Around The Home and Heart Update

I am so thankful for this week, as it has shown just slight improvement from the last, with how I’ve felt. I still have some pretty significant blood pressure issues with some not-so-fun symptoms and a call from Michigan this week confirmed to me that they indeed are doing all they can to figure out what to do next. They had a morning meeting and spent a large amount of time talking about me. We are still waiting to hear about the holter monitor, which is  can be expected. After going back and forth, at this point, pending any new developments, they feel it would be best for me to have a biventricular pacemaker put in. From what I understand, a typical pacemaker goes into just one ventricle, but this one would go into both ventricles, to ensure they beat at the same time. I would consider this a noninvasive procedure, as it would just require an overnight stay. Granted this is just what I read, so my situation could be different and let’s be honest – Kristin will throw a loop in it in some way! But this is the hope right now.

Like they reiterated to me, it is just a very hard situation. They have patients with a history of ALCAPA, but I’m a rare combination of multiple heart issues, and am 3 open heart surgeries in. Throw in my age and my body not handling med changes, I make for a hard case. Not impossible of course, but just hard to know what the BEST direction is. What solution will hopefully heal the most issues at once? That is the question. We pray the pacemaker option works and will work for a number of years! Those too do not last forever, but it is better than a transplant! I will have a right heart cath, and ECHO, and a few more appointments before this happens, but it’s steps. So that’s the latest on the heart!

Pray that my blood pressures will regulate so that I can just feel good and get to mid-October without being hospitalized – that’s when I have all those scheduled appointments. Every hour is so different and that is hard. It’s hard to make plans when I just don’t know how I’m going to feel. Low pressures make me feel so foggy, lightheaded and extremely tired, which can make the days long. But we have amazing support and love from both near and far, so thank you for all of those who have offered to help, who have helped, who have given meals, and even sent sweet care packages. Some days are a battle and it’s wearisome, but one step at a time. And thanks to all the love, we’ve made it yet another week. One week closer to getting this heart, we pray, on the up and up.

On a more positive note, here’s what’s been going on this week!

On Thursday, I had the chance to speak at Kuyper College (where I graduated from in 2006). What an honor it was!

It was a GREAT week to go swimming!

Oh yes, indeed that is Mazy blowing into the goose call as people walked by our home!

A young hunter, right? No worries, this was actually a squirrel that got stuck in the fence and died…Mazy wanted to pet it, so this is as far as it went…

My husband is AMAZING! So the Paw Patrol Lookout Tower is a bit pricey in stores. So, Dan MADE one for Mazy! Just need to put a slide on it yet! It even has an elevator!

Crazy hair!

One of our more favorite things to do is watch our youth group kids do what they love – play sports. And clearly our daughter looks up to them as well! Here she is, admiring Natalie as she dove!

Life is hard work, folks!

Donut date at the local bakery!

Surprise packages in the mail from friends make our DAY!

I mean who HASN’T tried on Mr. Potato Heads glasses?

Helping daddy build the Lookout Tower

Face Smash!

No Words! Out. Cold.

This is the piece of equipment that I wear all day everyday! It’s a big ole pain, but to know it’ll save my life if I would go into cardiac arrest, makes it a bit worth it, to wear it. Though, I will NOT be sad when I don’t have to wear it anymore!

Mazy got ahold of my phone during lunch on Friday and took a sweet picture of my Grandma!

When you find a $3.00 pair of snowboots at a local thrift shop, you get excited! Thankfully Mazy was just excited about them as I was!

Some friends of ours have some new kittens – Mazy is in LOVE!

Hope you have a wonderful week! Live each day to the fullest and live a life of gratitude! Lessons that I daily have to teach myself, but lessons that I have learned so much from!