March 09

So.. here we are. March 2009.
Update on Monique?? She is doing great other than the cough and cold she can't seem to get rid of. her pediatrician thinks she has a tough of bronchitis... nothing to worry about and not bad enough for a puffer.

We are going to the city for a few days on vacation for march break. She is desperately asking to go stay in a hotel with a pool... ha ha ha... cutie. She deserves it! She is learning so much so fast. I am amazed on how fast they start to learn to read. Sha can read simple french words - les, sa, son, dans, la, le, un, une, des, mais, voici, vais, fais, ma etc... and she can figure out the sentence by looking at the pictures and reading the words she knows.

She had her spring concert this week at school. She was too cute! The whole class dressed in baggy clothes and crooked hats because they had a rap song. Monique, my little model, of course had the pose to go with it!

Check-up

Monique's check-up went well. Her cardiologist is pleased with what he has seen. Seems I have been worrying for nothing other then a virus that's making her tired. Her cardiologist said that he understood however why I was concerned and reassured me it was ok to feel that way. What an emotional roller coaster the last week has been... punctured ear drum to not punctured ear drum.... huge change since november to no huge change since october... WOW girl... you keep me on my toes (doctors around here seem to help that along!)

Thanks to everyone for their prayers and positive vibes.

Appointment tomorrow

Monique's fever is gone, but I am afraid her heart is not well.
Cardiology appointment tomorrow...


... need I say more. I will update when we get back.

What?

Monique's doctor just called... she does not have pneumonia... she has little fluid in her lungs but she is still tired and has a fever. She is not one to usually have a fever for no reason. She has a little bladder infection... what?... that's what the doctor has told me. It is safe to wait until tuesday to go see her cardiologist. Ok... well... why does she have a fever? Flu?
I hope it will go away soon...

Worries

Monique got the teacher to call home from school yesterday because she wasn't feeling well. Jonathan went to get her. She has been very sluggish and coughing. When he got her home he took her temperature. 101.4... yeah.. off to the doctors. Our family doctor was great. He took us right away (pediatrician is on vacation) and sent her for tests - x-ray (lungs), blood tests, and an ECG...
He also said that her right ventricle was failing - his judgment which I trust.
Our family doctor is waiting for the results and to speak with her cardiologist before he calls us today with the results.

Check-up

So, I called the Children's Heart center back today. The nurse was very helpful and actually surprised me. When I told her who's mom I was she knew exactly who Monique was and what she was born with. I explained to her what has been taking place with Monique's activity level and she spoke with Monique's cardiologist for me. She phoned me right back and explained that he wanted to see her asap because there were a few things that showed up on her last echo that could change her health relatively quickly. So, Tuesday, next week, for 11am, we are off to the city for another check-up.

How things change so quickly ... I will never take anything for granted again!

Keep Monique in your thoughts and prayers please.
I don't know whether to pray for Monique to be ok for a while and for her failure to go slowly or for her surgery to be over with. Either way... she will be suffering and there will be pain. Such mixed emotions right now...

January 2009

This week I called the Heart Center. I am waiting for a call back. I as well as my family are concerned. Monique is always tired. This week in school she told her teacher that she felt weird while they were running around in the gym. Her pediatrician seems to think everything is ok because her blood pressure is ok. But thinking back, even as a newborn, her blood pressure was never a problem.
I wish I could put her an a bubble and somehow make it all ok. I am terrified!

To top it all off, I started me master's degree this week. Am I crazy? I am hoping it will be an avenue of escape rather than a burden. I am hoping that when Monique needs surgery my profs will understand. Because now, it is not someday a possibility however it is imminent, soon, later, within a year, next month.. who knows? All i know is now I have to realize it is our reality.

ox... take care...