Changing Course

Sorry for the week off from posting. We have had one of those weeks where you are busily going about your business, planning everything with complete Type A-ness and then - BAM - you quickly change course. We are supposed to be enjoying a two week trip to Los Angeles at the moment but, instead, are readily (and gladly) helping my mom, my children's beloved Grammie.  Since Grammie was going with us on the trip and had already begun packing, I can tell you that no one is more disappointed than she about the abrupt change of plans.

Backing up a little and by way of history, my mom was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm in December 2013. They found the aneurysm accidentally while she was undergoing testing for abdominal pain. For those in the know, it is ascending, non-dissected and located about an inch above the heart. Since she received this news a month after my father's death, she kept it to herself for a while... until April to be exact. The plans were to re-scan her, return for cardio assessment and then consider surgical consult. From her research and from talking with her physician and to people who have had them, aneurysms usually grow slowly, and she was sure that her scan would reveal slow growth and be met with the recommendation of returning for an additional scan in another six months. Over the last couple of weeks, she had the scan, a cardio appointment and a surgical appointment. Long story short... the aneurysm has grown, is now surgical, and she is scheduled for open heart surgery to repair (via man-made graph) the aneurysm Wednesday morning.

We keep telling her she didn't need to do something so severe to get out of going to Disneyland. In all seriousness, she is nervous and would rather be anywhere, doing anything, other than undergoing open heart surgery.  But then we think about the miracles. Aortic aneurysms are usually discovered incidentally, while a patient is being scanned for something else, or they are found during autopsy.  There are no symptoms, and the prognosis is grim for an undiagnosed aneurysm. My mother's family has a strong history for this occurrence. Her father, brother and sister all passed away suddenly in their 50's for what was presumed myocardial infarction but what we now suspect (and mom's cardio specialists concur) were aortic aneurysms.  This has been an emotionally unsettling discovery.

As I said, we are incredibly thankful for the many miracles that have led to her diagnosis and treatment. We would be very appreciative (eternally grateful, really) if you would pray for complete success of this procedure... pray for her surgeon... the surgical team... and for her strength during the procedure and post-op process.  She will be in the hospital for about a week, and then will be convalescing here with us, where the trio have promised to provide excellent care. We pray for complete healing, and thank you profusely for your prayers and good wishes.