Meet the Doctors - Final Round

We met with the second and final surgeon, Dr. Mendeloff,  Friday at Medical City. I thought he was very personable and spent a lot of time ensuring we knew what Adeline's first surgery would entail. He didn't really elaborate on the second and third surgeries, but he did reinterate the survivability was much greater and surgeries were a lot less complicated. He was very patient with our questions and encouraging as to Adeline's journey. The procedures he described for all three surgeries were pretty much the same as what Dr. Forbess told us.  What keeps coming up in these meetings is the fact that the surgeries have only been around since the early 1980's.  Before the development of the Norwood, this condition was fatal.  It is hard to imagine the babies lost and the families hurt before these procedures were created.  We just hope medicine keeps progressing and getting better as how to correct these congential heart defects.

One of the biggest differences that we saw was that Medical City doesn't have a Safe at Home type follow up program after the first surgery like Children's has. The Safe at Home program provides parents with tools at home (pulse oximeter for daily sats measurements and scale to weigh them) to ensure their baby is recovering safely at home. At Children's, we would call in weekly to give measurements and would be assigned a nurse if we ever had any problems arise. Being a worry wart, I think I would need this type reaasurance each week to make sure we were on the right track.  This type of active involvement and monitoring by us in team with the doctors and nurses held strong influence over us in our decision.

Both facilites, along with the doctors, were impressive and obviously knowledgeable and passionate about their work.  It is a blessing to be living in Dallas where we have a choice of two great hopsitals.  It is not lost on us how good it is to not have to travel to have all of this done for Adeline.  We know that this will help us and Ellie cope with all that lies ahead for our family with Adeline.  We have decided to go with Children's. We are both glad to have this decision behind us. Now we know where I will be delivering and that my OB will be a part of the process. I am pretty glad about this since she is the only person that isn't new this time around.  Having a familar face in the delivery room will be very comforting.