The Bray Family: Tyler's Heart

When we were at the pediatrician's office last month, the doctor said he thought he heard a heart murmur while he was checking out Tyler. He gave us a reference to a pediatric cardiologist to go get it looked at. The cardiologist said that along with what he called a "slight functional heart murmer" the in-office EKG also detected an arrhythmia. (They also did an echo-cardiogram and the doctor said that Tyler's heart looks fine structurally.) So, they sent us home with a holter monitor, which is a portable EKG to monitor the heart for 24 hours. It was very difficult for Tyler, he did not like having to drag his holter around while he was trying to play and sleeping with the electrodes on all night was even worse. They had us take the electrodes off here at home when the 24 hours was up and just bring the machine back into the office, however, unsticking electrodes that are made to stick for 24 hours is very difficult. Kristen had Tyler completely covered in oil (they suggested using baby or mineral oil to help get them off) and it still hurt! Overall, the experience was a bit of a nightmare. We've been waiting (with a little bit of worrying and prayer) for the results to come back and finally they did. The doctor said that Tyler has occasional Premature Atrial Contractions (also called PAC's). This is when the atrial beats occur earlier than expected and interrupt the regular rhythm of the heart. But, for Tyler they are sporadic, and don't seem to be lasting too long. The doctor seems to think and hope that as Tyler's body and heart grow and mature, he will outgrow this (and possibly the heart murmer as well), and even if he doesn't, it shouldn't ever become a huge health issue in his life. We will be going back to the cardiologist in 4 months for a follow up to see how things are doing. And then, again, we will go back in a year, at that point, we might have to repeat the 24 hour holter again. But, for now, as the doctor put it, Tyler's heart is "not quite perfect, but OK".