In the coming year, our little family will be facing some pretty extreme medical challenges. On June 16th, Alison was diagnosed with breast cancer. Four days later, she woke up in afib, unable to breathe, with a heart rate that fluctuated between 150 and 180 bpm.

We called the doctor’s answering service and the nurse implored us to call an ambulance. We did.

For six days, the amazing cardiac team at CDH tried to get her blood pressure to cooperate with her heart rate, but to no avail.

Two cardioversions (for a total of three in ONE month), and a litany of medications have failed to address the issue of her very stubborn heart. While she’s currently stable, she is going to need a cardiac ablation in the very near future in order to deal with the later looming threat of the cancer - a mastectomy and reconstruction, chemotherapy, and radiation. And of course, the recovery periods.

All of this is a tightrope walk that we can’t do alone. But we know our community will help us through it. Thank you in advance for sharing, donating, and keeping us in your thoughts.