Update Continued...

Hello Friends!!

It's been a little while but it has been quite a month.  Following the first update post I posted about about a month ago, I will continue with what has been going on...

The following morning, Thursday, October 4th, I woke up as usual.  My husband went to work and I was spending the morning with my son before he went to school that afternoon.  I was excited because I had just bought a ticket to go see one of my favorite actresses at her book signing for that evening.

I was talking to my sister-in-law, as I do most mornings when we have our "coffee chat".  I was telling her I was feeling dizzy.  I laid down and put my feet up as I was told to always do when suffering from a dizzy spell.  Once I started feeling better, she asked me if I had eaten anything yet today.  I told her no, so I went to the kitchen and grabbed a breakfast bar from my pantry.

I then went upstairs to go to the bathroom and I felt dizzy again.  The next thing I know, I woke up on my bathroom floor with my four year old screaming on the top of his lungs.  My sister-in-law heard everything on the other line so she immediately hung up and dialed 911.  Not remembering, once I woke up I immediately called 911 too.  I had never been so scared in my life and as a mom, I took it really hard knowing what my son had just witnessed. 

The next thing I know, my sister-in-law is flying through my door and at the same time the paramedics showed up.  A few minutes later, my mother-in-law showed up.  They took me in the ambulance to Northwest Community Hospital and ran some tests.  Once I got to the hospital, they saw that there was a six seconds pause in my heart rhythm.  Being a heart transplant recipient they were very concerned.  NCH is not a specialty hospital so they decided to transfer me to Loyola Medical Center.  LMC is where my Cardiology team is so I felt happy to go there, because I know that they would know my history and know what the next steps were to take.

After waiting hours and hours at NCH including moving to ICU, I finally transferred to LMC at around 3:00am on Friday morning.  Once I got to LMC and was sent to a room in their ICU, the team of doctors came in later that morning to make their rounds.  They wanted to put a pacemaker in me because of the pause in my heart rhythm.  At first, I didn't take it very well.  I have had this heart for 20 years with no issues and then all of a sudden this?!  I was in disbelief.  I demanded I speak to my actual Cardiologist before making any decisions.

My doctor came in later that day and pretty much scared me.  He basically said that what happened to me could happen again without the pacemaker and next time it could be a different outcome and I may not wake up.  After talking to him, my parents, my husband and my best friend, I made the decision to get the pacemaker.  My doctor made a few phone calls and they let me get my pacemaker Friday evening, so I didn't have to stay in the hospital the whole weekend and get it done on Monday.

After getting an echo and an angiogram, I know my heart is healthy with the exception of my tricuspid valve regurgitating, which has been for years.  They have kept an eye on it and have told me that one day, I will probably need to have valve replacement surgery.  I was released from the hospital the next day.

I want to thank everyone again for the continued thoughts and prayers.  They are very much appreciated, as always.

Much Love,
KJA

Update

Hi Friends!!

Monday night was so bad!!  I had constant bladder spasms.  Every 30 seconds I would have a bad spasm.  I only was able to get 2.5 hours of sleep.  On Tuesday morning, my wonderful in-laws took my son for a couple hours so I could nap before my procedure on Tuesday afternoon.  It's been a crazy 24 hours but I know it's one step closer to getting completely healed. 

Yesterday, I had the Cystoscopy done.  The waiting was nerve-racking but it was all okay once I got back to the Operating Room and they gave me the medication to relax me.  They took out the 12fr catheter that had been in since last Thursday from the Emergency Room and put in a 14fr catheter.  They also found 5 bladder stones.  They removed those as well.  The procedure lasted about an hour they said.

Once I got to recovery, I had a bit of shortness of breath but my vitals were good.  They gave me some oxygen for a little while, then it got better.  Once I felt better, I was up pretty fast.  They gave me some graham crackers and sprite.  I was able to walk around a little bit.  They discharged me by giving me 2 Tylenol with Codeine and prescribing me Tolterodine Tartrate (helps with bladder spasms) and Cephalexin (antibiotic).  When I got home, I was pretty tired.  I ate the Panera Bread my mother-in-law got for me on the way home then I went to bed.

I was able to sleep much better last night.  I took a Tolterodine Tartrate before I went to sleep at around 9:00pm.  I woke up in pain around 12:30am, so I took some Tylenol.  That took the edge off and I was able to get back to sleep.

Thank you to everyone who has had me in their thoughts and prayers this week.  It is very much appreciated!!  I hope to be all better in about 6 days.

Much Love,
KJA

Hello October!!!

