Living With Heart: The day of the CALL! New Heart New beginning!

"THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING, WILL KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS" PHILIPPIANS 4:7

Good Saturday morning to you! WOW! Today is exactly SIX weeks since I received the gift of life! I PRAISE GOD for this opportunity, I am so grateful for the Donor and the donor family, So grateful for the doctors that got me this far! I am in awe today as I start the day at all the amazing miracles and wonderful people in my life!!
https://youtu.be/wh-07BzfgYY "It's a beautiful life" Ace of Base

The week of August 27th was not the most straight forward week. Wednesday I had gone to my rhythm doctors and they noticed more sparks(shocks in the heart) and wanted me to wear a heart monitor. I was not even going to go to this appointment, because what was the point after all? I am on the transplant list, so I questioned the heart monitor until the kind docs said, we want to make sure you don't have a stroke before you get a new heart. I realized, they were only looking out for the best for me. However, how do I hide THIS in my wardrobe? How am I going to keep this heart monitor on the DL??

Then the day before the call, I had visited with my heart failure/heart transplant team and my "Chief Doc" who has been with me from the beginning and who I view as a completely intelligent and amazing person. He asked if I had a wake up call the week prior when I received the false alarm call. I replied "yes, I AM NOT READY, how do I get ready for this?" he responded with "Just live your life". I love him and that's easy for him to say, but I needed a game plan, I thought.

As I was leaving my office Friday night, dang, I should've at least tidied up the office! HAHAHA!! I looked up at the sky and told God, I seriously feel like David in the book of psalms. I trust you with all my heart and soul and I know you have this, but please ease my anxiety. Then came home to walk the dog with my mom and Andrew, "Rock" went to fix the cabin that weekend. I said to my mom "after my transplant, if I want to whimp out anywhere before here, you just tell me to keep going" WEIRD TIMING!!

After being placed on the list, I always had my phone near me in case I got the call. The day I got the real call, August 27th, I was sleeping when I got the call at 5:00am. It was very appropriate that it was "Hero Doc" that got the ball rolling. He mentioned that he called first and foremost to make sure that I'm in town, then tells me that I need to get to the hospital because they have the heart that would be perfect for me. My first response is "so you're going to call me back to confirm?" He said no, "I want you to get to the hospital by 7:00 am."

So, I quickly showered and went down to tell my mom I had to go, she asked "why are you going to the gym so early"?. I said no, I have to go get my new heart. We argued back and forth about who would drive and she finally won. I called our wonderful friend and neighbor who I knew I had to tell in case of My ROCK not being in town since he did travel often. I told her it was time and if she could pick up Miracle Boy and have him spend the day at their house? Even though it was super early, this angel ran to our house to pick him up! I woke Miracle Boy to tell him mom was going to go get her new heart and he needed to get dressed to go to our friends house for the day. Miracle Boy was the bravest, most comforting 12 year old, ever!! He gave me a big hug and said "mom is getting a new heart, I'm so happy" I think he was the most excited and bravest of us all! I hurried and called Rock, but went to voice mail. We finally talked! He turned a 4 hour drive into a 2 hour drive and was at my side by 10:00am.

Mom and I drove to the hospital, first got on a wrong elevator, then ended up in the surgery area where the nurse who guided us to the right place said "we never have a heart transplant patient walk into the OR space prior to transplant". Here I am again being a first. The nurses and everyone kept asking who I was and I looked too good to need a transplant. I agreed, but said I'm supposed to be getting registered and prepped and in room S208.

I needed to take a scrub shower, so I went to the shower and somehow my stupid hearing aid piece got stuck again. So the nice tech was able to help me get it out. What a crazy few hours! I didn't realize till I started getting texts etc that my cute friend had sent a prayer request on fb. I was overwhelmed by the love and the prayers, that is really what got me through this whole day! I still wasn't sure however if it was going to happen. Not to be graphic, but they don't know 100% till they open up the donor. Josh and Ivy were the nurses that day and took good care of me! Met the awesome surgeon, the anesthesiologist and the team that would be working on me later that day.

My brother (just younger than me) was there with my mom and Rock the entire time. I kept on telling him to go enjoy his day, but he stayed. Our Pastors came and we prayed several times together. My uncle came and we prayed together. I hope the nurses and docs trying to see me and get me prepped were somehow influenced by all the prayers as was my brother. I love him to pieces and HE is one that I really wish would "LET GO AND LET GOD" He worries so much about everything. I wish he would just have faith that God has it all under control.

Dr. Hero had to turn off my defibrillator because that was also coming out during this transplant! Yeah!! Thank you to Dr. Hero for taking such great care of me! I'm not sure if I would've gotten a transplant if it wasn't for his gift to see how sick my heart and my body were. My anesthesiologist, Raul had to put my IV in because nobody else could get my veins to work. Which is SUPER funny, because my veins usually jump out, but I guess they were super shy that day! HAHAHA! Anything on me shy? hmm. I was adamant about getting pictures of my old heart. The doctors have been talking about how HUGE my heart is that I really needed to see that! "Rock" reminded me before going to surgery, that I needed to ask to get pictures before Raul touched me and he was so right!! As soon as Raul touched my forehead, I was out like a light!

I was taken into surgery around 2:00pm, they cut me open at 2:40, apparently, the heart was a good match. I woke up around 7:00pm initially, but really more like 10:00pm! Still mostly under Anastasia but trying to get breathing tube out of me. I kept on trying to talk and ask if the new heart was actually in me. They kept on telling me not to talk. SERIOUSLY? Me not talk?? HAHAHA! WHo are they talking to? They did tell me yes, that I had the new heart in me!

We tried and tried to remove that AWFUL breathing tube, but I kept on falling asleep😁. We thought about giving it up a bit, but then just kept on trying and went for it and got it done. My nurse Joann was so freaking amazing! She seriously is a saint! God really put her there on purpose! She had music on, she danced we wohoo'd!! She was seriously the perfect nurse for me that night!! Thanks God!! God orchestrated his entire thing so perfectly! I am so grateful for his love, mercy and grace!!

That was six weeks ago TODAY! If you don't want to see images, please stop reading now. Otherwise, here are pictures of my old heart. I will also put a picture of what a good healthy heart is supposed to look like. Although it is NOT the one in my body.

I want to thank you again for your love and prayers! GOD IS SO, SO GOOD!!

"HE WHO LOVES ME WILL BE LOVED BY MY FATHER, AND I WILL LOVE HIM" JOHN 14:21
Here is an interview with my good friend Rochelle Owens. Take a listen if you haven't already. XOXOXOXO http://www.rochelleowens.com/journal/let-go-let-god