Scrapbook Desk

On my way home from the first week I spent in WV, I stopped at Chrissy's house to pick up a scrapbook desk/cabinet that she was finished with. We've been looking for a time for this to take place. I thought it would take a special trip, but on this very rare occasion I was passing through Frederick with an empty van. We were able to load it in two pieces. It was so nice to be able to see Matt and Chrissy and visit for a few minutes. 

This was the former scrapbook desk. 

And this is the new one!

It's so nice to able to close it all up. I've had fun setting it up, going through things I've had for a long time and reorganize.

Now to prioritize some time to use it!
 

The Next 2 Weeks

 Well, I never intended for it to take so long for me to continue this story. I headed to WV, by myself, on July 3 to be with Karen for the week since Van was going back to work. Jeremy and I knew this was exactly where I needed to be. We were also being intentional in showing our children what it looks like to take care of family when they need help and how sometimes that does require sacrifice. 

I was prepared and I wasn't prepared all at the same time. It was hard to see Karen so uncomfortable. It was all new to open the door for home health nurses and physical therapists. It was different to be the one listening to the medical conversation and making advocacy comments. It wasn't exactly restful to sleep on couch not made for sleeping on. lol. 

There were precious moments where we recognized every single small victory in the process of recovery. We enjoyed some scrumptious strawberries and blueberries that made a perfect 4th of July treat. I got to meet friends who brought food and came to visit.

I got some Aunt Carla time with Ronan that I didn't have to share at all!

I celebrated my birthday in the most quiet setting I've ever had to date.

I poured medicine. It's a little different feeling to pour medicine that will change a person's life if I make a mistake.

And on Friday, when my Mom was passing through on her own trip, she stopped by and I was just grateful to have both of my Moms in the same room. I drove home Friday evening...

...and on Sunday afternoon I headed back to WV with Josiah, Anna and Isaiah with me. Karen would have survived without us, but we kept her positive and encouraged for a few more days. The kids didn't believe that I could play 4 square. (I can!)

I felt much more "normal" this week having the kids with me and they were awesome. They played together or played quietly. They didn't mind being in the basement playing if Grandma was sleeping. In the evenings we got out and did something different. One night we explored Poor House Farm Park and got ice cream.

The next night they got some cousin time. It was pretty neat to put a couple of my kiddos in the playpen with Ronan.

We came home Thursday afternoon. I felt good about going home this time. That week Karen had walked down the garage steps, been able to lay in a bed, and could open the refrigerator and cook an egg. This is still just the very beginning of what is going to be a long road of recovery. Our bodies are amazing with what they can withstand and heal from.
 

6/22

 I think I'm ready to start writing about the past 3 weeks. With Karen's permission, I'm putting words to my experience, but this is really her story and it is definitely not my intention to make any assumptions about any of her experiences.

Last fall it started to become clear that Karen was going to need to have her aortic heart valve replaced. After months of testing and a doctor change, it was also discovered that she had a significant pulmonary artery aneurysm. It was the aneurysm that sped up the timeline for surgery and on June 2, the surgery date was set for June 19. And then the week before, the surgery date got moved to June 22 so that a second cardiac surgeon could be present during the surgery.

On June 21, we dropped Isaiah off to Brian and Meghan, the other 3 kids were at camp, and Jeremy and I drove to Morgantown, WV. Our trip took a long time and we arrived later than we had hoped, but we still got to visit with Van and Karen and see Josh for a bit. When Joel arrived we gathered together for a picture and prayer. It wasn't an easy good bye that night, knowing what the next day held.

I woke up at 4:50am knowing that they would be checking in at the hospital. Only two people could wait in the hospital, so I sent an "I love you" text and eventually fell back to sleep for a few hours. Jeremy and I spent the morning in our hotel room. He had some work to do. We kept worship music playing and regularly "I'm So Blessed" by Cain would play and we would remember that no matter what Mom Karen was Blessed and a Child of God and we would trust God for the heartbeat in her chest. 

Joel met us for lunch at Chipotle. I decided that Starbucks was necessary too and the sweet barista asked us "what fun things we had planned for today." The three of us kindof looked at each other and said that actually we were--a bit anxiously-- waiting for our Mom who was currently having open heart surgery. Not exactly the answer she was expecting. The window for surgery ending was 1:00 so while Van and Josh waited at the hospital, Joel stayed with Jeremy and I. By 3:00 we were all getting a little antsy. Finally, at 4:00 the surgery status changed on the app to "Recovery". We knew nothing except that Mom was out of surgery. 

And that's all we knew until 6:00 when we got to the hospital. At some point in there, we found out that the visitors in the cardiovascular ICU could rotate. When Jeremy, Joel and I arrived, Van and Josh had seen Karen and were ready for supper. Jeremy and Joel went in. They must have let 3 of us go in...I can't really remember. When I got in the room, I knew I wasn't leaving until I had to. Karen was waking up and still had the breathing tube in. I took her hand and she held on. It ended up being a very stressful hour until they took the breathing tube out. I was trying so hard to read her eyes and little hand motions. She had to have restraints until the breathing tube was removed. It was awful. I knew Karen was getting more stressed. I couldn't do anything to help. I was in full protective Mom mode! The guys came back later and I rotated out. I wish I had spent the night...it was a long, rough one having just come out of a 9 hour surgery.

