Kiran is a rockstar. Truly. Appointments starting at 8:30 that lasted until 11:30, and though he expressed his frustration a few times, he really did an outstanding job today!

If I had the energy (lack of sleep and full morning of keeping little one happy during medical poking and prodding will get to a person), I would cry tears of joy.

His heart looks great. Very little – if any – change from last year. His right ventricle wall is still a little thicker than a typical heart’s would be, but it is so much thinner than it used to be, because it doesn’t have to work as hard as it once did.

Regurgitation from valve is mild, not really seeing much change from last year. Pressures still look good and again – no real change from last year.

I was finally able to ask about long term issues we may be facing with Kiran’s anatomy and the repair he has had. And honestly, it’s all good news. If issues were going to arise with the arteries and repair, they likely would have already. The arteries appear to be growing as they should be with Kiran, and everything really looks so good.

We know he has to have one more open heart surgery, for sure, to replace the conduit (which doesn’t grow with him), but that is still, with any luck at all, the only open heart he will need. In the future, once that conduit is placed, it should be big enough to hold the valves he will need as he grows – and valve replacement can usually be done in the cath lab.

He does have some aortic valve issues, but they have always been there and aren’t concerning. Dr. R feels we won’t need to intervene with this valve at all, but that could be a possible issue in the future for him.

He also could develop arrhythmias as he gets older, and that could be another area we would have to monitor and treat. Dr R. says the risk of this is really pretty small, given Kiran’s anatomy and heart function.

Obviously nothing is certain in this life, and Kiran has definitely taught me that tenfold … but man, this was all great news. He will see cardiology again … next August!

Oh – and no definite plans for the cath lab or anything invasive at this time, unless something changes. Next year, we will do what we did today – echo, ekg, exam – and in two years, we will do a cardiac mri to get a more accurate look. But no current plans for any extensive interventions at this time.

Kiran. Is. Heart. Stable.