Post surgery

It has been 3 weeks since my 4th open heart surgery. I am doing pretty well. I have had my sister and at least 1 friend say they can tell the difference already in how I look and how I sound. My sister said that she could tell almost immediately how much better the color in my nails looked once I got out of surgery.

So how am I feeling now? Well my body decided to go ahead and get a cold. Not just any cold, but a pretty bad one. I am doing better today then I have the last 2 days, but I am still feeling pretty sick. At moments I feel like I am wheezing. It is not a feeling I have felt often. I am seeing my cardiologist on Tuesday. I am sure that he'll listen to my lungs then. I did call him and he didn't feel I needed to go in unless my symptoms got worse.

The pain of the surgery is starting to get better. I'm not hurting quite so much. There are still moments where the pain is pretty bad. I had bad pain day the other day. It was also the beginning of this cold. I am having a little more pain now because of coughing so much.

I am so thankful that the way they do the surgeries has gotten better. I am thankful for not being so drugged up this past recovery. The day after my surgery they wanted me sitting up in a chair, 3 times a day for an hour each time. They did this around meal time. It was so hard to sit there. I did end up sleeping in the chair, which was what they expected. During the lunch time sit, I couldn't make it the full hour.

The next day was a little better. I sat up more. Oh another thing that I loved was that once they took the catheter out, they had a commode that I could have next to my bed, no bed pans! hehe that was nice.  

Happy Birthday

I want to say a wonderful Happy Birthday to my daughter Princess Faith. If you have a moment stop by her blog and check it out. She does a wonderful job of blogging and hits some pretty hard topics.

Too quiet...

Hello... I am a mom of 9 and I have had more then enough me time in the last 24 hours to drive me insane. It is way too quiet in my house.

As a mom there are moments I just so wish to have some time to myself. I want everyone just to sleep and give me some quiet. But I have now had quiet for a whole week and I feel still so off. I know that in the long run having this quiet so I can rest and my body can heal is the best thing for me, but I miss my little ones way too much. I want them all home with me.

So what have I been doing with my time.... laying down. Small amounts of house work her and there, homework, and spending time talking with my sister whom I haven't seen in several years. She came in to help me while I was in the hospital and now here after.

I am working on putting things in place so that my kids can come home in a just a couple more days. I so miss hugging them and loving on them.

Surgery went well

I am happy to report that my surgery went very well. They were able to get a lot more blood flow to my right lung and lower all my pressures. I feel like I have been hit by a truck, but I am feeling well. I spent 5 nights and 6 days in the hospital I did very well and was able to get out of ICU within 2 days. I had trouble adjusting my meds so that I didn't get sick as well as not have any pain.

surgery day....

well I am just about 7.5 hours away from surgery. I have to admit I am feeling nervous. I know I will be fine once I get in there, but it is the leading up to the surgery that I am worried about. I am also worried about the recovery and trying to take care of 8 kids.

Well I shall see you on the other side of this surgery.

Because she's D... :)

This is my son's words when he talks about his girlfriend. He sees her and believes in her value as a wonderful woman simply because she is. I can't tell you how many times I've heard how great she is, (and well yeah she is a wonderful young lady) and his reason that she is great is simply cause "she's D" (going to just use an initial here.)

My son has never been interested in dating, it wasn't his thing. He always had friends who were girls, but baseball was his main love. His high school years were focused on that, God and being a great big brother.

He has know the young lady for about 5 years. They have hung out with the same group of friends, gone on missions trips and played hours of volleyball hanging around with others. Yet it was, I believe in God's perfect time that my son's eyes were open to this young lady as someone he wanted to get to know better.

We are not a courtship family, but neither are we a date a bunch of people family either. I have encouraged my kids not to look for the "right one" but to seek God and ask him to make them the right person for the one God will bring them. 5 years ago my son was a man after God's heart, but his faith had to be tested to mold him to who he is today.

I am also thankful that the young lady's family knows my son, and likes him. Her mom is one of my dearest friends. I am thankful they see the heart of my young man and trust him with their daughter.

Their relationship is young, and it will take time. For now I will enjoy his little "because she's D!" comments.

open heart surgery

I am scheduled for what could very well be my last open heart surgery that I will need to correct my heart condition. I will be receiving a new valve at that time. This valve is expected to last 15+ years, at t hat point they could (by current medical abilities who knows what it will be then) just place a new valve next to the old one by during a cardiac cath.

It has been amazing in so many ways to grow up with a heart defect. It has allowed me to really see how much we have learned over the years about the human body. Many of the ways that they repaired my heart just 35 years ago, they no longer do.

I have to admit that I am very nervous about my surgery. I am worried for my children, especially my young ones who don't fully understand. I worry for my older ones who do understand way too much and are too much like their mom in the worry department. Added to the fact that this past year has been very stressful for all of us.

I do feel confident in God that I will get through this time. That there is still a lot God has for me to do here on this earth. A year and a half ago I started this journey towards surgery and as I was reading God's word I came across these verses. I stand still today confident that this is God's promise to me.

[Phl 1:21-25 NASB] 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith,