Heart Surgery

My husband needs to have open heart surgery. It kind of came as a surprise. He has had a heart murmur for years. An echocardiogram 13 years ago showed that he had some calcified heart valves causing some regurgitation. But the doc at the time told us that it wouldn't cause any issues and that the only precaution he needed to take was to use an antibiotic before dental procedures to prevent bacteria in the mouth from causing an infection in his heart. He had another echocardiogram done this past summer as a part of a series of tests he needed when he was trying to get his DOT physical approved for his job. He ended up losing his job because of a different medical condition, sleep apnea. He never heard anything about the echo, so we assumed that all was well.

J. has been unemployed for 5 months. Money is very tight. Bills are late. Income is smaller than our monthly bills. But on the plus side, both J. and I have full medical coverage through the state medical card because of his unemployed status. Since we are covered, I decided to make medical appointments for me and the kids. J. decided he wanted to go to the dentist, too, so I called his doctor to get the needed antibiotic. She pulled out his chart to refresh her memory as to why he needed an antibiotic to go to the dentist. It was then that she found the test results from his echo this past summer. Tucked down in the bottom of the report was a serious finding. The percentage of blood being regurgitated is significant, causing his heart work harder than normal. She recommended stopping all physical activity and seeing a cardiologist immediately.

Now, I have been begging and pleading and nagging with J. to get him to the gym for months. He had just started going back, though without much commitment. So now that the doctor says NOT to go, where does he insist on going the very next day? The gym. One would think that he would love an excuse to avoid the gym, but he was that much more determined. Stubborn man. He is such a rebel.

The cardiologist saw him right away. After another round of tests (stress and another echo), the cardiologist determined he needs to replace the leaky valves with a mechanical valve. God's timing in this is amazing. The doc may not have seen these results for months or even years had J. not decided to go to the dentist. The medical bills will be covered with the medical card. And J. won't be missing any work, since he is unemployed. We will still spent some time without an income due to me having to take time off of my daycare job and J. not being able to collect unemployment during recovery, but I know that God can take care of that. He knows our needs and is taking care of the details.

When J. found out about the need for surgery, he didn't take the news well at first. He was kind of angry, bitter, and depressed about it. And maybe a little bit scared. He seems to be better now, after spending time with a friend who is dealing with his own issues. God has given him peace. The kids are scared. That is to be expected. Although they don't realize the severity of the procedure, they do know that a surgery is a big deal. As for me, I am a realist. I tend to just deal with things. I have spent time researching the procedure and the recovery process. I have been making plans and trying to get stuff done to prepare for the surgery date. It wasn't until a friend mentioned perfusion that I started to let a little bit of worry creep in. I started to realized that this surgery is a big deal. A really big deal. And that recovery could be a long and painful process. Being a realist, I know that anything can happen. But I started to realized just what that means and what we have to loose. I have been given a beautiful gift in the man that I married and this surgery has left me with a new appreciation for that gift. I trust God to see us through this. I am praying that means a flawless procedure and a quick recovery. But I know that even if the outcome is different than we hope or expect, that God is in it. He is a good God who loves us.

"I'm gonna celebrate this heartbeat, 'cause it just might be my last. Everyday is a gift from the Lord on high and they all go by so fast..." ~Randy Stonehill

Thanks to everyone for all of the prayers. Keep them coming. God listens and responds.

J. talked to the surgeon today and they cannot schedule the surgery until a dentist clears him. Apparently, if he has any type of infection in the mouth, it can cause his heart to become infected during surgery. The dentist appointment that started this whole thing is next week. For now we just wait and pray.