A lot has happened since my last update. A lot of weird, scary, frustrating stuff. Brents oxygen levels have been low still and he was switched from just oxygen at night to oxygen all of the time. He has had weird pain in his back, but the nerve pain in his arm is much better. He has been short of breath and coughing. All of these things are fairy normal after open heart surgery, but all of these things together are not.

Rewind a few days. Our family goes to the Uintas every year and this was the week that I reserved clear back in January. I reserve the best spot in the campground at Moosehorn, which is up by Mirror Lake. When all of the heart stuff started in May we figured the trip would just be canceled. The kids, however, still wanted to go so I didn’t cancel the reservation. With Brent not doing super well since surgery I had no plans of going up. Because we have the best family and friends, I was able to go up for a few days. Dennis, Brents brother who is a Dr offered to come stay with Brent. Dan Cunningham, our friend who had the space next to us for the week offered to drive the trailer up and back. I don’t often take people up on their offers of help, but this time I did. I knew deep down that I needed a break. So, Dennis drove up from St George on Sunday and I passed my nurses hat on to him.

Dennis did more in those three and a half days than I can ever thank him for. He was on the phone asking questions and getting answers. Come to find out, Brent had fluid in his lung which was causing the pain, low sats, and shortness of breath. They arranged for him to have his lung drained on Thursday. On Tuesday Dennis drove him up to our camp and they stayed for a little while due to Dennis arranging portable oxygen tanks. Tina had to drive down to kamas to dial in to a zoom meeting for her school and while down there got a call saying that Brent had a really bad night and that they were doing the thorocentesis immediately. They drained 1100 cc’s of fluid off of his left lung. That’s a lot of fluid folks. He’s already feeling better and last night he actually slept longer than he has in months. However, while doing the thorocentesis, they noticed that his Hickman central IV line was misplaced and not even draining into the right side of the heart! Not quite sure how that happened or how he even made it out of the hospital without someone noticing that. 😡. So today we are at Utah Valley and he just had the central line removed and a new one put in. Ay-yi-yi.

Here’s what we are hoping. . .

1) that by draining his lung, the problems with breathing, pain, and fatigue are solved.

2) that by replacing the line he can resume his TPN tonight and not get dehydrated.

3) that the combination of these things solves his low oxygen levels and he can get off of suplimentary oxygen.

4) that the misplaced line was causing the heart rate fluctuations and that by replacing it, his heart rate will normalize.

5) that Brent can now regain his strength and get back to doing normal things like smoking meats and camping and working. 😊

We are so thankful for modern medicine, prayers, and people and medical professionals that care. Our hearts are full of gratitude and love for those that are willing to be on call when I’m gone, for Dennis being willing and actually enjoying being a caregiver and using his Dr skills and knowledge. He said it was great brother bonding time watching John Wayne movies. I know he didn’t get much rest while he was here, too worried about Brent and how he was doing. And thanks to Dan for driving the truck and trailer up and back AND emptying the tanks. He went above and beyond in the friend area. (It was also fun to have them up with us for a couple days.)

We have lots of follow up appts in the next couple of weeks. Here’s hoping all goes well from here on out.

Love you all.

Once again, I apologize to those of you wanting an update. It’s been a long couple of weeks just trying to figure out what our new normal is. It changes all the time. I have a love/hate relationship with change.

Brent IS improving. It is slow and frustrating for him. He is still pretty weak and in pain. We did switch pain meds and that seems to have helped. He also now has oxygen at night to keep his sats up. We are fairly certain there is some kind of nerve damage in his arm where they used the artery for the angiogram after his heart attack to remove the piece of vegetation that broke off from his valve and also used the same artery during surgery and post op for the heart monitors. The pain in his arm has been more bothersome than his cracked sternum and incision. We got a Tens unit to administer electric stimulation and that seems to relieve the pain in his arm for awhile.

We have a cardiac physical therapist coming to the house three times a week to try to build up some stamina. That will switch over to going to the hospital outpatient for cardio rehab. We go for a short walk down the block every night.

We are so blessed with family and friends. Without you we couldn’t do this. You buoy us up in ways that bring us to tears and to our knees in gratitude. Seriously. Thank you.

Well we ventured out today and had to drive to IMED for Brent’s first Post-op checkup with the cardio surgical team. They said everything looked good. He’s been having excruciating pain in his arm which is the arm they went in for the angiogram and also the monitors. He will have an arterial ultrasound on it tomorrow to see what’s going on. Hoping to rule out thrombosis. Also hoping it’s not nerve damage.

