Mark's profileMark's spacePhotosBlogListsMore  |  Tools Help |
|
October 27 Life as a 1b Hey all. How are you? If you did not notice the title of this latest installment of my chronicals of heart disease, I am technically listed as a 1B on the transplant. How did I get there, you ask? Well, let's backtrack a little...
On Monday 10/22, I admitted into Iowa Methodist Medical Center for the usual treatments, plus one. I was given a PICC-line. That is a line which is installed in my right arm about six inches above my elbow and is threaded directly into my heart. It will be with me till I get a new heart. The purpose of this line is so that I can receive a full-time infusion of milrinone. This is a drug that makes the heart output increase and should make me feel a little stronger for a little while. The downside Is that you can only fool mother nature so long. (similar those of you ladies who "touch up" or "highlight" your hair.) This will not strengthen my heart. It will continue to weaken and deteriorate. That is the expected medical course and it gets me closer to receiving a new heart. Not so fast...I'm technically not even qualified for a heart right now because I have not met the weight requirement plus I still have my teeth. So if a heart became available today I would not get it. The hard part of all this, is that I cannot lose weight with a chest full of water, and I cannot move the water with such poor heart function. Also I cannot get my teeth pulled because I am too unstable right now. At the very least you gotta laugh, this is not without humor. I could not even imagine going through this without God at my side.
That brings me to the next topic. I have caught myself walking the wrong path this week. My prayer life has gone downhill, my family is stressed. And my dog is losing hair. I have a friend who sends me encouraging scriptures and prays constantly as many of you do. I now know what Christianity is founded on. While my faith slips, another of my brethren has picked up my burden and allowed me to catch my breath. I realized that while getting out of the hospital. I am now spititually stronger again and ready to carry your burden for awhile. Are you needing a rest? I never realized how purely someone could love another person until I was at about the weakest point in my recent revival of faith. What I am driving at, is that we cannot walk on by when we see someone we do not know on the side of the road. Some of you do not even know me, yet you pray for me. I do the same with joy in my heart. I am proud to call you brothers and sisters. The secret is to pray with an earnest heart. God knows our innermost thoughts and feelings and he knows when we just go through the motions. I did that late last week and I have let you down. I could not have gotten this far without all of you and I vow to be there for all of you here on in. If I don't feel it I wont pray it. I feel it now.
Wrapping up. I have to go to Mayo monday and tuesday and Mary will be travelling with me. This is for some blood testing and to familiarize ourselves with the transplant facility. I plan to take a laptop with me so I will try to be in touch and I will do my part in adressing your prayer needs. I still have a big ole' smile on my face...(maybe cause I still have teeth) and I will continue to joke about my situation. I want to give a special thank you to Bob Williams, and Sherrell Gay. These two have both had transplants and have been taking me under their wings. Bob has kept me laughing with some good jokes ranging in subject matter, and Sherrell called me recently out of the blue. Sherrell, I love your gentle southern accent, and you are a true lady. God Bless you all. Mark  October 14 life on the "2" list 6. well, hello all. I have found the perfect oppurtunity to update you all as currently my beloved Cowboys are getting spanked soundly by the New England Patrioits. Actually they just scored a defensive touchdown to make it 14-10. Anyhoo, I have alot to say so lets get to it.
I just escaped (I mean discharged) from Iowa Methodist Medical Center, on Friday. I was in there for three days. I was put in there for the standard Congestive Heart Failure treatment. That entails me receiving intra-veinous lasix and a diffuser. I did receive some sobering news while I was in there. I need to start having weekly Inotrope treatments. These will require a permanent placement of a line (similar to a pick line) in my arm. I will have to go in once a week for treatments. The drugs are to help strengthen my heart for daily functions. It also signifies the start of the next step in the deterioration of my heart. It is overall a good thing, as it might move me up the list a ways. I am not bedridden or in any pain, with the reduced heart function. The only really noticeable change is that I get tired alot easier. But I am not opposed to excessive napping if it is good for my body. God seems to communicate with me best while I am asleep so hopefully I can "step it up" spiritually.
