If you have been following along you would have read about what a dry run is...if you haven't, let me sum it up. You think you have matched heart...and then you don't.
On Tuesday, August 20th I couldn't sleep in the middle of the night from 3am-5am. I stood outside on the patio looking up at the full blue moon in an air that felt crisp, like fall was on its way. It was mezmerizing, so big and full and it was truly blue casting a bright light over all the yard and into the field behind us. I prayed so hard for a heart that night. I snoozed my alarm as it rang and woke up at 7:15am. Realizing that I was a little behind schedule, I jumped into the shower before the boys woke up. With shampoo dripping down my head my phone rang and it was Mike. He put the doctor on the phone and I heard the most amazing words 'We have a Heart' The tears started flowing as I quickly finished my shower and called my mom. I couldn't believe that it was happening, I don't think I was fully ready for it yet either. As I ran around the house gathering things and throwing them into bags I woke up the boys. What a bittersweet news to reveal to your 8 and 10 year old...and the day before school starts. So much excitement and sheer terror at the same time.
As we all hurried to the hospital the waiting game started. I had heard all the doctors and nurses say that it was a hurry up and wait game...but I truly did not know what that meant until that day. You are given no information about the donor...no gender, race, location, nothing. We were told that it was an extremely good looking heart and a great match. At that time there was no Donor OR Time, which meant that Mike could still eat and drink and we just had to wait...maybe days even.
There are two types of heart transplants: DBD: Donation after Brain Death, and DCD: Donation after Circulatory Death
Corewell Health Meijer Heart Center got certfied to take DCD hearts just this year. The surgeon, Dr. Hooker, helped to push get this certification completed. Last year the team (before Dr. Hooker) completed around 15 transplants, this year with Dr. Hooker they have done over 35 transplants so far. This certification coupled with Dr. Hooker's years of experiance have opened the door for so many lives to be saved.
DCD Heart Transplants are donors that have irreversible injuries and have no blood pressure, pulse or heartbeat, they are being kept alive on machines. Once the family is ready, the donor is taken into an OR and the machines are turned off. The donor needs to die within 90 seconds in order for the heart and other organs to be harvested. Once the donor dies the organs are harvested and the heart is placed in the Transmedics Organ Care System. Essentially this box keeps the heart alive and gives it nurtriants as it is transported to the hospital, where ever that may be. Along with this, all of the donors organs and tissues need to be matched and teams from all across the nation have to be there and ready for the donor OR time, which can take days to coordinate. The family also needs time to grieve and sometimes this can take days before they are ready to let them go and start donation.
DBD Heart Transplants are donors that are brain dead and are kept on a ventilator because they can't breathe on thier own, but their heart continues to beat. This is a wildly known practice and is accepted by all centers, the traditional method used over the last 40 years. However, there is a shortage of donor organs which has led to the development of DCD Heart Transplants.
On Wednesday, August 21st the boys started school, knowing that dad might go into surgery for a new heart that day. As the day progressed we didn't hear any news. Mike's doctor walked in and had to tell us some details. The heart that was matched to Mike was passed up by 9 centers before we accepted. It was a DCD heart. Dr. Hooker is just more experienced with these hearts and doesn't fear the donor not making the 90 minute mark. However, over night the donor started to show signs of reflexes and brain death. It was confirmed on August 21st that the donor was brain dead the heart became a DBD heart. Unos policy is to put the heart back out and go through the list of centers that accept DBD hearts, leaving Mike with no heart now. Mike's team fought for him with Dr. Hooker even challenging the policy, but policies are there for a reason and you have to respect them, even if you don't agree with them. To end the evening Blake accidentally threw away his brand new retainers with his lunch tray...first day of school woes!
Mike said it best, there is someone sitting in a bed, in a hospital somewhere, that is worse off then Mike and deserves that heart...another one will come.
Now we are more educated, we have a better understanding of the process, and a deeper urge to pray. Don't stop praying! God hears our prayers and will answer them on His own time. He heard me that night, and he gave us the opportunity to understand and have hope that this is all possible.
So we go back to our routine of hospital visits, Mike's daily walks on the treadmill, everyone in our lives loving on and spoiling our boys (especially papa with a mountian of icecream right before bed) and lots of prayer.
And don't forget the homemade ramen that hits the spot when nothing else sounds good!
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