It was in 7th grade I knew I wanted to have a career in the medical field. First, I wanted to be a neonatologist, then I wanted to be a pediatric oncologist, then a general surgeon, next a neurosurgeon, then a pediatric surgeon, then a pediatric cardiologist, and finally I settled on a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon. Yep, I changed my mind a lot (and it totally could change again) but I like kids (let me rephrase that, I like helping kids especially when they're sick. oh, and it's sorta kinda nice they're asleep the majority of the time;)), surgery interests me (I don't know how to explain it, but it's complex and artistic, delicate and a total balance of connecting to a patient while not getting too involved) and I LOVE the heart. Love it so much, I have a picture of one hanging on my wall that's labeled. I love to look at it before bed and have it memorized.
 |
| Ain't it a beauty? Well of course it is, it's keeping you alive! |
But what really inspired me was Miss Libby Lu.
For about four years now, I've babysat Libby and her brother Chapin. I love her family, they're so kind and the kids are very well-behaved. Chap has always been bit of a homebody and prefers to build airplanes or construct things on his own, with me checking up on him occasionally. Libby however, sticks to me like glue, but I don't mind. :) We make all sorts of things- mini cakes in old cans, homemade ice cream, playdough, homemade finger paint, candy buttons, all sorts of things. We turn up the music and dance around and have a grand time. Last June, she told me she was a little sad because her parents had just told her she was having heart surgery in two weeks. Like any 8-year old would be, she was nervous so we went to the park to forget about it for three hours (man alive I was tired after that!). Lib was diagnosed with truncus arteriosus when she was born. Basically, instead of having a blood vessel come out of each ventricle, there's only one for both ventricles, compromising her heart and lung health. She had surgery after birth and would need it when she was 6- she made it till she was 8. The day of her surgery, I was in Hawaii and had positive thoughts going her way! When we got home, my mom told me though things had taken a turn for the worse. After surgery, Libby was recovering in the cardiac ICU when her heart spontaneously stopped. She was in cardiac arrest and had to be opened up bedside and have her heart manually pumped for 38 minutes. Most doctors would have given up and pronounced her dead, but the her amazing doctors had a miracle in mind. Her parents were told to expect brain damage. She was on ECMO (basically a heart-lung machine) for a few days and was in the cardiac ICU for a week. I'll never forget reading updates from their family's site and having my heart hurt to know Libby was so sick. I prayed and prayed and prayed. But I knew Libby was resilient and had to heal- we still had a list of crafts and projects to do! After going back in, her surgeon did not understand why her heart stopped. To this day, it is still unexplained. And the beauty of this story is Libby is fine. Spunky, smart, pretty dang healthy. When Lib woke up, she was functioning normally, a miracle. Her only post-arrest issue was some pain swallowing because of the breathing tube being put in so rushed and a weakened immune system (she's had to stay in the hospital four times). Miss Lib Lu is a tremendous girl who spreads smiles and hope for other kiddy cardiac patients.
I think during all the time of the unknown with Lib, I realized how much I wanted to help. Give them a second chance at a life they deserve. And the heart is pretty darn spectacular:)
But want to know a secret? My dream of being a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon scares me a little (especially after reading this article . Four years of high school, four years pre-med, four years med school, six years residency, plus about two years fellowship, by the time I'd be a full-fledged peds CT surgeon, I'd be the tender age of 38. Oh and I want to get married and have kids (four or five of them) and a life. Yeah, I'll fit that in somehow.
For now though, that's a lot to worry about. I should probably get through high school first... but they always do say begin with the end in mind. Yeah, I have too much time to over think things.
xo
Hannah
No comments:
Post a Comment