Jess has always had cold hands and feet however over the past few months the discolouration has gotten a lot worse.  Jess's feet go so blue that they are almost black and sometimes they would not even be cold!  On Sunday her right leg became swollen.  We have been very concerned as clearly the circulation to her legs are not at optimal level.  We were referred to a paediatric cardiologist to determine if there was any underlying heart condition that could be causing this.  Jess had a thorough assessment done and thankfully the structure and blood flow of the actual heart is completely normal...GREAT NEWS!!  However, during the examination, the cardiologist identified that Jess has a condition called Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome.  He exlplained that most people live a completely normal life with this condtion, some never being diagnosed.  Basically, this means that along with the normal pathway in the heart where the electrical signals are passed through, Jess has an addtional abnormal pathway.  The electrical signals can therefore either go down the usual pathway or the extra one.  This could lead to a rapid heartbeat and is the most common cause of a fast heart rate in children.  He has also diagnosed Jess with Raynaud's Phenomenon which would explain the discolouration in her feet.  It occurs due to a decreased blood and oxygen supply to the affected region and is triggered by the cold.  Besides the discolouration, other symptoms are pain and swelling.  The cardiologist feel's that neither of these conditions are a cause for concern at this time.  If the discolouration does not get better during summer we can start Jess on meds to dilate the blood vessels, but the only treatment we need to do for now is a massage to promote proper blood flow.  If we start to notice episodes where Jess's heart rate increases, there are surgical options available to freeze the abnormal pathway, however the cardiologist doesn't think the risk factor is high. We are grateful to know that there is no immediate need to put Jess on more medication or that these condtions will cause and serious problems for Jess.  We have a follow up visit in 9 months.
Sally Moore
9/19/2012 11:14:14 pm

Just read the blog about Jess's hands and feet glad to hear it is not life threatening but how much more must her little body endure and the worry you two must go through is unimaginable. Give her a big kiss and a hug from us hope to see you again some time

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