dr. Jou assured us it was a very minor case but that he wanted to see Han every year for an Echo. 

So it was time for his check-up on Friday, September 6. I didn't want Han to worry or be nervous so I just told him we had to go to the doctor and have some pictures of his heart. I told him that daddy and I would be there and it wouldn't hurt. Harrison and I dropped Madi off at Aunt Callie's and went to the hospital. (How happy we are to have Aunt Callie live so close. She helps us out a lot.)

Spencer met us there and we were taken right in to the Echo room. The nurse/tech weighed and measured Harrison and then let him pick a movie to watch during the procedure. He chose Cars. We weren't surprised, he's a little obsessed with Lightning McQueen at the moment. The nurse started the movie and then Han started getting worried. He was trying to be so brave but his little chin was quivering so I asked him if he wanted to hold hands and he nodded. The Echo is like an ultrasound of the heart. They look from all angles and listen and take lots of pics. The patient is supposed to be as still as possible and Han did great!! When it was finished, we were taken into another room to wait for the doctor. 

Dr. Jou came in and did a physical exam, listening to Harrison's chest for a very long time. He then told us that his murmur sounded higher in pitch, which usually indicates more leakage. He then went out of the room and read the Echo results. He came back in and told us that his condition had "progressed"...which sounds like a good thing but really it's not. It means that the valve has more narrowing and more leakage. 

We get to go back to see the doctor and had another Echo in 9 months. If it progresses at the same rate, Harrison will start having to have procedures done, eventually having valve replacement. However, the doctor told us that it could quit progressing and we would simply go back to annual check ups. We believe in miracles so we're thinking positively and praying for our handsome boy. 

This pic was taken the night before when Aunt Callie came to our house to cut hair. We couldn't believe Harrison's hair had gotten so tall!!