Katie’s heart Update #8 Friday July 16, 2010

We went for the blood test yesterday morning. It was a “fasting test” so they could check “everything there is in your blood” as the lady who drew her blood said.

Katie is getting tired just going into her garden to pick lettuce. She told me this morning that she hopes it rains so she won’t have to water the garden; it’s tiring just standing there. She was doing so well for so long, and now it seems like the valve decided it’s had enough and is closing faster. Or, it could be closing slowly, but because of the high humidity the past few weeks, it might feel like it’s not working as well.  I don’t know. I can’t wait til next week to see what the tests reveal. I hope the surgery is going to be soon….it will be nice to have this over and done. Katie has said the same thing.

Katie’s Heart Update #7…July 14, 2010

I learned something very interesting this morning. The reason for the esophageal echocardiogram is because the esophagus is behind the heart, so by going through the esophagus, they will have a much better, much closer view of the heart. Isn’t that amazing? Who would have thought to go through the esophagus to get a good picture. Technology is sooooo amazing to me.

I have a friend who is a doctor, and she is also one of the people for whom I clean house. I had to let her know that I might not be able to get to her house next Thursday; it might be Friday instead. In talking to her, she told me the reason for the esophageal echo.

I hate the idea that Katie has to go through pain to have this done, yet the technology and God-given gifts of the doctors astounds me.

Tomorrow will be the blood test in the morning, then we wait until Wednesday for the actual “physical” tests on Wednesday and Thursday.

Katie’s Heart Update #6…July 12, 2010 Monday

Dr. Crespo has returned from vacation; his office called this morning to start setting up appointments for Katie. This Thursday she will have blood work to test for….ummmm….I’m not really sure. His secretary said something about lipids, or cholesterol. or….whatever. This was the second call of the day about all this, so my brain was trying to sort everything out.  Next Wednesday (21st) is her appointment at the hospital (Eastern Maine Medical Center) to have preliminary tests done on her heart, then the next day is another appointment at EMMC, only this time with Dr. Crespo himself, to have an Echo done through her esophagus.  Why they have to go through there, I have no idea. 

In addition to all of this, there are doctor appointments for Alex, my mother, and getting the dog to the beauty parlor! All within the next 10 days.  I’m going to be so busy….and nervous….for a while. I think lots and lots of prayer will be necessary!!

Waiting….Katie’s Heart update..July 6, 2010

Katie just called Dr. Crespo’s office to schedule the stress test. However, the doctor is the only one who can schedule the test, and since he’s still on vacation we have to wait….and wait. His secretary had sent him the notes from last week when Katie called, but we haven’t heard anything from him. The secretary is going to send him the notes from Katie’s call today, so hopefully he will get tell the secretary to schedule the test for when he gets back next week.

Thankfully, of course, Katie is not feeling worse than she is. But I am on pins and needles waiting for something to happen. It’s another extremely hot day today (84 degrees at 10:15 am). I don’t think she’s going to be taking a walk again in this heat. The whole East Coast is in the middle of a massive heat wave; it’s in the triple digits in the Maryland/DC area. Glad we’re not down there!

I should number the titles of these posts about her heart journey. This is #5, counting the “original” back in May.

I feel like I should be doing something else while we are waiting, but I can’t figure out what it is.  Maybe God’s getting me used to having more patience.

Another “Katie’s Heart” update; July 5, 2010

We called the doctor’s office today to schedule an appointment for the stress test, but they were closed due to yesterday being the Fourth of July (Sunday); everyone moved their day off to today. I’ll call them again in the morning.

Katie said she felt really rested when she woke up this morning, and most of the day she felt pretty good. However, as it got later into the late afternoon, she started to feel slightly tired again. She went for a walk around the park to see if she could do it, but when she came home she said she had to slow way, way down, and almost rest a few times.  She is a very fast walker; she has taken walks around Farmington for the past five years at college, and has never slowed down. She also had a heaviness in her chest that she has never felt before, which went away once she slowed way, way down.

The humidity was extreme today, so that didn’t help matters. Today’s weather was one of those days where the warnings come out for people with any type of breathing or heart problems. So I know that didn’t help the situation but she has never been affected by the extreme humidity before.

I’ll be so glad to call the doctor tomorrow and get this whole process started. At least it will make me feel like I’m doing something to help her. Right now, I feel so useless and helpless.

I love you Katie!! MOM

Katie’s Heart….update July 3, 2010

My Katie-girl is getting tired a lot more than normal now. Not to the point of exhaustion, but an overall tired. She was making dinner yesterday (which was delicious!!), and she told me she got tired just mixing something.

So, I think the time is coming a lot faster than we originally thought. If we haven’t heard back from the doctor by Monday, I’m calling the office and setting up an appointment for the stress test, or whatever he will want. I hate sitting around waiting. Being pro-active is much better suited to my personality.

Tomorrow is our big church picnic; Alex is playing Bass in the band…yay!! The whole service will be held outside, which is the first time we’ve done that. Should be great!!!

Update on Katie’s Heart~~July 1, 2010

I just re-read the previous entry about Katie’s heart, and I definitely think I was right about her operation being sooner rather than later. She called Dr. Crespo’s office today to let them know about more, and more often, flutterings, and she is also starting to feel a slight “pressure”  in her chest. She says it comes and goes, but it is something she hasn’t felt before. She is also getting tired a lot more often. The doctor is on vacation, but his secretary will send him the information and get back to us about what he wants Katie to do. I have a feeling he will order the stress test, then possibly another Echo, and we’ll see where she stands.

It’s such a wait-and-see time right now. I hate that she has to go through this, but she has the best attitude. As we were talking this morning, she said that even though she’s facing something huge, and something she’s never faced before, she’s not nervous about the outcome. She has such incredible faith.

God’s timing is amazingly awesome.  She was in Eastport (Maine) all last week with All Soul’s Church on their mission trip and she felt fine.  She’s home less than a week and all this starts up. Of course, I was not worried with her being down there, either, as there are many doctors who go on the mission trips, so I know she was in good hands. However, if she would have started the symptoms down there it would have taken her and at least one other person away from the good they were accomplishing over there (it’s Downeast, so both “down” and “over” are the correct compass points from Bangor).

I wish the doctor’s office would call tomorrow and let us know what’s happening so we can get her scheduled for……something; either the stress test, the appointment with the surgeon, an echo…..anything just so I feel like I’m doing something instead of waiting.  Well, I guess I am doing something in that I’m already looking into getting her involved at the YMCA aquatics heart fitness class….along with praying, praying, and more praying. 

I don’t know if what I do would exactly be classified as “praying” in the traditional sense—it’s more like an ongoing informal conversation with God as opposed to a “traditional” prayer. I don’t know if I even know how to have a traditional form of prayer. I view God as so much a part of me and such a part of my family that to think of being formal with Him is strange. That certainly doesn’t mean I don’t honor and respect Him, because I absolutely do, but I love that I can speak to Him at all times.

Katie, I love you so, so, so much.