On Friday we took turns visiting. Jeremy and I spent most of the day at the hospital. The day went really smoothly (medically) for Karen and, by evening, Jeremy and I had decided that we would return home the next day. Aliza, Josiah and Anna had returned from camp. They were anxious to tell me all about their week and I was very much missing them! That evening Jeremy found a park and we walked a trail together. It felt good to walk and breathe some fresh air.

For the next week I was emotionally sitting in the hospital while I was at home keeping the household running. Jeremy and I kept up with what was happening medically by calling the nurses during each shift. We kept up steady communication with Jeremy's brothers and their wives and I kept Karen's siblings updated. 

On Sunday, Karen had her first episode of atrial fibrillation. This is an expected side effect of a surgery this complicated and extensive. It didn't make it any easier on Karen or the rest of us walking beside her. Ultimately she had her heart shocked three days in a row and come home on medicine to keep her heart rate balanced. (That is a very brief and overly simple rendition of that week.) 

My Mom got multiple phone calls from me each day. I would tell her what I thought I understood the nurses were saying to see if it made any sense to her. It was like a puzzle that we were trying to put together. Each day we would get a little more information that we would piece together with what we had learned the shift before. 

For almost a week, I would call Aunt Donna each evening and she would pray for Karen with me. It was such an encouragement to me and Jeremy. 

On day 10, Saturday, Karen came home from the hospital. Surgery was 1 full day, she was ICU for 5 days, step down ICU for 3 days and a regular room for 1 day.

Getting home was it's own ordeal. I knew there were 5 steps to get up and the length of a rancher house to get a bathroom which was going to feel like more than a marathon to Karen especially after a 3 hour drive home--having to sit up straight in a car. I was very relieved when I got the text that she was in the house and settled. 

To be continued...
 

Joy Dare::June

 10,238. My tribe of friends and family
10,239. Sitting on the porch with my Mom
10,240. James hanging out at our house
10,241. Brian able to come look at the light
10,242. Inviting ourselves to supper
10,243. A conversation that made me nervous was ok
10,244. Some scrapbooking
10,245. Feels like a Sabbath weekend
10,246. Anna really excited
10,247. Church
10,248. Cool mornings that warm up
10,249. Crossing off the to do list
10,250. Family supper at Mom and Dad's house
10,251. Seeing Dad feel so much better
10,252. Aliza feeling better about work
10,253. Watching the youth group hang out

10,254. Giving Isaiah time and attention
10,255. Having teenagers hanging out here
10,256. Found the flat tire before I had to leave
10,257. Able to help with Plan B
10,258. A car with lots of miles that is still reliable
10,259. Meeting new people
10,260. Enough rest for the day
10,261. Talking to the kids and Jeremy
10,262. A chair with a back at lunchtime
10,263. Afternoon caffeine
10,264. Not wearing a watch
10,265. Customers who were very patient with our WiFi
10,266. Steak dinner and conversation
10,267. Home
10,268. Hugs
10,269. Getting to sit and talk with Jeremy
10,270. Letting the tears fall today
10,271. Watching the KLOVE Fan Awards
10,272. Holding my family close
10,273. Taking the day on slowly
10,274. A beautiful evening to spend outside
10,275. Morning walk
10,276. Having Renee and Lydia here
10,277. Processing
10,278. Shopping with Anna
10,279. Catching up with Elizabeth
10,280. A cleaned up, sorted out closet
10,281. Laundry room neat and clean
10,282. A lovely Grace Case
10,283. An evening with Isaiah
10,284. Family time
10,285. A Father's Day present that worked out
10,286. All the pre-leaving feelings and tears
10,287. Aliza's SAT scores
10,288. Anna's confidence and excitement this morning
10,289. Mini golf with Jeremy and Isaiah
10,290. A "do nothing" day
10,291. Pictures of my campers smiling
10,292. Doing things with Isaiah that he wants to do
10,293. A little pool time before the rain
10,294. Isaiah playing games with cousins
10,295. Extra reading time with Isaiah
10,296. Goldfinches at the feeder
10,297. A safe trip in spite of the rain and traffic
10,298. Pictures of Isaiah having fun
10,299. Together
10,300. Together in waiting
10,301. Worship music playing
10,302. Holding Karen's hand
10,303. Getting to visit
10,304. Time with Jeremy
10,305. An evening walk in the park
10,306. Praying together before heading home
10,307. Hearing all the camp stories
10,308. Tucking all my kiddos in bed
10,309. The kids sharing about camp in church
10,310. Fresh air this afternoon
10,311. Aunt Donna's prayer
10,312. Connecting with Amanda
10,313. Mom listening to all my processing
10,314. Walking through this season with Jeremy
10,315. Decompressing just a bit
10,316. Friends who pray with me
10,317. Enough left in me to host Bible study
10,318. Karen sounding calm and settled this evening
10,319. Taking a quiet evening
10,320. Rest for myself
10,321. Jeremy gives me so much grace
10,322. Blueberries
10,323. Karen is safely home
10,324. Isaiah getting to play with the big kids