open heart surgery; my story

In October of 2018 I had open heart surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. This is the fifth post in a series of posts about my surgery. These posts will tell my story through open heart surgery. If you haven’t already, check out the rest of the My Story posts. Want to know the whole story? Check out my Introduction post . This post is a collection of pictures from before, during, and after my open heart surgery. The day before my surgery The day after my surgery Two days after my surgery Three days after my surgery Four days after my surgery Five days after my surgery One month after my surgery Two months after my surgery Three months after my surgery Four months after my surgery Six months after my surgery Ten months after my surgery

In October of 2018 I had open heart surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. This is the fourth post in a series of posts about my surgery. These posts will tell my story through open heart surgery. If you haven’t already, check out the rest of the My Story posts. Want to know the whole story? Check out my introduction post. One year after my surgery and I am feeling good. I have returned to normal and I don't feel any discomfort in my chest area at all. I am now swimming better than I was before my surgery. I am four months into eight grade and everything is going well. The only thing I am not comfortable doing is laying on my stomach. I am currently still putting a silicone scar gel on my scar because it is a little itchy, but other than that I am doing nothing. I am glad that I had my surgery, but still at little bit sad that it was so hard. I think it helped me grow as a person. I believe that overall my surgery made me a stronger, healthier, more resilient person.

In October of 2018 I had open heart surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. This is the third post in a series of posts about my surgery. These posts will tell my story through open heart surgery. If you haven’t already, check out the rest of the My Story posts. Want to know the whole story? Check out my Introduction post. May 2018 My pediatrician hears a heart murmur and refers me to the cardiologist. June 2018 My cardiologist does an EKG (my first, of many) and sees a heart murmur. My cardiologist does an Echo (again, my first of many) and sees a heart murmur. My cardiologist refers me to children's for a cardiac MRI. August 2018 At children's I have an MRI. The doctors see a hole in my heart and tells me I need open heart surgery. September 2018 I get the date for my surgery. I have my last day of swimming. October 2018 October 1st: I have my surgery. October 2nd: I get out of the ICU. October 4th: I get out of the hospital. End ...

In October of 2018 I had open heart surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. This is a post in a series of posts about different tests you may have. If you haven’t already check out the rest of my test posts .  These posts will be helpful if you are having these tests and want to know what to expect. Want to know the whole story? Check out my Introduction post. An echo is an ultrasound of you heart. Before you have this test you will put on a gown that opens in the front. Usually ultrasounds are in a dark room. To do the test first the nurse will put ultrasound jelly on this special wand thing. The jelly feels cold and sticky on your chest. When they do the echo they will move the wand around your chest and stomach, the wand takes pictures. Sometimes they push too hard, but all you have to do is ask them to push gentler. The whole thing usually take less than half an hour. You can usually ask to see the ultrasound and the nurse will show you the pictures.

In October of 2018 I had open heart surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. This is a post in a series of posts about different tests you may have. If you haven’t already check out the rest of my test posts .  These posts will be helpful if you are having these tests and want to know what to expect. Want to know the whole story? Check out my Introduction post . Before you have an EKG you put on a hospital gown, open side in the front. The EKG tech will come  in and ask you to lay down. Once you are laying down the EKG tech will place stickers on several different places on your body. These stickers will connect with leads, wires that come out of an EKG machine. The wires measure the electric signals of your heart. When the EKG is done the tech will take all the wires and stickers off.

In October of 2018 I had open heart surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. This post is part of a series of informational posts. These posts are good if you are having open heart surgery soon. If you haven’t already, check out the rest of my informational posts .  Want to know the whole story? Check out my Introduction post. Wondering what to bring to the hospital? I made a list of all the things I brought, how I used them, and what I wish I had packed. Below I have organized a list. Clothes Pajamas - I only wore pajamas in the hospital. I would bring lots of button down shirts. Comfortable clothes to wear home    Stuff Books - I bought some new books and some old favorites Journal - I didn't end up using my journal Ipad/phone Headphones - sometimes the hospital is a little loud Anything to add? Tell other people what you brought in the comments.

In October of 2018 I had open heart surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. This post is part of a series of informational posts. These posts are good if you are having open heart surgery soon. If you haven’t already, check out the rest of my informational posts.   Want to know the whole story? Check out my Introduction post. When I found out that I was having open heart surgery I realized that I needed to tell some people. Now there were some people I obviously would tell, my extended family, my teachers, my coaches. Aside from those people I told all my friends that I was having open heart surgery. I didn't go into all the details with all of them but I didn't need to. All my friends were really understanding and nice about it. I was worried about telling people, but I shouldn't have been. I think that if they are your good friends, and important enough to tell then they will be understanding. I swim, so I had to tell my swim coaches I told my head coach s...

In October of 2018 I had open heart surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. This is a post in a series of posts about different tests you may have. If you haven’t already check out the rest of my before your surgery posts.   These posts will be helpful if you are having these tests and want to know what to expect. Want to know the whole story? Check out my Introduction post . Ok, so before your surgery you will have a pre-op day. On your pre-op day the doctors and nurses will do some tests to make sure that you are healthy (other than whats wrong with your heart). I had the following tests done on my pre-op day, but you might have different ones. Blood draw X-ray Vitals (height, weight, temperature, pulse, and blood pressure) Echocardiogram (echo) EKG My mom had to sign a few papers, agreeing to let me have the surgery and stay in the hospital. These papers are called informed consent. On this day you will often go on a tour of the cardiac floor and/or ...

In October of 2018 I had open heart surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. This is the second post in a series of posts about my surgery. These posts will tell my story through open heart surgery. If you haven’t already, check out the rest of the My Story posts. Want to know the whole story? Check out my introduction post . Note: This is a personal essay that I wrote for an online class. I thought that I would publish it here because it tells about my open heart surgery, just through swimming. “I hear a noise, I think it might be a heart murmur,” the pediatrician said, “I want you to go to the cardiologist.” A few weeks later and I was in the cardiologists office having my first EKG, little did I know it would not be my last. “I want you to come back next week to have an echo, and maybe an MRI after that, ok?” the cardiologist said. “Of course.” my mom replied.  A few weeks later I was back having my first echo, another test with not good re...

In October of 2018 I had open heart surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. This is the first post in a series of posts about my surgery. These posts will tell my story through open heart surgery. If you haven’t already, check out the rest of the My Story posts. In summer of 2018 I found out that I had a congenital heart defect - atrial septal defect of the sinus venosus type with partial anomalous pulmonary vein return. I had open heart surgery at Boston Children's Hospital in October 2018. Before my surgery I wanted to find some information on what would happen, how it would feel, and what the recovery would be like. I was frustrated that there was very little information about older kids having open heart surgery. I made this blog as a resource for other older kids that may be looking for answers as they prepare for this surgery.  I found out that I had a heart murmur from my doctor in May 2018. The pediatrician sent me to have an EKG in the cardiologist's ...