Key points from today’s guests:

Allie Cook, Archie’s mother

• When Allie was pregnant with Archie, an ultrasound test at 20 months into her pregnancy showed that Archie had a heart issue.
• He was born three months premature and weighed only three pounds.
• The staff in the NICU took care of baby Archie to try to get him to 10 pounds so he would be big enough to have important heart surgery.
• He was in the NICU until he reached his goal weight, which took about three months.
• Archie is now healthy and active and Allie thanks all of the staff for being so supportive during such a difficult time.

Dr. Kenneth Goertz, pediatric cardiologist, The University of Kansas Health System

• Archie had a diagnosis called Tetralogy of Fallot, where there is a large hole between the two pumping chambers in the heart.
• He had a level of obstruction below the pulmonary valve that was fairly long, so it was going to be a complicated process for the surgeon to get rid of as much of that as possible.
• I worked very closely and in conjunction with cardiologists and with the surgeons at Children's Mercy. This was actually a triad of experts at KU, pediatric cardiologists at Children's and congenital heart surgeon at Children's to provide the best care possible for Archie.
• This is emblematic of what it takes to take care of a high-risk situation and a complex problem. It is not just the surgeon. And it's not just the physician or cardiologist. It's the nurses. It's the parents. It's the rest of the team that provides the opportunity.
• We had to get Archie to grow, we had to take care of multiple problems along the way, so it's important that there is teamwork. That team also extends beyond our boundaries to another hospital system. It is essential to know how to work collaboratively.
  
  

Mallory Bertucci, RN, NICU nurse, The University of Kansas Health System

• Emotional support is a big part of my job, especially now that I have my own kids and can relate better to what parents might be going through.
• I regularly keep in touch with former patients and we have reunions every year to see how much they’ve grown.

Carly Mott, RN, NICU nurse, The University of Kansas Health System

• When we have long-term NICU stay families, the NICU staff become their community. Making time to connect with them on a more personal level can help ease their comfort, but then also allowing them to be more in control.
• I think anxiety stems from having a lack of control in the situation, but there's not much you can do in the NICU. So we allow them to be a part of decision making with the medical team.

Friday, April 26 at 8 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. Thyroid problems create vague symptoms. But fatigue, thirst and muscle pain can all connect to the glands in your neck. We’ll show you the challenges and benefits of catching thyroid prblems early, and why one woman chose surgery. You’ll also see the long-term changes after removing half the glands.

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