We saw the cardiologist - and he was very reassuring for me. SVT is not exactly common, but definately not as rare as I would have assumed! 80% of kids with SVT grow out of it in the first year, so that is what we are hoping and praying for. The plan is to give her this medication for the next 6-9 months. Then they will take her off and see if she goes into tachycardia again. If not - great - if so - she will go back on meds until she is 3 or 4 at which time if she still goes into tachycardia they will consider surgery - which is done through cathetar. So obviously our hope and prayer is that she will grow out of it in the next few months!
While we were in the hospital, they had us take infant CPR training and we bought a stethoscope so we can monitor her heart rate. She was totally fine for about 4 weeks, but then last Friday I checked her heart rate while I was cleaning up the camp site (we had finally decided to attempt camping again) and I couldn't count it. So I took her back into the city (we were only 20 minutes away) and to emergency.
3 nurses and a doctor tried for an hour to get an IV into her, as the drug that slows the heart is given by intrevenous. After that was unsuccessful, they called Saskatoon for advice and decided to attempt to slow her heart by dunking her head in a bowl of ice water for 2 seconds. Sounds weird, heh? And I mean her whole head! So it was scary, but it worked. It shocks the heart into stopping for a split second and then it restarts at a regular pace. They kept her on the monitor for 3 hours and once she remained stable they let me go home. So we just came back to the house and went back to the campsite in the morning to get Greg and the girls. Since then we have finally gotten a cell phone, in case it happens again at some weird time.
I guess the blessing is that even at the Pasqua hospital (that doesn't have a neo-natal unit) they were prepared, and knew what to do. I won't take her to that hospital again though, because the other one in the city has a neo-natal unit, and a neo nurse may have had an easier time getting an IV started. She had about 30 (no exaggeration) poke holes all over her tiny body from where they tried to start an IV. Hands, feet, wrists, elbows and even one in her forehead.
While we were in the hospital, they had us take infant CPR training and we bought a stethoscope so we can monitor her heart rate. She was totally fine for about 4 weeks, but then last Friday I checked her heart rate while I was cleaning up the camp site (we had finally decided to attempt camping again) and I couldn't count it. So I took her back into the city (we were only 20 minutes away) and to emergency.
3 nurses and a doctor tried for an hour to get an IV into her, as the drug that slows the heart is given by intrevenous. After that was unsuccessful, they called Saskatoon for advice and decided to attempt to slow her heart by dunking her head in a bowl of ice water for 2 seconds. Sounds weird, heh? And I mean her whole head! So it was scary, but it worked. It shocks the heart into stopping for a split second and then it restarts at a regular pace. They kept her on the monitor for 3 hours and once she remained stable they let me go home. So we just came back to the house and went back to the campsite in the morning to get Greg and the girls. Since then we have finally gotten a cell phone, in case it happens again at some weird time.
I guess the blessing is that even at the Pasqua hospital (that doesn't have a neo-natal unit) they were prepared, and knew what to do. I won't take her to that hospital again though, because the other one in the city has a neo-natal unit, and a neo nurse may have had an easier time getting an IV started. She had about 30 (no exaggeration) poke holes all over her tiny body from where they tried to start an IV. Hands, feet, wrists, elbows and even one in her forehead.
It is so odd though, because she seems so healthy! Growing, smiling!
Here is a couple pics from today!
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