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Sep. 25th, 2014 11:09 pm"This is my fault, isn't it?" Fran says quietly, as they sit outside the cardiologist's office. "I didn't know I was pregnant so I could have drunk alcohol or all sorts of stuff I shouldn't have."
"You hardly ever drink alcohol." Guppy points out, squeezing her hand. "You're even more of a lightweight than me. We've been through this, you didn't know, it's just one of those things..."
The consultant calls them through, and they sit in the office. There are pictures of smiling children on the wall. Guppy wonders whether they're success stories.
"So, Gilbert would be thirty four weeks now, if he was still in utero." the consultant says, pulling up some three dimensional pictures of Gil's heart. "Now I know we were hoping to get him up to five pounds, but we are concerned about his difficulties maintaining his oxygen levels, particularly now he's starting to suckle. He's currently a little over four pounds and his weight is starting to tail off. I think we need to plan surgery sooner rather than later."
Guppy nods. This wasn't at least unexpected.
"Did I cause this?" Fran blurts out.
"No, your son has a defect known as tetralogy of fallot." the consultant says. "There are some known genetic causes and we assume some environmental ones, but it often occurs in children who otherwise turn out to be entirely normal. You couldn't have prevented this even if you had known you were pregnant."
Guppy gives Fran a squeeze, feeling her breathe a little.
"The operation... what are his chances?" he asks.
"Nineteen out of twenty children survive the operation." the consultant says. "Untreated, more than half of the children won't live until the age of ten. Treated successfully, life expectancy is normal, though there is a high chance he'll need further surgery in his late teens or early adulthood for his valves."
***
Fran carries Gil into the operating theatre preparation room, while Guppy holds onto the oxygen tank. They lie him in the middle of the trolley, and kiss him on the head. He stares up at them, as the anaesthetist gives him his anaesthetic, and then as he closes his eyes Fran bursts into tears.
Guppy holds her close as they go to sit in the relatives room. It's unnerving, usually it's her holding him together. This time, he just sits here and trembles, and tries not to hyperventilate.
It feels like days.
And then finally the cardiologist comes in, and Guppy feels his heart start to race again...
"The operation is finished." the consultant smiles. "He's done very well, and his oxygen levels are good. He's gone back to neonatal intensive care."
They follow the nurse back to the NICU unit. Gil is still wearing his array of tubes, he's back on the ventilator, but he looks just that little bit more pink.
"You hardly ever drink alcohol." Guppy points out, squeezing her hand. "You're even more of a lightweight than me. We've been through this, you didn't know, it's just one of those things..."
The consultant calls them through, and they sit in the office. There are pictures of smiling children on the wall. Guppy wonders whether they're success stories.
"So, Gilbert would be thirty four weeks now, if he was still in utero." the consultant says, pulling up some three dimensional pictures of Gil's heart. "Now I know we were hoping to get him up to five pounds, but we are concerned about his difficulties maintaining his oxygen levels, particularly now he's starting to suckle. He's currently a little over four pounds and his weight is starting to tail off. I think we need to plan surgery sooner rather than later."
Guppy nods. This wasn't at least unexpected.
"Did I cause this?" Fran blurts out.
"No, your son has a defect known as tetralogy of fallot." the consultant says. "There are some known genetic causes and we assume some environmental ones, but it often occurs in children who otherwise turn out to be entirely normal. You couldn't have prevented this even if you had known you were pregnant."
Guppy gives Fran a squeeze, feeling her breathe a little.
"The operation... what are his chances?" he asks.
"Nineteen out of twenty children survive the operation." the consultant says. "Untreated, more than half of the children won't live until the age of ten. Treated successfully, life expectancy is normal, though there is a high chance he'll need further surgery in his late teens or early adulthood for his valves."
***
Fran carries Gil into the operating theatre preparation room, while Guppy holds onto the oxygen tank. They lie him in the middle of the trolley, and kiss him on the head. He stares up at them, as the anaesthetist gives him his anaesthetic, and then as he closes his eyes Fran bursts into tears.
Guppy holds her close as they go to sit in the relatives room. It's unnerving, usually it's her holding him together. This time, he just sits here and trembles, and tries not to hyperventilate.
It feels like days.
And then finally the cardiologist comes in, and Guppy feels his heart start to race again...
"The operation is finished." the consultant smiles. "He's done very well, and his oxygen levels are good. He's gone back to neonatal intensive care."
They follow the nurse back to the NICU unit. Gil is still wearing his array of tubes, he's back on the ventilator, but he looks just that little bit more pink.
