Heart Day in the Brewer house has a new spin! Some of it pretty similar, but most of it completely different. Brewer Heart Day is celebrated on February 9th. Why, You might ask? February 9, 2015 was the date of Jeff's Open Heart Surgery. That day and the month and a half prior changed our lives significantly. This story is one that many know, but that I've never put into written words. But, today on the 2 year anniversary, that changes...so let's go back to the beginning.
December 19, 2014: This day started bad and just got worse! Landyn and I were sick. I took Landyn to the pediatrician and she tested positive for the flu...yuk. Got tamiflu for all the kids and headed home. I quickly decided that I should be tested as well. Since I don't have a regular doctor I headed up to the CVS minute clinic where I quickly tested positive. This was the day Christmas vacation started and the day before we were supposed to head to my parents for Christmas....so this was not looking good! I text Jeff the news and he called saying that he didn't feel well either. We decided he should just stop at CVS on his way home. About an hour later I get a call....from Jeff. He's at the minute clinic and says "Hey, she says she hears a heart murmur and that I should go to the ER" my wife of the year response was "you're there for tamiflu....get your medicine and get your butt home to help me take care of these kids". I know....such a nice caring response...I blame it on the flu!
Jeff gets home and we start talking about the doctors concern and decide to go to a free standing ER just to put our minds at ease for the holidays.
Grandma came over and off we went. There are so many instances in this journey where, in retrospect, I see God's hands so clearly.....the ER we found to go into is one of them. We ended up at the Methodist Hospital ER in Pearland, but that wasn't our intention...after getting turned around, frustrated and many other things we just pulled in the parking lot and went in! As we checked in and told them why we were here they seriously laughed at us! I can't tell you how many times that night we heard the phrase "lots of people have heart murmurs". The doctor openly ridiculed the minute clinic doctor as he began to examine Jeff. He got his stethoscope, listened to his heart and his face fell. It was that moment I knew something was wrong. After listening a while, calling in another doctor and all the nurses for a listen he explained that we needed to be sent my ambulance to the Methodist Hospital in the med center. He thought Jeff had Aortic Stenosis which to be honest, I don't even remember what that is although I know I googled it in the ER and wasn't excited about what I found.
Jeff was beyond pissed at this point that he had to ride in an ambulance! This was the first of many times throughout the next 2 months that I saw my nice calm husband...you know the man with the patience of Job.....become enraged and obstinate. Fear is real, fear is irrational, and when your world is turned upside down faster than you can handle, it changes you.
We will fast forward through the overnight hospital stay where after EKG's, Electrocardiograms a slew of other tests and tons of doctors coming in to listen to his murmur (evidently it was the worst they'd ever heard and a teachable moment) it was determined that Jeff had a Mitral Valve Prolapse with regurgitation. We were given an appointment with a valve specialist in the DeBakey Heart Institute at Methodist Hospital. (This is where God's intervention really shown through. We were sent to Methodist hospital, home of one of the best heart programs in the world. Coincidence? I think not.) On January 15th we met with Dr. Barker who confirmed the diagnosis and added to it that Jeffs heart was very enlarged. His Mitral Valve did not work properly, and because it didn't close back after the blood flowed through it was allowing blood to come back into a part of his heart it wasn't supposed to come back into. This is a birth defect...he was born with it and more often than not it can be treated with medication. Because Jeff's had gone undetected for so long it was causing a big problem, and had to be fixed. Quickly. On the 19th we met with the surgeon and they did another procedure to try to get a better look at Jeff's heart (this procedure is a story in and of itself!), the surgeon rates the necessity of surgery on a 5.0 scale with 5.0 being you need to be on the table right now. Jeff was at a 4.9. His Mitral Valve had to be repaired. His heart was working overtime and was enlarged and had it not been for the flue and for the CVS minute clinic doctor suggesting he go to the ER, Jeff would have died. Jeff was in the middle of training for a half marathon, I have no doubt that - if not for Jill Bull (I'll never forget her name) - my husband would have left for a run and never returned.
But, God had a plan, and he did return, and on February 9, 2015 at the age of 39 he had open heart surgery (jeff was the youngest patient on the cardiac floor by at least 25 years). The emotions that filled the time between when we were told surgery was going to happen and the surgery are truly indescribable. Jeff was convinced he was not going to make it through the surgery, it was a hard, scary time.We had to have conversations and think thoughts that no one ever wants to. But, on February 9, 2015 at about 12:35 pm, he woke up....he lived. Day 1 of the rest of his life began! The recovery was hard, his journey is unbelievable, but God was in control every step of the way. From orchestrating a job change the August before to make sure Jeff wasn't in the middle of soccer season during this time, to Jill Bull being the doctor on duty that day who was brave enough to insist he go to the ER, to Methodist hospital being where he ended up, to the countless number of friends and family members who prayed, brought meals, kept our kids, and prayed some more.....God was in control. All of the details fell into place, and became a piece of his testimony. A testimony of strength, perseverance, and faith. I watched my husband in agony, a pain I can't even begin to comprehend, but I also watched him battle with a fierce determination. A determination to make every day count and to live like there is no tomorrow.
This picture was taken on March 19, 2016...a little over a year after open heart surgery....Jeff completed that 1/2 marathon!
Happy Heart Day!
