Because you don't get enough medical jargon out of me regarding my OWN family...

So, Mindi called on her way out of the cardiologist office at St. Louis Children's today. Hannah had her echo today with the pediatric cardiologist (pc for future reference in this post). Her echo was normal. They almost let them go. The pc said, let's do a ECG (electrocardiogram) before you go. They did. It was not normal. Here is what they found.



WHAT IT IS:
Hannah has a condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW). It is a condition in the heart where-in an additional electrical pathway exists between the upper and lower chambers. Many people with WPW have no issues or problems. However, WPW can set people into different conditions called arrhythmias. The most common of these caused in children by WPW is called Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). This is a condition in which that additional pathway/conductor sends an extra signal to the between the chambers of the heart causing an extra beat and keeps doing it until basically the heart is racing extremely fast. It has to be stopped by external measures or it will continue and get worse. WPW can also cause Atrial Fibrillation in more extreme cases. Hannah's ECG at the hospital last Thursday night also showed this condition. However, they do not think she was in SVT that night. Personally, that surprises me, but just because I spend a lot of time with Brian at the doctor and researching medical stuff for us, does not make me a doctor. Regardless, what happened with Hannah that night is what led to this diagnosis, so thank God for that.



WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
Signs of SVT in infants are sudden increases in heart rate, difficulty breathing, lack of interest in eating, lethargy, and noticeable chest palpitations. Naturally, since the child is an INFANT, the INFANT, by design, is unable to tell you he/she is experiencing such symptoms. So, Mindi and Matt are to acquire a stethoscope and periodically check Hannah's heart rate. If the condition continues as she gets older and sets her in SVT, dizziness, uncomfortableness, difficulty breathing, etc. can occur.


WHAT TO DO:
You are the lucky parents of a baby with a diagnosed heart condition! What do you do now?!?!? Nothing. mmmhmm. Nothing. Besides watch for symptoms of SVT or more serious heart arrhythmias, the instructions are to do nothing except follow up with the pc every 6 months. Hannah COULD outgrow this. Hannah COULD never have a problem from WPW. She COULD go into SVT, and if they think she is in SVT, then they are to try home external measures stimulating the vagus nerve to bring her out first such as ice on the face and neck, gagging her and taking her temperature rectally. (Wha??? cuz apparently having something up your butt calms the heart stimulating the vagus nerve?) As she grows, if she is in SVT, she will be able to communicate it as it is a rather unpleasant condition to be in. She may also be able to stop it on her own with cold, fizzy drinks, popping her ears, holding her breath, etc. Yes, strange, but google it, you will see. If these measures don't work and she has been in SVT for a while (hour) they are to calmly take her to the ER where medications will be administered to bring her out of the arrhythmia.



LONG TERM:
Many children with WPW never have any SVT or other arrhythmias. Some do. There is no evidence that being in SVT damages the heart long term. Some require medication because of complications. Some don't. There are procedures such as an electrical impulse attempting to close the extra pathway available. Hannah should stay away from stimulants like caffeine, smoking, alcohol and certain medications. There are no restrictions to her activity, but as she is older, she will be able to tell if strenuous activity causes her problems.




HOW ARE THE PARENTS:
Good question. They were stopping for lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings to Mindi's dismay when she called because Matt needed a beer. Mindi was doing okay. Taking it all in. I was googling stuff and reading her stuff as she listened on the phone. As with researching ANYTHING, you are going to read best and worst case out there. So, you have to take it in stride. Then you are going to read a site that says MEDICATION NEEDED only to realize you are on a drug company's page, etc. You have to filter and do what is best for you and your family. I am so glad I will be able to see them Sunday and a couple days after.



Please keep them in your prayers:
For Hannah to outgrow the condition and God to remove it from her life
For the condition to give her NO complications
For easiness and rest of those surrounding Hannah. (china doll syndrome, as I am going to name it)
For ease of mind of the parents.
For a normal life.




I would love to close this post with a recent picture of beautiful Hannah, but as luck would have it, she has also been plagued with a vicious case of baby acne, according to Mindi. So I will leave you with a photo which I have posted before:





Thanks for your thoughts and prayers and wishes. Mindi reads these comments, too, so please direct your comments as though they are for Mindi today.



KEEP BELIEVING