Say it isn't so...

So...Lucas needs open heart surgery. He had a sedated echocardiogram on Thursday where he was put under to carefully evaluate the anatomy of his heart. Turns out he has something called an ASD -- basically a tiny hole between the upper chambers of his heart. It needs to be corrected to ensure it doesn't pose a future threat.

What does this mean? Open heart surgery, old school -- plasma and blood donations in advance, a night in the ICU, 5 days in the hospital and another week at home recovering, oh, and of course, a big scar to remember it all by. The cardiologist wants to wait until he's 2 years old (or older) because it decreases his recovery time. We're getting a second opinion. This blows. To look at him and watch him light up a room, you would never suspect this imperfection. Like many kids with Down syndrome, he has a congenital heart defect -- ASD is the most common in people with DS -- but luckily, the success rate is extremely high and although lengthy, it's a fairly straight-forward operation. As a parent, you never want to hear "heart" and "surgery" in the same sentence, but alas, here we are. Did I already say this blows? Anyway, we will be getting a second opinion shortly and keep you updated. Please pray for our little man, and for his currently stressed-out, overwhelmed parents.