Almost 2 years?!?!?!

I should be ashamed of myself for not keeping this blog updated!  It's kind of hard, though, when you have Facebook, and when super busy.  

I had an appointment with Dr. Lane today.  Just a quick follow-up from last time.  Last time I saw her, she scolded me for not seeing her before our trip to California.  We had driven, and on the way back, my legs and ankles were swelling.  It was bad!  So today, she made sure I had my compression socks, and sent a prescription for Lasix to the pharmacy.  I don't have to take it unless I notice swelling (or feel it coming on).  Lasix is just a diuretic, nothing too fancy.  I should be fine on this trip (no clue when we're going)...

Dr. Lane couldn't hear the regurgitation, and said that she's confident I won't have to have my mitral valve repaired again for many years.  We will know for sure on August 29th when I go back for my echo, if it's progressed.  Super smiley face here 😃😃--I won't see her that day, but I'll get the results a few days later, and see her in December.  Now I've got to work on this weight, which I'm trying to do.  It's so difficult!!!!

Anyway, I'll try to update more often, but for now, I'm out!!

As I lay myself down to sleep tonight...

I want to thank the Lord for keeping me here 3 years ago.  On July 31, 2012, I literally thought I was going to die, especially when the nurses and doctors were keeping me in the dark bc even they didn't know what to tell me (other than the on-call ER doc accusing me of overdosing on drugs).  Anyway, I cried and prayed every single day that I was in that hospital that God wouldn't take me away before seeing my kids grow up.  I don't think of it as being selfish, I knew that either way, it was His choice. I had written letters to David and the kids, telling them how much I loved them, and how proud I was of them.  I didn't let the kids know how worried I was.  They were worried enough just knowing that their mama was in the hospital.  I've had some scares since surgery, but I'm working on calming my nerves.

I try not to take my life for granted; I try to be happy and grateful for my life every day.   I hope that I always remember to do that.  

So goodnight, sleep tight, and thank God for everything!

There's really nothing to update, but

I hate neglecting my blog.  School is about to start again for the kiddos, so pretty soon, life will be even more hectic.  Right now, I'm the only one with a schedule to keep.  Rianna has a sports physical on Thurs, and the kids have to get their hearts checked out soon, so I hope and pray that I will have good news from their appts.

I will say that every morning here lately, I wake up to a sore chest, only on the left side.  Dr. Lane said that I would be sore for years, but I don't think she meant there.  I put in a call to her office about the kids' Echos, so when I hear back from them, I'll also ask if that is normal.

I'll update whenever I find out anything.

A quick post...

I went to Dr. Lane the other day for my follow-up, and got pretty good news.  She reviewed my last Echo and said that everything looked ok.  She can definitely see the regurgitation, but she can't hear it.  The regurgitation hasn't progressed, so that is good.  There's no time table yet for future surgery, so yay.  My next appointment is in Oct, when I go back for my Echo, and this time, it'll be a stress one so she can try to hear the regurgitation.  Also, I'll have blood work a few weeks prior so that she can review that.  She also wants that stress Echo because she says my heart rate is still low.  It always has been, or at least, since I've been aware of my condition.

I explained my concern for the kids' hearts, and she is going to see them this summer.  She wants each of them to have an Echo so she can rule out heart issues for them.  So please pray that they get good results!

That's about all I have for now.  I'll update with anything else later...

It's been forever...

Baby Avery went to be with Jesus on Jan 3rd.  It's been a very sad time for my family, but their faith really helps ease the pain.  I don't know how anyone ever gets over losing a child-as a matter of fact, I'm sure one never does.  

I've got my nails done (Jamberry-style) for Valentine's/Go Red Day/Month/etc.  Go Red Day is tomorrow, and since I'll be working and not wearing red clothes, the nails and my red dress pin will be my red...the heart walk is on Mar 7th, and so is the Heart and Sole walk.  I'm going to do the Heart and Sole, I think, for Avery and all the other little heart patients.  That's the plan.  Also, the kids are participating in Jump Rope for Heart.  They're collecting donations and jumping in memory of Avery.

Anyway, that's all I've got tonight.  I have an appt with my cardiologist on Feb 23rd, so I'll update then.  Night...

Prayers needed...

Not for me, but for my cousin's little baby girl, Avery.  She was born with Tetralogy of Fallot, (you can read about it here-http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/heartdefects/TetralogyOfFallot.html).  She has been in the hospital for the last 3-4 weeks, because she had to have the 1st surgery.  She's been on ECMO this entire time too.  ECMO is basically heart and lung bypass.  It's helpful in that it does the work of the heart and lungs when a patient is really sick, but it can also be harmful to be on it for too long.  She went in this evening to have another surgery.  She has to have mitral valve repair and also surgery to help get better blood flow in her left and right ventricles.  It's very serious, and I can only pray that everything will be ok.  I can't imagine everything my aunt, cousin, her husband, and their children are going through.  I feel pretty helpless, because I don't want to go to the hospital, but there's really not too much I can do.  I don't want to go to the hospital because I can't see her, and I don't want to drag germs from work, home, outside, the hospital, etc in to her parents, and then they take them in to her.  She doesn't need that.  So I told my aunt and cousin that I will continue to pray and if they need anything, don't hesitate to let me know.

I hate seeing a child having to go through something so serious, a matter of life and death.  Someone said earlier that it's a shame so close to Christmastime, but I believe that no time is a good time for this.

If you're reading my blog, and you're the praying kind, please send up your prayers for Avery.  There's no such thing as too much prayer, or just enough prayer.

And also, in case I don't get back on this week, I hope y'all have a very

Merry Christmas!  

There's not too much to update on...

Nothing, really...I went in last month for my annual echo, and I don't know the results yet, of course.  They're never allowed to tell you anything, until the doctor gets the results.  I'm going with the "no news is good news" thing, because I haven't heard back about it.  I'm assuming that if there was something wrong, I would have gotten a phone call.  I go back in Feb, so Dr. Lane can access it then.

I did get my flu shot.  I've been pretty adamant about it every year anyway, so it was bound to happen.  I've been feeling pretty good.  Sometimes, I get the pains in my chest, more on my scar than on either side, so I guess that's ok.  That'll happen for the next few years.  It's getting colder weather, so I'll start feeling it.  I hate when that happens!

I'm turning 33 on Thurs.  I was talking to David about it the other night, talking about feeling old.  I said, "I can't believe that in a few days, I'll be 33-I'm so old."  And David said, "hey, think of it this way-2 years ago, we almost didn't have you, so be grateful."  So I'm trying to think that way.  I should be happy that I'm getting older, because then, at least I'm still here.

Well, I'm not going to get sappy or anything, so I'm gonna go.  I'll update if I hear anything, or feel anything.