Friday, March 24, 2006

Thank you, George Burns.

And thanks so, so, so very much to all of you for your collective good will, thoughts, prayers, finger crossing, emails, calls, cards, offers of help, and overall positive energy. Here's what we know as of today:

  1. Natalie's heart looks better today than it did last Friday.
  2. Collective good will works wonders.
  3. Digoxin may be having a beneficial effect on Natalie's heart.
  4. Doctors don't know/can't explain everything.
  5. Geneticists may have a tendency toward pessimism.
  6. Doctors who truly care for you may be moved to tears and emotional displays if they find anything that suggests a less than perfect outcome for you and your family.
  7. The head of the pediatric heart center at the #1 hospital in NYC is no "Miss Mary Sunshine," and while he could never give us a clean bill of health based on his knowledge of our history and what he and his colleagues saw last week, he doesn't think we should walk around assuming that the outcome of this pregnancy will be the same as the last. He hasn't ruled out the possibility that Julian's condition was genetic, or that Natalie's heart will worsen, but felt that what he saw today was the best we could possibly hope for.
  8. I will still need to continue taking digoxin and having weekly fetal echocardiograms, but for today, we'll take any good news we get.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!!!!!!

Muddystingbee said...

OH!! I've been checking your blog obsessively all day waiting for news. What a huge relief to hear that things aren't as bad as you feared. I've got everything crossable crossed for you that Natalie continues to improve.

lorem ipsum said...

I am so relieved to hear that things are not the same - not worse - but better. And may they keep getting better and better, for you and your DH and of course the star of this big show, Natalie.

Many Thank Yous and Pleases, still.

kate said...

Oh what a relief! My continued thoughts & prayers for little Natalie!

Anonymous said...

WOW!!! *big exhale*
i'm sooo happy and relieved to hear that things look brighter.

~ jen

Anonymous said...

I have been waiting for this news. It's good.

Angela

laura said...

hallelujah! it sounds like very, very good news. i will keep pulling for natalie and hope her little heart just gets better and better.

we just got in, and i had to check right away. i've been thinking about you all evening. i will sleep better tonight - thanks for updating.

Anonymous said...

YAY - I am sooooo happy- Hang in there and I hope Natalie stays strong and continues improving.
Hugs to you both
Love- Sue

sillyhummingbird said...

I am so relieved for you! I will continue to keep you and Natalie in my thoughts and prayers.

Jillian said...

Oh, thank GOD! Please please please keep getting stronger everyday Natalie! You have so many people pulling for you.

Wishing you all the strength to get to the end of this pregnancy with all its tests and monitoring.

Catherine said...

Hope is a great thing, isn't it? If things got better in just one week, then I have real honest-to-God hope that little Natalie is going to continue to defy all negative expectations and get better and better.

Now, may I go smack the gloom and doom doctor? Scaring you to death like that...unacceptable.

Anonymous said...

Hieperdipiep HOERA!
One of the more annoying parts about this whole 6-hour time difference between here and NYC is that I always see your posts teh day after you post them. When I didn't see anything late afternoon yesterday (my time), I kept thinking "Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck why haven't they posted anything yet? does this mean more bad news?"
And of course, it just meant that it was too damn early in NYC time.
I am so happy that things are looking better already. One thing you didn't mention is how your own heart is handling things. We need both mother and child to be doing well here.
Love,
Pam

Anonymous said...

You and Natalie have a lot of your Mom's moxie, and I know you will both keep fighting courageously .....What wonderfull and encouraging news.....know that each and every night you and your family are in my prayers...
XOXO
Jackie