After the unsuccessful first attempt at closing my ASD on November 23 (because the hole was bigger than the equipment he had available to close it), my doctor told me that our most “simple” and likely option would be open heart surgery. He also said, however, that he would consult with his team of mentors in Seattle to see if there was still a chance of using minimally invasive techniques to close the ASD. I then didn’t hear from anyone for almost 2 weeks, and spent that time trying to somehow plan for the probability open heart surgery happening before the end of the year.

Last Friday, however, I got a voice-mail message from my doctor saying that as he’s been discussing my situation with the other doctors, they want to try the catheter procedure again! Praise the Lord! Yesterday I finally got to talk to him to find out some more details… We’re now working with the head of the Cardiac Catheterization unit at Seattle Children’s Hospital and a doctor from Swedish Hospital in Seattle. Both of them, after reviewing all of my files/images, agree that although it’s complicated they can close my ASD without surgery. These are the best doctors for this type of issue here in the Northwest (hence the name – the NW dream team! 🙂 and they will both scrub in for the procedure, as well as my doctor here. I’ll be going to Swedish Hospital in Seattle (not sure which campus yet) at some point in the next month. I don’t yet have dates, but they’re doing their best to minimize the need to travel back and forth between here and Seattle for labwork/consultations.

I’m amazed by and SO thankful for my doctor who is not going with the “easy” option (for the doctors) of surgery, but has reached out to others to find a solution that is better for me. We’re talking 2 days of downtime and taking it slow for a week, vs. up to 2 months plus of recovery time. Of course there is still the chance that they still won’t be able to fix it and I’ll still need surgery. That’s OK. I know that I’m in the best hands possible – in the Lord’s, and the doctors’.

In the midst of it all, I’m learning to enjoy the wait (wise words from my room-mate) and rest in the craziness. Thank you all!!