Our Sweet "Heart": Going Well

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Going Well

Maddox came through his surgery well today and is now chilling in our room on the floor. We had a bed reserved in the CICU for after surgery just in case he had a hard time breathing on his own after the surgery. But he has done well and we can avoid moving all of our stuff to the ICU for one night.

Here he is without any tape or tubes attached to his face!!

Aside from the constantly furrowed brow and worried expression, he looks like a normal and beautiful baby boy. Maybe Maddox and I will get Botox sometime together to fix our wrinkles. Ha! What a treat to see his whole face!! Love this boy!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

11 comments:

HeatherDecember 15, 2009 at 1:42 PM
Oh, he is beautiful Alissa, now plump him up and get him home. Home what a glorious idea. We are praying you are all together for Christmas, I know this has been a very long haul for all of you.
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AubreyDecember 15, 2009 at 2:02 PM
What a handsome and sweet little miracle you have on your hands! So glad to hear that things are going well!!
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Erin SDecember 15, 2009 at 2:29 PM
He's so cute, Alissa! I'm glad everything went well today. SO SO SO hoping you two can go home for Christmas!!!
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AllisonDecember 15, 2009 at 2:45 PM
Great news! That tube free face is sure darling!
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The LovellsDecember 15, 2009 at 3:31 PM
Awesome news!!
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Jake and RachelleDecember 15, 2009 at 4:32 PM
How adorable! He looks so great without all those "accessories." We are so glad all went well with the surgery. We hope and pray that you will all be home for Christmas.
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Ben and JanelleDecember 15, 2009 at 6:39 PM
His cheeks look a little bit chubbier! :) He sure is a cutie. Here's hopin' and prayin' you can take a trip home for Christmas to all be together. :)
Janelle
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thepainterfamilyDecember 15, 2009 at 9:24 PM
He is a beautiful baby boy! This is so exciting Alissa! So great to hear his (and your) hard work and progress :)
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Brita DietzelDecember 16, 2009 at 7:49 AM
Dear Jeff and Alissa,
What a sweet face. He is beautiful. Hope little Maddox knows how many people are rooting and praying for him. He is special little miracle here with us.
Hugs,
Brita Dietzel
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McGrathsDecember 16, 2009 at 7:50 AM
Yay! Now we can see his cute face.
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AnonymousDecember 17, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Oh my he is just beautiful!!!! I'm so happy he is doing so much better.
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Maddox Revere Dixon

Welcome to our story of modern day miracles. We have seen first hand the wonders of our Heavenly Father and have been joined with people all over in earnest prayer for a baby boy... our Miracle Maddox.

Maddox was diagnosed prenatally with Aortic Stenosis and Mitral Regurgitation. We found out at 27 weeks gestational age that he had a congenital heart defect. By 29 weeks he was in heart failure and had developed hydrops(fluid under the skin, in his abdomen, and around his heart). The plan was to deliver him at 30 weeks via c-section and after birth attempt to get him stable enough to try to open up his aortic valve. We were also given the option of doing nothing and delivering vaginally once he had passed away, which they thought would be soon. The doctors gave him a less than 1% chance of survival if we tried to intervene. We started planning his funeral. The week we were scheduled to have the c-section we were given the option of flying out to Boston to do a fetal intervention where they would essentially operate on Maddox in the womb. The doctors in Boston weren't even sure that Maddox would be alive once we got off the plane. Two days later we had the fetal intervention where they ballooned open the aortic valve, put a stent in the atrial septum as well as a hole above the stent, and removed some of the fluid in Maddox's belly. Maddox was the 9th baby with his unique heart condition to have undergone this type of intervention. It was successful, and Maddox was delivered at 37 weeks in Boston, where he underwent open heart surgery at 3 weeks of age. At two months of age Maddox came home to Texas. We are now trying to adjust to the new normal: multiple weekly doctors' visits, g-tube feeds, medications administered throughout the day, insurance claims, and including our three other children in the care of their amazing little brother. What an adventure. More surgery is in the Mad-man's future, but he has a future, and for that we will be forever grateful.