Biopsy Today Update - April 30, 2013

I need to start off by apologizing to many who read this, who didn’t know Garrett had a biopsy scheduled.  He’s not sick, but this was needed.  Because of the severe rejection issues two years ago, they needed to go in and get a good look at how his heart was doing.  It was initially planned last spring, but because he’d had such a tough couple of years prior and had made such a remarkable comeback last year, they decided to give him a year off.   The anxiety of repeated hospital stays, surgeries, pokes, prods, harpoons and lances had taken their toll.  He needed a break.

So it was planned for today, but we kept it kind of quiet.  We didn’t want to make a big deal of it, for Garrett’s sake.  Just the same, it was a tough last few days.  Try as he could, the nightmares of days gone by crept in.  He couldn’t sleep last night, which meant none of us did.  This morning for the first time in a very long time, Garrett cried.  He tried to stay strong but was so scared.  He had his best friend Gavin with him, which was a God send.  But he cried and told me “Daddy, I don’t want to be here.  I’d rather be on the baseball diamond.  Tell Gavin “I’m sorry for crying in front of him.  I want to be the brother who’s not afraid of anything.”

As in 30 surgeries before today, I took that tear from his face and placed it on my own.  The only difference this time was that I couldn’t carry him into the operating room.  My back won’t take it.  He’s gotten so daggone big!  But I did suit up and walk beside his cart into the room and helped him onto the table.  As they started the anesthesia, I again softly sang “Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral” until his eyes couldn’t see me anymore and he slept.  Kathy and Jessi and Gavin all quietly wept, too, afraid for Dinger and of the unknown.   Too many times before we’d received rough news from a biopsy procedure.  This time was to be different.

This biopsy was the ‘full meal deal,’ going into both sides of the heart, all pressures, valves, arteries and veins.  The initial prognosis is very good.  His coronary arteries look amazing!  They are big and open and show no signs of failing.  The pressure in his left ventricle is higher than they want, but are not going to pass judgment until the pathology results come back.  If we get good news by Friday, it’s no looking back for quite a while.

He’s sleeping tonight in his own bed, connected to a bunch of wires for a Holter monitor.  The Holter is a portable device for continuously monitoring various electrical activity of the cardiovascular system for at least 24 hours.  It will monitor his heart EKG  and arterial pressures. It watches for occasional cardiac arrhythmia events.   They do this after the biopsy procedure because of the stress on the heart during the surgery, etc.

He’s still a little scared about what the “numbers” will come back as, referring to the system of measures the docs use to gauge the health of his heart and potential for rejection.  When he woke up this afternoon, his first words to me were, “how did we do daddy?  Did we hit a home run?  Do I have to stay in the hospital again?”  And he began to softly cry, afraid that like last time, he’d be in rejection. 

On the way home he remarked how his “uncle Doug” (Brigham) had to be with him today.  Doug was one of my very best friends and was killed in a helicopter crash last fall.  He was very close to Garrett and Jessi and championed for Garrett every chance he could.  In Doug’s memory, his wife and friends have started a foundation (http://www.dougbrighamfoundation.org/ )dedicated to helping families of first responders with medical bills.  Doug definitely was there with him today.

So a very long and very long overdue update comes to a close.  Garrett has started playing baseball again and his team won 12-3 last night in his honor.  It was a sign, I believe.  So, too, are the eye-black stickers he wears in his games.  Just like Tim Tebow, they read "Phil 4:13." (I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.)  Yes my little warrior cowboy, I believe we hit a home run.

God is good.  Don’t forget to thank Him.

Blessings to all,

JD