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Heart Failure

September was Heart Failure Month


As we read through the hospital instructions for the heart cath it said to pack a small overnight bag...just in case. Mike did not want to do this. We drove to the hospital and they wheeled him back to the cath room. Shortly after, he came back and did well during the procedure. The Doctor came in and said some of the numbers were a little off and we may need to stay the night to do some tests...we should have packed that bag. He left and in came the PA from the Heart Center at the hospital, she gave us some honest words that I will never forget. 

"Rachel, you need to get a notebook and start taking notes, Mike is in heart failure and we need to talk about heart transplant down the road here. He is going to stay in the hospital for a few days and there is going to be a lot of doctors and people that you will be talking with." My heart sank and the tears started flowing, "Well I can see that I have upset the wife, I better get going." and she was gone. I am sure there were more words...but those are the ones that I heard. She was the first one to tell it to us straight, and she did that every time we saw her, and for that we are so grateful. Sometimes you just need the hard truth. John 8:32 'Than you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' We can't see what is coming all we know is that God our Lord and Savior is our truth and he will set us free.

Well that started the journey to where we are now. Mike stayed in the hospital for the weekend while they gave him IV Lasix and monitored his heart. They adjusted his medication and released him that Sunday. Between August 8th and September 19th Mike lost 45 pounds and is now down to his dry weight. After the hospital he was able to walk up and down the street with no stopping and was down to 1 pillow on the bed. 

We did talk with several people and started the journey to the Spectrum Health Heart and Lung Transplant Clinic. We are so grateful for the doctors, nurses, and procedures that helped get Mike back to his normal self. However, his heart is not back to it's normal self and Covid did a number on it. Mike is on a low sodium diet for the rest of his life, has to watch his liquid intake including alcohol, and has a weight lifting limit. He goes 2 times a week for cardiac rehab and then lifts weights at home 3 days a week. He needs to build back his muscle mass and get as strong as possible. 

We are so happy to have our normal Mike back. His non-existent bubble, outgoing, always going, loud, mellow, happy, jovial, milk chugging, self. 




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