Forever Wild At Heart

Dear Murray,
Today I thought I would explain to you about what is actually different about your heart!
Your 'diagnosis' is that you have a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), Dextrocardia, Left Persistent SVC, and a narrow aortic arch. Phew!

VSD means that there is a hole in the part of the septum that separates the ventricles—the lower chambers of the heart. The hole allows oxygen-rich blood to flow from the left ventricle into the right ventricle, instead of flowing into the aorta and out to the body as it should. Large VSDs allow a lot of blood to flow from the left ventricle to the right ventricle. As a result, the left side of the heart must work harder than normal. Extra blood flow increases blood pressure in the right side of the heart and the lungs.

Dextrocardia is a condition in which the heart is pointed toward the right side of the chest instead of normally pointing to the left.

Having a left persistent superior vena cava means the left brachiocephalic vein does not develop fully and the left upper limb and head & neck drain into the right atrium via the coronary sinus.

Darcy had a different heart defect known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.  After he was born, we were told that our chance of having another child with CHD went from 1 to 2.5%.  So it seems we have been unlucky twice.

You had another hospital stay last week, just to watch your oxygen as you had another cold.  We had been in quarantine since your last appointment however we needed to go to a concert at school for Poppy so that was when you got sick.  It just seems that every time we go in public, you get sick.