{"id":178,"date":"2024-12-23T12:50:02","date_gmt":"2024-12-23T20:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cota.org\/cotaforelijahstrong\/?p=178"},"modified":"2024-12-23T12:56:46","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T20:56:46","slug":"a-better-road-to-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cota.org\/cotaforelijahstrong\/2024\/12\/23\/a-better-road-to-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"A Better Road to Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Update: Elijah&#8217;s pressures in his heart looked good. That being said he&#8217;s been on milrinone for 7 months. The team wants to try taking him off the milrinone for at least a week then do a repeat cath. This is to see if he&#8217;s a glenn candidate. While this happens he&#8217;s statis 7 on the transplant list. I don&#8217;t think he&#8217;s going to be a candidate for a glenn but they want to try to save his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(A status 7 transplant is a temporary inactive status on a transplant waiting list)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a><\/a>(Milrinone increases the strength of your heart muscles and widens your blood vessels.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As for Elijah&#8217;s brain, they ended up finding 2 old strokes and a new one. They are small and a Incidental finding. He is okay but he is at risk for a major stroke. The team also looked for clots by his central line and in his heart and none were found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elijah does have chiari malformation typ 1<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over all Elijah is doing okay and can&#8217;t wait to meet his family for Christmas.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/848727489680888\/post_insights\/1102911244262510\/?__cft__[0]=AZVYFROzKm38MjaxGOQ0kLty5mb74xHuTrzZm3w7_0y0qWypRQqARI2hXzOPApT7H-zvjcr643t9cSWBTVy7b3dOOAnhG-yOhFfq-cSzKsYLMEQ2aQu8z1JuQxLp6KV5df3_c8ng8PJQsrU_YyKjIG9R6BFGs2TbNOOmNt2oU60R3JZKnk1c_Xy6X0jd5UtPbfI&amp;__tn__=*W-R\"><\/a><\/p>\n<cite>Haley   Dec. 13, 2024<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/cota.org\/cotaforelijahstrong\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6389\/2024\/12\/image-768x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-182\" style=\"width:479px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cota.org\/cotaforelijahstrong\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6389\/2024\/12\/image-768x1024.png 768w, https:\/\/cota.org\/cotaforelijahstrong\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6389\/2024\/12\/image-225x300.png 225w, https:\/\/cota.org\/cotaforelijahstrong\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6389\/2024\/12\/image-1152x1536.png 1152w, https:\/\/cota.org\/cotaforelijahstrong\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6389\/2024\/12\/image.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the rough patch they experienced just a couple of weeks ago, things are looking better, but the news is always a bit mixed. Despite having been on the active transplant list, the Doctors took him off for a while to see if a Glenn procedure could save his broken heart. Here&#8217;s an explanation of that procedure from the Mayo Clinic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em><strong>Glenn procedure.<\/strong>&nbsp;In the Glenn procedure, the surgeon removes the first shunt. Then, one of the large veins that typically returns blood to the heart is connected directly to the lung artery instead. The Glenn procedure reduces the strain on the heart&#8217;s lower left chamber, decreasing the risk of damage to it. The procedure can be done when the pressures in the baby&#8217;s lungs have lowered, which happens as the baby gets older. The Glenn procedure sets the stage for a more permanent corrective surgery called the Fontan procedure.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<cite><em><em>About the Glenn Procedure from the Mayo Clinic website: <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/hypoplastic-left-heart-syndrome\/diagnosis-treatment\/drc-20350605\">https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/hypoplastic-left-heart-syndrome\/diagnosis-treatment\/drc-20350605<\/a><\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>But after the cath procedure it was determined that Elijah should go back on the transplant list.  It is just too risky to procede with the Glenn.  As for the stoke (or strokes, two old and one new) they are small and &#8220;incidental&#8221; at this point but Elijah is at risk for a serious stroke.  One finding is the Chiari malformation.  Here is what we could find at the Mayo Clinic site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Chiari malformation (kee-AH-ree mal-for-MAY-shun) is a condition in which brain tissue extends into the spinal canal. It occurs when part of the skull is misshapen or smaller than is typical. The skull presses on the brain and forces it downward.<br><br>Chiari malformation is not common, but increased use of imaging tests has led to more diagnoses. <\/em><\/p>\n<cite>The Mayo Clinic:  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/chiari-malformation\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20354010\">https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/chiari-malformation\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20354010<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Update: Elijah is active again on the transplant list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I left the decision to the surgeons wheather it would be worth it to evaluate Elijah for glenn again. They agreed it would be too risky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elijah had a good day today. He got moved rooms again. It&#8217;s like bounce house in the cicu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We <a><\/a>didn&#8217;t get the chance to visit today. It&#8217;s been another rough one at the ron don.<\/p>\n<cite>Haley   Dec. 21, 2024<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>As Christmas approaches, please send prayers and best wishes so that Elijah and his family can enjoy the day together.  And, of course, as always, if you can spare $5.00 or $10.00, or anything more significant, please hit the donate button and give to COTA for Elijah Strong.  Merry Christmas<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despite the rough patch they experienced just a couple of weeks ago, things are looking better, but the news is always a bit mixed. Despite having been on the active transplant list, the Doctors took him off for a while to see if a Glenn procedure could save his broken heart. Here&#8217;s an explanation of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2039,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.6 (Yoast SEO v26.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Better Road to Christmas - COTA for Elijah Strong<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cota.org\/cotaforelijahstrong\/2024\/12\/23\/a-better-road-to-christmas\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Better Road to Christmas\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Despite the rough patch they experienced just a couple of weeks ago, things are looking better, but the news is always a bit mixed. 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