Trouble.

The CT-scan of Abbe’s heart brought bad news.

The lung artery splits in two outside of the heart. One leads to the right lung and the other one to the left. It was now clear that the left artery was more or less clogged. That is, the tiny amount of blood that got through the shunt to be oxygenated in the lungs could more or less just get to the right one. No wonder his oxygen saturation levels had been so low.

– We can’t leave it like this, said the doctors. Abbe’s left lung won’t develop right if we do. There needs to be a flow for it to grow properly. I guess it’s a little like cutting off the blood supply of a finger or such. Eventually the tissue dies and you end up with gangrene.

— He has to go into surgery. When was it you were going to Denmark? We booked a cottage in Lønstrup on the west coast of Jylland, and had asked Abbe’s doctors if it would be okay, what with his low saturation and not knowing why, and all.

— Were leaving week 27 and get back on the Saturday of that week.

 – Good. You go on your holiday. When you get back you come here on Sunday the 10th and check in to the ward. We’ll take him in for surgery on Monday, the day after.