Here is an update on my precious little niece. She got to stay at my house for over a week! We had so much fun. It's amazing what a de-stresser she is. I really enjoyed spending time with my
sister, too. We have a lot of fun. BIG BIG BIG thanks to Tiffany and
Momma for helping to pack up the house (more about that in another entry...) Without further adieu, the latest and greatest Mackenna Mae update!!
1-25-10 Update
Mackenna saw her cardiologist on Monday. As soon as Dr. Maiers walked in, she said, “I just can’t believe how far this little girl has come!” It reminded us a lot of what the surgeon told us right before the last surgery: “At one point, we didn’t know if she’d ever make it this far!” And even though these statements sound a little pessimistic or doubtful, we are thrilled to hear them! It just shows the power of prayer and the awesome things that our God can do! Likewise, as we can never imagine our lives without Mackenna, we also know that in whatever amount of time God gives her to live, He has used her for the good of His kingdom! Praise Him! Praise Him! Praise Him!
The echocardiogram went well. The tech who performed it has seen her several times before was shocked at how much she has grown. She also called her a “little miracle child.” Dr. Maiers said that the info from the echo looked pretty good. She said it appears that the pulmonary arteries have grown some, but are still rather small. She will be having a heart cath sometime in the next month, which will provide much more detail. Dr. Maiers also said that the 2 valves that were previously leaking are still moderately leaking. Again, the cath will tell us more.
Mackenna’s oxygen saturation level was at about 76, which is pretty good for her (esp. since we really expected it to be in the 60’s!). We’ve noticed that her lips, hands and feet have been more blue lately, and she runs out of breath and tires easily…. all signs that she’s about ready for her next surgery.
The next surgery is typically done when the child is about 18 months old, but may be very different for Mackenna. Dr. Maier’s preliminary thoughts (without having had a cath yet) are that surgery is not immediately necessary. If the heart cath confirms that the pulmonary arteries are still fairly small, and Mackenna remains inconsistently symptomatic (referring to the previous paragraph), then surgery can be put off for a little longer, giving her pulmonary arteries more time to grow.
The heart catheterization has not been scheduled yet, but will probably be sometime in February. After that, we’ll know more.
As always, we appreciate so much all the love, support and prayers! May God bless you in this new year!
Kris, Tiffany & Mackenna
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Thank you so much for the continued prayers for Mackenna. Though we talk about her more around these major appointments and her big surgeries, please don't forget to pray for her on a daily basis. Her daily struggle is fought with diligence, faith, and hope. Please pray for her and her parents for the daily battles as well as the big ones. :)
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