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Two Years

Long sunny warm days and fun-filled nights left our summer feeling full and short all at the same time. We found ourselves thinking about years past and remembering what those days were like. As we become more comfortable and with passing time we tend to forget about all the pain, confusion, heartache, and worry that we went through. It is good to remember, it is good to not forget where we have been, but it is also so so good to be on the other side of it all.    Year two has been good to the Neubert family. Mike's heart has fully settled in and is treating him like a king. He is allowed to do almost anything and everything he wants to. While much to Blake's dismay, Mike is not allowed to do much yard work, but he helps when he can with his trusty mask. We also watch our salt intake and he still has to eat like a pregnant lady (no raw fish, lunch meat, soft cheese, etc...) this will be a lifelong thing. Mike can now have celebratory drinks every once in awhile and apparently ...
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One Year!!!!!

 September 7th, 2024 was the scariest and happiest day of our lives. It is hard to believe that one year has flown by since Mike received his new heart. Many scars, needle pricks, tests, machines, blood draws, medications, and doctor visits filled this past year. Those things are not the things that fill our memories though. Our memories are filled with love, laughter, friends, family, and adventures together. We are so blessed to have Mike and this amazing gift of life. To celebrate this weekend, I threw a suprise party for Mike. Mike had his suspicions, but I think we pulled off a good surprise to celebrate his one-year heart anniversary. Mike was super worried that whatever this get together would be, it would be during the big Lions/Packers game...no worries babe, I planned it for the day before!   People often say it takes a village, and I truly believe that you all have been our village in one way or another. A core group people who have helped to support us through...
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Month 11...August

 The dreaded month of August.  When I was growing up this month became the forbidden month, the month to try and lay low. Several bones have been broken in the Foster family during the month of August and this trend has moved on to the Neubert family. For the last four years the month of August was marked with Covid, hospital visits, heart failure, and funny enough... trips to The Deck and beach in Muskegon. In 2022 Mike picked up Covid and it was taking a long time to go away. Turns out it was heart failure. We visited The Deck in Muskegon and walked the long pier out to the lighthouse. Mike couldn't even make it a quarter of the way out and had to sit down on the rocks to rest, we knew something was very wrong. Later that August and into September we found out Mike was in heart failure and he was admitted to the hospital; that began our four year journey to where we are today. In 2023 when we visited the pier Mike was listed at a level 6 on the heart transplant list. When we...
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Months 9 & 10

 Wow! Time flies when your having summer fun!  Months 9 & 10 held many milestones for the Neubert family. The end of 5th and 3rd grade, Easton's 9th birthday, cousin and family birthdays, 4th of July, Blake's week at Scout Camp, and Mike's birthday. We were able to spend time with both Mike's family in Alpena and my family in Hessel. It was nice to get away for a bit and enjoy time with loved ones. With the warmer weather we are beginning to see some friends and reconnect. This past year really stopped us in our tracks. As we were celebrating a friends birthday this July we saw a couple that had come to Mike's 40th birthday the year before. We hadn't seen them in exactly one year. Sorry we tried to become friends and then ghosted you for an entire year lol! It has been good to reconnect and come back to old connections as well. One of the bigger milestones was a title promotion for Mike at work. He earned the title as Vice President Relationship Manager. I a...
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Month 8

 Month 8 happens to be the busy month of May filled with fresh flower buds, mother's day, birthday celebrations, and end of the school year activities. As we transition into summer we move into memory lane. Reflecting back on the last couple months before Mike went into the hospital, the activities we did just a year ago that we are repeating again, now with the feelings, emotions, and lessons coming to light. Those memories that felt like the last at one point, are now becoming wonderful moments of treasured time spent together. As the weeks grow short and the activities seem endless take a deep breath and remember that those moments are times in history that you will never get back. Take those moments and enjoy the craziness, learn how to slow time and make the most out of every second.  This month's rejection level was 0, we have been so blessed to have these results and thank God for Mike's new heart and body to be working together. We have noticed some extra bloating a...
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Month 7 Update

 Month 7 has held some good things for the Neubert Family: some firsts and some wonderful news.  Mike: For month 7 Mike only had to get his blood work done and send it off to California for the donor-derived cell-free DNA test. It once again came back as a zero rejection level and we are thrilled to see his heart and body working as one. We also received wonderful news that he no longer needs to get the actual biopsy done. Instead, the new protocol is to use the blood test, if the test shows signs of rejection then they may need to complete the actual biopsy for that month. This means less hospital visits and less invasive procedures. Mike is also in the process of weaning off some medications and starting a new med that is meant to prevent transplant vasculopathy (narrowing of the coronary vessels) and can help to improve kidney function. He has also stopped taking one of his immune suppression medications which has brought the days med count down significantly. Mike is still...
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6 Months...180 Days...and so Many Moments Together

 2025 is going by so fast! I can hardly believe that six months have past since Mike got his heart transplant. March 7th marks half a year through this journey, and oh what a journey it has been!  Over the last couple months we have celebrated Blake's 11th birthday, my 38th birthday, and a few more birthday parties on top of those. Blake crossed over into Boy Scouts and went on his first campout with his new troop. Easton and Blake wrestled in a few tournaments where they earned some new medals, they have Regionals coming up this weekend. The boys are doing great in school and growing so fast, Blake is catching up to us all and already 5'4". While I am writing this blog tonight I had to put them back to bed three times...they are getting creative with their procrastination techniques. In the not so far future I can only imagine that they won't be coming back out to ask silly questions and want to be tucked back into bed. These times are so precious and fly by so fast. ...
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