3 weeks of Bliss....3 days of Hell

Up until last Tuesday, August 10 at 2:15pm, our world was perfect. Jacqui had become proficient at breastfeeding (any mom can attest this is truly an art), was ready for her upcoming semester, and was looking forward to training for a half marathon. Brian had become proficient at changing diapers (any dad can attest this is truly an art), was ready for his upcoming field work, and was looking forward to that first migration of green-wing teal. At 2:16pm, during a routine pediatric wellness checkup for Porter, our perfect world was ripped out from underneath us. Look back at all those pictures and videos we've posted. Does that look like a sick boy? Does he look deprived of oxygen? Does he look like he has a broken heart? Well, those pictures lie, because he does. Porter was evidently born with a congenital heart defect. 1 out of 100 children are. Who knew? There are variations of heart defects, and most all are fixable. That's whats important. That's what we were finally told at 9:45pm that same day. But only after being taken on the cruelest ride of our lives. From the pediatric office, Jacqui rode with Porter in an ambulance to Onslow Memorial's ER after being told Porter had a heart murmur and low oxygen saturation. A dozen hospital employee's stood waiting in the ER and immediately began to hook him up to what seemed like every god damn machine they had. Machines that were made for adults, not little 3 week olds. I know they were only trying to do their jobs to the best of their abilities...but to us they were torturing our child. We were questioned over and over again about his birth and the past three weeks. No problems. None. The head doc quickly deduced that the care they could provide was not what Porter needed. A call was made to Pitt Memorial's PICU in Greenville, and they were given the facts. They wanted Porter rushed to Greenville...and fast. They sent a helicopter to pick him up with neonatal specialists. At 6:30pm we watched our boy loaded up into the back of that helicopter, as we drove away to meet him in Greenville. It was the first time Jacqui had ever been apart from Porter. We arrived at Pitt around 7:45pm. The doctors had run the tests they needed to. They told us Porter had a transposition of his arteries, and a defect of his ventricular septum would prevent them from performing the corrective surgery...for now. The important thing in the immediate future was whether they could get him stabilized and working on his own. The past three days have been a delicate dance of medication adjustments, a cardiac catheterization, and minor set backs followed by major steps forward. Our lives have revolved about being patient these past few days. Waiting for blood work. Waiting for meds to work. Waiting for the doctor. Waiting for Porter until he is ready. Jacqui has never claimed to be a patient person. I've always prided myself on my patience. But we both now realize what patience truly is.