PDA

So, as it turns out, N does indeed have a PDA, but it's an extremely tiny one (the size of a pin, says the cardiologist) and silent (i.e., no symptoms, not even a heart murmur) and requires no further follow-up. Oh, and his heart is back to perfectly normal size. So, yay.

Except, of course, that now I have this PDA thing in my head again, and reread all my research from last year, including how some people say even the silent ones should be closed. And so now it'll be just one more thing for me to obsess over on occasion, when I have nothing else to obsess over. And because of the fact that I had none of the PDA risk factors, and PDA is much more common in preemies and girls than in full-term boys, I'm adding it to my list of "for crying out loud, hasn't this kid been through enough?" along with the hernia (very rare to get the type he has) and his hemorrhoid (almost unheard-of in a child this young) and his failure-to-thrive cum constitutional growth delay. Because why would I want to look at the silver cloud--he's fine, he's discharged from cardiology--if I can focus on the dark lining?