40 Years!

Happy 40th wedding anniversary to my Mom and Dad! I love you two!!!

(remember how much fun I was to be with on this trip to Italy! Imagine how much fun you would have reliving it with me and Joe! We are free anytime!!)




40 years is a huge milestone! I look up to you both in so many ways!

If it looks like they are wearing the same thing in every picture it is because they are. My Dad's suitcase got stuck in London for basically the whole trip, my Mom has no excuse. Thanks for putting up with me!

Date is set

Yesterday we met again with my doctor to discuss questions that I have about getting a pacemaker.

Here are some of the questions that kept me up at night

Can I sleep on my stomach with a pacemaker?

Yes

Will I be able to breastfeed when we one day get to be parents?

Yes

What type of a pacemaker will it be?

A pediatric pacemaker, he said the leads will last longer, and that I probably won't have to get new leads until I am 50ish. But I will still need to get my battery changed every 10-15 years.

How long will I be on medication?

Most likely my whole life.

and the most important question...

Will I be able to possibly someday try to have a baby?

Yes, maybe in time, but I will have more frequent checks with my heart doctor and a high risk OB, and a neonatologist if I do become pregnant in the future.

So it looks like my pacemaker will be coming right before Christmas!! December 20th! I am really hoping for a miracle for Christmas

Lavell Edward Stadium

A few weeks ago Joe and I got to cross something off our bucket list. One of Joe's friends won tickets to the coaches show by KSL's Greg Wrubell and invited us to come along. With this we were able to go on a tour of the west side of the stadium. Someday we hope to have season tickets on this side of the stadium. I am happy that I once was a Cougar!

Updates updates

Yesterday I had an appointment with one of my heart doctors and even though it was Halloween it was no treat. Joe and I were expecting that we would talk with our doctor about what was going to be different with my upcoming heart procedure, we had heard 3 weeks ago the plan was to do another ablation. I was completely caught off guard when the doctor said that I would be getting a pacemaker.

He explained that the reason I suddenly needed a pacemaker was because my lazy SA node is not showing any signs that it is going to start working. I wore a monitor for 24 hours and during that time my SA node didn't work at all. My heart also stopped for 10.5 seconds (thank goodness it started working again!) We had known that my heart was still stopping every now and then, but it has not been recorded for as long as 10.5 seconds yet. It scares me because when it stopped for 10.5 seconds I was conscious, and now I wonder how long my heart has stopped when I have passed out in the past.

The doctors said that it is possible that it could also fix my heart because they think in a way my heart is trying to overcompensate once my heart rate gets so low in the 30's-50's that it starts to race. I don't really understand it even though I am a nurse.

I have a really good friend also named Sarah, who got a pacemaker when she was 14 years old. I have known her since we were both 12. She has been so great to answer my questions. She has really helped me to know that this is not the end of the world and that it is okay to live with a pacemaker.

I am waiting to hear back from the doctors on when this will all go down. Maybe they will change their minds again and want to try an ablation again. I will keep you updated.