2016 Update

Isaac over-all had a good and healthy year. Isaac started eighth grade in the Fall. Isaac was diagnosed with liver disease in December of 2015 and we procrastinated getting his liver biopsy until the 14th of December this year. Isaac had a couple of procedures on the 14th, and the esophagus shows no varicies which is a good sign, his biopsy came back showing he has focal bridging Fibrosis Stage 3, and Mild portal Gastropathy.  I will have to research to understand what all of this means, since doctors do not have time to explain details and teach a course about the liver. Anyway, he says we do not have to see him for six months, which is usually a sign that I do not need to worry. Isaac will have an ultrasound to followup on his liver to see how it is doing and an echocardiogram around the same time to followup on his heart situation.

Yearly Visit a Success

Isaac ready for his yearly visit to PCMC Cardiology

Isaac started with an Echocardiogram

Isaac gets an EKG before he visits with his cardiologist.

Isaac has been blessed to only need a yearly visit for the past few years.  Last June Isaac had a heart cath to close the fenestration in his Fontan.  Ever since the heart cath, Isaac's oxygen saturations have been in the low 90's (which is really good for his condition).  Today the cardiologist said that his heart is stable.  I am relieved to know that nothing has changed for the worse.  He still only has half a heart, and he still has a leaky tricuspid valve, and this does not mean he is cured, however he is able to live like a healthy boy for a while and that is a huge blessing.  One piece of good news this time is that his medicine has been decreased to one time a day and will possibly be eliminated next visit in a year.

Isaac is a Toughboy

Last night I was reading through my email and I came across a membership permission from a website for kids that Isaac had signed up with.  I asked him if he had signed up for this, and he said yes.  I looked at the login name with surprise, thinking maybe his dad helped him come up with his login name, so I asked him if he had help picking out a login.  Isaac said he did the whole thing all by himself.  The name he chose for himself was "Toughboy."  Wow I love how he came up with this on his own.  I am glad Isaac realizes that he really is tough.  It's good to know that he has developed a good self esteem.  I am so blessed to have this toughboy as my son, he never ceases to amaze me.

Isaac's Christmas 2012

Isaac's favorite gift this Christmas is his "Angry Birds Knock on Wood Game."  He plays with it over and over.  Isaac likes to build various towers and knock them down, by catapulting angrybird characters at his towers.  Isaac also received an Angry Bird Shirt and Puzzle, among his presents.  Isaac was extremely excited for Christmas this year, as he usually is.  He enjoyed getting a phone call from Santa a few days before Christmas, it made Christmas fun.  Although Isaac believes in Santa and enjoys getting presents, he knows that the true meaning of Christmas is celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and worshiping him.  A few days before Christmas, Isaac received an envelope in the mail.  The envelope was filled with Christmas cards from a Seminary class in American Fork.  We pulled out one card at a time and read them, taking about an hour to read them all.  Isaac was overwhelmed at the love these people showed him, and even more, his parents were overwhelmed with grattitude for these special cards, which had so much thought put into them.  It is really nice to know that there are still a lot of good teens in the world, with so much to offer.  I can see the teens that wrote these cards making great progress as future leaders.  What a beautiful spirit of Christmas these cards brought.  It is interesting to think that 10 years ago, we were anxiously awaiting the birth of Isaac, and wondering so much about him.  I am thankful we have been blessed to have the past ten years with Isaac, it is more than the doctors ever believed he would live.

It's Fall and Isaac is back to school

Isaac has been back in school for a little over a month and is enjoying the fourth grade, especially because he gets to have Mrs. Wright again.  Mrs. Wright was Isaac's second grade teacher at CopperHills Elementary, she is very organized, caring, and the best choice for Isaac.  She is good at making him laugh, which makes hime at ease with her.  Some teachers are intimidating, and frusterated with Isaac's issues related to his disabilities, although he behaves well.  I am extremely happy that he is in her class, she knows Isaac well and truly cares about him, and watches over him better than any teacher ever has.  We look forward to a great school year. 

Since Isacc's heart cath, this past June, Isaac's heart has been doing well.  We are excited to see him have more energy than he has had for a long time. We hope that Isaac stays healthy, and can wait a long time for his next surgery.  His next surgery is most likely his hearing in his left ear, within the next year probably.

Isaac's Heart Catheterization

   Isaac had a heart catheterization, a little over a week ago, on June 21st.  This was to close the fenestration in his fontan heart surgery from 2006.  The fenestration (a hole) was created on purpose, to control heart pressures after his last heart surgery.  The fenestration was supposed to close on it's own, and it didn't.  We decided after we talked it over with Isaac's Cardiologist recently, that we would go ahead and let it be closed, which would allow Isaac's oxygen saturations to increase from the 80's to the 90's.  When we arrived at the hospital, we were told to go to Cardiology where Isaac would start with an Echocardiogram,  after that, Isaac had fun playing video games for a few hours before his heart cath.  When it was finally time to go to the cath lab, Isaac was very scared and started to cry uncontrollably.  The Anesthesiologist soon put Isaac to sleep which calmed him down.  Isaac was in the Cath Lab for about two hours, during which they implated this device in the picture above, (Amplatzer Occluder) to plug the fenestration. 
   When Isaac awoke, he was miserable; he complained that his leg hurt really bad from the Catheter, and his throat from being intubated.  It took several hours of vomitting and crying to finally get some rest.  It was really difficult to lay flat for so many hours recovering.  Isaac was anxious to use the bathroom after waiting so many hours while laying flat, being filled with IV fluids, and a urinal was not acceptable to him.  At about 2am Isaac was ready to leave the hospital, and go home straight to his own bed. 
   As Isaac healed, he noticed he had more energy, and could run faster.  Although Isaac hated having a heart Catheterization, it was all worth it in the end. hopefully Isaac can have a very long break before having any more surgical procedures of any kind.

A Mother & Son Date to Remember

Last Monday I had the best date I can remember.  Isaac and I went to the local Library and watched "The Muppets" together.  Isaac was so sweet, he cuddled up with me, held my hand and laughed a lot.  It was truly a special night, that I hope to never forget.  It was the first time Isaac and I had alone time together that was not doctor appointment related.