Sunday, November 21, 2010

Madison's One-Year Post Transplant Dinner Celebration

ONE YEAR..  WOW..  INCREDIBLE..  AMAZED..  NERVOUS..  BLESSED..  HUMBLED..  SHOCKED..  POWERFUL..  SPEECHLESS..  TEARS..  HAPPY..  SCARED..  OVERJOYED..  LONGING..  LIVING..  SORROW..  HOPEFUL..  BABY..  BLUR..  HEART..  EXCITEMENT..  TERRIFIED..  HOPEFUL..  SAD..  CALM..  CONFUSED..  MILESTONES..  PEACEFUL..  FAMILY..  LIFE..  UNKNOWN..  APPRECIATION..  LOVE..  SERVICE..  TESTIMONY..  GRATITUDE..  THANKFUL.. 

These were a few words that Mark and I could think of to describe this past year for us.  As Madison's one-year post transplant anniversary is coming up, we are quickly reminded of the many blessings we received.  We are so grateful for each of you and the love and support that you have shown our family.  Thank you.

So.. you're invited...
Please come and have dinner with Mark and I as we celebrate Madison's one-year post heart transplant.  A special invitation is being extended to all heart families and heart kiddos, friends, family, doctors (I know you read this blog..), and transplant coordinators (I know you read this blog as well..).  We would love to see everyone there.  
Dinner will be held at GoodWood BBQ in Orem on December 4 at 6:30pm.  This will be a 'no host' dinner. 

Please RSVP in the comment section below, or send me an e-mail.  I'm excited to see each of you there.     

Monday, November 8, 2010

Magnesium Recall

I'm not sure if this will affect any other heart kiddos, but I wanted to let you know just incase.  This morning I received a phone call from our pharmacy (Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo...) informing me that Madison's Magnesium has been recalled.  They have advised us to stop using her current med and to pick up a new one.  I'm not sure how many pharmacies this affected... maybe just mine...
I also contacted our Transplant Coordinator (Michelle Cardon).  She was not aware of the recall, but advised us to have Madison's Magnesium levels checked.  hmm..  I never thought that a recall might happen.. Has this happened to anyone else?

Sunday, November 7, 2010

One Year : "Holy Cow"

Hello.  It feels so good to finally be writing in Madison's blog.  I seem to be at a place right now where I need to hear from you.  Madison is doing exceptionally well and I continue to stand completely amazed at her progress.  We are trying to slip back into normal life and actually starting to feel like a normal family.  This is a new feeling... I've never felt like a normal family with all the heart stuff going on. lol  We have lived the past 2 years with many restrictions and now we have none.  That is such a weird feeling.   For the first time since Cooper and Madison were born, all four of us now attend all three meetings of church.  This includes Nursery... yikes!  But she loves it... ugh!  Madison continues to have Early Intervention two times per month.  She has graduated from physical thereapy and is currently receiving speech therapy.  She is a little behind compared to a typical 2 1/2 year old due to her old heart.  I have been reassurred over and over again that she is catching up fast and I really don't have anything to worry about.  ( but, how does a heart-mom not worry?  ha ha)
Here's why I need to hear from you... currently our family... ok, maybe just me... have been dwelling in a very surreal environment.  (please tell me this feeling has overcome others)  We are currently sitting in the one-year ago timeframe.  It was one-year ago, October that we were notified that Madison needed to be listed for a Heart Transplant.  And now it is November and November 30 is creeping up on me.  Madison is my miracle baby and she has turned out just fine.  She is absolutely beautiful with a beautiful new heart.  We have been so blessed.  Everything we prayed for and hoped for turned out perfectly, yet I am dealing with the one-year ago emotions.  I just can't believe that we went through a heart transplant.... Holy Cow!  I often want to ask, "are you serious? For real?  ... No Way!"  I think the emotions that I feel today might be because I was so strong during Madison's transplant and now that a year has gone by, I can let me guard down a little, only to find that a flood of emotions appear.  At times it seems so silly to be so emotional.  I remind myself often that Madison is just fine, but then I remember it was a heart transplant... Holy Cow!  We survived and it was so scary, but we did it. 
Below is the beginning of a post that I started to write on October 8... I never finished it  (go figure..)
     Friday, October 8 has come and gone and we didn't receive a phone call from from Dr. Everitt.  We definitely weren't expecting one, BUT then again,  we weren't expecting her phone call last year either.  October 8 marked one year since the phone call that I received from Dr. Everitt where she stated and explained to me in great detail that we needed to list Madison for a Heart Transplant.  It still gives me chills and the tears instantly come as I think about it.  I had never been so terrified in my life.  As I listened to Dr. Everitt, I stood in the hallway of my little home, with tears running down, and starred at Madison as she sat eating breakfast in her highchair.  I remember this day just as it was yesterday and I am still so terrified.  The butterflies of nervousness have never gone away.  Maybe that's just part of being a heart-mom... I don't know.  If nothing else, the terrified feeling is a great reminder of the lessons I have learned throughout this past year.  Two of the lessons include, The importance of life and the meaning of a family.