The Eighth floor loves Karter Bear!

So Karter was welcomed to the eighth floor today! They have decided that she had what they call a "tet" spell today. A "tet" spell is caused when the valve leading out of her right ventricle (This is the valve that is too small and it part of her tetralogy of fallot) spasms. This spasm shuts the valve and does not allow the blood to flow through it properly to the lungs. These spells are pretty common in Tetralogy patients although the severity of the spells can vary. The spells can be caused by too much stress or any sickness. They believe this spell was caused when she was deep suctioned at the ER the other morning. While getting suctioned out the other morning Karter through a pretty big fit about three or four times due to them sticking her with the suctioning machine. The stress from the situation caused her pretty serious "tet" spell.

When we go home this time we will be on an heart medication. Up to this point we have been really lucky that we have not had to be on any medication. They have put her on Atenolol which will help with her spasms and it will also help regulate her blood pressure. This medicine will have to be administered twice a day. There still has been no word on if we will have to take home a monitor or not. I kind of would like to have one at home to check her oxygen every now and then. I do not want to have to keep her hooked up all the time but it would be nice to have something to measure her oxygen level with at home.

As far as surgery goes it will still be later in the summer or early fall. We will find out more information on an estimated date tomorrow. So as I go to bed tonight Karter Bear is doing great still, she is finally off of her oxygen cannula and as long as she can stay off of that for 24 hours we should be ready to go! The Nurses on this floor are just as wonderful as the nurses on the 3rd Floor. They all love our Karter Bear and care for her as if she was their own. Children's Hospital is the best hospital we could have ever asked for to care for our sweet angel.

Thank you all for your kind words and prayers! Please continue to pray for her heart to be as sturdy as it can be until her little body is fully ready for surgery! Please also keep the patients of the 3rd floor (Cardiac ICU) in your prayers for as we left the floor today their were still a few very serious cases that need our prayer! I thank God everyday that at least Karter has a heart that can be patched up!



Love,



The McHams