Well this past month has been an emotional roller coaster. We have had some great times and a lot of... humbling times. We had a great visit with Jared, Gina & family, also Ezra, Lindsey and their family for Thanksgiving. We went sledding and ate way too much food, which is to be expected! We are so glad that they were able to come and enjoyed their company.
The Friday before Thanksgiving Chas went in for a MRI on his head because he still had not been feeling well since his visit to the ER a month before. We found out on Tuesday the 23 of Nov. that he actually had had a stroke. Then all the doctors and everyone was gone for the holiday weekend, talk about a very stressful and emotional weekend. We are grateful for the support we felt from our family that week while they were here. So the last month has been full of tests and more tests, dr's apts. etc. We feel we have learned a lot along the way and can recognize the Lord's hand in this hard time we have been faced with. It's hard to imagine that you can feel prayers from a long ways away, but it is true. We are truly grateful for all the prayers that have been offered in our behalf, and can feel everyone's love and support. We are so thankful for family and good friends who have spoken of their love and offered help. We feel so blessed to live in such a good ward where we have felt so much love and definitely know they are our family away from home. We are also deeply grateful for friends who helped us get into some awesome dr.'s in Boise. All in all we recognize the Lord's hand and are so grateful for the gospel, family and especially each other.
So I guess I should give kind of a time line on what has happened so far and the results they have found.
Oct 15- ER Visit
Nov 19- MRI
Nov 23 - Found out it was really a stroke
Nov 30 - Blood Work and echocardiogram scheduled
First week of Dec - Echo done, ultrasound of legs done
2nd week of Dec - Call to get some references and appt.'s with Dr.'s in Boise
Dec 12- Miraculously we were able to get in to see a Neurologist and Cardiologist in the same day,
Mon the 13. We spent the whole day going to various appt.'s. We stayed with some friends in Middleton, thanks to Jenny for watching our kids while we went to our first appt. Then we dropped the kids off in Kuna at my brothers house. And went to see the Cardiologist, he is an awesome Doctor he got us in on Tuesday for a Trans Esophogeal Echocardiogram, (I know sounds lovely eh?) ,then blood tests and then we finished off the day with an MRA (like an MRI).
Dec 14 - Spent the morning with Lindsey and the kids, did a little shopping and then went to the Hospital at 1:30, had to wait 2 1/2 hrs. then got the T.E.E done. Dr. said that definitely he has a P.F.O ( you'll have to look that one up if you really want to know, basically a flap that doesn't seal properly and lets things like blod clots through to go straight to the brain, hence the stroke.) So coincidentally, if that's what you want to call it, the Cardiologist and the Neurologist that we went to see are both on the stroke board there at St. Al's and they were having their weekly stroke conference with many other dr.'s the next day.
So now that the verdict is in the consensus was to go in and patch the hole. YAY!!! We now know the problem and that it is fixable. I can't even explain the relief that I feel, like a big burden has been lifted and I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father for all of the blessings he has given us this past week.
We are planning to go in the week after Christmas and he can have the hole patched. IT really isn't too bad of a surgery, he just has to be in there for 24 hours and then he can come home.
Again thank you to everyone for your prayers and love, I will keep you posted on the surgery and such. Especially thank you to my wonderful sis-in-law for watching all of my kids for 2 whole days!! We love you!!
I was soo proud of my kids. I love Brady's face in this picture, doesn't look like he is having fun? He played Jolly Old St. Nick, and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Man, I love that kid!
Brooklyn just looks so old and professional in this picture. She played Pop! Goes the Weasel and O, Christmas Tree. She did great!
