Smiles, Bright Eyes and Thriving

Hello everyone and Happy New Year!

We hope you and your family had a joyous holiday season, no matter how strange this past year may have been. It was definitely not like we had envisioned as we started the year 2020 but nonetheless, we are so blessed!

As we all embark on this new year with hopes of it being better than the last, our family is preparing for another hospitalization. I knew this was coming, but I’d be lying if I said I feel as prepared as I did before Asher was born. The months and the time at home with Asher have kind of got away from me.

In the first 4 1/2 months that Asher was alive, I had to give my baby away to the hands of strangers 6 times for procedures that included anesthesia. 6 times! That is more than most people go under anesthesia for in their lifetime. The first time we had to hand Asher over was for his first open heart surgery at 6 days old. That was excruciating for me as his Mom, but I just knew he would be okay.

This time I’m really struggling. I don’t know if it’s because we’ve been so far removed from that “life” in the hospital or if it’s because Asher is doing so well. Maybe it’s because I love him so much more now than I did the first time he had open heart surgery or the fact that this time he needs to go on bypass. I’m honestly not sure, but no matter the reason, the anxiety I feel about his upcoming surgery is hard to describe.

He has done so well at home. He has put on a little over 3 lbs and his little personality is really flourishing. He thinks his big brother is the funniest person ever and his bright eyes and gummy smile are infectious. He is the sweetest little muffin and I could just eat him up!

Asher’s upcoming open heart surgery is called The Glenn. During this surgery the surgeons will place Asher on bypass to be able to reconstruct his heart again. His superior vena cava, which brings blood back to the heart from the upper part of the body, will be disconnected from the right atrium. It will then get connected directly to his pulmonary artery.

This allows for the blood from the upper body (head, neck, arms) to go the pulmonary artery to become oxygenated. From there, the blood will travel directly to the lungs without having to travel through the heart. Since the blood is now able to reach the lungs, the BT Shunt that was previously placed is no longer needed and will be removed.

The Glenn procedure is done as another temporary measure to hold Asher’s heart in a good place until the third and final procedure, the Fontan, is needed to be proformed. There is no cure for Congenital Heart Disease and Asher’s heart will never fully function the way it should. These surgeries do however, give him the best chance at a full life and we will forever be grateful for modern medicine and the opportunities it employs.

We ask you to please keep Asher, myself, our family and Asher’s medical team in your prayers as we embark on this next stage. We got the call yesterday that Asher is scheduled to have his Glenn performed in 5 days, on the morning of January 13th. I will keep everyone updated via social media until I am able to come back and write an updated post.

As always, we are grateful for you, your thoughts and prayers and general love and concern for our sweet son. This journey would absolutely be more difficult without you walking it with us.

many blessings to you ❤️ - Alyssa