Healing Prayers & Blessings for John

UPDATE: Thank you all for your love! Your help took so much stress off our shoulders --> helping to cover living expenses, bills, John's back and forth to doctors appointments, his medical equipment (this will be on going for the rest of his life) medications (which will be prescribed and redosed as needed until they get it right) .. groceries and whatever else came/comes up until he is able to go back to work, after he's cleared by the doctors and LVAD team.

You each have been a complete blessing.

Back Story: It's been a whirlwind of the last couple weeks with living in the unknown and trying to find the way through the dark. We are so tremendously grateful to everyone reaching out, but instead of messaging everyone, and because we probably won't be able to answer all of the questions, texts, messages and calls right away in the days coming .. we've decided to make this public, so hopefully it can help reach anyone we've not been able to make contact with thus far.

John started feeling unwell around Christmas, shortness of breathe, trouble sleeping, no appetite. Then he started retaining water in his lower extremities (legs, ankles and feet) which became so swollen, that it become painful to do pretty much anything. Sitting was uncomfortable. Laying was uncomfortable. Walking was uncomfortable. So John went to urgent care. There they have him two medications and told him he was dehydrated and to load up on electrolytes and Gatorade to help. 

He followed their protocol with some success but not enough to get to a spot that he was comfortable. On February 6th he checked himself into the emergency room at Christ Hospital. 

After running some tests, they admitted him to the hospital on February 5th. Everything since this has kind of been a tornado. Not really knowing what's going on, not having any clear answers or any clear discharge orders. 

Not knowing really what's going on, I continued to work as much as I could, to try and help cover as much as much as I could, of our expenses. Visiting after work, with the boys, going home, back to work .. over and over and over again. 

Last Sunday, it just all became too much. Being home alone knowing that John was still in the hospital alone, was too much. So I went back to the hospital and have been there ever since. Staying the night, so he wouldn't be alone. 

This week has been trying. John's barley gotten any sleep. Not being able to lay comfortably in bed, he's been ridden to the chair, which also is as equally uncomfortable. Waking up at all hours of the night .. because the nurses come in to check vitals, hang new IV bags, make sure leads are in place .. ect. 

The last 48 hours, have been up and down all night until 5A - John's been seldomly sleeping and when he has, it's often interrupted by the RNs, PCAs .. teams of doctors, guest services .. probably everyone who works in the building (not really but it seems like it ).There has been one test after another. Blood work and labs done. Trying to figure out what's going on.

Yesterday, 2/16, he was ordered to undergo a procedure called a right heart catheterization - where a team of doctors navigated a small camera through one of the major veins to access the right side of the heart. 

This was to get a better idea of again, what was going on. To see if labs confirmed extra water around the heart, how hard the heart is working to pump blood back through the body, to determine the EFs of his heart+ if this was solely symptomatic of his CHF or something more. 

Yesterday, we got news that changes everything. The EFs showed a bit more damage than the cardiac team had originally thought. Subsequently the heart cath showed the right ventricle is weaker than normal, not functioning as it should - as is the left, and that there are a few options that we can implement now, in hopes of a better and longer quality of life. 

Because let's be honest, no one is ready for that. There's much more life to live, things to do, places to discover, people to meet, experiences to be had. 

So the AHF team came in and discussed our options. Ether Heart Transplant or an Left Ventricle Aid Device aka LVAD.

We were devastated to hear this. Trying to cope with what we just heard and trying to process it all - we broke down. And had our moment of sadness and then made up our minds that we are determined to move forward with this, to make the changes that need to be changed and to prolong this time together, as much as possible.

We're opting for an LVAD because to us, from what we've read, what we've reached - it's a been and more viable option for John, for us and for our family.

Today 2/17 - was one after another, meetings, consultations and analysis' .. running even more tests and assessments to make sure that John is a viable canidate for the implant. We spoke to coordinators, GI teams + the palliative care team. Probably 30 different people, all trying to work with us to help move this journey to the next steps. 

In the coming days, John will go through a few more tests just to make sure there is absolutely NOTHING standing in the way. The board of LVAD doctors will make the decision if John fits the patient requirements for an LVAD implant and we will move from there. 

If they deem John is suitable, he will be scheduled for the procedure within the coming days (hopefully). I will be trained with education classes on how to care for the jumpline site + how to care for him, living with a LVAD. 

This is scary. It's a long road ahead but we're hopeful. Mindset and attitude is everything. We know that we have an army of love and support behind us and are ready to fight.

We have set up a GFM to help ease the stress of the cost of living, while John has been out of work + expenses that may arise after the procedure is complete. If you feel led to help us through this next chapter, please know that we are forever grateful. 

(I'm sure there is some stuff that I've missed in this, but will try to update as I can!) Please feel free to reach out if you'd like but understand this is all new to us, so if we don't respond right away, have patience and grace..

I've included the link to our GFM as well as my Venmo/CashApp if you don't want to support GFM + their outrageous fees. 

Please send all the love + good vibes + prayers our way, as the next few days are going to critical and of utmost importance. 

Thank you so much!

God Bless. #insicknessandinhealth