In The Middle

Three: Bad News

Ari's POV... Miami Florida:

"Hello everyone, my name is Dr. Amira Enzo, I am the on-call physician tonight who will be responsible for your mother's care. Ms. Lambert is suffering from something called Heart Valve Disease(HVD). This is a condition that causes edema (swelling in the ankles and feet), it also makes her feel exhausted, short of breath, light-headed, and her heart flutters." An average-height, slender, biracial woman with a silver stethoscope hanging over her navy-blue lab coat says to Lexi and me.

"How can you be so certain that she's suffering from HVD?" I asked, feeling a bit confused about the information the doctor just told my sister and me.

"Because we've run several tests on her when she was brought into the ER. We've done an echocardiography, a wand-like device that directs sound waves to the heart, and it also produces video images of the heart while it's in motion. An electrocardiogram (ECG) was hooked up to your mom to measure the electrical impulses from her heart, and it detects enlarged chambers in her heart. We have also done a Chest X-ray, which has confirmed to us that she's suffering from heart valve disease and a Cardiac MRI to assess the severity of the function of the lower heart chambers."

"Dr. Enzo, do you know what caused the disease to occur?"

"There could be numerous things that cause your mom problems. Maybe She was born with Congenital Heart Disease, or there could be a history of heart disease in your family. It can also be caused by old age, a heart infection, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. I believe that your mom running a high blood pressure for an extended period is what caused one of the valves in her heart to stop pumping blood in the right direction. I can't be sure of that theory until I run more extensive tests on her."

"What can be done to treat my mom's condition?" I asked while standing there, trying to recall if mom and Lexi ever told me about her being sick or having any health complications.

"There are a couple of things that we can try to repair the damaged valve. We can try patching up the hole in the valve, replacing the cord that supports the valve, separating the valve leaflet that has been infused, and removing excess valve tissue. If that doesn't work, we'll have to replace the valve with a mechanical valve or with a valve made from cow, pig, or human heart tissue. If she has to have a replacement valve, she'll have to take blood thinner for the rest of her life to prevent blood clots from forming. The procedure for the replacement is usually done through an incision in the chest. Usually, it's a minimally invasive heart surgery that involves smaller cuts than those done for open-heart surgery."

"Is this surgery dangerous?" Lexi mumbled in a scared voice as she held onto my upper-left arm.

"In general, it is considered a safe procedure, but like all surgeries, complications can occur. The possible risk factors are as follows: bleeding can occur during and after treatment, damage to blood vessels, infection at the incision site, and an infection in the new valve, which is common. She could develop pneumonia, a breathing problem, and arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms). The replacement valve could fail, which is also common with replacement, and she could have a bad reaction to the anesthesia. There's also a chance that she will get a blood clot, which will cause a heart attack, stroke, or lung issue, which can be fatal. Even with all these risks in mind, her life will still be in danger if she doesn't get the surgery."

"Can my sister and I have a little time to discuss what would be the best course of action for our mom, Dr. Enzo?"

"Sure, when you ladies decide what to do, tell one of the nurses at the nursing station, and they'll come tell me what course of action you guys want to take. There's something else that I forgot to mention."