I have to apologize in advance for the type and grammar errors that will most certainly occur during this post. I am updating the blog as I sit in the hospital on my phone key pad so we'll see how this goes...
Matthew had a heart catheterization and biopsy last Tuesday to make sure Matthew was over his rejection before we stopped the steroids. We've been through biopsies enough to know what to expect. I started getting nervous when an hour had passed and my pager had not gone off yet. The cardiology fellow came out of the cath lab and told us they had had andifficult time getting access in Matthew so they were behind schedule. Another super tense hour and a half went by before the interventional cardiologist came out of the cath lab to tell us that Matthew's heart stopped in the cath lab and they had to give him atropine, epinephrine, and administer chest compressions before they got a pulse back. Thankfully they did!!! He was held overnight in the cardiac ICU for observation and then moved to the floor to be monitored. During this time period, the transplant team noticed a higher than usual heart rate which they worried may be a result of an arrhythmia that could have started after the cardiac arrest episode. Matthew's EKG seemed to come back fine but his echo showed more regurgitation from his mitral and tricuspid valves. The pathology report also came back indicating that there was no rejection at all- Matthew's best biopsy, in fact. So, we were at a loss as to what was happening with Matthew's heart. Matthew's cardiologis felt like even though the pathology report came back clean he was still in rejection. We re-started the oral steroids at a high dose and went home from the hospital promising to return to clinic in a day. At that appointment we were given a holter monitor (it's kind of like a simplified EKG that he wore for 48 hours which recorded his rhythm and heart rate). After the weekend, we went back to clinic and things seemed to be improving a little bit on echo so we started the steroid taper and went home. On Tuesday, my fabulous babysitter Jenna watched Matthew while I volunteered in Luke's class. When I got home Jenna told menus kept slapoint his chest. When I asked him abou it, he told me his heart hurt. I hooked him up to his monitor and checked his heart rate then listened to his heart. I had never heard a heart rate like the one I heard yesterday- it was beating normally really fast, then it was like it transistioned into a really slow heart rate for a few beats and then it went really fast like it was trying to catch up. I called the transplant team and they told me to bring him to PCMC. They did another EKG and another echo and reviewed his heart biopsy with two other pathologists. It was decided tha Matthew was in rejection and that the oral steroids were not treating it. So, here we are in the hospital for the next three days while mathew is being monitored and receiving IV big gun steroids.
I hope we can get him moving in the right direction. We are suppose to take Matthew on his make a wish vacation to Disneyworld to meet Lightning McQueen on October 18th. I sure hope we can go!! He's been looking forward to this experience for a very long time!
My Mom and Dad also left to go to Poland tonserve a mission for the next 18 months. To say the least- I've been an emotional wreck! I have the best, most supportive family on both sides! I truly am blessed!
Please keep Matthew in your prayers. We feel your strength and support always.