I just spoke with Brent's nurse and she assured me that he was doing well, and resting with his noise canceling headphones on, undoubtably listening to the Mo Tab. I awoke in a panic so had to call. It was good to get about 6 hrs of sleep.

Can I just take a moment and focus on a few tender mercies in all of this turmoil?

First and fore most, we will forever be in Dr. Carn's debt. If he had not listened to Brent's heart when we went in for a persistent cough, the story could be tragically different. He is the one that detected the abnormality that inspired the Echocardiagram which detected the infection. We have been told by the surgeon and team of Drs that this most likely would have been fatal had it gone undetected. He quite literally saved Brent's life. Trying to think of an appropriate way to show our gratitude.

Second, the blessing of being in the right place at the right time, meeting a very skilled and kind thoracic surgeon at IMED named Dr. Caine. After an agonizing six hours he informed us that this was by far the worse infection he has ever seen. He even took a picture of it on his iphone,( which Michelle excitedly asked if he would send it to her. always the nurse. )It was not what they had anticipated going in. I very much appreciated his kind and sensitive nature and how he was so thorough in answering every question in a manner that we understood. He is always smiling and he sets my whole being at peace. Dennis, Brent's brother, trained under Dr. Caine's father at the U of U many years ago and remembers his father to be the same way. Grateful for skilled AND kind and compassionate people.

Third, the many people that we call our support team. You. It is made up of so many people that span the globe, either in our own home, next door, around the corner, across the country, or across the ocean. We have the most amazing family and friends that pull us through each time a crisis arises, which, unfortunately, has been all too often. We have family and friends of various religious beliefs, and perhaps with no religious beliefs, but we feel strength from each of you. We choose to make our private life very public during these times because your strength is what we survive on. We are nothing alone. I can't imagine anyone going through what we have to go through each day, and doing it alone. We suck all of the well wishes, positive energy, prayers, kindnesses, and hugs right out of you. And for this, we are ever thankful. We rely on your faith and your love and your physical, emotional and spiritual strength when we can no longer find it in ourselves. To you we say Thank You, even though we know that saying it does not even become close to expressing what we truly feel.

Brent has a long road of recovery ahead of him. We have yet to discover the extent of the infection. Dr. Caine tried to fix all of the damaged areas in the heart, and we can only hope that the blessings of modern medicine will take over and obliterate the remaining infection. (Pretty big words for 4:00 a.m.)

I would be ungrateful if I did not praise my four children. We could not ask for better children. They each deal with the stress of it all in different ways. We appreciate each of them. Sometimes you want to strangle them and sometimes you stand back and in total admiration and amazement exclaim, "that's my kid!" Thank you Joseph, Michelle, Kristina, and David for being who you are and for keeping your parents in line. :)

For those always in our corner, dropping everything to be here, feeding my family, and serving us in  so many ways, you know who you are, and you know how much we love you.

I will stop rambling now, but just wanted to unload some thoughts.

Lisa