Tuesday, September 9, 2008

I can feel my heart beat...

in my whole body.
 Just wanted to communicate more of the things that are and have been going on in the natural.
 Yesterday I went to see the surgeon. Accompanied by my close friend Jordan, we went to face the music and listen to the expected bad news that we assumed we would hear.
 When the RN for the Surgeon placed the stethoscope up against my chest yesterday, she all but jumped and said "Wow!"
 She explained that there is a rating system that they judge the sound of the heart by to determine how bad or good it is 1-6. 1 being good 6 being very bad.  She said that I am an easy 4-5.
 She was very personable and I was grateful to have someone who cared be the one to give me such a bad report.
 After preparing me for many of the realities that the Surgeon would bring to the table when he came in Amy left and the Surgeon came entered the room.
 He was a pleasant enough man, though seemingly young to be among some of the supposed 'best in the city'. He was well spoken and very informative. He explained that what I need is a new valve and a new aorta, that it is most likely genetic and that we are "lucky that we found it now at my age in someone like me who is very active". My aorta is extremely enlarged and ready for surgery now. 
 "Here are your options" he said, " ... artificial or tissue."
 He then began to unpack what each option looked like.
 Artificial-  a mechanical valve and aorta that is almost but not quite as hard as a diamond.
It is a one time open heart surgery  and it lasts a lifetime.
Here is the catch. I couldn't snow-board, rock-climb, mountain bike, kayak. Basically I would need to stay away from anything dangerous or anything that could make me bleed because I would be on a very strong blood thinner the rest of my life. 
 Tissue- once the tissue valve and aorta ,which the origin of the tissue is unclear, is placed in me. I am "normal" for about five years. Then they break open my chest cavity and have to replace it because the shelf life is only five years in someone of my age.
 I told the Dr. that I would think about these options but that I was and I am believing God for a miracle.
 Ok there are the facts...
 

 

1 comment:

leah said...

holy heck dude....i've been reading your blogs for the past week or so...matthew sent us the link. and yes, in true leah fashion, it took me a week to figure out how to comment on a post... not surprising, i know.

so, in the span of a week or whenever I found out about your heart, i've asked anyone and everyone to be praying for you!

give kim the biggest hug ever for me!!!!!!!!!!!!! just don't elevate your heart rate in the process, please!

I'm praying for a miracle, for excellent doctors, wisdom, peace for you, kim, your fam.

love,
leah (rodgers) buchmann