update from Spence...surgery scheduled for 7/31

Ok. New update. I went and had the much awaited test today to see if the medicine and my drastic change in lifestyle has help improve my heart. It hasn't. So, tomorrow I will be having surgery. They are placing a bi-ventricular pacemaker with defibrillator in my chest in the morning at 11am at St. Thomas hospital. I had hoped to avoid this, but at this point, I'm just ready to get better. It's time to start living a normal life again. Also, waiting any longer could put me in serious danger of more heart damage or even death. I have 3 children and a wonderful wife that need there dad and husband. Thanks for your continued prayers and support. They have meant the world to me. God heals in many different ways, and I whole heartedly believe this is the right thing to do. Also, in case you're wondering, after this procedure corrects my heart issues, I could live to be 100!!

.... an update on Spence ...

I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to update this blog. I am so grateful to Julia Crutcher for setting this up, but I am certainly old, a full time student, and the wife of one in conjestive heart failure! Oh, and we have 3 kids!

So, since my last update, which was when Spence was released from the hospital...the first time...

He went back to the hospital for a one night stay about a month after he was released the first time. No big deal, but they just wanted to monitor him overnight, as they will any time he goes to the ER with his condition. He was released, finding out he cannot be outside at all...with record breaking high temps, this turned out to be just plain depressing for him, stuck in the house all the time!

We went to for his scheduled heart failure specialist appointment, and he thought he was doing good, they were able to "up" his heart failure meds, which was a good sign.

About a week after this appointment, he started vomitting everyday and his pulse was running way over 100. Normal pulse rate is 60-80, on a low day his was 100. Got up to 130...he decided to go back to hospital. Of course they kept him for observation. During his last stay, the doctors discovered he has Ventricular Tachycardia. This is an additional diagnosis, not just a byprodect of heart failure. He had an 8 second run of V-Tach, "a lethal one" according to his Cardioligist. It expalined why he was feeling so bad, and why the vomiting was occuring. They put him in CCU and gave him a drip of amiodrone, a anti-arrythmia med. He was released Thursday (July 12, 2012) with more meds to control the new diagnosis.

He had a decent weekend...his pulse never got over 90, and he's felt a lot better.

We are talking with the heart failure specialist to come up with a date soon to have another echocardiogram to see if the meds helped his heart at all. If there is not a significant improvement, we are planning to proceed with the implantation of a biventricular pace maker.

Thanks to everyove for all the prayers...one thing is for sure, Spence is a miracle, and I know that God has big plans for my man!!!