A Bear-Sized Heart

The Bear went for her annual physical a couple weeks ago, and because she is so active, the doc suggested she get an EKG. The EKG showed a slight abnormality, so the recommended an echo cardiograph to get a better look.

We got the echo back on Thursday night, and it turns out Bear has a "hole" in her heart. The medical term for this "hole" is an atrial septum defect. Apparently it's not that uncommon, about 25% of people are born with it, but for most folks it closes by the time they are 3. Also, supposedly, it's not something that will affect her as a youth. Unfortunately, as she gets older, it is something that could affect her health. Complications can be things such as high blood pressure, heart failure and stroke.

Depending on the size of the hole, and we believe it's tiny, she will need a surgery. The hope is that it is surgery where they insert something through a catheter, as opposed to open heart surgery. We need to meet with a specialist to determine our next step. Hopefully she will give us good news.

We've been so blessed with all of our children's health over the years, I am thankful for that. The thought of Bear having to go through some sort of surgery on her heart is just terrifying for me. Sure, it's "simple" surgery, but it's still surgery on her heart. I'm not sure how well I'd hold up in the hospital while it was going on.

I'm praying that the specialist says it's so small there is no need for surgery, and that it won't affect her down the road. If not, I'm praying that it can be fixed without complications. She has such a big, wonderful heart, that is so full of love, like I said the day I created this blog. She is full of heart in so many ways. The way she loves the people in her family. The way she watches over her little brother - sure she bugs him and he bugs her, but she's always there for him. The way she stands up for her friends, even when they are difficult to love sometimes. The way she plays sports, never giving up, never backing down no matter the challenge. Heart - it's Bear's best quality, and I'm praying, that the strength of her heart gets her through this bump in the road.