10/8/09 - Cardio Follow-up

**Yeah. You know the drill. Sorry. I'm sick.**

The Girl’s cardiologist appointment was today. They did an EKG and an echocardiogram in the office as well as taking the time to go through pretty much her entire medical history with me. And after all of that, he confirmed that she has a heart murmur and also has an Atrial Septal Defect (ASD). What does all of this mean? NOTHING!!! The heart murmur is completely benign and nothing to worry about. The ASD is also nothing to worry about. They are both pretty normal for kids her age and almost always go away on their own. He said she looked totally normal and healthy and that we should just continue working with our pediatrician to get her respiratory issues figured out.

And even in my sickness induced haze I wanted to do jumping jacks and hug the guy right there in his office. I mean not to mention that he was soooo nice and thorough and patient and was outstanding with The Girl. Not to mention that he and the nurses totally let The Girl abuse the sticker policy because she kept leaving her stickers in the various exam rooms. Not to mention that the doctor took the time to ask me a bunch of “getting to know you” questions before launching into the last eighteen months series of medical events with The Girl.

I have lost track of the number of cardiologists that I’ve seen over the years with my own heart condition and I can honestly say that none of them were as wonderful as this guy. In my (relatively limited) experience specialists can be, well, dicks. They tend to be all haughty and holier than thou. And while I suppose I can understand how they could get like that, I’ve never been able to understand why they would want to be. How can alienating your patients make you a better doctor?

Anyway, we have good news. And that rocks and is something for which I am utterly and completely well, life in general at this point. Maybe grateful. It’s a nice change of pace actually. I’m so used to getting non-good news with The Girl, and our luck is turning around.