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Breathing changes a year after surgery

  • 1.  Breathing changes a year after surgery

    Posted 11-20-2017 21:05
    My 21 month old son had open heart surgery to repair as VSD and PFO and they trimmed back a muscle bundle in his right ventricle on Oct. 4, 2016. Afterward, he kept getting recurring ear infections and had to get tubes in May. He has had a continually runny nose for months accompanied with a nasty cough. The doctors always say his lungs are clear despite how it sounds. We know he has environmental allergies. Lately we've noticed he's grunting a lot while he's playing. The best way I can describe it is it sounds like he's pooping, but he's not. He does it most when he's playing hard and he'll stop and sit for a few minutes before he's up and running again. He'll also sound like he's holding his breath for a few seconds and then let out a big breath and he'll do that several times. I've recently started suspecting food allergies as well and have contacted our ped. We were playing with friends who have a daughter his age and she wasn't making any of the noises he was.
    What I'm wondering is if anyone else has experienced this before. I've contacted our cardiologist and they've ordered a 24 hour holter to monitor his heart rate in case he has an irregular rhythm and this is his coping method. I immediately went to worse case scenario and I'm fearing a pacemaker and another surgery. My husband thinks he's just constipated which could be true sometimes but based on the consistency I feel like that's not it. 

    Thanks in advance,

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    Chelsey Kittredge
    Fort Wayne, IN
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