My oldest son, Austin, celebrates his 28th birthday in May. It’s fairly a milestone, on condition that six years in the past his coronary heart stopped beating and he collapsed on a softball subject. And that’s not even the start of his story.
Austin’s Health Journey Begins on Day One
To get the total image, I have to go all the best way again to the day he was born. As quickly as he was delivered, he was whisked away and hooked as much as what felt like one million machines. We realized that he had hypoplastic left coronary heart syndrome (HLHS) and wanted to be transported to Cincinnati Children’s. Interestingly, I knew what HLHS was as a result of I had simply watched a documentary on a baby with the situation a couple of days prior. HLHS is among the most advanced coronary heart defects and is definitely a gaggle of anomalies. All of the constructions on the left facet of the center are underdeveloped and he wouldn’t survive with out surgical procedure. I assumed for certain he would want a coronary heart transplant.
However, his medical doctors defined that we had two choices: be part of a transplant record or bear the Norwood process. We opted for the Norwood as a result of we figured if it didn’t work, we nonetheless had another choice accessible to us. He underwent the Norwood process seven days after beginning, after which two extra, the Glen and Fontan procedures, earlier than his second birthday.
Austin Had a “Typical” Childhood
From that time ahead, Austin had a reasonably typical childhood. He went to high school, performed baseball, and frolicked together with his mates. We didn’t prohibit his actions. I at all times had his situation at the back of my thoughts, however I used to be comforted realizing that his heart specialist was staying up to the mark. We had cardiology visits twice a yr and haven’t missed an appointment in almost 28 years. It’s simply too essential. And we realized simply how important these checkups have been beginning seven years in the past, when a few scary incidents passed off.
Routine Test Finds A Blood Clot
Austin went in for a routine stress check. In the center of it, they found that he had a blood clot in his coronary heart. He had no signs. He wasn’t in need of breath. I’m so grateful that we have been on the proper place on the proper time. He was admitted instantly and was inpatient for a number of weeks whereas they cleared it. If we had cancelled that appointment, he in all probability wouldn’t have survived the blood clot.
His Heart Stops Beating on the Softball Field
Then a yr later, his heart specialist ordered a routine 24-hour Holter monitor check, as a result of it had been some time since he had one. He was in a position to go about his standard actions at dwelling whereas carrying it. So he determined to play in his softball recreation. As he was standing on third base, he collapsed. His coronary heart stopped beating. He turned blue as a result of he wasn’t respiratory. Fortunately, there have been 4 EMTs enjoying within the recreation who have been in a position to administer CPR for 11 lengthy minutes, till the ambulance arrived with an AED (automated exterior defibrillator). After surprising Austin thrice, they have been in a position to restart his coronary heart and the ambulance set off for the closest hospital.
I used to be on my method there when Austin’s siblings referred to as to inform me what had occurred. Immediately hanging up the telephone, I referred to as the hospital. I demanded that he be transported to Cincinnati Children’s. The grownup hospitals that we’ve got been to aren’t aware of his situation and don’t have hypoplastic left coronary heart syndrome as a code of their digital medical techniques. I knew he wanted to be handled in a spot that understands the intricacies of his coronary heart defect.
Recovery Following Sudden Cardiac Arrest
The subsequent few days have been lengthy and arduous. They positioned Austin in a medically induced coma, in an effort to reduce stress to his coronary heart. For the primary 72 hours, we didn’t know the way a lot injury had been accomplished to his mind. He would get up, ask what had occurred, and fall again asleep. It was nerve racking. But after a couple of days he was in a position to get up and was simply high-quality. His mind functioning was again to regular. He was simply actually sore from all the CPR.
Austin’s medical doctors defined that little or no is understood about what could put a affected person with HLHS after a Fontan process in danger for sudden cardiac arrest. Some potential threat components embody a historical past of earlier arrhythmia, unexplained fainting, coronary artery and EKG abnormalities, valve regurgitation and decreased ventricular (coronary heart) perform. Austin didn’t have any of those threat components.
To stop SCA from occurring once more, his medical doctors implanted a pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) as soon as he healed and received his energy again.
Because he was carrying the Holter monitor through the cardiac arrest, his medical doctors have been in a position evaluation all the factor. We realized that his coronary heart had skipped a beat. When this occurred, the higher and decrease chambers tried to control themselves by beating sooner and sooner till it simply stopped altogether.
Austin Now
Two years in the past, Austin had two stents positioned to right the narrowing of an artery. This was additionally caught throughout a routine follow-up appointment. Other than that, Austin has been with out a heart-related incident. Given his prior historical past, we take into account {that a} main milestone.
I strive not to consider what may have occurred if Austin hadn’t been underneath the watchful eye of his heart specialist. It’s a harmful recreation to play. But I’ll say this – if you happen to or a liked one has a congenital coronary heart defect like Austin – please discover a heart specialist particularly skilled in congenital coronary heart illness. And when you do, preserve your appointments. Austin hasn’t missed a single one, and nor will he ever. They’ve actually saved his life, and due to that, we’ll be celebrating his 28th birthday this yr.
Contact the Heart Institue at Cincinnati Children’s