NO HEART SURGERIES IN ELLE'S FUTURE!

Elle was born with a bacterial infection.  The last few days that I was pregnant with her, my water had a small tear in it.  It was small enough that I didn't know it had happened- but large enough to expose her to my body and give her a bacterial infection.  She spent the first night in the hospital with me. (undiagnosed)  Then the second night she had a fever.  A nurse, who was really paying attention, decided that maybe my water had ruptured slightly.  She convinced the doctors to run some tests (that had already come back normally twice) again.  She was diagnosed with a bacterial infection, and was immediately taken to NICU.  She spent 13 days there.  It wasn't fun.  While she was there, they discovered a heart defect called Ventricular septal defect.  It's a hole in the wall between the two chambers of her heart.  We were told that it was severe enough that she would have to have surgery when she was a few months older.  She was followed closely by a pediatric cardiologist.  When it came time to plan the surgery, the Dr. decided that Elle was managing it so well that she wanted to wait until she was 6 months.  At her 6 month appointment, the Dr. decided it was time to plan the surgery for a few months later.  At that appointment she said that Elle was mysteriously doing really well again.  She said we would wait until she was 1.  At her year appointment, she said it was time to plan the surgery a few months later.  At that appointment she was again doing mysteriously well.  This went on every 6 months for 4 years.  She was really small... not even on the growth chart.  Her first 2 years were pretty hard.  She was an easy baby... but was sick ALL the time.  Every little thing that was in the air, she got.  The doctors wanted me to put butter on everything, and feed her milkshakes every day so that she would gain weight.  Her 3rd and 4th years were pretty good.  She was the healthiest that she had ever been.  When she was 4, her cardiologist said that he felt good about giving it 2 years.  Yesterday was her appointment.  Dr. Zahka ran some tests ant determined that she no longer had the VSD!  He called it spontaneous closure.  She's a perfectly healthy little girl... Finally!  She still has a little problem with stamina, and her immune system will probably always be a little sluggish.  She also has a low resting heart rate- but none of those things are reason for concern.  I'm so excited!  I'm also really grateful for good Dr.'s who don't act in haste.  Those first few years Elle's Dr. was calm and patient, and let Elle's body dictate the course of action that was taken.  We are SO happy to be DONE with this, and even happier to have a healthy 6 year old!