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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Miracles Do Happen

It's been 3 days since Mike got his new heart, and I can hardly believe that it actually happened. On Thursday September 5th Mike was told we had another match. Dr. Hooker said he was bound and determined to get Mike a new heart by the Michigan game that Saturday. At this point Mike was a level one on the Unos Heart Transplant List and basically top of the top. With both sides of his heart being supported he needed a new one badly. Mike, the boys, and I shared this little secret that Friday and went on about our day. The more we learned the more we became excited that this was actually the heart. This heart was a DBD heart (Donation after Brain Death). Througout the day we learned that it was a great match and Mike's OR time was set for Saturday, September 7th at 10am. We were confused that we were not given a donor OR time, and as time went on we realized there was no transport time for the heart...the heart was in the same hospital as Mike. I got to spend time with Mike th

Lub-Dub Lub-Dub

A normal resting heart rate is between 60 to 100 beats per minute. If you listen to a heart it often is describe as if saying Lub-Dub Lub-Dub. Mike's heart rate is between 120-140. If he laughs hard (which is often), gets agitated, or someones gets him on his favortie topic of finace it starts to soar about 140+. Every once in a while it will peak up to 180 when he gets into V Tach and it skips a few beats. The nurses watch him carefully as he walks on the treadmill and talks away or while he is working, and sometimes they have to shut him down for a bit. Except for some weight and muscle loss Mike's body and mind are in good working condition, but his heart is just failing him. I had previously reported that on August 7th Mike recieved the Impella Pump to support the left side of his heart. Since then the left side has significantly decreased in function and is almost not moving at all on its own. Over the past few weeks they have been watching the right side of heart and s

Free Ice Cream & A New Heart

As we celebrated 7 months off the heart transplant list we quickly found ourselves back on the list. Many of you will be shocked by this news...and I won't lie...we were too Mike came down with the tiniest of colds and a little cough at the end of June 2024. His appetite dwindled and he just wasn't interested in being super active. By the devine grace of God and His perfect timing Mike's doctors office called and randomly wanted a blood panel completed. The results caused them to call and Mike expressed his concerns about his little cold and other small symptoms. They had him come into the office gave him an IV to help get some fluid off his body. He lost 10 pounds in less than 24 hours...and his cough went away. They set up a right heart cath for the next day to see what was going on. The results came in a bit worse than the previous November 2023 cath, but not too alarming and they released him to go home. We took the boys to SpringHill, enjoyed some alone time, picked

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