I'll start by saying I never saw Kellie the night everything happened in September. I got there after they had taken her but by hearing my Mom I'm pretty happy I don't know how well I would have taken that. On Sunday, so almost a week ago, Heidi was having her birthday party for Hadley's 3rd birthday! It is a little crazy at the beginning this time especially since we had a special guest show up! Elsa!! The girls were so excited. I didn't really notice how Kellie looked or was acting until after Elsa left and we were getting ready for dinner. Shea was chasing Zola around and feeding her as she went which in these situations we found is A LOT easier doing that and she actually eats! I was standing in the kitchen and noticed Kellie just sitting at the table and she looked white as a ghost. I think I was a little late to the party though cause I'm pretty sure everyone else had already noticed it right when she got there. I got my food and went and sat down at the table but my seat was in the way so I moved so I was by her. My mom was asking her if she was okay and she just kind of blew it off like she just didn't feel good and she had been nauseas the day before so I think she was just chalking it up to that. J came and sat down and was trying to get more out of her and I did hear a little bit and she was having arm pain which is a scary thing after everything she had been through. She finally got a drink and a little bit of salad but I thought she just did that so people would stop bugging her :) People said they thought she was looking a little better but I didn't see it. After dinner they opened presents then did the cake. I noticed she didn't get up to sing Happy Birthday which normally she would fake it all as you can see she went basically the whole night trying to act like everything was okay the best she could. I sat down and looked over and noticed she was putting her coat on and they were talking to my Dad. Then my dad got up and walked over and I asked where they were going and he said the ER. I let Heidi know since she was dishing up cake and ice cream and they left. So now I will share her post because she can explain what happened those few days in the hospital better than I can of course!
Hello! A lot has happened since my last update in early December. Mid-December I met with my Heart Failure Cardiologist. Due to the significant damage to my heart (50%-75% of the front left wall of my heart is not viable/dead), he recommended we continue managing my condition with medication and not reattempt to stent my LAD. I have full confidence in his opinion and treatment plan. That said, my Type-A personality couldn't let go of the offer from the surgeon to make a secon...d attempt to stent my LAD. I am extremely committed to doing whatever I need to do for the highest probability of recovery possible. I was desperate for control in October and now that I had control, I didn't know what to do with it. After much deliberation and consultation, I ran into another surgeon I was familiar with after my cardiac therapy on 12/26 and his thoughts and opinion helped us decide that we would hold off on the surgery for now.
We aggressively ramped up my medications during December; maximizing these drugs is the course of treatment that will help me recover as much pumping function as possible. This course led me to a two night stay in the hospital earlier this week. I started experiencing the whole suite of heart attack symptoms on Sunday night, but at a significantly reduced pain level from the original event (think level of pain at 1 vs. 10). However, it was enough to scare me and Jason convinced me that a trip to the ER was the only option.
A few hours into my ER visit, I was admitted to the Cardiovascular Medical Unit. After lots of blood work, three EKGs, two echocardiograms and a nuclear stress test, the doctors determined I was doing okay. They believe my increased medication dropped my blood pressure and heart rate to levels that my body couldn't tolerate. My heart rate was consistently dropping to the 40s and occasionally the 30s during my first eight hours at the hospital. My medication dosages have been revised and I'm feeling much better. We got another piece of good news from my hospital stay -- my EF (pumping function) has increased from 35% on 11/24 to 40% on 1/12 (approximately 72% of a normally functioning heart up from a low in October of around 36%). I'll never regain all of my pumping function, but I'm hoping to keep going up from here! I'm not on a transplant list, I don't need an LVAD (internal heart device with external power supply) and this gets me out of the woods for an internal pace maker!
I can't say it enough - but THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all of the amazing people that continue to support my family and me in so many ways as we navigate our "new normal" and continue on the road to recovery. We love you all! Happy New Year!
xox,
k.
So on a positive note to a few days in the hospital, guess who I got to tend for an hour?!?!
A few hours into my ER visit, I was admitted to the Cardiovascular Medical Unit. After lots of blood work, three EKGs, two echocardiograms and a nuclear stress test, the doctors determined I was doing okay. They believe my increased medication dropped my blood pressure and heart rate to levels that my body couldn't tolerate. My heart rate was consistently dropping to the 40s and occasionally the 30s during my first eight hours at the hospital. My medication dosages have been revised and I'm feeling much better. We got another piece of good news from my hospital stay -- my EF (pumping function) has increased from 35% on 11/24 to 40% on 1/12 (approximately 72% of a normally functioning heart up from a low in October of around 36%). I'll never regain all of my pumping function, but I'm hoping to keep going up from here! I'm not on a transplant list, I don't need an LVAD (internal heart device with external power supply) and this gets me out of the woods for an internal pace maker!
I can't say it enough - but THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all of the amazing people that continue to support my family and me in so many ways as we navigate our "new normal" and continue on the road to recovery. We love you all! Happy New Year!
xox,
k.
So on a positive note to a few days in the hospital, guess who I got to tend for an hour?!?!
To say Zola LOVES babies is an understatement! She was trying to share her Apple Jacks but doesn't quite get that is nice but she is a tad too little! Mila loves the kids though! She was squealing the whole time any of them are talking to her!
Isn't she getting so big!! I haven't got to tend her in a long time! Her aunt Heidi is doing a great job at that when needed so when she can't I'm a happy back up!
And now a few more pictures...I thought I would be good and get more of Christmas but I was in charge of our video camera so I didn't do very good!
Evie was a little scared of Santa so I did get one picture of Kellie!
Listening to the story Frozen they were in LOVE!
And look I got another one of Kellie! Evie is spunky but shy when it comes to pictures :) Aren't they a bunch of cute Elsa's and Anna's??
Other than that I don't have much more to say! We hope that things get and stay more quiet which I'm sure they will with summer approaching I think everyone feels better when its bright outside!
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