Post op appointment

Matthew and Dillon are at a birthday party. Matt is watching Scooby Doo with Zachy and Collin, and Emmie is sitting here happily chewing on a lid. So, instead of doing some much needed cleaning, I'm stealing a few moments to talk about Zachy's appiontment on Friday.

It was all very interesting. His regular cardiologist saw us in the hall so he came in to talk to us about things. He asked if we'd seen any difference. I told him that I hadn't, other than not being able to see his pulse. He told me that this was totally normal, and that he would expect it to take up to six months to see an increase in energy. I explained to him that I was having such a hard time wrapping my head around things. I mean, I get that his heart is beating more efficiently, but it just seems like he would tire out just from it beating so much faster. He told me some specific things about the workings of the heart, and explained that Zach had been running on about 30% less blood flow than normal. And that now his heart is beating at an acceptable rate, where as before it was not. But he said that his body has been running on this decreased blood flow for so long that it would take awhile for it to figure out what was happening, and adjust it's energy levels and whatnot.
Then the pacemaker doc came in and talked with us about the pacemaker. Right now it is set to go if his rate drops below 80 bpm. Which is basically, all the time. In three weeks, we will see him again and he will lower this threshold. Our hearts have several of their own pacemakers. And his has been running on a back up pacemaker for a long time. He said he isn't going to totally prevent that, because that part of his heart has been working for so long that way. And if he did totally prevent it, we would be lucky to get the battery to last 3 years. For now, we are going to try to get the battery to last at least 5 years. But his heart is so slow, that we might not make 5 years. Talk about depressing! But that's the goal.
Friday, we received the machine that will transmit the pacemaker info via the phone line. Zachy was pretty excited about it. Of course, it will be quite awhile before we use it, because we'll be seeing the doctor routinely for several months.
He also told us that where the vein was narrowed, was where his pulmonary veins were initially connected, so that is why it was narrow.
And through all of this, we are thinking that Zachy has a nickel allergy. He has had several reactions to metal in the past. Where the metal was on the pulse ox is still a sore on his thumb.
Anyway, things look good. And things are more clear now. It's all so much to take in. I imagine over the course of the next appointments they will become even more clear.
I'm just really glad to have this behind us now. Zachy acts like he never even had surgery. Kids are so amazing, they bounce back so quickly.