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In June of 2023, Kayden was referred for an echocardiogram due to a progressed heart murmur that he has had since he was a child. The results of that test showed a thickening of the heart muscles. After that, months of testing and retesting led to the diagnosis of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. This means that the thickening of the heart muscles is causing an intermittent obstruction to the blood flow in Kayden's body. After being diagnosed with this condition, Sanford Cardiology referred Kayden to the University of Minnesota Fairview hospital as they are a specialist in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). Kayden then traveled to Minneapolis a few times to meet with the doctors and complete some more testing. After confirmation from the cardiologist in MN, Kayden was presented with a few options for treatment. After considering all of the options, Kayden and his medical support team decided that the best route to pursue was treatment through open heart surgery.
At this point, Kayden is planning for surgery in May of 2024. This will be a long recovery as the doctors are anticipating a 2-3 month long recovery. The surgery will consist of dividing the sternum and stopping Kayden's heart to begin cutting out some of the muscle tissue that is causing the obstruction. During that time, A heart-lung machine will take over for the heart's pumping action. This machine adds oxygen to the blood and pumps it through the body. At this time, Kayden will also have a breathing tube and temporary pacemaker wires present. Following the surgery, Kayden will stay in the ICU for a couple days before being moved to a step down unit. At this point he will be receiving physical therapy and cardiac rehab therapy. Kayden will also learn how to dress himself and do other activities without straining his chest. As soon as Kayden is ready to leave the hospital, he will be able to head home where he will need to be accompanied 24 hours a day for around 3 weeks. Kayden will also be continuing cardiac rehab therapy a few times a week during this time and will be unable to drive for around 4 weeks.
Although Kayden is anxious to undergo this level of intensive and painful surgery, he is thankful that the doctors were able to diagnose this issue and create a plan to fix the issue causing him pain and risk of life. In this time of waiting, we will be updating this page as we get the updates and continue to see progress towards full health status.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and support Kayden!
I forgot to mention that today Kayden would have graduated from Dakota State University double major Elementart/Special Education Teacher. He currently works full time at LifeScape. It’s too bad he had to miss his graduation ceremony, but his health is way more important. Please help me congratulate him on a job well done! I am one proud momma ❤️
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