One year…….

Today, one year has passed since Paislee had open heart surgery. I still remember the day very plainly. We were so scared. We were scared of the outcome and scared of the surgery. The surgery had never been performed before and the surgeon was taking a risk. He had performed 5000 surgeries all over the world and this was the first he had ever done like this. Two years before he wouldn't take the risk, but now we had no choice. This was it. This was the moment. We went to Nashville the day before, went to Build a Bear of course, and got a hotel with a swimming pool. We went to my Uncle's house that lived close to Nashville and spent time with all our cousins. My cousins had even drove up from Mississippi to be with us. We went back to the hotel and we we did the cleansing wash you do before surgery and then we answered all Paislee's questions together. We were all scared. I held my little girl in my arms the next morning as they were preparing her for surgery as I watched the tears roll down my husband's cheek. 

It is a feeling that a parent should never have to experience. They explained the procedure which included bypass machine, ventilator, and of course the risks. They could cut the aorta, the tumor could break off, they couldn't tell me much more because this had never been done. They all had cameras. There were 12 of them. A team of 12 doctors from everywhere. You have heard of people having open heart surgery, but this was YOUR CHILD. As we said our goodbyes, we went to the waiting room, Rick's family arrived along with mine and we waited. I then turned and looked and my cousins from Alabama on my dad's side had surprised us and came to sit with us also. Then I felt a peace. I felt my dad was watching over Paislee and everything was going to be okay.
We waited for hours it seemed. The surgeon was finally done. He met us in the waiting room and told us he had cut the tumor out. It had grown into her artery and the artery was completely blocked which was not expected that she would have probably only lived another month. First it is relief that she made it and shock that the artery was completely blocked. You are told you probably will never see the surgeon much after the surgery, just his assistants. He came every night. I remember the first night the surgeon came up and said, "you better get on your knees tonight because you had an angel watching over your sweet girl."
A year later, Paislee has had very few complications from the surgery and no tumors have returned. We have a lifelong relationship with cardio and must return for followup appointments etc. We have our "official" one year return appointment the beginning of March. 

I have learned a lot about cardiac patients in the past year including symptoms that I never noticed were a sign of a heart defect.
This past week just ended CHD which is Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week. It is a week that is set aside to bring awareness to the many heart defects that many children are born with. Do you know that 1 in 100 children are born with a heart defect? I sure didn't. I had no clue. I never knew what a pulse ox was. You hear that February is heart month and you wear your red and go on. But do you really pay attention? Sawyer was born February 9. I remember them bringing him to me in my room and he had a red cap in his bed. It was for heart week and thought, thats cute. Now I realize it was CHD week. That has a new meaning in our house. It's the little things that you don't notice until it happens to you. You never think to take your child to a cardiologist unless they might complain of their chest, shortness of breath, or your primary care doctor tells you to. I was one of the lucky ones. Paislee had a blood infection when she was born and stayed in the NICU. At the time, it was the worst but looking back it saved her life. Not only did they treat her with antibiotics for the infection, but also the extra tests she had led me to a cardiologists. We originally went for a thickened heart muscle and over the many visits, this tumor was found. After it was found, I called Vanderbilt and they saved my daughters life. God made it all fall into place. He knew the plan. It has been a year, even though Paislee has had surgeries on ears and other tests throughout the year and is up for more, she is the healthiest she has ever been. She is doing great in school. I always love the saying….."Some people never get to meet their hero, but I gave birth to mine!"