Day 17, Morning

Hannah had a good night. The doctors are hearing a heart murmur, though, and it is usually caused by the PDA (the "on" switch for the lungs) not being completely sealed. This is pretty common in preemies, and is treated first with some medicines that sometimes cause it to seal. Hannah has had two courses of the medicine, and it appeared a couple days ago that the PDA was sealed, but it seems to have partially opened again. They'll try to confirm this with an echo cardiogram, and will then close it surgically if needed. This is a relatively low-risk surgical procedure where a tiny metal clamp is placed over the shunt that was supposed to clamp shut on its own (picture clamping a clothespin on a drinking straw). The sides of the vessel will eventually heal together, but the clamp will stay in as a life-long souvenir of the NICU.

The surgery will probably be done later tonight or tomorrow.