Still Here, Life, & Heart

We are still here :)! Needless to say, it has been a little crazy since getting back from our mission trip to Newark with our high school students! If you didn’t get a chance yet, check out our blog from the trip http://www.newark2011.blogspot.com/. There are LOTS of pictures, some video, and just gives an overall perspective on what our trip was like. We all miss it incredibly! The bonds that are built on a trip like this, are unforgettable. The connections made with people in the community, make a lasting impact. We all miss each other! God worked so powerfully last week (as He always does and should we expect anything less :)? ). We saw lives changed and lives loved.

As you can imagine, there is a lot of wrapping up to do after a trip like that. As much as you think life stops where you left from, it doesn’t. Things still happen while you are gone (imagine that?). So, this week has been “catch up” week. The only thing I am behind on yet is SLEEP. Oh are we tired yet! We know we’ll eventually get caught up, but it’s taking awhile! Dan also has a TON to do in the office, which is rather overwhelming to him right now, so he has been VERY busy! So much paperwork, finances, planning for the next events, and planning for the upcoming school year. But, it always all gets done!

I had to steal Dan away from the office for the morning because I had my 6 month check up today for my heart! I planned it for right after the mission trip b/c I knew I would be SO busy leading up to it, that I wouldn’t have time to even think about it – boy was that the case! I had to remind myself that I even HAD an appt., we were so busy :). I see that as God’s grace though! He was covering up my worries and fear, with things to do, and I praise Him for that!

Here is what was determined: my heart size/function is actually improving! PRAISE GOD! It was considered “normal” before, but she said it has improved slightly over the past few years, which is amazing, considering the leaky valve! We found that to be excellent news! My mitral valve is still leaking in the moderate/severe stage. It hasn’t gotten any better or worse since my last appt. in February. I told her how I have not been feeling the greatest since my last appt., and when I told her my symptoms, she thought that my heart medication actually may be the cause for some of my symptoms. My blood pressure was quite low this morning. I told her I have been feeling lightheaded, very tired, no energy, heart racing, and just out of breath often. She put two and two together and realized my heart meds may be the cause of some of those feelings. So, I am now off my heart med, and she is putting me on a heart monitor for 2 weeks. this will determine if my medication is only making my symptoms worse (the goal o my med is to keep my blood pressure low so taht the heart doesn’t get overworked), or if my valve is the cause of what I have been feeling. We are praying it is my heart medication because then we know the direct cause. If I am still having the same symptoms, I may have another heart issue alongside the mitral valve leakage (she used a term for it but I don’t remember). So we are hoping nothing else is wrong obviously, tha tit is just my meds, but the heart monitor will help in determining that. As much as it’ll be a pain, I am thankful they are going this route because I also have heart palpitations, and this will pick up on those when they happen, like with exercise, sleep, etc. She said with regards to surgery, we are just going to “sit” on, meaning let’s see what the heart monitor says, and then she will do a phone follow up. If everything is semi-normal (there is nothing “normal” about me :)), I will see her again in 6 months.

So, no surgery yet! I guess I am okay with that because if my heart med is the reason why I have been feeling like crap over the pat few months, then hopefully that problem will be solved. At the same time, she said I’m still going to feel symptoms of the heart valve issue – it’s just determining WHAT is causing them. I am okay with being out of breath – it’s the lightheadedness, being tired, no energy, and heart racing, that I am sick of. I am thankful that my doctor is thorough, as frustrating as it is sometimes, but Dan and I both feel this is the best route. We feel that good decisions were made today and we feel comfortable with them. Plus, the longer we wait for surgery, the more options there are for not having to go through the sternum! Praise God today for giving us guidance, through the doctors, for more options like with the heart monitor, and for God’s peace. We feel blessed to be in HIS hands.