Thursday, September 9, 2010

Heart Mom to Heart Patient

Cuddles From the Heart MI is starting to collect blankets for newborn through teenagers!  We give out the blankets in December and we would like to have 500 by then.  We are a bit slow in starting to ask for them as last year we began asking for them at the end of July and it is now mid August. 

Cuddles From the Heart (CFH) started two years ago in Iowa by heart mom Stefanie Jacks.  Last year she opened it up for any state to do.  In June I told her I would like to do it for MI and after Ethin passed away later that month I still said that I wanted to do it!  I am so glad that I did!  It was rewarding and amazing to see how much people truly care about others!  So here we are this year hoping to do the same thing.  Our goal last year was 500 and we did just over that.  Same goal this year 500!!!  We can do this!! 

What we need is new homemade or store bought blankets ranging from newborn to teenagers for boys and girls to give out at U of M Mott Children’s Hospital in December.  The blankets are a very comforting thing to many families while they are in there and sometimes just one blanket can make the hospital feel a little less like the hospital.  Ethin’s Heart Still Beats board members are all ready to go to Ann Arbor in December and as a board we decided that we want to do this so you can mail your blankets to
E.H.S.B
9172 S. Croswell Ave.
Newaygo, MI 49337
If you have any questions you can email me at chdhlhs09@yahoo.com


So yesterday was a very overwhelming long day for me.  I spent hours at a cardiologists office.  Yes I am officially a heart patient right now.  So here is what I know as of right now....
1. I do not like my cardiologist
2. I have a fast heart rate that is either SVT or abnormal sinus tachycardia
3. I have a murmur
4. I have my first echo at 8am and another test at 11am
5. Did I mention I do not like my cardiologist?

Prayers please as I continue to find out what is going on in my heart.  As I sat there in the cardiologists office yesterday all I could think is the last time I had to sit in an office to hear news about a heart the news was not good.  Then the card came in yesterday and his news was also less than impressive!  However not hopeless.  I just can not shake the feelings of guilt I am having with this or the fear or the shock of hearing it all.  It was a lot to take in.  All I keep thinking is there is some of it I knew and some I did not know.  I also keep telling myself that I am to young for heart issues.  How selfish that must sound as my son was born dealing with them.
Yes Ethin crossed my mind all day yesterday as I sat there in that room and everyone that came in apologized that I lost my son to a heart defect.  Then the doctor came in and this is the conversation that took place after he checked my pulse:
Doctor: You have a fast heart rate
Me: Really I was wondering why I was here thank you Dr. Obvious
No kidding I really said that to the guy that will be giving me cardiac care! 
OK so this post is now in day two of writing and I am sitting in the waiting room right now for a test at the Heart Center in Grand Rapids.  Not to mention I had an echo first thing this morning.  Felt so weird to look at an echo of MY heart.  Also brought a few tears to my eyes.  I wish I was not doing all this alone. 
Alright so here is what I know about my heart right now: There is a small murmur and it beats to fast.  Here is what the doctor has had to say: murmur no saying for sure (This is the reason for having an echo this morning), Heart Beating to Fast could be Abnormal Sinus Tachycardia treated with meds, SVT or something with the SA node means a heart cath ablation........I think none of this sounds good! 
Alright they are calling me back so here we go more adventures with my heart......Still to weird that I am the heart patient!  Blessings, Jessica

1 comment:

Stefenie said...

Praying for you Jess!