Finally, the Echo!!

We had our first post-procedural Echo today...as of the day-after procedure baby Newman had moderate tricuspid regurgitation.  It looked like this was related to the stent that was now hanging out just under one of the valve leaflets - they weren't really sure what to tell us at the time what the overall implications would be, especially being so early, knowing it could still move.  At the ultrasound last week there was still regurgitation but it looked optimistically slightly better.  Also he still had a fairly significant pleural effusion...

While we were waiting for the room to be ready today the cardiologist braced us for the fact that continued regurgitation in a valve (when only 2/4 are doing anything at all) would be a very poor prognosis - heart failure, etc.  (One of those moments when you really just wish you had just written on your forehead - "Please, I don't want to know - just LIE to me today :)" but the Echo was... AWESOME!!!  NO regurg at all!  Also, the pleural effusion that still looked pretty significant last week was completely gone.  No way to top that Christmas gift!  So much gratitude!!!

Since I can't pop open a bottle of champagne to celebrate...sugar will have to suffice.  And if you aren't feeling the most grateful today - eating this pie we made tonight will surely fix that.  It may be the best pie on earth, just note you actually have to cook it closer to an hour (learned from attempt #1 - no worries, it didn't go completely to waste - I may have scraped off the cooked top and ate most of that before trying my hand at pie #2 :)  http://www.food.com/recipe/old-fashion-oatmeal-pie-11757