READY, SET, HIKE !!!

   When you have a body shaped like the one I do, your choice of sports can be some what limited.  No one has ever looked at me and said "were you ever gymnast?"  That is a scary thought, could you imagine me in tights.  They have also never asked me if I play basketball, trust me, I look more like a basketBALL, then a basketball PLAYER.  Nope, when people look at me, the question I get asked is, did you play foot ball?  The answer to that question is "why yes I did"  I never played on anything as organized as an official team, though.  No, my glory days were me and a bunch of friends tearing up the fields playing football after class, trying to kill each other in good Christian love and kindness.  It was great fun, great stress reliever, and something that I could go for right now :-).  One of the fun things about playing those pick-up games of football is the fact that you get a chance to be every position.  You can be offense and defense, you can be a rusher or a receiver, you can be a quarter back, or a blocker.  Blocker is an interesting position, it can be your best friend or your worst enemy.  If the blocker is on your side he is a hedge of protection against your oncoming enemies.  If he is against you, he is a tidal wave of force coming to crash down on you with everything he has to stop your momentum.  Kylie has a problem with a blocker right now.  "But how can that be?" you ask "she is built more like a footBALL then a foot ball PLAYER!  Kylie doesn't have a problem with a foot ball blocker, she is having problems with something called a HEART BLOCK.
     Kylie's heart block is caused when she had the cath on Monday.  It is believed that the catheter hit the A.V. node in the heart, which helps regulate the beating of the heart.  With Kylie's heart condition and with the rhythm problems she already has, it was already easily damageable.  When the catheter his the node it bruised it an caused it to no longer function properly.  Her heart is beating, but not in sync and not function as it should.  It has caused her rhythm to be all out of whack, that is a technical medical term, and her rate to be slower.  The longer that she is in heart block the less likely they are to come out of it and since she has been in it since Monday, it is becoming less and less likely for her to come out of it.  Not saying she can't but it becomes increasingly difficult.  This isn't life threatening, but could be  detrimental to Kylie's health.  I am thinking that they are going to give until Monday to see if her full function comes back and if it doesn't we are going to talk options and it seems like the front runner is a pace maker.  Pacemaker was something we have been talking about before, for her cruddy (another medical term) rhythm.  This takes the time table from years though to days and it would be another surgery.  Most pace makers can be slipped under the skin, but with Kylie's heart anatomy, it would be another surgery. So here we sit and wait.
    We, also, may need to go back on to the antibiotics again, as well.  The more the G.I. people think about the infection that my daughter may have had, the more they are seeming to want to put her back on the antibiotics.  Given the fact, that we may have an upcoming surgery and that the pacemaker device itself, may rest right where the infection is/was, they want to make sure it is all gone.  They are leaning towards a three week antibiotic regime.  We aren't sure of how we want to spend those three weeks, though.  Do we want to do it as an I.V. regime here, or as an I.V. or oral medication at home.  After everything we have been through I am confident that my wife is more than capable of handling it.  No I am not being a Chauvinistic Pig who believes that it is only the woman's job to take care of the kid ( so don't throw things at me), just giving credit where it is do.  I like to think that I help, but my wife is the real hero and the real brains behind our daughter and her care.  But, even though I am confident, they may feel more comfortable with doing it here.  So as it stands right now, best case scenario, we are getting out on Monday, worst case scenario, we are looking at, AT LEAST, three more weeks.,
    We are trying to make things more comfortable for Kylie, as well.  With the possibility of the antibiotics again and with the continuation  of  her blood draws mixed in with , how shall we say, her DEEP DISLIKE of needle sticks and the fact the it is getting harder and harder to stick her, they are having a hard time finding spots, we are thinking about putting in a PIC line.  A PIC line is a stronger I.V., one that is meant to be in longer and has tube that, actually, rests in the vein.  It would be an easier and more readily accessible point for med's
    It is getting hard at times to keep the spirits up.  On the one hand I want to keep my daughter here and get her better, but on the other hand I want my family home.  You get disgusted with the situation and then you feel guilty about being disgusted.  It is easy to draw inward and close off.  It is at these times, the choice needs to be made, do you succumb to the dark feelings and thoughts or do you choose to find the good things.  I believe that to not visit  the frustration for awhile is unrealistic and unhealthy.  To deny those feelings is to deny a part of yourself and these are feelings that must be dealt with before feelings of bitterness and anger take its place.   Try not to loose sight of the of the other heart families around you.  They are part of your family, now.  Granted you are going to be closer to some than others, that is the case with every family.  But, I encourage you to open yourselves to the families, they will be a sense of support, comfort and strength that you will need to go through this.  Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.  Please pray for me to practice what I say. :-).