The Heart Cath: The cardiologist inserted 2 catheters into Ellie's vein and artery in her upper right leg and up into her heart. These catheters have a camera, a balloon and pressure sensors on the end of the cath..... what amazing technology, preformed on such a little baby. After looking at the heart, vessels and other areas of the inside of her body, he expanded the balloon in her Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) to measure pressures. The PDA is a vessel that typically closes after a heathy infant takes their first few breathes. Ellie's is still open. The PDA is not helping Ellie like it did for the first couple of weeks of life. The PDA is allowing oxygenated blood to mix with unoxygenated blood. Closing this PDA would be a major surgery that may cause Ellie to be more sick or even worse. At this point, it's not causing huge problems, but will need to be closed at some time in the future. Long story short, the cardiologist was able to tell what happens to the pressures in her heart when the PDA is temporally closed. More helpful knowledge! So, the results - she does not have Pulmonary Vein Stenosis, her Pulmonary Hypertension is not as bad as they initially thought and the cardiologist closed the vessel that was feeding the lung lesion! Ellie is continuing is amaze everyone....or should I say our Heavenly Father is continuing to amaze everyone through Ellie.
Andre Crouch said, "For if I never had a problem, I would never know that God could solve them. And I would never know what faith in His Word could do." So true! While April and I are going through the most difficult time in our lives, our God is still with us and is drawing us closer to him. He was been with us every step of our journey and has blessed us many many times over.
From http://www.harvest.org/devotional/ - "When the chips are down, most people do pray. It has been said, "There are no atheists in foxholes." If your life is on the line, you will pray. I think back on my own life and recognize that whenever trouble hit, I would call on God. I would pray, "God, if you get me out of this crisis, I promise I will serve You. I will do whatever You ask me to do." He would get me out of that one and I would say, "Thanks, God. See you next crisis." So in a sense, you could say that I prayed. But my prayer life consisted of moments of crisis when I called out to God out of fear."
Because Adam and Eve sinned against God, we all are affected by pain, sorrow, heartache, etc, etc. We will face certain challenges and times when the circumstances of life may test our faith. But God has promised through His abundant mercy that we have a living and eternal hope in Jesus Christ, and there is no one or nothing - no challenges or circumstances that can take that away. The resurrection of Jesus guarantees that God will honor all of His promises to His faithful children. Even when we may find our self in what seems to be a hopeless situation, know that God loves us and He will make something wonderful out of our life, no matter how bruised and broken it may be.
Please continue to pray for all of the sick children all over the world, including: Payton, Jaxson, Olivia, Riley and Ellie. These children need our prayers. Ask God to continue to heal these children. FYI - Jaxson came through his surgery just fine today, what a blessing from God!
Keep the faith!
Matt (Ellie's daddy)
