Mended Hearts

I waited until the last minute to write this post, because my plans have been turned on their end in recent weeks. One day, I'm working and planning my next book, and the next, I'm facing heart surgery. Again.

I was born with several heart defects and was operated on by Dr. Denton Cooley twice in the late 60s. The second surgery was open heart--one of the first cases using a new experimental procedure that allowed him to operate on babies. After that, I lived a normal life.

A couple of years ago, my cardiologist discovered that I had a deformed aortic valve, so he began watching it more closely. These bicuspid valves usually fail gradually in the 5th or 6th decade of life. Mine followed that prediction, but it went from good to severe in less than a year. 

I've had a valve-replacement consult and more testing with a specialist who is very good. Next week, I'll meet with him again, to learn if he can fix my valve with a simple cath procedure, or whether a surgeon will have to open my chest. 

God has given me peace about this and has clearly been going before me and making a path, but it is still a risky procedure that could change life as I know it. 

In the meantime, I'll keep reminding myself of God's endless abilities and this:

"Cardiac surgery has undergone a rapid and extraordinary development during the past 50 years. Many operations that were once considered experimental are now routine, and thousands of open heart procedures are performed each year. In 1997, in the United States alone, surgeons performed 197 000 cardiovascular procedures, including 2300 heart transplant operations. These statistics are astonishing to both Dr Cooley, who began practicing >50 years ago, and Dr Frazier, who began practicing 30 years ago."

If you're interested in the history of heart surgery, you might enjoy reading the full article: 

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circ.102.suppl_4.IV-87 

Happy Valentine's day. 💝