We've had a busy week doctor-wise. On Monday we went to the new orthopedist and today we had cardiology. It was a long appointment today, but mostly on the waiting around end. They zipped through the EKG and the echocardiogram was done within 45 minutes, with an AWAKE Brady, no less. I had hoped he would fall asleep and he was definitely on that way, but he managed to stay awake and watch the flickering lights on the computer screen that showcased all his heart problems. Every so often he would hold onto the scanner the fellow technician held against his heart, as if he were guiding it himself. It wasn't a completely quiet appointment - he would cry out here and there in utter exhaustion, I believe. If he could talk, he probably would have said, "Can't you guys just let me SLEEP??!?!?"

After the echo was done we headed back to the waiting room until we were called to see the doctor. My mother held Brady and we watched the new train display in the center of the room. If I wasn't so tired my mind would have been abuzz with "Is he still getting better?" to "Are we about to get bad news?" Instead, I stretched my legs out and lazily watched Cars on the new plasma TV on the wall. Sometimes, I have learned, it is better to not think at all. This way you don't have high hopes.

I shouldn't have worried. We were called into a room to talk to the doctor. When Brady's cardiologist, Dr. Marx, walked in, he said, "Aren't you happy with how Brady is doing?" with smiles like I have never seen before. I replied, "I don't know - should I be happy?" although I began to think that the echo went well.

Dr. Marx said he has never seen the gradient reduce in pulmonary stenosis and supravalvular aortic stenosis as it has in Brady these past eight months. His SVAS had been as high as 50 and the PS had been 45. Since last June they have been dropping. Today they were both in the 30-33 area. I had asked if it was possible they were decreasing because he was getting bigger and gaining weight, which he thought may have little to do with it but he didn't think that was the whole reason. He acknowledged that gradients can decrease but he seemed more suprised that either it is going as fast as it is with Brady, or that the jump is significant. I suppose I should try to understand it better, but once you hear the joy in a doctor's voice, you kind of let everything just float around and concentrate on the good news.

This echo was unsedated, to see if that was also a reason why the numbers have been getting better. The good news on that is also not having to withhold formula from him all morning. Plus you always get a little nervous using a drug to induce sleep on a child who has a heart condition. I will probably be nervous when he goes on the merry-go-round as well. :)

We have now officially moved up to the SIX month mark between appointments! Woo Hoo!!! It will be a crazy September seeing cardiology and genetics back-to-back, but I don't have to think about it until AFTER the summer. Heck, it's not even spring yet! Happy Thursday! :)