Dawsonshire

First Doc says KJ is A.O.K!

Today was the first of several post-op appointments. Keanon was happy to be on a little outing and better yet, it was the first time in a while where he’s been in a Doctor’s office and has not had to have some sort of shot, blood draw, or extensive exam that requires him to be still for hours at a time. So needless to say, Keanon actually enjoyed his visit to his pediatrician.

Doc still hears the murmur but this is normal. Think of his patch like a stitch of clothing. It’s still going to have holes in between the stitches and with a patch in the heart, it will take up to 6 months before the tissue grows over it and there aren’t any “leaks” left.

Keanon is still being showered with Get Well wishes and gifts. He is particularly fond of balloons as he can watch them float delicately or pull on the ribbon and use them as a punching bag.

One of the unfortunate parts about his “sternum precautions” is that we have to handle him in very specific ways. We’re not allowed to pick him up under the arms, pull his arms over his head, or let any pressure be on his chest area. Bummer for KJ is that he loved to stand up but all of the above ways were how we stabilized him. In order to make sure he gets some exercise for those little legs, we’ve rigged a way to pack him into his Exer-saucer. He can only spend a short time in there before he gets worn out but at least he’s got a change of scenery. We’ve attached some of his balloons to it which has lent plenty of entertainment in our household.

It is so hard to believe that just over a week ago he was under-going open heart surgery. He is recovering so well and we are so blessed to have such a strong little boy. Any adult having gone through that would be moaning and still on the couch!

We are still on a pretty tiring meds schedule for KJ. Waking him up at all hours to give him his next dose. We’ve been able to ween him off some of the heavier drugs and have attempted to slow down on some of the others. Key word being “attempted”.

He has kept his weight on and all looks great from the outside! He’s eating solid foods again and seems to be incredibly hungry all the time. Next week is his big appointment with his cardiologist where we’ll know much more about the success of the operation and what things look like from the inside.

Thanks and more thanks to all of you who keep calling and emailing to check in. Keanon is accepting visitors now but unfortunately we have to keep it to only really healthy beings and no children who are in school or daycare. (can’t risk bringing any germs in until he’s fully recovered). Sorry kiddos!

Hope to hear from you soon!

~T., Jim and Keanon