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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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. ...

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...

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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