Mayo Clinic Visit

Hi everyone. I am sitting at the Kahler Inn in Rochester, MN. Natalie is sleeping soundly in the next bed, and we are all bushed after a long day of appointments and information.

Natalie was sedated for her echo today. Here she is dozing nicely waiting for the doctor to start the test. Following the echo, she had an EKG. She slept through that too! She did very well with the sedation, and awoke happy and ready to play.

Nurse Molly watches over her as we finish things up. We loved Nurse Molly!

Here is Natalie eating Jimmy John's for lunch. She had the #16, and she ate it freaky fast!

The cardiologist informed us that Natalie will be needing surgery at the end of March. They will be planning a full Mytral Valve Replacement. This surgery is an open heart procedure, and Natalie will be placed on a bypass machine during the surgery. She will be hospitalized for one week afterwards.

Unfortunately, this was the worse case senario, and is second only to a transplant. Valve replacement in children under a year old is very risky, and will mean an additional surgery in her teen years to replace it again. Because Natalie has not gained any weight since January, and her heart is not improving in any way, they feel the risk is worth it.

I have a lot of questions not answered, and the news today was hard to take, and emotional for us. I was really hoping they could save her valve instead of replace it. A valve replacement means life-long blood thinners, and all the difficulties that brings with it. We will be regrouping and contacting the doctors soon to get more answers, and reasurance that this is the best course of action.

I want to thank all of you who helped our family at the Broomball Tournament at Bryce and Tracy's over the weekend! Matt and I are so blessed by all of your genourosity. And WE ARE STILL SORE. So thanks for that too! Go Team Three!

Please continue to keep us in prayer as we arrange details and prepare for a challanging March. I feel so devastated about the valve replacement. I was so hoping they could avoid it! Pray for our Natalie Jane, our little gift. We waited so long for her, and I have so much fear...for the worse.