Yes, I am  heading into surgery on Friday, but lets back up a few weeks and explain whats going on. It’s related to the heart, but thankfully not another open heart surgery.

But first things first, please pray for the following intentions:

1. For a very dear friend and her family, as they laid their little heart warrior to rest. May the angels and saints come to greet her.
2. For a little heart warrior boy, who is recovering from open heart surgery.

Things went haywire a few weeks ago. On June 6, I was admitted to Johns Hopkins again for two weeks for heart failure (again!) and chest pain. My cardiologist pre-admitted me so we checked in with admissions and they took me up to the heart floor. We were in a room for about two hours and they had started diuretics to get the fluid off.

It worked really well (like too well) and the fluid came off very quickly + my other cardiovascular meds = my heart rate dropped into the 40s and I went into an abnormal rhythm.  Not good. They quickly moved me to the IMC (intermediate cardiac unit) which is a step between ICU and the regular cardiovascular section of the floor. They attached the defibrillator pads to my chest and brought the crash cart and an emergency medication to by bedside for two days.  I was on strict bedrest and closely monitored until my heart rate stabilized.

They moved me back to the regular telemetry side of the floor and they sloooooowly worked to get the fluid off. Because of the extra fluid, my heart was working extra hard and I was in a lot of chest pain. They used IV pain meds to manage the pain, but it was quite the struggle to get the pain med dosage and timing correct, until they brought in pain management.

Cue…the upcoming surgery.

Cardiology asked for a Pain Center consult. The next day an attending and fellow came by discuss an option to manage my pain. Dr. E, had only ever done this for heart patients 4-5 times. But it is a very common procedure for neck, back and leg pain. Their suggestion==> a spinal nerve stimulator.

Two days letter I was wheeled down to the procedure room for a trial version of the device. They fed a wire with electrodes up my spinal cord, that through stimulation (think your phone on vibrate x10)  block the pain message to the brain. For a week a wire ran out of my back to a external battery pack and if it worked, the procedure could eliminate completely my chest pain or get it to a tolerable level.

We had great success or as the doctors called it “a slam dunk”. My baseline pain that I always live with went from a 3-4 to a zero and my chest pain with exertion went from a 6-7 to 1-2. As long as pain was relieved by more than 50%, Dr. E would perform the surgery to implant the permanent device.

We went back last next week for a followup and Dr. E’s resident removed the trial version of the wire. It was quick and painless. Dr. E, had mentioned when I was inpatient that the time from the trial version to the surgery would probably be 4-6 weeks. Mom and I were anxious that after having a week of no to minimal pain, how we would go back to managing the pain.

But Dr. E, had great news. He had an opening in his OR schedule this coming Friday (just one week later). After getting psych clearance, pre-op testing and a risk assessment by cardiology, I was given the thumbs up to proceed to surgery.

So heres the short and skinny of it:

My surgery is scheduled for 12:45 this Friday. I will be awake (but given Versed to put me into lala land), for the first half of the surgery. I have to be awake in order to tell them that the stimulators in the wire are programmed in the right place. The surgeon, a fellow,  a resident an anesthesiologist, a nurse, an x-ray tech, and a representative from the device’s company will be present. The representative actually programs the device during the surgery and then also with me afterward to get the settings 100% correct.

Once that feeding up the spine part of the surgery is done, then they will put me fully out for the remainder of the surgery as they feed and attach the wire to the battery pack that will be in my back.

Given my cardiac history, there is an 11% chance of a major cardiac event occurring according to the cardiac risk assessment. When I heard that, I was fearful for a short time, but I choose to place my trust in God and the 89%.

This silly heart of mine has certainly caused some problems the past 3 years, but this is a break in the storm. It will  hopefully manage my chest pain to a tolerable level. My cardiologist is hopeful this will allow me to actually do cardiac rehab, strengthening the heart, allowing me to be more active, help me lose weight and manage the heart failure. The sedentary life, I have living has not been gone for heart health.

I ask you to please pray for my surgical team, myself, my mom (and her poor nerves) and for my recovery. The first two weeks are very tough and then I’m on very strict restrictions for 4-6 weeks after that, as they want scar tissue to fuse the wire in place along the spine.

 

What can you do to support us through this:

1. Pray hard and pray often. I am anxious about the post-surgical pain, as I remember all to well the heart surgery pain. I also ask you to pray that I am able to get up and be ambulatory as soon as possible. We are anxious to see how my heart handles post-op and I will need to get up and walking around as soon as possible to keep the fluid of the heart and lungs.
2. We kindly ask for no visitors without calling. We are especially asking for no visitors the first two weeks, as the incision is open and tries to heal. Given my weakened immune system, I catch things very easily and we remember, not so fondly, that a well meaning visitor shared the stomach bug after my heart surgery. I am asking mom to be a gatekeeper, as we are trying very hard to keep the risk of infection to a minimum.
3. Please remember we do not mean to hurt feelings. If we say ‘no’ to a visitor, please remember I will be very dependent upon others for help the first several weeks with basic everyday tasks. There are very few people that I feel comfortable helping me through the very basic of everyday life and as a gentle reminder,  I will be the one recovering from a surgery.
4. Please keep Mom in your prayers. She will be playing Nurse for the next several weeks. We are both thankful for this surgery, but we both know the road ahead for the next several weeks will be tough.
5. When you do see my out and about in the weeks to come. Please don’t tell me “well, you look good”. I’m sorry, but did I look like crap before? People mean well, but it’s not helpful to someone who lives with a chronic illness. Just a piece of advice for the next time you encounter a chronically ill friend.
6. Send me prayer intentions. I will be offering up my pain for any intentions that are in need of prayers.

If you made it this far in this post, I will be sending you a gold star in the mail.

I’ve had my confession heard, am being anointed on Thursday and we’ve stocked up on movies, magazines and library books, so lets rock and roll, ladies and gentleman.

By the grace of God, we are onward and upward.

Much love, Kristin