Real Life Experience Interview With Sandra
When you first found out your son had Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Vessels and VSD what were your thoughts?
"When I first found out I blocked the doctor out, I couldn't believe what I was hearing."
When was it detected?
"The heart murmur was detected at 1 month. At 2 months he was diagnosed and at 3 months he was symptomatic in congested heart failure. By 4 months 6 days he went to Mott's Children Hospital in Ann Arbor Michigan to have his surgery done by Edward L. Bove."
In your eyes is he any different than someone with a normal heart?
"No. The only difference between him and a normal hearted kid is the scars, the echocardiogram every year, and a heart monitor every 2 years."
Is he limited on what he can do?
"No, he can play sports, rough house, etc just like kids with normal hearts can do."
Does he have to be more careful when playing sports than normal kids?
"No he can do anything a child with a normal heart can do."
What precautions do you take now?
"No, we really don't have to now."
What precautions did you have to take after he came home from the hospital?
"We had to keep him away from anyone sick because his immune system was compromised. We had to be careful when picking him up and watch how he ate as well as keeping him away from the cold."
What did you feel when he went back for his procedure?
"I was devastated and afraid. I just prayed that he'd be okay and the surgery would go well."
Key:
Purple= Questions
Blue= Answers
What exactly did they do?
"They did a literal double switch and a VSD closure. It was a 6 hour procedure. Because he was so small having so much work done he had to be left open for 5 days. He had an external pacemaker, but what would be his normal heart rhythm competed with the pacemaker."