"Die Another Day" or "The Beat Goes On"

My Life Mantra!

Good Morning!  

Happy January 30!  (almost, the end of January!)  Do you find yourself wondering when the month of January will come to an end?  With the Utah inversion, the snow that keeps on coming down and the traffic you encounter while traveling or driving in the snow storms?  It really does feel good when we get through the month of January!  It's great to know that February is the shortest month of the year and will bring us one step close to SPRING!  LOL!  One might guess, winter is NOT my favorite time of the year.  Nonetheless, I am ALWAYS grateful that in Utah, we do experience all four seasons.

January 30th, 2016 was probably the day that changed my life forever but on that day, I had now idea.  I just took it as another day.  A day however, when I reflect back, I knew there was something wrong, but didn't want to make a big deal of it both to the people I was with in Yellowstone, my family/friends and to myself.  We had after all gotten the lottery to snowmobile Yellowstone, something very few people get to do and it was a gorgeous day!  So, why be a fun sponge!  I would NEVER want to be the fun sponge :)

On January 30th, I had what is called a V-Fib.  Not to bore you, but here is the definition of Ventricular Fibrillation: 

Ventricular fibrillation: is when multiple cardiac pacemaker cells in the ventricles are firing simultaneously in a disorganized manner, thus there is no organized contraction of the ventricles, which in turn leads to ineffective contraction of the ventricle, and lack of adequate circulation to the body. V-fib is ALWAYS pulseless (unless the person has a ventricular assist device, then they may present alert or with decreased mental status), the person is dead, although initially they may have seizure activity followed by a period of agonal breathing. They need unsyncronized defibrillation. 

Needless to say, it was seriously a miracle that I made it out of Yellowstone alive on that day!  I think God decided he wasn't ready for me to be up there yet.  LOL!  Just a little too much loudness :)  With my laugh at least! RIGHT?  I will always have that on my mind when going through trials or "opportunities".  I know that GOD has been with me through the good times and the tough times and he will never leave me!  Even in the last breath I take, he will be at my side comforting me.  There is nothing on earth that I can experience that he hasn't orchestrated, so I trust everything that happens.  

January 27th, 2017 I celebrated five months with this wonderful new version of me with this amazing new heart.  I am so grateful that God has this whole thing orchestrated so perfectly.  I praise the lord every day when I am walking, working out, doing things that before I thought were normal that I was light headed, dizzy, barely catching my breath.  Every day I am at the gym working out, all that runs in my head is "THANK YOU GOD!  THANK YOU GOD!"  PLEASE TELL MY DONOR THANK YOU!  Please make sure they know how grateful I am.  I pray that I can meet them in heaven someday and thank them in person!!

I hope you have an incredible week!  Please know that Friday February 3rd is National Go Red for Women Day!  This is a day regardless of your loyalties to the Utes or the Cougars, PLEASE WEAR RED!  1 out of 3 women dies of heart disease and 80% of heart disease is preventable.  The heart disease I had, ARVC or ARVD is part of the 20%.  So, wear RED to show that heart disease does happen to women.  Heart disease does not discriminate.  

 Thank you so much for tuning in to this blog!  Thank you for your continued prayers.  I hope you have a wonderful week!  God Bless!

Faith, Hope, Love!

Claire