Good News!!!

Ryan did well during the catheter procedure and was very mellow during recovery. The surgeon allowed her to leave the hospital and we are back here at headquarters. The entry site in her groin is extremely bruised, other than that, she is cruising around causing trouble as usual!

The results of the catheter gave us the news we wanted to hear....it's a go for surgery on Thursday morning!  The hole in her heart is located under her aortic valve and is approximately the size of a quarter.  Although this is considered a large VSD it is repairable.  Why it was so concerning for us was the amount of time her body has lived with the defect.  Typically (simplified) these defects are repaired here in the U.S. at around six months of age.  Since Ryan's has not been repaired her lungs have been flooded with blood and trying to keep up with the massive flow the lung arteries become muscular and after a period of time the damage is irreversible and therefore the defect is unrepairable.  The pressures in her heart and lungs looked fantastic and without question she can proceed with surgery. 

Ryan needs to be at the hospital at 7:00 a.m., surgery scheduled to begin at 8:30.

Today is a recovery day, and we are just going to lay low, maybe go for a walk or a drive and enjoy our time together.