Feel the awesome.
03
Nov 2010
Halloween + Heart Update
Well, the pictures on this blog are really slackin’ lately. The bigger I get, the less energy and flexibility I have. I barely even got a picture of Asher dressed up as Batman! Note to self for future Halloweens, it’s probably better to ask Asher what he would like to be the week before Halloween, instead of a month before, because there are too many opportunities for him to change his mind and get sick of the “Batman” idea. Even the morning of Halloween I asked Asher if he was excited to dress up like Batman, and he said, “No, you be a Princess, and I be a Gecko!” Ha!
We had a great Halloween with a bunch of friends and lots of excited kids running around! The kids decorated their Halloween buckets, we had a chili cook off and lots of yummy food, we hung out and kept all the superheros on equal ground, and we paraded around the neighborhood collecting as much candy as we could! It was such a fun night, and we already have plans to repeat for 2011 :).
Paxon Ray…he’s growing! We had an ultrasound and found out that he’s in the 20th percentile for weight, and below the 50th percentile for overall growth, but the tech said he’s not that far off from the 50th. Paxon is breach right now, and his back was towards us, so we didn’t get to see as much of him as we were hoping. It’s nice to know he’s breach though because that sure explains how I’ve been feeling with all his karate chops to my back, ha! The only thing she really noticed are that his humerus and femur bones are definitely shorter. Short stature is one of the markers for the chromosome deletion. So, we know he will be small, we’re just not sure how small.
We also had a follow-up heart appointment. This was a big appointment. We were a little anxious about it, because the doctor told us that when we left things could really go either way with the growth/function of his heart. Well, for the most part things got better! The doctor classified what Paxon had after our first appointment as Cardiomyopathy, which basically means he had a weak heart. Well after a very extensive ultrasound he said that Paxon has overcome all these issues (oversized ventricle, thickened valves, heart not pumping as strong as it should).
Unfortunately, what he does see is that his heart has two holes in it. One hole is small and one is what he said was “small to medium sized…about 3mm across.” Paxon was laying just in the perfect spot for the doctor to get a good look at these holes. He met with us after the ultrasound and felt really confident these holes will heal on their own. If by chance the medium sized hole doesn’t close on it’s own, he explained a surgery that we could do where they go through his groin and put a device like a plug in the hole. We’re really praying these two holes will heal by themselves, it would be so wonderful to not have to deal with any sort of heart surgery. Paxon will probably be put on some heart medication while we wait for the holes to close. He mentioned that babies with holes in their hearts tend to have a harder time gaining weight because their hearts are working overtime and they are burning more calories…all I could think about was that he also has cf, and this is a common struggle. He also talked about a side effect of this medication being that it can cause there to be extra fluid in his lungs…again, cf. So many things going on for one little boy…but you know what, he’s sure proven himself to be a warrior already! He’s going to blow some doctors minds, I can just feel it!
9 Comments
Leave a Reply
The teamASHER Silent Auction
A Slice of Yesterday
Again Loved the pictures!Glad to hear some good news about Paxon,we will say extra prayers for more healing
What fun halloween pictures…you and your friends sure know how to throw a party 🙂
Thanks for the update on baby Paxon. So glad to hear that his heart condition has changed for the better. We will continue to pray.
Asher looked like one great superhero. I love the last picture with the kids lined up at the door.
We keep praying for healing over Paxon and that these holes will heal on their own!
Loved seeing the pics! Wish we could have been there…oh how we miss the small group! Sounds like an awesome time! So fun to see all the kids dressed up and Asher was just adorable!
Thanks for the update on Paxon…we’ll keep praying! Thankful for some encouraging news…and will pray it keeps coming!
We are praising God with you on the good news on Paxon’s heart! He is one amazing little guy!
I’ve been thinking about you all week, and just haven’t gotten a chance to call you! I was delighted to see this news, and I will surely pray that those holes close on their own. Lots and lots to think about, but so comforting to know that God knows the story and had our best interest in mind when He wrote it. Praying that a year from now, you will be able to look back and see the amazing things God did/continues to do in Paxon’s life!!! Love you!
Glad to hear the good news. We will continue to pray. BTW–you guys do know how to have a fun party–awards and all!! Thanks for including me.
Thanks for sharing the pictures from the party. They are great. It’s great to hear additional good news about little Paxon. First his hand, now his heart. Little celebrations to have one at a time. I feel like little Paxon will be a great testimony to all the doctors and others that are witnessing this process. We will continue praying for additional healing of his heart and protection over his brain and ask God to beef him up! Love you guys!
Asher as batman is super cute.
The Olimbs sure are good at blowing doctors’ minds, that’s far sure!