1 Week Down...Forever To Go!

20 years ago Mike and I started dating. But before we started dating we had a conversation.

Mike discussed with me about his dad passing and about his heart disease. He told me he was looking for a wife, not just a girlfriend. Then he posed this question: Would you be willing to marry me, have a family, and then one day you become a widow with young kids. Mike just thought that his fate would become his dad's fate. I thought, prayed, and talked with my mom for three days. I don't think as a seventeen year old you can truly comprehend what that would look like and feel like. However, I knew that the life we would create would outweigh the fate that he portrayed, every second we would have together would be worth the devastating loss in the end.

My husband almost died twice on me...but now he has a new heart...a new life...a new ending.

I am beginning to see that ending, picturing us growing old together and having him around as the boys grow older. Something that we never thought was possible, is somehow growing clearer now. The fear and worrying of his heart just stopping...is gone now. There are still things to worry about; rejection, illness, his disease coming back. But now we know that there are options. We have an amazing Transplant Team behind us for life. There is the option of another heart transplant down the road. And we have a village of friends and family to support us. I don't expect it to be easy, but I know it will be good.

Mike is progressing so well in his recovery! The tubes, lines, stiches, bandages, pacing wires, and all are slowly coming out. We are learning so much about recovery and what life looks like as a transplant recipient. The do's and don'ts of food/yard work/pools/places/and people. Doctors, nurses, PA's, therapist, and the transplant team are filling our days right now. Mike is doing so well that they are thinking of sending him home on Wednesday the 18th, 49 days in the hospital.

Mike loves his new heart and I truly think it was made for him. We do not know his donor or donor family, but we would love to get to know them. This gift is the greatest gift of all and we are so blessed that this donor family said yes. Ezekiel 36:26 is describe as the Heart Transplant verse. "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." I pray that Mike's donor is in Heaven rejoicing with the Lord while his heart lives on in Mike.

The next part of this journey is scary, unknown, and exciting at all the same time. A new life for the Neubert's is about to begin...and I can't wait to share it with you!

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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...

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...

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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