Here is another chapter. Please read and review. Amber
Chapter 18
Callie, Frank, and Claire were waiting in the waiting room to see the pediatric cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Adrian Androau. Claire was really nervous. She felt much better now. Why did she need to have surgery? It was dumb!
A nurse called. "Claire Hardy?"
The three of them stood up and they followed her to the back. They stopped at a scale. "Let's get your weight and height."
"You're 5 foot 3 inches and 95 lbs."
They were taken into a room. Claire was asked to sit in a specific chair. "I need to get your vitals. Then I want you to get into a gown and make sure you take off your bra."
Claire sat. She watched as the nurse put a cuff on her arm. The cuff squeezed her arm. "Ow!"
The nurse said. "Sorry honey, it will stop in a second. 110/68." She took her wrist and looked at her watch.
Claire didn't know what she was doing but waited. She started to open her mouth to ask for her hand back but the nurse let go.
"Pulse is 130, respirations 22." She pulled out a little thing and attached it to her finger. She read. "O2 is 98%"
Callie asked. "Is that pulse normal?"
"Not typically, but her heart is having to work harder to pump. Dr. Androau will go over everything."
Claire went into the little side room and put on a gown that the nurse gave her. It was a little short. She pulled it down as far as it would go. She inched her way to the table so that her father wouldn't see her butt even if she did have underwear on.
Her father she just now noticed was checking something on his phone. He had turned his eyes away. Of course he had. Because he was a good dad. They waited for approximately ten minutes then the door opened and Adrian Androau walked in. He smiled. "Claire, I'm Dr. Adrian."
Claire took his outstretched hand. "Hi. Nice to meet you but I'll be honest. I don't want to be here."
"I can understand that. You feel a little nervous...scared...cheated. All kinds of stuff."
Callie asked. "Dr. Androau, has she had this defect since birth?"
"Yes, but it was minimal. It started getting worse because she was growing at an adolescent pace. She's quite tall for her age. That's a small factor. Do you have other children?"
Callie nodded. "Three an older girl, and two baby boys."
"That's nice. You may want to get them screened with Dr. Snead just to be safe. But I don't think they will have it. It isn't usually genetic."
Frank leaned forward. "We'll get them screened right away. It will ease our minds."
"I would do the older one first. Especially if she is active in sports."
"She is...she's a cheerleader and swimmer."
"Good. Now let me take a listen. I have obtained her medical records. Her pediatrician did note a murmur two years ago. He thought it was benign. He has been told differently now." Dr. Adrian put the stethoscope against Claire's chest.
Callie growled. "We've changed practices. My brother is a pediatrician and just moved here to Arlington. He's starting his own practice called Hope Center Pediatrics."
"That's good. My daughter just finished her residency. She is a pediatrician. Is he looking for another doctor to come to the practice?"
"Yes he would like to get two more minimum, and a few NPs or PAs."
"Leave me his card if you don't mind. I'd like to look into him and see if that practice is where my daughter should go."
Callie pulled out a card. "Here it is."
"So let's talk about surgery. I'd like to do it in four weeks time. Claire you will check into the hospital the day before the procedure, we'll do some tests and they'll take you down to the OR at your scheduled time. You won't be able to eat or drink for 24 hours prior to surgery."
Frank asked. "Dr. Adrian, what valve do you recommend for the replacement?"
"I recommend an artificial valve, those usually last the lifetime of the patient. Human or animal donors only last between ten and twenty years. Claire because you are going to have the mechanical valve you will need to take a daily blood thinning medication to prevent blood clots."
"What's a blood clot? And why is that important?" Claire asked.
"Very good questions. A blood clot is a jello like mass of blood that develops in a vein or artery. If it starts to travel it can go to your lungs, heart, or brain and cause significant damage."
Claire said. "So you make my blood thinner to prevent it."
"Exactly. After your surgery I will put you on coumadin. We'll try 1 milligram once a day."
Frank asked. "What are the side effects and things we should look for?"
"Excessive bleeding, bruising, black tarry stools, shortness of breath. On this medication she is going to require weekly testing to check her levels until we get her PT-INR where it needs to be. Then we'll check it twice a month, then once a month. Her PCP can handle the maintenance."
Callie was nervous. "This is farther down the road for her but I have to ask, what about when she wants to have children? Wouldn't she need to stop the medication?"
"Yes and she would be put on an injectable blood thinner called lovenox. Another option for her blood thinner is to put her on lovenox now instead of the coumadin. She wouldn't require weekly blood work, but it is a subcutaneous injection."
"I don't want shots every day." Claire said.
Callie nodded. "Okay. It's just a lot to take in."
"It is...what other questions do you have?" Dr. Adrian Androau asked.
They left the appointment. Frank took them to a late lunch at Claire's favorite restaurant Anna's, an italian restaurant and pizza place Claire was quiet. She wanted pepperoni pizza. Her surgery was scheduled four weeks from now. Frank ordered a large pie and three small side italian salads with house dressing. Claire took a bite of salad not wanting to worry her parents. She wasn't very hungry.
Frank took a sip of his soda. "What's on your mind kiddo?"
"I'm scared. I don't want to have surgery."
Callie hugged her tight. "Honey we know but it will help you get better."
"When can I go back to school?"
"When the doctor clears you to go back. Kiddo you're going to be in the hospital for at least six days up to 11 days."
"Why do we have to go to the National Children's hospital? Why can't I go to Uncle Joe's hospital?"
"Because the surgeon wants to do it there honey. You need a Cardiac Intensive Care Unit for the first two to four days after surgery. Then you will move to the step down unit."
Claire didn't want to hear anymore. She wanted to be in school. She wanted her friends. She wanted to be normal. She thought she was fucking normal. But NO! Something was wrong with her heart and it made her mad. Frank took her hand. "It's okay to be angry."
Claire said. "Angry...I'm not angry. I'm pissed off! Why does this have to happen to me? What if my brothers have it or Brooke?"
Callie soothed her. "We're going to get them checked honey. Uncle Rick is taking care of the referrals and they will see Dr. Snead next week."
"Can we go home now?"
"Yes honey we're going home now." Callie said. She shared a worried look with her husband.
Frank shrugged. He left a generous amount of money on the table to cover the ticket and the tip. He knew it was only one waitress today. Her name was Claire too. She came over. "Have a good day guys. Bring the rest of the family in sometime."
Frank nodded. "Thank you Claire we will."
They went home. Claire was going to go straight to her room but a bunch of giggling got her attention. "That sounds like Jenny?" She hurried down the hall and found all her friends in the den. Claire beamed. "Hi everybody!"
Maggie ran and hugged her. "My mom told me everything. My daddy is a pediatric anesthesiologist at National Childrens, he's going to try to be your doctor to put you to sleep."
"Oh wow! Isn't your mom a pediatrician?"
"Yes, and she is highly upset at Dr. Franklin for assuming your heart murmur was benign. He's the son of the founder and she's leaving the practice in protest. She's going to take her patients with her. She's going to be going to a new place called Hope Center Pediatrics, the founding Dr. is a young pediatrician from New York."
Claire said. "That's my Uncle Rick. He's going to be my new pediatrician."
Lydia came over and hugged her next. "I brought Parent Trap and Freaky Friday starring Lindsay Lohan."
"I wish we could jam?"
Jenny hugged her. "We do too but you have to rest. So we'll settle for eating popcorn until we throw up, and watching movies all night."
Maggie said. "Everything is set up in the basement."
Rena added. "Our sleeping bags and pillows and your night light."
Brooke came in. She had a plate of brownies. "Here take these with you."
