Pictures from Stage 2, the Glenn
Pictures from Stage 3, the Fontan Please note - these pictures, for the most part, are "safe". If you're interested in post-op pictures from the Norwood, please email us at us@babysamson.com for access.
Doctor Visits
Fontan
General Updates
Glenn
Life with Sammy
Norwood
Other HLHS families
Support
Surgery & Recovery
Surprises
Test Results
Worrying
Four years old
Happy holidays!
Home, home, home!
Recovery
Unexpected Open Heart Surgery
Fenestration-closing cath
One year post-Fontan!
NSTAR's Walk for Children's Hospital Boston
3 years old & cardiology visit
Wild Man
Update and Santa
Blue episodes and a cardiology appointment today
Ellie's Fontan
Post-Fontan Cardiology Visit
"You've gotta just let him be."
Sammy's Recovery from the Fontan
Life Post-Fontan
Bump from home
We are home!
Fontanized - Day 6 Update
Day 4 Post-Op 2:30pm Update
Fontanized, Day 4 Post-Op
Bump #2 - Pneumothorax
Little Bump
Fontan Post-Op, Day 2
Extubated!
Fontan Post-Op Update
Fontan Day
Fontan Pre-op Done
Checking in
Update, 2 years old, Fontan date, more
And we're free!
Pre-Fontan cath DONE.
Cath Day
Day 1, Pre-Fontan Cath Prep
Pre-Fontan cath
Twenty-three months: chatterbox, the holidays and the cath
Twenty-two months
Cardiology visit
Eighteen months
Seventeen months
Early Intervention Assessment
Fourteen month update
Miles for Miracles - Together in Heart.
Sedated echo
Look who's one!
One year.
11 1/2 months old!
Almost 10 months old!
Cardiologist Visit
Just about nine months!
Who is this kid, and what did you do with my baby?
Eight months old!
7 months old!
Coming up on 7 months
Six month update
Post-op Checkup & Life post-Glenn
And we're outta here!
Waiting to go home & a few firsts...
Truckin' along
Step-Down!
And the lines are OUT!
Happy updates
Post-Glenn, Day 4
Post-Glenn, Day 3
Post-Glenn, Post-Bronchial Spams, Day 3
Not fun - post-Glenn, night 2
Post-Glenn, Day 2
Post-Glenn, Day 2 - morning
Post-Glenn, Day 1, part 2
Post-Glenn, Day 1
He's out!
In surgery - updates
the wait
The night before the Glenn
Preparing for the Glenn
Update & Surgery
Milk Allergy Fun
Chatty Sammy
Cath Hospitalization
Catheterization
Gasmonster!
Teaching Sammy about the world.
Miles for Miracles
First bath!
Gassy infant prodigy
Rockin' Sammy
Revelations about mamahood
Babymoon, Part 2
Babymoon, Part 1
Home Sweet Home
Discharged!
Rumor has it...
Stepdown, Day 2
We have step down!
Today was pretty mellow
No step-down for you
Time to buy stock in St. Joseph's
One step closer
Extubation!
One step at a time
Done with the closing
Chest Closing
Birth story
Chest Closing & Mama in Triage
Recovery
Out of Surgery
Welcome, Sammy!
Samson Arrives
Labor update
Of due dates and inductions
Baby Grace
Snow baby?
Welcome to the jungle
Getting closer...
37 1/2 week update
Fighting the bad thoughts
Getting bigger - and closer!
31 weeks with Dr. Brown, CHB
31 Week Appt. w/ Dr. Johnson
One big monkey!
Starting to Get Ready
30 Weeks and Full-blown Panic
Silly Pregnant Lady
27 Week Visit
Fears
EFO Shout Out
Weird Pains & an Early Morning Trip to the Hospital
Fetal Echo at Boston Children's Hospital
DiGeorge's - Negative!
Evil Genetics Counselor
Full amnio results
22 weeks and Life Now
Pediatric Cardiologist
Redefining Normal
FISH Results
Embarrassing the poor boy already
The Baby's Name
Post-Amnio
Pre-amnio, Baby痴 name riddle
Reiki energy, and not being alone
Friends and Tarzan
Trying to get through the day
The diagnosis
Trying to stay positive
Pre-Diagnosis
Sammy had a great holiday! He learned, much to our chagrin, the concept of "presents" and constantly asked, "More presents, yeah?" Such is life with doting grandparents, I suppose. :-)
He's becoming quite the talker - since my last post where I worried about the fact that he wasn't talking, he's now saying 8-10 word sentences on a regular basis. He seems to be a big fan of "I Spy" and even said to me today, "I spy with my little eye... something blue? Yeah?" And sure enough, there was a blue house, complete with (apparently) a "black cat who's sad... yeah...he crying". Who knows where this stuff comes from, but it's a heck of a lot of fun!
I've put off posting about it because, well, denial is such a happy place to live, but Sammy's pre-Fontan cath is February 7th. I think I'm dreading the pre-cath workup more than the cath itself. The thought of them drawing blood from him makes me dizzy. We have the pre-cath works on the 6th and the cath on the 7th, and they may or may not keep him overnight for observation. Then the next step is scheduling the Fontan, which from conversations with his cardiologist, looks to be May or June.
So, it'll be an interesting couple of months, but I'm looking forward to being done with all of this already, and I'm looking forward to a summer with Sammy without a surgery hanging over our heads. I'm grateful that he'll be young and hopefully won't remember any of it at all - I just hate that he's going to have to go through it and there's not a damn thing I can do to ease any of it for him. Blah.
I should end on a good note, right? How's this for some mama bragging: Sammy can name about 20 instruments and can name almost all of those simply on sound. He's practically got his own full orchestra, complete with the trumpet, clarinet and piano he got for the holidays. He loves music and strums his guitar while singing Dan Zanes' "Malti". He can count to fifteen (and understands the concept of numbers), knows all the major colors (blue, red, green, black, brown, white, pink, yellow, orange, purple), knows most of the basic shapes (square, circle, diamond, triangle) and understands most of the five senses and the body parts associated with them ("I hear with my ears! I smell with my nose!"). Not too shabby for a kid who's not even two, eh?
Previous entry :Twenty-two months
Next entry: Pre-Fontan cath
Sammy is so cute! Yes, we LOVE Children's Hospital Boston! We are supposed to be headed back some time next month for cath and Glenn...yikes! I've bookmarked Sammy's page and will be checking back in on you all.
Posted by: Jessica Caperton at February 3, 2008 10:21 PMThinking of you and your beautiful boy.
Sending positive, healing energy your way.
Peace,
kath
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This Hope for HLHS site belongs to Erika, Jason & Samson
Sorry you've been feeling so anxious. I feel your pain. Carla had her Glenn this past August and I was a mess before hand. At least this will be the last surgery! He's going to do great and you will too. You are always in my prayers. Jen Wright.
Posted by: jen wright at January 18, 2008 6:39 PM