Well I’m posting to this site much sooner than we had anticipated. I love how I can keep you all up to date throughout Amanda’s surgeries and recovery but I loath having a need to log in to this site at all.
Amanda’s health improved after my last post here following her last valve surgery but that was short lived. She has gradually declined over the last few months since the first of the year. We had a scare a few months ago and spent Valentine’s Day in the hospital here in Houston. We’ve spent many other holidays and birthdays in the hospital; so we thought why not knock that one off the list! During that stay we learned her problems were from the valve they replaced last August. She has also needed oxygen again; only at night but she’s not far from use around the clock.
The original valve that was slotted to be repaired in 2017 was replaced due to complication. It was replaced with a valve slightly too small. This wasn’t too much of a concern at first until that valve failed due to a blood clot causing issues with one of the leaflets on the valve. Trying to steer clear of another open heart surgery, we chose a valve in valve replacement. It was a very new procedure on this particular valve. The valve we’re taking about is the one between the two chambers on the right side of the heart, the tricuspid valve. This valve in valve replacement went without a hitch and worked great, for a little while. Turns out that putting a valve inside an already small valve wasn’t the best idea. The valve works flawlessly but it needs to provide more flow. Imagine a garden hose kinked but still letting water through, pressure builds up on the inlet side when it should be a smooth flow all the way through.
Tomorrow Amanda will be having a heart cath in preparation for surgery on Wednesday. They are preforming the to cath to essentially get a lay of the land and decide which approach to take, to get to the heart. The two options are a full sternotomy, open down the center of the chest, and a minimally invasive approach through her side between the ribs. Amanda has had both, according to her the sternotomy is least painful of the two but she recovers quicker from the minimally invasive approach. Either way this will be an open heart surgery, making her 4th. They will also retrieve measurements for the new valve during this cath; we’ve got to make sure we get the right size this time.
Depending on the flows, they will also be considering another bypass to her superior vena cava, the vein that drops all the blood from your upper extremities into your heart. During her first open heart surgery in 2009 they bypassed this vein but through time the bypass failed and a stent was then placed in the original vein. This could be causing flow issues also. If the flows are too low the surgeon will preform a more advanced dual bypass this time around. Also there may be a need to place new leads for her pacemaker. If this is the case she will get an upgraded pacemaker also, she only has a couple years left with the current battery.
As I’m sure you noticed this could be multiple produces all in one. From our perspective we might as will knock them all out at once and be done with it and pray we don’t have be back until her next pacemaker battery runs out. We haven’t made a year without some type of major surgery for a long time now, a break would be nice! Our cardiologist and surgeon should know more about the approach after the cath is done tomorrow. She will be admitted directly after her procedure tomorrow and stay for the duration. Our length of stay will be determined by their approach but I image we will be here through the weekend.
This is nothing new to us and nerves are minimal at this point. We do not understand why we have endured so much and even if we don’t see it now or ever this side of heaven, we do know there is a purpose behind it all. We serve an amazing God and have seen Him do awesome things in and through our circumstances already. Please pray for guidance for the doctor as they decide the best route to get Amanda back up and going.