It’s been an adventure getting on top of pain management. Had to switch pain meds. The pain meds are causing his oxygen sats to drop during the night, so we’ve had oxygen delivered to use during the night. Hopefully now we can get some sleep.

We just need to work on some physical endurance and that’s going to take some time. All in all, Brent is healing from the heart attack and subsequent surgery. It hasn’t been one of his normal ‘crash hard, recover fast’ events. This one is just going to take time and patience.

Still humbled by your love and prayers and friendship.

Sometimes no news is good news. Sometimes I just forget that I need to update the blog. Sometimes I’m just too tired. Today it’s probably a mixture of all three. I’m too tired to remember to post an update to tell you that he’s ok. 

And by ok I mean that he’s still at home recovering. He’s still in a lot of pain and we are trying to figure out pain management. He’s also quite weak. We knew this one would not be a bounce back recovery. Patience is not one of our virtues sometimes. 

We are still mindful of our blessings each day. Some of our dear friends and neighbors are going through much worse right now. We all have our own trials to push through. Our trials are not any worse than anyone else’s even though it seems like it some times. One of our family sayings is “Oh, then the clouds opened up and God said ‘I hate you, Alfalfa!’” But then other times we remember the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 121:7-9 “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.”

If you’re still hanging in there with us, what to pray for? Pray that we can figure out a pain management that works, pray Brent can rest and sleep. Pray for the end of Covid-19, especially hospital visitor restrictions, as my friend is fighting for her life alone in the hospital. That’s just wrong on so many levels. 

Thanks for checking in. We love you. Lots. 

YES, Brent was released yesterday afternoon. I’m sorry I did not update. It takes a lot to get things settled.

Brent had his Hickman IV tunnel (central line) put back in yesterday morning and then it was just waiting until they got all of the paperwork and meds ordered. He came down at about 2:00 to Brenda, Michelle, and Tina with posters. And me with tears.

Then came home to Joseph and Erin and the kids with posters and grandbaby smiles.

We always have such a turmoil of emotions when Brent is released from something as big as this. So very grateful he survived and is coming home, but so very fearful of something going wrong at home.  Which, I might add, is valid because you know, “been there, done that, got the t-shirt.”

Thank you to our dear friends willing to drop everything to come give him a blessing. We love you.

We made it through the night with little sleep but are planning on a quiet day today.

So many thoughts, emotions, wishes, etc. for now, know that we love you. We are mindful of your prayers, we are blessed because of you. You have blessed our lives in countless ways and in countless times.

Grateful to be reunited.

Brent has been doing pretty well today. They are transitioning from hospital meds to home meds in the hopes that he will come home tomorrow or Friday!!! Let’s pray for things to continue to improve with no unexpected setbacks. I am a firm believer that true healing only takes place at home. It brings a level of anxiety with it, but we will deal with it as it comes.

Tune in tomorrow to see if he gets sprung. 🙏🤞❤️

Also, to our friends and neighbors that contributed to the gift that Janice arranged, be assured that the gift cards have come in so handy. I cry whenever I pull them out and decide where to eat today. Thank you a million times over. We love you and are in awe of your love and generosity. And to the friends from OIT, the flowers were beautiful. Thank you!

We are thankful for the prayers being said in our behalf. Last night was the first night I actually slept since last Tuesday. Brent had a relatively quiet night also. (A true quiet night is not even possible in the hospital.) His heart rate stayed below 100 most of the night and the cardioversion was not necessary today. He has been up walking today.

The Drs are starting to transition him from the treatments and meds that he’s on right now to the things he can do and have here at home. Granted, we are experienced enough to do so much more at home than most people. He will start over on the six weeks of IV daptomycin and other medications to try to ensure that the new heart valve is staph-epi free. Infectious disease has to decide when he can have his central line put back in. He currently has a PICC again. I might be putting my nurses hat back on sooner than I thought I would.

I don’t share some things on the blog, even though it seems I share too much sometimes. Some things are too raw, sacred, and too messy to share. I do want to share a couple things that bring me peace. We usually go to sleep listening to peaceful music. The song Be Still My Soul is the first song on our playlist. So many times I need to step back and just be still. It is then that we truly can feel the healing peace that the Savior offers.

Be Still, My Soul

1. Be still, my soul: The Lord is on thy side;
With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In ev’ry change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: Thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2. Be still, my soul: Thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as he has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: The waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

3. Be still, my soul: The hour is hast’ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: When change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Also, I was reading this talk today.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/04/53gimenez

This stuck out to me:

“President Russell M. Nelson taught that “Saints can be happy under every circumstance. … When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation … and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him. He is the source of all joy” (“Joy and Spiritual Survival,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 82).
Of course, it is easier to say these things when we are not in the midst of a storm than to live and apply them during the storm. But as your brother, I hope you can feel that I sincerely want to share with you how valuable it is to know that Jesus Christ and His Atonement are the refuge that we all need, regardless of the storms that are battering our lives.”

