A Health Update & Hosptial Life

Hospital life has made it more difficult to come up with something wonderful to say. The truth is I am tired and anxiously hoping to get the show on the road.

After three weeks of living in the hospital doctors have continued feeding me with intravenous nutrition. In addition, I’m getting a steady stream of milrinone through IV.

I deeply and sincerely appreciate all of your prayers, thoughts, letters, emails, comments, and support. I’m overwhelmed by your love and care.

Throughout this past year your kindness has constantly reminded me of the words in St. Matthew 25:35-40, “For I was hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me… Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethen, ye have done it unto me.” I am one of the very least of these and I am grateful for your adherence to follow Jesus.

I am having more fluid in my lungs and trouble breathing. As a result, I’m receiving more doses of lasix and an increase in oxygen requirements.

Since, I am more tired doctors have changed my visiting hours from 5-8pm. I deeply and sincerely appreciate your visits as well as the privacy you are showing our family at this time as we approach the final months of our dilemma.

The photo of me with the ICE Cream has a great story. My friend Josh Russell of Russell's Ice Cream which was sold to Farr's is manufacturing new flavors. Josh was coming to visit and asked what flavor I wanted. Of course, I said, "Bubble Gum" not knowing if they had bubble gum. Josh and his wife showed up with this half gallon of bubble gum, which his dad spent all day making especially for me. How cool is that? (Eden, Lynnette, and Me would go get Bubble Gum Ice Cream weekly this past year)

106 days on the list. 15 weeks. All is Well.

106 days on the list. 15 weeks. Any predictions?

Despite the minor physical anxieties of waiting for a heart, always wearing oxygen, taking a bazillion pills, giving myself shots twice a day, and carrying around a bag of medication going directly into a permanent IV in my right arm, I have the larger anxieties experienced by those who are sick for a long time and happily married. Keep in mind that I am too tired to stay busy so all you have to do all day is think and reflect. Above all, you hope your wife, the love of your life, is happy, fulfilled, and appreciated because of her sacrifice, service, and love.

My dad is a journalist and once interviewed one of my hero's Howard Hunter, a former spiritual leader of the LDS church and community giant. The man was soft spoken and humble despite his enormous list of credentials and accomplishments. In the interview my dad asked about all the years that Pres. Hunter tenderly cared for his sick wife who later died in a rest home. "How where you able to do that all those years?" my dad asked. President Hunter with some emotion and pause in his voice said, "She would of done the same thing for me."

I'm also reminded of another time that I was at Bryner Clinic in Salt Lake to see my family doctor. While waiting I observed a feeble old woman waiting for the pharmacist to complete her prescription. She was with her husband. They were both very old, petite and weak. She sat in a wheel chair and was so tired that her head kept falling backward. And I watched this husband, who stood by her side, hold her head up, even though his hands shook and they had to wait for some time. I think he held her head for 20 minutes.

I also remember while serving a mission for my LDS church I was responsible for several missionaries of which were an old couple serving in a small mining town in California. Like all of our missionaries they were responsible to knock on doors and share a message of love about Jesus Christ. The wife had really bad arthritis and knees. At many times she couldn't use her legs because of the pain. But, she didn't want to give up. Her husband drove them in the car from house to house. He would get out and knock on the door while his wife waited. If people said yes to letting them he'd go to the car, open the door, pick up his wife and carry her into the home so they could do what they loved to do most which was bring hope to people through their message.

These several experiences that I observed are always on my mind. And I hope I get the chance to show the same expression of love and service for my wife who has so kindly sacrificed, served, and loved me through this experience. It is much easier to serve than to be served.

Getting Out!

I was finally able to get out and do something other than travel to a hospital which felt really good. I went and voted early and then hit the drive through of "Crown Burger" with a friend. In addition, I went with my wife and daughter to my sister's home so Eden could trick or treat with her cousins. For a little girl who is always wearing princess dress ups she wanted to go as a spider. It was cute.

I saw my cardiologist Angela Yetman today and things looked stable. I'm giving myself lovanox shots twice a day to help me absorb protein.

