Dylan's First Exercise Test

 Well, today was the day! To sum up the last year, in July 2019 Dylan had an MRI for the first time on his heart to give us more detailed information about his pulmonary valve and how much it was really leaking. The results shocked all of us.....it was leaking up to 50% of the blood....meaning that it flows backwards every time his heart pumps. That's a big leak! We thought for a few weeks that he'd need valve replacement surgery right away, but after the cardiac team at Seattle Children's had a conference about his case, they decided to wait until they had multiple points of evidence that this surgery needs to happen.

So the next step was to schedule an exercise test to put Dylan's heart literally to the test and see what his limits are. It was scheduled for April. Then COVID-19 hit all of us and they cancelled everything. So here we are in August finally getting this thing done! I have been anxious to get more information because 50% leakage sounds really scary. But I don't see symptoms of heart failure in Dylan. He hiked with us to the top of Mailbox Peak a couple of weekends ago and made it look easy! Many adults find that one really challenging. And he runs and plays just like any other kid. So this dissonance has bothered me.

Today's experience was very interesting. Of course because of the pandemic state that we live in right now, all three doctors/nurses that we saw were decked out in personal protective equipment. They were very kind and made Dylan feel calm. 

He got hooked up with 10 sensors on his chest/stomach, then he got fitted for this device that fits over the mouth and head. And you thought face masks were bad. Try this thing!

First up was a breathing test. He had to breathe in fast and blast it out as fast and long as he could. 

Then they took blood pressure and got him on the bike. 

He pedaled for 8-10 minutes. It started out easy, and gradually got harder and harder. They asked him at intervals how he was doing and how much more he could take. By the end he was panting and breathing hard. Then more blood pressure tests, then more breathing tests. He was a rockstar!

Results: The doctor came in and was very surprised that Dylan got such a high score. He's almost at "Elite Athlete" level with a score of 57.5!  Most children and adults fall into the yellow range. This doctor said that he's never seen such a high score in a child like Dylan, with a cardiac condition that should be limiting him.

So basically Dylan's heart is amazing. It is a truth that it leaks up to 50% of the blood. And this is dilating the right side of his heart. But somehow his body has compensated and is functioning much better than expected. And once again he is defying medical wisdom. We are so grateful!   

Dylan's first reaction when we stepped out of the doctor's office....."I'm only two points away from Elite Athlete Status???? I'm going to get it!! Let's hike Mailbox Peak twice next time!" Challenge accepted. Dylan is very motivated to not let his heart hold him back. We're always inspired by his determination. We believe in you Dylan!