HAPPY OCTOBER!!!! 

🍀🍁🍂🍃

              Much Love,

              KJA

Life is not always perfect

Hello Friends!

It's been a tough couple weeks for me.  I first found out that I have Arthritis in my back, shoulder and knee.  Finding that out makes sense on why I have been in so much pain lately.  😒  My doctor had me start physical therapy.  Getting old sucks sometimes.  The following week my life became more challenged for me.

I have catheterized for the past 24 years to be able to go to the bathroom.  I had a bladder reconstructive surgery when I was 11 years old and when the surgery was performed they rerouted my bladder, so I now catheterize through the navel.  

For the past week, I have been having trouble getting my catheters in (I use a new catheter each time).  It would take me 30+ minutes to just get my catheter in.  By Thursday afternoon, I wasn't able to get my catheter in at all.  I ended up cancelling my physical therapy appointment and going to the Emergency Room.  After waiting hours in the waiting room and getting back to a room, I hadn't gone to the bathroom  in over 12 hours.  They did a bladder scan and said I had 720 milliliters of urine in my bladder.  😳  After hours of pain, I finally had relief at 12:50am on Friday morning.  They sent me home with a catheter and an attached urine bag.

The following morning I went to a new Urologist, which happens to be the Head of Urology at Loyola University Medical Center.  Him and his staff were amazing and so nice.  He would like me to come in and get a Cystoscopy done on Tuesday.  They are going to try and get a bigger catheter in me and have me go home with that for a week.  Once the week passes, if all goes well, they will take it out and everything should be back to normal right before I leave for my vacation on the 11th of October.

Even though it's been a tough couple weeks, I am trying to continue to stay strong and positive.  I will hopefully be out of the woods in about 10 days.  

I wanted to end this blog by posting something I read just this morning.  It really put everything that I've been going through these past couple of weeks in perspective for me and it really made sense.  

Happy Sunday, Everyone!! 💜

Three life lessons from a pencil: ✎✎

1.  Pain can sharpen you.

2.  Everything you do leaves a mark.

3.  What's inside of you is more useful than what's               outside.

Much Love,

KJA

Happy Fall, Y'all!!!

Hello Friends!!

Happy First Day of Fall! I hope everyone enjoys their weekend spending time with their loved ones.  We will be spending our weekend having some fun.  My husband's work has a Family Day every year with food, music and fun activities so we'll be doing that today and then tomorrow we'll be going on our annual apple picking trip with the rest of the family.  We can't wait to eat way too many apple donuts and go have our annual fried chicken lunch at Mad Dan's in Twin Lakes, WI!

Much Love,
KJA

Bullying

Hello Friends!!

I recently watched, Sierra Burgess Is A Loser on Netflix.  It was a wonderful movie and I highly recommend it to anyone that has faced bullying in their life.  I was bullied as a child and it was no fun.  I've always felt like an outcast in my life and still do at times.  This movie made me cry, laugh and everything in between.  It really made me think about how it was for me when I was in school.  

I could totally relate to the main character.  She was me and with social media, smart phones and all the technology they have nowadays, I can only imagine how much tougher being bullied is now.  If you have the opportunity, please watch this movie.  It truly is great one, plus the song at the end it so beautiful and it's called Sunflower.  :)  

I've posted the lyrics to the song below.  I've also attached an article explaining how the song was a standout anthem in the movie.  AMAZING!! 

Enjoy,
KJA

How the Song 'Sunflower' Became the Standout Anthem of Netflix's 'Sierra Burgess is a Loser'

Sunflower

Rose girls in glass vases
Perfect bodies, perfect faces
They all belong in magazines
Those girls the boys are chasing
Winning all the games they're playing
They're always in a different league

Stretching toward the sky like I don't care
Wishing you could see me standing there

But I'm a sunflower, a little funny
If I were a rose, maybe you'd want me
If I could, I'd change overnight
I'd turn into something you'd like
But I'm a sunflower, a little funny
If I were a rose, maybe you'd pick me
But I know you don't have a clue
This sunflower's waiting for you
Waiting for you

But I'm a sunflower, a little funny
And if I were her, maybe you'd pick me
But I know you don't have a clue
This sunflower's waiting for you
Waiting for you

09/11/01

I’ll never forget this day. I was a junior in high school doing OTJ training in my schools mail room. I heard on the radio when the first plane hit. It was this surreal silence throughout the school that day. Thinking of the men and women that we lost this day, 17 years ago. You are in my thoughts and prayers. 🙏🏻❤️#neverforget #9/11