life's events

I have A LOT to post about, but mainly wanted to post this real quick because I have SO MANY (thank you, thank you thank you for your kind words, love and support!) phone calls and text messages coming to my phone daily. :)

Last Tuesday (may 4th) Casey had a physical done. He had mentioned to Dr.Cain that he had been having a few chest problems, and would feel better if he had it checked out. Dr.Cain didn't think it would be anything serious, but sent Casey home with a Halter Monitor. It is a monitor that watches your heart for 24 hours. He took it easy for those 24 hours, seemed extremly tired, but when the 24 hours was up, he went about his normal life.

Thursday (may 6th), he went to work, went to the gym (ran for 30 minutes on the treadmill, worked his abs and his legs...normal gym routine) came home and showered, and went to our nephews baseball game. I was home making dinner and tending my adorable nephews for my sister in law. Casey was only gone for maybe 15-20 minutes when he came back home, but without Ashton (who was the only kids who had gone with him) he asked me to come in the living room, because he needed to talk to me.

We went and sat on the couch, and he had told me that Dr.Cain had called, and the results from his Halter Monitor were not good. He needed to get to the hospital immediatly, and he already had a room assigned to him (#236). It was all happening so fast, I wasn't sure what to do. Thankfully my sister (who was packing to leave on a trip) took my kids so that I could run Casey to the hospital. We were told that while he was wearing the Halter Monitor, during the day his heart rate would drop to 24 beats per minute (normal is between 60-90- him being only 29 years old should have been closer to 90) and that two times during the night his heart had stopped beating twice, for 8 seconds the first time, and 7 seconds the second time. We were stunned. We had no idea that this is what was happening to his heart, that this was the reason he was having chest pains.

The next moring the cardiologist came in to visit and see Casey. They had decided that it was best to put a pacemaker in him. Its very unusual and odd to have a pacemaker put in when you are only 29 years old. Dr. Price (the cardiologist) said that he usually does these on 70-80 year olds, not someone as young and healthy as Casey. About 10:30 they took Casey into surgery. It lasted an hour (thank you to my mom in law for taking the kids this day for a few hours!) While Casey was in surgery, I ran home and packed my kids to send them to my parents house for a few days (thank you to my mom in law for going to the hospital to sit in recovery so Casey would have a familiar face to wake up to! you helped so much!) I got the kids packed in about 10 minutes flat! The fasted packing job I've ever done! My wonderful older brother Zac, drove the kids to meet my dad in Beaver, and then my dad took them home for a few days (thanks Zac, mom and dad!)

After Casey's surgery, we were told that the nurses and doctors didn't want to scare us, because they knew we were already to nervous and anxious about everything that was going on, so they waited until after surgery to tell us this: Thursday night, while Casey was in the hospital, his heart stopped beating for 12 whole seconds! Its crazy to think about!

Casey is doing wonderful know. We were told this morning, that the pacemaker did have to kick in and work last night a bit, but he doesn't feel it. He will have to get it replaced about every 10 years. He will be off work for 8 weeks, but then after the 8 weeks, he can resume his normal life. With a few minor exceptions: he can no longer go through airport security (he has to carry a special ID card that says he has a pacemaker and the security checks him another way), he can't jack hammer, no arc welding, no firing a rifle that will kick into his left shoulder, and a few minor things like that (stuff he doesn't do anyways).

The past few days have been a total blurr. One minute our family was fine and healthy, and the next minute my husband, whom was healthy and very active was needing a pacemaker. I am so thankful that Casey listened to the heart/chest pains, and decided to get it checked out. I am thankful for great doctors (Dr.Cain and Dr.Price). Dr.Cain told us today, that he was second guessing himself on giving Casey that halter monitor, because Casey is so young and active, and he wasn't sure he made the 'right choice' at first, but thankfully he listened to a little voice that told him to send Casey home with the halter monitor.....someone is watching over us, and isn't ready for Casey to come home yet. I am thankful for all the great nursing staff that has answered so many questions for us. I think we probably drove them nuts with all our questions, but it just isn't usual for a 29 year old to have this procedure done. We've all been really shocked! Casey is doing really good now, and has been resting. Prayers are continally apprciated so much!

Casey has to wear his arm in a sling for the next 2 weeks, because they want the wires to his heart to heal correctly, then after that he can run on the treadmill at 4 weeks, and then return to work at 8 weeks.