Armstrong and Jaquiss

Armstrong and Jaquiss… sounds like attorneys, accountants or funeral home directors.  But they are my Cardiologist (Dr. Armstrong) and my Surgeon (Dr. Jaquiss).  Let me start by saying I have the BEST cardiologist at the best hospital in the country.  She is the top of the top cardiologist at Duke and she knows her stuff. She is tough and gets done whatever needs to get done, no matter what! And she trusts my surgeon without any doubt and does not question what he does (and trust me, that says a lot)! Last week, I had a conference call with both of them along with my parents (and Laura who was diligently taking notes for me).  I have not told most of you about this call because it was a LOT to swallow so I thought I would type it up here.

I will have my third open-heart surgery on Monday, December 8^th.  My doctors are letting me meet with up the Boyers (probably for one final time before they leave Europe) in Paris over Thanksgiving weekend. So I am not flying home until December 2. To give my body time to recuperate from jet lag and prepare for a shock to my system, we scheduled my surgery for a week later, December 8^th (surgeons love Mondays for some reason). My surgery will last for 6-8 hours depending on how complicated it gets.  I will be in ICU for 1-2 days and in the hospital for around 5 more days after I am out of the ICU.  It will take my body 2-3 weeks to pull itself together but it will take me 6-8 weeks before I am fully recovered. 

The bottom of the aorta at the opening is enlarged (stretched out) because of my valve replacement I had when I was 16 years old.  That bottom stretched out part is what needs to be replaced.  It will be replaced with a plastic piece that will last me forever.  However, in the process of replacing the aorta, the aortic valve may become damaged and he may have to replace it too.  Since this whole area is close together and is covered in scar tissue from my past 2 surgeries, he may damage the pulmonary valve and artery. Which means he is going in to replace one thing but he may have to replace 4.  He won’t know until he gets in there.  The arteries will be replaced with some plastic tube that will last forever.  But the valves is where it gets more interesting (and complicated and gut wrenching and scary). The valves can be replaced by one of two ways and the choice is up to me.

1. Animal Valve- will have to be replaced in 5-10 years which requires another open heart surgery

2. Mechanical Valve- will last forever BUT requires me to be on blood thinners for the rest of my life, which requires me to monitor my blood closely (like a diabetic monitors blood sugar).  It also makes it very difficult to get pregnant and if I do, the chances are high that the baby will come early and/or have birth defects.

So basically, I am deciding to have another heart surgery or to have babies...

Thankfully, I have until the day of surgery to decide. 

My school has been very supportive in giving me as much time off as I need.  My friends check on my regularly and are praying for me.  It is a community here for sure and I am grateful for all them! It is so hard to not be with my family right now but I am grateful to have technology to keep us connected and an amazing support system in Tunisia.  It will be hard to be away from them for 2 months but I am so thankful to be home with my family to help carry me through.

As for how I am feeling, oh how I hate that question! I am scared and worried out of my mind! I hate the unknown and so many things could go wrong. Talking helps but hearing personal opinions and past surgeries others have been through don’t.  This will be a journey in my book of this congenital heart disease God blessed me with.  Thank for you being my family and friend (and thanks for making it to the end of this super long post… ha!). I love you all!