Second Follow Up Visit

January 28th, Rainey went back to Children's for a followup visit with Dr. Collins, the cardiologist she's been working with since November. She had to do an exercise test, an ECG, and another echocardiogram. Everything looks good!!! The T wave they were worried about is normal. She rode for 9 1/2 minutes on the bike, up hill, with the oxygen measuring device on her face and wires attached just about everywhere! (she had ridden 10 1/2 minutes pre-surgery). Of course, she was disappointed in her performance! Only Rainey! She wanted 11+ minutes!! :-) The doctor cleared her to go back to basketball practice. . . no extreme weight lifting, no physical contact during practice, and no pitching/hitting yet. Two more weeks and then she's completely released!! She had pancakes to celebrate!

Thank you all for your positive thoughts and prayers! The power of the human spirit is well represented here! Rainey has to go back in April, November, and then once every year after that for the next several years. Cardiology will be keeping an 'eye' on her since her case is so rare.

A big shout out to Jennifer Eldredge who is putting together a scrapbook for Rainey about her experience with all of this. I am artistically challenged in scrapbooking! I've seen Jennifer's work. . . .she's awesome!

I will probably stop posting from this point. . .you have all helped us through this and I hope this blog kept you up-to-date on Rainey's progress. Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything.

Looking good! Follow Up visit #1

We went to Children's Hospital for a follow up visit with the doctor's. Rainey had an X-ray, stitches out, and EKG. They said she looked good, her resting pulse rate is 75 (still a little high for her but normal after a surgery like this), but they want to keep an eye on her T-waves from the EKG. Nothing to be too concerned about . . . just something they are monitoring. She will have another followup visit on January 28 along with an exercise test before she's allowed to return to sports. She is to walk daily. She can go back to school when she is ready but to avoid any lifting of anything over 5 lbs and getting hit in the chest. It was a good meeting! As active (and ornery) as Rainey is, some of this will be hard for her to follow! All of her friends have offered to get out of class early to carry her backpack! :-)

We also got to re-visit the CICU to drop off thank you cards and visit with the nurses. It was a little hard to go back to that area of the hospital. Rainey has been working on a volunteer project to give back to the hospital that helped her. . . volunteering as a greeter or maybe something with stuffed animals.

Thanks again for your support! Stop by and visit Rainey when you get a chance!