Tetralogy of Fallot

Five weeks and 3 days until I have open heart surgery...

I was born with Tetralogy of Fallot. Here's the definition from WebMD:

"Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common form of cyanotic congenital heart disease. Cyanosis is the abnormal bluish discoloration of the skin that occurs because of low levels of circulating oxygen in the blood. Tetralogy of Fallot consists of the combination of four different heart defects: a ventricular septal defect (a hole between the ventricles of the heart); obstructed outflow of blood from the right ventricle to the lungs (pulmonary stenosis); a displaced aorta, which causes blood to flow into the aorta from both the right and left ventricles (dextroposition or overriding aorta); and abnormal enlargement of the right ventricle (right ventricular hypertrophy). The severity of the symptoms is related to the degree of blood flow obstruction from the right ventricle."

Before surgery, I couldn't go up the stairs in my house without being short of breath. When I played Tag with the neighborhood kids, they would always tag me because they knew I couldn't tag them. (But my sister, Lynn, would let me tag her and then she would go and tag everyone else. Aaaahhhh, sweet revenge.) I couldn't go for walks because I got too tired out. I couldn't do much.

I had my first open heart surgery 28 years ago when I was four and a half. Amazingly, I can remember quite a bit about my surgery and hospital stay. It was a misty June morning, and I had my brown and pink flowered cloth suitcase packed. Once at the hospital, my dad held me while they put me under. I woke up after surgery, and my parents were smiling, spinning above me. I was in the ICU for 1-2 days, and in the hospital for a week. I shared a hospital room with three other girls who had had open heart surgery.
One night I couldn't sleep, and was really bored. I just stared at the hand controls for my bed, which also included a white button to call a nurse, wondering what would happen if I pushed the white button. Finally, I could resist temptation no more, and pushed the white button. Immediately a nurse came from bed to bed, asking if we had pushed the button. Too chicken to admit it was me, I shook my head no and turned over. I wonder if they ever found out I was the culprit. The one who made that nurse get up and walk to the beds, wondering if anything was wrong. Since I never got in trouble for that, I'm thinking no.
I hid on the day I was supposed to get my stitches out because I was afraid it would hurt. I went in the playroom and hid under the slide. My doctor found me anyway. I had 37 blue stitches, and it didn't hurt at all when they took them out.

The best thing about the hospital was the ice cream and the presents. I could have any flavor of ice cream I wanted. And I ate a lot of it - popsicles, sundaes, you name it. I ate ice cream every day.
For a 4 year-old, having visitors who bring lots of presents is heaven. I got stuffed animals, a peach nightgown, toys, and more toys.

After I recovered, I could do almost anything other kids could do. I could RUN up the stairs in my house and not get winded. I could play Tag with the neighborhood kids and actually TAG them. I could take walks. I could ride my bike. I could dance.

Now I'm facing my 2nd open heart surgery. I'm hoping that my recovery will be as noticeable as it was when I was a kid.

I'll be in the hospital for a week again. I wonder if I'll get toys and lots of presents... But I bet there will be ice cream.