Boston trip

Quinn's latest stay at Boston Childrens hospital was another success. Doctors were able to further enlarge his right and left pulmonary arteries and add one stint without the need for open chest surgery. Now his heart will have a little easier time pushing blood around. It also means that he'll burn less calories, and perhaps have an easier time growing and putting on weight.

After the angioplasty procedure, Quinn woke up ready to drink and eat. After anesthesia, doctors always warn that the patient will feel groggy and irritable and not want to eat. In Quinn's case, he's been put under anesthesia so often, it never seems to bother him any more. He wakes up and within a few minutes he's all smiles.

It's odd to see Quinn sleep through a lung scan. He's still only a young toddler and these types of things are supposed to be scary.

Quinn has even gotten better about getting stuck for IVs. He cries but he'll sit still for the first two attempts. But without exception, it takes any hospital staff between three and upwards of a dozen tries to get one line into a vein. Quinn also knows the words all done, and help. So holding him down while he struggles through the multiple IV's, and he's looking at mom and dad teary eyed and saying all done, and asking for help. All I can tell him is I'm sorry and tell him not to struggle. But the truth is I'd rather take a bat to my own head than put him through that many. And through it all Quinn still gives these nurses hugs and kisses. He gets new nurses to fall in love with him each stay.

Those of you who have met Quinn know he's a smart and active kid with no outward signs of being a cardiac baby. Steph and I forget he has any complications at all when he's home, because he takes no meds and needs no special attention. After this last improvement of his heart functions, hopefully the good will keep getting better. The best we can hope for is that he won't need open chest surgery until he's is 5 or 6 years old and they are removing the stints.