I’m full of gratitude for my Savior.

Not a whole lot to update today. It was a rough night with no sleep for either of us. He texted me at 1:30am saying his heart rate was high. One would naturally worry after having a heart attack and open heart surgery. Go figure. He was also in pain. I was listening in on the whole thing on the phone. The PA didn’t seem too concerned, meanwhile I’m freaking out. He thinks it is caused by the pain.They administered Toradol and a drug to bring the heart rate down but it kept going back and forth. They did an ekg and determined it wasn’t an svt, but most likely just a flutter. Today Dr Caine said if it doesn’t level off by itself by tomorrow morning they will cardiovert the heart, which is essentially a reboot. They stop your heart and start it again hoping to regain a normal heart rhythm.

We are mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. We need sleep and a normal heart rhythm.

Thank you to our angel neighbors who mowed and weeded the garden this morning while I was still in bed having a mental health day. I love you. ❤️

Thanks also to all those helping Tina move into her new apartment tonight. You’re the best. 💞.

Here’s hoping for sleep and a quiet night for Brent at the hospital.

July 6 th is a rough day for us. Last year on July 6 th was the day Brent went into septic shock and I was told to call the family in to say our goodbyes. Obviously he survived that bout of sepsis but it left us pretty emotionally unstable. So glad he is still here on earth on this July 6th. 💞

Happy Sunday. I hope everyone is able to find peace and reverence today as you enjoy your Sabbath.

There is not really a lot to update you on. Brent is just working on recuperating and getting some strength back. He is still in a lot of pain, very tired, and very nauseous. It’s a vicious circle of needing the maximum amount of pain meds that then cause the nausea. And then everyone knows that you just do not sleep in the hospital. I feel like that really hinders people’s ability to heal.

Brent is slowly losing all of the tubes. He was extubated three hours after surgery, they have removed the lines in his neck (I think, now I’m doubting my memory), and are removing the chest tubes today.

I feel like now he just needs time and energy to heal. Dr Caine said that the second time around is a little more complicated. Brent’s brother, Dennis (Md.), says it is normal for him to be more weak and tired due to the heart attack and the stress and temporary damage done to the heart. There was no permanent damage done to the heart muscle due to the heart attack and the angiogram they did to retrieve the broken off part of infection showed that his arteries were clean. I think we just need to be more patient and understand that this was very severe.

What to pray for? Pray that he is getting the care he needs, from nurses and Drs who are willing to listen to him and act promptly. Pray that his pain will be relieved. Pray that he can rest and heal. Pray that his Crohn’s can be kept at bay. That’s a whole other complication right now. Due to everything going on with the line infection that led to all of this his monthly stelara shot is a month late and his body knows it. The fact that he is now on blood thinners really is not good for a Crohn’s patient. Pray for him to have an appetite to maybe buffer the effects of the meds.

We are still in awe of the miracles we have once again witnessed. Dr Caine was a recipient of divine intervention as well as Brent. There were decisions made during the 8 hour surgery that he was guided to make specifically for Brent and his body and condition. The fact that Brent has survived the heart attack and valve replacement is miraculous in and of itself. The fact that I haven’t been arrested for breaking down the door of the hospital is also miraculous. I’m not joking. Seriously. It kills me knowing that things are happening that shouldn’t and wouldn’t be happening if I were there.

We are mindful of our blessings. We are united as a family. We feel of your love and prayers. You know, I’ve seen people say things like, “don’t say your thoughts and prayers are with someone, that means nothing. DO something real and tangible.” I strongly disagree. There is not much tangible that anyone can do for us right now. Yes, the lawn needs attention, yes, the garden looks horrible this year, yes, there are things that could be done on the house. But guess what? Those things aren’t important. What is important is knowing that we have this huge support system in place. What’s important is knowing that you all are invested in our lives. What’s important is feeling the real power of prayer and love and concern. And we do. We honestly do. We feel the love from our families, our friends who we consider our family, our neighbors and ward and stake family, and our BYU OIT family. This is why Brent is still here. This is what gets us through this imperfect mortal life. This is why we not so silently weap our tears of thanksgiving. It’s the love of our Father in Heaven, our Savior Jesus Christ, and you.

Today has been a rough day for Brent. He did move out of the ICU onto a normal cardiac floor. (He did not walk out this time. It was too far.)