I have communicated with all of my family back home and in Florida, and all are doing well. I miss all of them and hope to be able to see them before too long. (T.R.K, you are included as "family) My mom is doing okay, she has a heart condition similar to mine, but she seems to be fighting for all she can get.
I was able to go to church today, and the pastor preached on suffering. People kept looking at me so I need to say this... I am not suffering. I have no pain, I am not depressed, and I am still on my feet. There are times where I feel tired, but if that is suffering, I have it easy. I hope all of you can know the comfort I get daily from God. It is so amazing to wake up and start the day with a hearty "good morning" prayer with God. Trust me I know he hears prayer, because the Cowboys are 5-0 and Jeff Gordon is leading the nextel cup points chase. That is of course a joke... I have a wonderful life in God. I grow closer with him by the day. I am still having a hard time with some of the humans in my life, but God is good. I get one of the greatest honors any man can have by being entrusted with the responsibility of praying for people all over the United States. That is huge in my eyes. So again please do not feel sorry for me.
I will close with a prayer for all of you and I will share it with you.... Dear heavenly father,I humbly ask that you travel with this email and touch all of the hearts of those who read this. Give them the grace and comforting love that you have shown me. Forgive me and all of my friends of the sins we have comitted against you and show us your divine patience that we may have the example to model ourselves after. Thank you for the suffering you undertook and the blood you shed on the cross that we may have a clearly marked pathway to salvation. AMEN.
May God be with you and if there is anything I can do for any one of you, don't hesitate to ask. I love you all, MARK  October 03 life on the "2" list 5 Hello friends, how are all of you? I have several updates to share with all of you, and I can't wait to start.
I have gotten involved with a wonderful network of transplant survivors. I will not mention any names to protect their privacy, but they are a great resource for someone like me who is at the beginning stage of what they have already been through. Much like my walk with God, I am drawing great strength from people who have more experience and wisdom. They have been invited to read this and if you happen to be one of these people, I truly salute you and welcome you to my life story.
I have always found it best to get the bad news out of the way first, so here goes. I am sick again. My weight has skyrocketed (over a period of 5 days) from 280 to 298. It is water weight which my heart is not strong enough to remove by itself. I have been put on a medication (diuretic) called metolozone. I am to take 1 pill every morning for the next 3 days. This is a really powerful diuretic and it really knocks you for a loop. This is something I can take and manage at home, so I am really hoping this works. The next step would be re-entering the hospital which I really don't want to do. There is plenty of that in the future. So there is the bad news, lets move on.
On to better things. I seem to be getting back to some kind of normal. The anxiety seems to be under control for the time being. I am not yet "cured", but I am not as afraid to move around a little more. I was going to start walking again today, but the water issue kind of put that on hold. I have been getting out of the house on a regular basis. Any of you who know me know that I am going nuts sitting around and not working. I need to get my hands dirty, but I am not ready for anything like that yet. I will spend as much time at the church as I can studying the bible and getting to know God much better. As well, I will be praying for all of you.
I am not even remotely down in the mouth about my condition. It is actually just the opposite. God didn't make me sick, genetics did. However, God is showing me how to use this illness to share his love with others. Some of you who are nascar fans have heard the phrase "sometimes you gotta slow down to go faster". That is where I am at this point. I want to serve God every day for the rest of my life. That is not so say I don't want to return to the workforce asap, I just want to take God with me. He has given me a wonderful gift and I would be a dissapointment to him if I did not use it to further his kingdom. God wants each and every one of us to come home to heaven and spend eternity with him. People like me have to introduce other people to him so that they can begin a relationship with him. He only needs to be invited into your house, and he will make you a brand new person. This sounds like fantasy or magical, but let me tell you, it is real, and it is awesome. It is a tangible feeling and I pray you can feel it when you are ready. I urge you though, do not delay. Tomorrow is not promised to us. I want to see all of you when I have a new body and we can really rejoice together.
I am going to wrap this session up. I just want to let all of you know that I am okay and I am never too sick to pray with you or for you. My cell phone is 515-229-2089. I do not talk to others about anything shared with me. If I do not know what to pray for, I will speak with my pastor, but I will maintain your confidence. Have a great day (or night) and know that I love everyone of you.
Later gators...Mark |
|
|
