Justus Update

Justus had a cardiology appointment today. He had an EKG done as well as weight check and oxygen saturation levels checked. . . and everything looked great! What does that all mean? Well, an EKG measures the electrical output of your heart. This indicates how hard the heart is working which can also indicate if the heart may be getting bigger due to too much work. The heart is a muscle and the harder it works the bigger it may get - which is not good. Justus' heart is a little bigger on the right side, due to his heart defect. The doctors are looking for a rise in electrical output to indicate if it is getting larger - but today the EKG measured the same as last time - so that is GREAT! The weight check is an indicator at how Justus is thriving. If there isn't a significant weight gain then there may be a problem - but Justus weighed in at 9lbs 1oz. which is AWESOME! The oxygen saturation levels tells the doctors how rich in oxygen his blood is - 100 is the number most would come back with. Justus had a range set in the NICU for 75 - 90% due to his heart condition which allows some de-oxygenated blood to travel through his body, which in turn drops his sat. levels. If his sat. levels would show a big drop at a visit it would be a sign that his heart is working too hard to deliver oxygen to his organs. . . but. . . his levels were 94% today - which is TERRIFIC! He didn't have an echo cardiogram today, but will at his next visit - which just shows the docs. a picture of his heart and how the valves are holding up.

Justus had an excellent report today and can wait a whole month until his next cardiology appt. He is expected to undergo his open heart surgery within this year.

Right now, he is battling a bit of a cold. Perhaps if you think of it - you could pray that this cold would go away. We appreciate all the prayer and know Justus is doing well because of our Lord being in control. Justus is a sweet little blessing that we are so thankful for!