First Beach Day of the Summer

We had such a wonderful day at the beach! Oh, how I love the spring!!! Sand, Surf and Sun!!!

Emory University Hospital

Well, it seems I've stirred up a lot of interest since I mentioned Emory University in some of my comments on facebook, etc... so I thought I would catch you up on the newest information and refresh the old details for those who are just catching up.

Recent details: I am leaving on June 4 and will be seen June 5th at Emory Clinic for Heart Failure and Heart Transplant. I will be evaluated for a BiV Defibrillator/Pacemaker. It will be implanted as early as this summer.
See http://mycrazylife-mommy2alj.blogspot.com/2009/05/cardiac-resynchronization-therapy.html for more information on this procedure.

For information about my diagnosed condition, please see: http://mycrazylife-mommy2alj.blogspot.com/2009/03/long-overdue-update.html

Thanks for all your prayer and questions... I appreciate them all!

Graduation Night

Graduation Night for JA!

My little family - Abigail, JA, Laura and Me!

My Mom and Mickey with JA

JA with his Papa Tom ( above left) and his Great-grandmother, Hazel (above right)

JA with Big sis Abigail (left)

My little man graduated from Kindergarten last night and it was awesome. He is growing up so quickly and is so handsome! Oh, I love him so much... yes, I love his sister's just as much... He's just my little man and very dear to my heart. I think his sister's feel the same way. They love their little bro!

~Congratulations JA~

My Smart Little JA

My son, JA (pronounced like the name Jay) just did the most amazing thing tonight. Well, I as his mother, thinks it's pretty amazing if you ask me! So I thought I would brag on him.

I have so enjoyed having a boy as my youngest child. After having 2 girls, I love seeing how God made his brain and body to be so different than the girls. Albeit my children are all very much alike in their loud mouth, very independent, no nonsense approach to life - my son definitely thinks things through differently than the girls.
Okay, on to what he did that I think is so cool. Friday night, we won a HUGE family night game box with all assortments of games, popcorn, bowls, a blanket and lots of goodies from a silent auction at their school. So bright and early this morning he begins to play with a game called Jenga. He didn't ask for instructions on how to play, but sat down in the living room and proceeded to do a fine job of removing the pieces, placing them on top and continuing until the structure eventually fell. Later this morning, when I asked him to please put the game away, I hesitated, wanting to tell him the quickest and easiest way to put it away (just reassemble the game, as if you were going to play it, and slide the container over the top of it, turn it right side up and put the lid on). After all he is only 6 years old and I wasn't sure if he would get frustrated trying to dump all the pieces into that little tin.

So, in my hesitation, I decided to go about my chore and check on him later. I wanted to see if he could figure out how to get it put away properly. Low and behold - to my surprise, I walked in a few minutes later, he handed me the game, perfectly assembled in the box. I smiled a proud mama smile and asked, "JA, how did you get it all back in so quickly and correctly?" He said, " I turned the lid upside down and stacked all the pieces on top, then I slid the tin over the tower and shut the lid."


That might not sound like a big deal, but I was so proud of his ingenuity! He figured it out all by himself! I just love the way God made our brains, even children. It shows that we don't have to teach them everything, but being a teacher, it's hard to get out of that mode and let them learn it for themselves sometimes. God gave them a wonderful mind too! I hope that I hesitate more often and allow my children to figure it out more for themselves. More proud mama moments would surely come!

Echolocation - My Daughter's Favorite Bat Song

This is my daughter's newest favorite song! Her teacher, Mrs. Law, has been teaching them about owls and bats. It never ceases to amaze me what an awesome memory Laura has. She has spent countless evenings recounting every detail of all the different kinds of bats and owls. Bats that have hair, bats that are big, bats that are small, how bats use echolocation. She even has a cute bat mask she made in school, that she sports where ever I will let her! haha!

I hope you enjoy the following video. It's the new favorite dance song in our house... echo...echo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mwoOyOleGc&feature=related

Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

I have had some recent developments with my congestive heart failure and the course of treatment is still in the early stages. Since diagnosis in November 2008, there has been 2 major episodes of fluid build up around my heart. My doctor has quadrupled the amount of lasiks I take everyday and added Digoxin to my daily regimen. At my most recent appointment, my doctor suggested that I go ahead and have a defibrillator/pacemaker implanted fairly soon. (As soon as the $$ is available) I was not quite ready to hear that actually, because when he diagnosed me 6 months ago, he felt as though that device wouldn't be needed for years. I guess I am progressing faster than we initially thought.

The following is some information about a possible implant that I will be getting sometime in the next few months. I'll post later about the specific device we choose, surgery times and next course of treatment.

Until then.... happy reading.

What Is a Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Device?

If your heart is not beating efficiently and you meet the eligibility criteria,

you may be eligible for a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) heart device.
A CRT device sends small, undetectable electrical impulses to both lower chambers of the heart to help them beat together in a more synchronized pattern.

This improves the heart's ability to pump blood and oxygen to the body.
The heart device itself is actually a tiny computer, plus a battery, contained in a small titanium metal case that is about the size of a pocket watch. It weighs about 3 ounces.

A cardiac resynchronization therapy device is designed to treat heart failure
In addition to the heart device, insulated wires called leads are implanted for two purposes: to carry information signals from your heart to the heart device, and to carry electrical impulses to your heart.

The third part of your implantable device system is a programmer, an external computer located in your doctor's office or clinic that is used to program the heart device and retrieve information from your heart device that will assist your doctor in your heart failure treatment.
There are two types of implantable heart failure heart devices: a CRT pacemaker and a combination CRT pacemaker with defibrillation therapy. Both of these devices help to coordinate the heart's pumping action and improve blood flow. They can also speed up a heart that is beating too slowly.

The CRT pacemaker with defibrillation therapy (CRT-D) also offers the ability to detect and treat dangerously fast heart rhythms, which some individuals with a damaged heart muscle may be at risk for developing. Your doctor will determine which CRT device is appropriate for your medical condition.