Great echo results!!

We are THRILLED to announce Liam's most recent echo results!! We met with Liam's cardiologist on July 23 but (once again) Lisa is slow about getting the word out. So, here you go:

1. The ASD (hole in his heart) appears to have closed on its own. We'll do a repeat echo in 9 months and they'll confirm this then.
2. The aortic root dilitation (area we feared was developing into an aneurysm) that was moderately enlarged in March appeared to only be mildly enlarged in this echo. So, no meds and no surgery needed yet.
3. The cardiologist said, "OK, so I'll give you a 50-50 chance that you're looking at one additional heart surgery before age 18."

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! You have no idea what terrific news that is to two parents who started down this road in April 2007 looking at an HLHS diagnosis. ONE surgery? In the next 17 YEARS? 50-50 chance?

THANK YOU, GOD. So many prayers answered! And did you catch that we don't have to go back to the cardiologist for NINE MONTHS??!!??!!

"Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?" Exodus 15:11

So, we're still looking at a possible skull surgery this fall or winter. We take it one month at a time, and no, I don't have any idea when we'll get the final word. All the docs involved with Liam's care defer to the skull doc for his opinion on this issue, so we have decided to do the same.

Most recently, the ophthamologist saw Liam last week and determined he has a problem with his right eye. I can't pronounce it nor can I spell it, so I won't even try. It doesn't really matter. What does matter is that he will probably need a minor outpatient eye surgery at some point down the road (after the skull surgery, if and when he has that). For now, he has a lazy right eye and we're going to patch the left one for 4 hours per day to see if we can strengthen the right eye.

A patch and a helmet. We're considering having a pirate's hat affixed to the top of the helmet to give him the look of a pirate. What do you think?

Liam turns one on Saturday. We're considering the words from his cardiologist to be God's early birthday gift to Liam.

We bid a very sad farewell to Bill's mother on July 18. Thank you so much to those of you who have surrounded our family with your prayers, flowers, memorial gifts, cards, and love since she became ill earlier this year. To say she will be missed is such an understatement.

In Christ,
Bill and Lisa