I'm wearing oxygen 24/7 at 3 liters and I carry around the milrinone medication pumping into my arm through my picc line (there are 2 pictures to the right of the picc).

It is difficult to shower. But, I am grateful that these things are giving me more time while we wait for my heart.

Incidentally, I was moved up on the list to a status 1B. What does that mean? You're either a status 7, status 2, status 1B, or status 1A (I guess because they can't count from 1 to 4). To my understanding, and I might be wrong, a 7 is a person who has a hard time qualifying for a heart because of other disease, infection, weight, and more. A 2 is a person who needs a heart but they're at home and able to go to work or they are somewhat stable at home. A 1-B is in and out of the hospital, receiving medication through a picc full time, and other difficult issues. The 1-A's are in the hospital and don't have vey long. So, it certainly is an unusual situation because there are plenty of people who need a transplant of some kind. There is a great web-site with data about the list and those waiting or donating. CLICK HERE

Possible Heart Transplant

Hi family & friends,

A little more boring news "all about me" . . but, I want you to know what is going on and encourage you to keep most of all my wife Lynnette, daughter Eden, and me in your prayers (along with everyone else in the world that needs our prayers). We could really use the help.

After reviewing my tests from last week's procedure which was difficult to recover from doctors told us today what needs to happen. . Transplant if I qualify. This Thursday I will meet with the heart & lung transplant team to begin further testing and discussion to determine if I do qualify for the heart transplant. There are a lot of details. Most of the doctors in our community familiar with my case believe I should have the transplant as soon as possible because of how damaged my right atrium is. Blood is just swirling around in there like and having a hard time leaving to the lungs for oxygen. There is another more difficult option but it was ruled out because my body is not strong enough. Regardless by the end of the year I may be having major open heart surgery. . . If I get a transplant there are good chances of living a little longer and enjoying all of you.

A little wild! This is very sobering for us at this time but we have hope and faith in God's great plan of happiness. Leaving the hospital everything outside seemed more beautiful and the music on the radio felt more alive. All is well in Zion!! Pray for our little family.

WE LOVE ALL OF YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP & LOVE!!!

paul


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"Dearly dearly has he loved.
And we must love him to.
And trust in his redeeming blood
And try his works to do."
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My Heart Defect

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to write to let everyone know that I am feeling well and thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Our family is really blessed! And we feel it from you. We will find out on Tuesday what the doctor’s plan is for me and my future after they study through the test results of my Heart Catheterization. I've had them several times and usually it's like going to the dentist for a root canal. No big deal. But this one was a little wild.

They put me completely under for the procedure paralyzing my muscles temporarily so I would not move. Then they thread a small tube up through an artery on my left leg. The shot some type of dye and were able to map out my heart and view things they can never see externally. They learned that the left side of my heart is functioning really well and was miraculously in sinus rhythm (normal heart rhythm). But, the other side of my heart, where the right atrium has been blowing up over the years like a balloon full of blood that swirls around, is having a hard time finding where it is supposed to go. It’s cutting off blood flow to my lungs and I get less oxygen to my body.

Waking up from the procedure was uncomfortable. My body was put completely under. They give you a little something to help your body start up again and pulled a tube from my throat which was helping my lungs expand so I could breath. But we ran into a problem and for almost 2 hours my lungs struggled to take over the breathing process. I felt like I was drowning or had a bag over my head and just trying to grab on to something to try and get a good long breath of air. It was not fun. But, I’m glad it’s over and they have great information to evaluate my case.

I've been blessed my whole life to have this heart defect. I am far from perfect and needed this in my life to teach me things I could have never learned without it. I want to live a long time and enjoy my family and the life I've been blessed with. With every struggle I continue to be reminded by a sweet feeling of peace that our Savior, and Messiah Jesus, his atonement, & resurrection, are real truths. God is my friend. And I know everything works out according to His plan of happiness and purpose for living.

So again, I will find out Tuesday what they would like to do. All the prayers and fasting will undoubtedly influence their decision. Thanks for everything . . . Let us also know if any of you are having some challenges that we should pray for.

All the best,

Paul