My WHOLE heart!

A little update on my heart ... First of all a huge THANK YOU! for all the comments, texts, phone calls, visits, messages, treats and flowers! I have been so totally overwhelmed at how much love and support I have had. Most of all thank you for your prayers! I have felt very loved! I can't express my THANKS enough!

For the most part things went pretty well. At the end of it all my heart is fixed! There were a couple bumps along the way and some unpleasant moments for sure. Me having small veins does make this kind of procedure a little difficult. First the nurse had a hard time getting my IV in. He ended up having to put it in an awkward place which made the next 24 hours somewhat uncomfortable. Then ... for the actual procedure they go in through your groin. I had been sedated and was pretty much asleep at this point. First they numb the area and then they insert a little device into your vein (in two places actually) that the doctor can then feed a tube into that goes up into your heart (amazing... right!) They could NOT get into my vein. That guy was digging and probing and poking! It actually woke me up. I opened my eyes and snapped, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" (I feel sorta bad about that, but I was drugged) It killed! My back was arching, my fist clenched. I could hear him saying that he couldn't get into my vein. When he did finally get in he said, "I have never had that hard of a time getting in." Needless to say that has made for a VERY sore groin the last couple of days.

I did wake up a few times and it probably won't surprise you that I was a little "chatty cathy". At one point I looked over at the doctor and he said "Hi" and I said "Hi" and he said, "would you like to be more sleepy?" and I said, "yes please" and I don't remember much after that. :)

Once they got into my heart it was not exactly what they expected. (is anyone who really knows me surprised by that at all?) I don't actually have a PFO! What I did end up having is a birth defect called an ASD. Here is the textbook explanation of what an ASD is ....

ASD (Atrial Septal Defects) During fetal development, the upper chambers of the heart (atria) divide into right and left sides. In some, the closure is incomplete leaving a "hole in the heart". This hole or defect in the atrial divider (septum) is an Atrial Septal Defect or ASD. Since pressure in the right side of the heart is lower than the left side, blood can flow from the lungs directly through the ASD back to the right heart; re-circulation through the lungs again and again. This abnormal recycling of blood through the lungs is called "shunting". The amount of blood flowing (or shunting) through the lungs may be many times more than the blood flow to the rest of the body. Shunting is an extra blood volume to the right side of the heart which can cause an overload of the heart. This overload can cause enlargement of the heart, abnormal heart rhythm, congestive heart failure, and injury to the arteries of the lungs. Increased pressure in the right side of the heart may reverse the direction of the shunt. Used blood without oxygen may dilute blood with oxygen levels in the body. Since the filtering function of the lungs is bypassed, stroke or brain abscess may occur if clots or bacteria cross the ASD into the left side of the heart.

So instead of having a flab that did not fuse together, I had a hole. Dr. Sorensen told me in my post op that because of the damage it can cause to heart and lungs if your hole is bigger than a size 5 than you should have it closed. My hole was a size 14! He had this exact same thing and his was a size 12. He looked at me and said, "and young lady, you are a lot smaller than me!" Well thank goodness I got that taken care of!

By the time they were taking me back to recovery I had a blinding headache ... WAIT what? Isn't that what I went in there for, to get rid of those! By the time I got back to my room where my mom was waiting I had tears streaming down my face. I couldn't even open my eyes. At last they assured me that that was very normal, this procedure actually gives you a migraine. I later found out that I would probably have them (possibly worse than before) for the next three months. nice! As the device settles and everything adjust along with the blood thinners I am on it is just part of recovery. GREAT! well so my new life will begin in a couple months!

I ended up having to stay the night in the hospital with lots of monitors so they could monitor my heart and an IV. I swallowed what felt like 100 pills while I was there! It wasn't the most fun 24 hours of my life but survived. Pete, Jennie and the kids brought me Rubio's (which I love) along with a candy poster! Love! Cass sent a heart crown for me to wear and my mom was by my side the whole time. I felt very loved. They did another ECHO on my heart and everything looks good. I will go back in a month for more test, again in 3 months, 6 months and a year. We should know at about the 6 month mark if this really has helped with the headaches. It is crazy to think that for 34 years I had that big a hole in my heart and now I have metal device IN my heart! Wow! I am still sore and still working on a headache but feeling better this morning. Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers. I can't say it enough. I truly am a very lucky girl! My most glamorous moment ... well not so much!
Note to hospitals ... one size does NOT fit all when it comes to the gowns! That things was drowning me!