Update on Liam's Heart

Today, Liam visited his pediatric cardiologist.  It was a good appointment.  Liam is always so well behaved.  He is familiar with the routine of getting his echocardiogram and waiting to see the doctor.  He especially loves the nurses, and they, of course, love him.  He made one of them giggle today.  He brought his space shuttle and launch pad with him.  As the nurse put in Toy Story for him to watch during his echocardiogram, he said, "To the space station, and beyond!"  I thought that was clever.
Anyway, here are the updates from today -

Height - 39.5 inches tall
Weight - 39.4 pounds

Hole between the upper chambers
When we first starting seeing the cardiologist, Liam's hole was 3mm in size.  It is now 2mm in size, which leads the doctor to believe that the hole will continue to close over the next 2-4 years.  It is so small that it is not a cause for alarm even if it doesn't close all the way.  For reference, the head of a screw, or the thickness of 2 dimes, is about 2mm in size.

Coarctation of the Aorta

The aorta at the top of Liam's heart is narrowed, which affects the flow of blood to the heart.  As Liam has grown, and his heart has grown, the aorta has actually been widening the narrowed section on its own.  This is a miracle!  We were told that if Liam ever did need surgery, this would be where the surgery would need to take place.  However, because Liam's body is healing itself, his need for surgery has gone down drastically.  The doctor cannot promise that he will never need surgery, but if his body continues on the path it's going, surgical intervention will not be needed.  The aorta is still narrowed a bit, but we can be optimistic that it won't negatively affect his heart in the future.

Fused Left Ventricle Valve

His valve has two parts instead of three.  As Liam's heart was growing, while he was in the womb, two parts (finger-like valves) fused together.  The valves move to let blood in and out of the chambers.  Because Liam's valve is missing a part, some blood leaks out.  This occurrence creates a murmur.   Our doctor explained that the valve is like a door.  In Liam's case the door can't shut completely.  However, it is shutting enough to do its job.  This will not heal on its own.  However, Liam can live with this and be perfectly fine.  If at some point his valve leaks more blood, then we will be concerned. It has been stable since our first visit, so we don't anticipate it being a problem.

Liquid around the Heart

To protect his heart when sick, Liam's body builds up fluid around the heart.  Even though Liam has been sick recently, no fluid was found around his heart.

There was good news all around today, which we are SO thankful for.  We will not need to see the cardiologist until next year.  As we celebrate Liam's good news, we also look ahead to Lilly's various surgeries and therapies.  We finally feel like 'experts' on Liam's heart and are now entering a new realm of medical concerns.  Despite being a bit anxious about what's in store for Lilly, we know that God will provide us with the right support medically.  We also know that there is a master plan at work through our numerous doctor's visits.  Liam's heart condition opened our minds and hearts to adopting a special needs child.  Our experiences with Lilly's conditions will make a difference too.  Maybe, a nurse, doctor, or other patient, need to be introduced to Lilly and our family.  We know for a fact that Liam makes an impact every time we visit the doctor and God will use this part of his story to impact others.