Made it the month without getting sick again so I was able to keep my scheduled procedure last week.

For as many times as I have been to Iowa City…there is always something just a little bit different about the same procedure or testing that I do every time. Which I know a lot of it has to do with different nurses or techs so I have always said as long as it doesn’t require anymore pokes or torture on my body…they can do things the way they feel it should be done.

After I got prepped and had the ivs in, the nurse asked me what type of music I like to listen to. I was a little confused by this because the only time I have ever been asked my preference in music is when I am having an MRI done. I chose Christian contemporary and wondered why I would need to have headphones during an actual surgery? But whatever.

Once it was time to go back for my procedure Tim and I said our “see ya laters” and I was rolled away in my bed…until we went up a little slope and stopped…and then I proceeded to roll backwards a little bit. Apparently the battery on my bed had died and since it died going up a little hill, I had instantly started to roll back. Nurses were behind me to catch me so it wasn’t a big deal but everyone got a kick out of it…and definitely the first time in all these years that has happened. 

When they got me back to the surgical room, I was moved to the cold table and then covered up with warm blankets. This is when my anxiety really kicks in as doctors, nurses, wires and machines and tubing are surrounding me…and then the tarp was placed over the part of my body where they were going to be working on. The ice cold dye was applied to both of my legs in case the doctor needed to access both sides of the groin. Two years since I have had to do this but it seemed like just yesterday…

And then I heard the music come on over the speakers! So no headphones would be needed but I had picked what music to listen to during my procedure…that all of the nurses and doctors would be listening to!

After the music had been playing for a few minutes I heard one person say “did she pick this?” and when another tech replied that I had he simply said “oh” making me think he didn’t like my preference. But within a few minutes he was singing to the song so I knew I was good to go! Haha!

Shortly after doctors began the procedure, due to my health concerns with my blood pressure dropping during surgeries, I ended up needing oxygen for the remainder of the time that I was back there. Doctors checked my stents and while yes the stents were narrowing, they decided not to intervene at this time so I was taken back to the recovery room to lay flat for an hour before going home!

The doctor had explained to us that the right upper part of my pulmonary vein was completely gone…meaning the lack of blood flow had finally killed that area of the vein off and it was basically no longer there!! Isn’t it amazing how God created our bodies?! 

Then the doctor confirmed that my stents were more narrow but not much of a change from 2015, the last time they had went in to check them. He felt the narrowing was not significant enough at this time to risk trying to open them up any further. 

As far as my heart palpitations, he suggested we could do another holter monitor for 30 days but honestly, at this point, I’m tired of one thing after the other. I follow up with him in six months so if the palpitations are still going strong then I will consider wearing the monitor again. 

So, even though I was fairly confident that they would not intervene to open my stents, it is still bitter sweet. A reminder that nothing really can help improve my symptoms from a medical standpoint, especially when part of my vein is no longer there to fix. But I will continue to pray and I know so many of you are praying for me as well so regardless if God answers those prayers the way I think they should be answered…I know He’s right here with me working through all of this and that alone is bringing me comfort. 

With that being said, it’s time for me to be proactive again! I am starting back up on my treadmill and since my heartrate jumps up to almost 200 after only a few minutes, I have just been going slow and am trying to pace myself again. Now that my back is healing and I am gaining more strength, hopefully being able to do the treadmill again will help improve my lung and heart not to mention my back too! 

Just because doctors can’t fix me doesn’t mean that God can’t right?!💞

My next procedure is scheduled in January as scans did indicate that a few of the stents in my SVC are blocked so until then I shouldn’t have too much to report! 

Have a Merry Christmas and enjoy this special holiday season with your loved ones!