So, today we took Alex to his one-year follow-up visit at the cardiologist. It is amazing to think that it has already been a year since his surgery. We could not be more grateful for how well he is doing. He was a real champ throughout the appointment…as long as he was able to play Angry Birds.
We were called back, and he had his EKG – everything is as it should be.
He was weighed – definitely ok.
They recorded his height – no issues there.
Blood pressure – right on target.
He was a little unsure of everyone around him as a gentle scowl was present on his face for most of the visit. There were times when the scowl was more apparent; this was usually when we asked him to smile. He was talking the entire time we were walking to the clinic. Once we got in, it was a different story. I would imagine associating this locale with open-heart surgery might have something to do with the dampening of his mood. Just maybe.
The cardiologist came in and asked the usual questions to which we replied that everything was great. Then, it was time to see how he had progressed since the surgery. This was the news we were waiting for. His heart sounds great – there were no discernible murmurs or abnormalities. But, was he growing as he should? Were there any residual effects of the surgery regarding development? Prior to his surgery, he was 25th-50th percentile for his height and 90th-95th percentile for his weight. Today, he is 90th-95thpercentile for his height and 95th-100th percentile for his weight. Needless to say, the doctor was not concerned. Alex is growing just fine. He is doing so well, in fact, that his next appointment (which was supposed to take place annually) has been bumped back to 18 months from now. We are thrilled.
As we were leaving the hospital, we passed by the chapel. Inside was one of the chaplains that I knew when I worked there. He came out to say “hello” and asked how the little man was doing. We mentioned how well the appointment went, and he was pleased to hear it. He then attempted to talk to Alex and was greeted with the same scowl that was present in the clinic. The chaplain then asked if Alex was going into Pre-K or Kindergarten this year to which we responded that he recently turned 3. The wide eyes and looks of amazement let us know that our boy was doing just fine.
Alex’s Pepaw eloquently stated that Alex has gone from a 4-cylinder to a 6-cylinder since his surgery. After this appointment, it seems more like we have ourselves a Hemi.
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