Brent is in a lot of pain. The pain meds don’t seem to be very effective in giving him relief. Having to be his own advocate, less than 24 out of surgery sucks. He did have the nurse call Dr Caine and he switched him over to PCA

Description

(Patient-controlled analgesia is any method of allowing a person in pain to administer their own pain relief. The infusion is programmable by the prescriber.)

Hopefully he can get on top of the pain now. 

I finally came home tonight. It was very comforting for me to be surrounded by all of my children, daughter in laws, grandbabies, and Brents brother Dennis. Thank you to Michelle for letting us all converge on her house since it is close to the hospital. The stress and tension were high as we all waited for word from the nurse throughout the surgery and then Dr Caine when it was over. When that call came we sobbed, hugged, and gave thanks to our God for one more miracle. 

I don’t like being separated one bit. Could you all please do whatever you can to stop the spread of Covid? Thanks. 

Please pray for relief from the pain he is in. Pray that his nurses will be mindful of him and his unique circumstances and health history. Bless them to listen to him and act accordingly. These are the things that I advocate for when I am allowed to be with him. It kills me to not be able to do that. 

Much love and thanks to all of you. 

DescriptionPatient-controlled analgesia is any method of allowing a person in pain to administer their own pain relief. The infusion is programmable by the prescriber.”

Brent had a rough night with a lot of pain. BUT HE HAD ANOTHER NIGHT!

He’s texting me this morning. He says they will move him out of icu today. So crazy.

I was trying to upload a picture the nurse took last night but my phone won’t let me. I just wanted you to see the proof that he is alive and that your fasting and prayers and good vibes and thoughts do work. Modern day miracles do still occur. Brent has proven that time and time again. He continues to defy all earthly odds. We are continually blessed even in the midst of our faith shattering trials. We often curse as our trials are heaped upon us again and again and again. Our lives are continually turned upside down and all around. We question our faith. We cry tears of frustration, fear, and anger. We wonder why this burden can’t be lifted from him. But then we witness miracles. Our cups are refilled, our meager faith is restored, our family is united in prayer of thanksgiving, and maybe, just maybe we can get some sleep.

Here’s hoping for relief from his pain, which is actually in his shoulder. Here’s hoping that he has a good, frustration free day. Here’s hoping that the nurses and doctors are tuned in to his needs and pay attention to him. Here’s hoping that you are all blessed for your love and kindnesses.

I spoke with Brents nurse and he is doing well. No blood pressure problems and vitals were good. He already was extubated. AND HE JUST TEXTED ME!!! Short and sweet, BUT HE TEXTED ME!!!

Now on to the recovery part. I told him before he went into surgery that he was not going to try to beat his accomplishments from the last time he had open heart surgery....he walked out of the ICU 24 hours later and to his new room. We need to take it slow and easy.

Our emotions are shot and we are all physically exhausted but we are so full of gratitude for yet another miracle in our lives. Prayers are real and we have felt them. There were a couple of times during surgery that Dr Caine had to make some non textbook decisions. I know he was guided to do the right procedures for Brent. Here’s hoping we all can rest better tonight. Praying for Brent and his pain levels and his rest. 💞🙏

With gratitude in our hearts we are so thankful for the phone call we just got. Brent is out of surgery and awake. He is intubated. Dr Caine said he is in the ICU and that all went well with only a few complications. Brent has switched from having a pig valve to now having a cow valve. There was a lot of scar tissue to work through. There was still vegetation on the valve so it is a good thing we didn’t wait. The first heart attack did no damage to the heart muscle but who knows what another dislodged piece could have done.

Our hearts are so full of gratitude. For so many things and so many people. Now we wait and pray for a complication free recovery. There are still no visitors allowed so we pray he will get the care he needs.

We are thankful for Dr Caine and his knowledge, wisdom, expertise, and love.

Just got the call saying he was off of the heart and lung machine. He said the new valve looks good and so far everything looks good. Guesstimates another hour and a half. I’m cautiously breathing a little bit easier.

Just got an update from the nurse in the OR. He is now on the heart/lung machine and they are working on replacing the valve now. He said vitals look good and everything is going well. He will call again when they remove him from the heart/lung machine. Thanks again for the many prayers. It’s very nerve wracking that’s for sure. 💞

So Dr Caine just called and they are just getting started. I told him that so many people were praying for Brent AND him and he was touched. The surgery is expected to take at least 6 hours. I will update when I have news. Many thanks to you for fasting, praying and sending us all your good vibes. It’s going to be a long day. Brent sent me this scripture last night.

31 “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40)