On Monday, Hannah went to see her pediatrician, who said she looked outstanding. She weighed 14lbs 5oz, which is perfect for her height. He listened to her heart and her chest and said she sounded great. He was also impressed by her development and that she was doing so well on solid foods.
That night we had a tiny scare — she didn’t seem too interested in eating, although it wasn’t NEARLY as bad as when all this first started. We also noticed that every now and then she would start breathing really fast, but then it would go back to normal. She actually does this a lot, but usually it’s because she’s excited or trying to talk to us. She hadn’t had a “good” poopy diaper in a few days, and we could tell that her tummy was bothering her a little. We called the cardiologist’s office, and they said to just watch her close, and if we’re still worried about it that we should check her into the ER. After about another hour of trying to get her to eat more (and of course we’re already freaking out by now), we decided to take her in to the ER at Our Lady of the Lake, just to be safe.
We were worried when we got to the emergency room, because it was PACKED. We told the nurses about Hannah and her condition, and they called her name next. Praise God, we didn’t have to wait. They took her vitals, and they all seemed pretty normal. They let us wait in a hallway away from all the other patients to make sure she didn’t catch something. We didn’t have to wait very long at all, and we were brought back to a room. While we’re sitting there praying (and freaking out), a nurse walked in and said she recognized us from Healing Place! She knew about Hannah’s story already and said she had been praying for her. Isn’t it amazing how even though Satan tries to distract us and make us question our faith, God intervenes and gives us peace! Not one, but two nurses that night walked in to see us because they recognized us from Healing Place! I mean really, what are the odds of that! It was so comforting to know that Hannah has been in the hands of believers!
The doctor came in, and after checking her out, he said she looked really good, and that she might just be a little constipated. They gave her an enema, which she did NOT like one bit. About 15 minutes and two diapers later, she felt much better, and we were soon discharged.
We took her to the cardiologist the next morning, so he could do an ultrasound and make absolutely sure nothing else was going on. The ultrasound showed good signs of improvement in her condition! Her shortening fraction was measured at 13-18%, and the diameter of her left ventricle had decreased to 2.7cm! Praise God! He continually amazes us! The cardiologist said that he is not worried at all about Hannah’s feedings, which is great!
Since that time Hannah’s appetite has gotten closer to “normal”. We still think her tummy is hurting her a little bit, so the doctor called in a laxative prescription for her, which she has been taking for two days now. Her pediatrician also recommended we use glycerin suppositories if we need a little extra help.
Yes, we went to the ER for constipation, but wow, was it ever worth it! We received reassurance from God that He is still in control, and also got an unplanned update on Hannah’s heart function, which was definitely the best it’s been so far!