Sunday, January 9, 2011

Another update from Dad...

My dad has requested this be posted here to reach dear friends and family who are praying for us. We all thank you sincerely.

Some of us kids saw him as he was typing this to his sister. Dad was explaining to us a deep sense of the severity of her situation. He showed us charts of her heart rhythm (much of which went right over my head, but Elliot seemed to grasp most of it), and told us a little about what had been going on. He emphasized that we are measuring her condition in terms of heartbeats. He noted that each beat is significant and could change things drastically. Your faith and prayers are so appreciated in her continued critical condition.
Betsy has had a good day.  21 hours without a shock!  I'm not sure what all have heard, so to summarize, Friday morning she had an implantable defibrillator [an ICD] placed, much like a pacemaker, in fact it is pacing her now at a rate of 100 to suppress inappropriate foci of pacing [improper location of heart contraction] inside her heart.  That is her problem.  There are cells in her heart that are irritated by something, which cause them to fire off.  When they do that, the electrical signal propagates to all the surrounding cells, and occasionally puts her into a lethal arrhythmia [life threatening beating pattern].  So far every time that has happened the device has properly assessed it, and appropriately fired, resynchronizing her heart. . . 
The placement of the ICD Friday should have been a slam dunk, we were thinking she could go home Saturday.  But while on the table in the EP lab, she began to go into a malignant tailspin of lethal arrhythmia's.  Each time, the device properly assessed and fired, ending the fibrillation.  But it was far too frequent and dicey to go on that way.  So they put her back under general anesthesia to quiet the heart.  She stayed that way til Saturday morning.  Then a parade of visitors came, and we learned fairly quickly that her heart just couldn't tolerate the excitement of the visits.  Any elevation of circulating catecholamines causes her heart to fibrillate.  She was shocked over a dozen times Saturday.  Each time I could give her a couple seconds warning, but it was excruciating nonetheless...
Today has been a better story.  With sedation, and strictly no visitors, we have been able to keep her ICD from firing again.  She did fibrillate once when the boys came to give her a blessing, and offer the sacrament, but she broke it without a shock, a very good thing.  Continuous shocks cause the myocardium [heart muscle] to be stunned, and the effectiveness of the heart to pump blood is decreased.  This is measured by ejection fraction [EF] on echo.  EF on Thursday was over 55 percent.  She is now about 40... [this is not good.]
So we are very motivated to keep the shocks to a minimum.  Yesterday, the family gathered around her bed and offered prayer.  Each giving voice in turns.  It was a sacred time for us.  This has bound our hearts, and made plainly manifest the deep love each of us feels for the others.  We can't help but feel the love of the Almighty, the reality of our pre-mortal love for each other, and that this event, though painful in the extreme, serves a divine purpose.  I have learned that I love this woman more than my own life, and will do anything for her.
Today has been much better.  No shocks for 22 hours now.  She's on the mend.  Her doctors are considering surgery to cut the sympathetic innervation to the heart.  These come off the thoracic nerve roots at levels T1 thru T4.  This would involve thoracic surgery [invasive chest cavity surgery], something I would dearly love to avoid.  They have discussed the possibility of air ambulance to Mayo Clinic [in Minnesota] for that.  I'm way reluctant to take her away from here.  Please pray that we don't have to take her away from Dallas.  Love to all, more to follow if you wish.  Karl and Betsy. 

14 comments:

  1. Thank you for posting this. I understood most of it I think, but we will continue to pray for your mother! Keep us updated!

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  2. Elise,

    Thank you so much for the continuous updates(we all check your blog regularly throughout the day) and tell your dad thank you as well, we so appreciate all the little details. Please keep them coming. Please give your mom all of our love! She is always in our thoughts and always in our prayers! You all are! We love you! - Elizabeth

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  3. That was so moving. I would like to argue with Karl on one point. I'm sure that he already knew that he loved her that much. Everyone knows he does. This has been an opportunity for him to exercise that love. Best to all of you. If I could take some of your pain...

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  4. Karl and Betsy. I had just received your phone number from Glennda right after Christmas and was planning to surprise you two and call this week. Please know how much we love you! We will be praying for Betsy daily. XOXO

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  5. Elise,
    Thank you for taking the time to update us on your mom's condition. Dave and I have been so worried about her since hearing the news today. We love your parents. Your mom has taught us so many things through her words and example. She's an inspiration to all who know her. We are praying for her and your entire family as well as the medical professionals assisting with her recovery.

    Dave and Erin Borjas

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  6. Thank you Elise for making much better sense of your dad's message (defining everything) on your blog. I looked some things up as I was typing them but didn't feel like I should change anything he sent. I might have gotten something wrong and it wouldn't have sounded nearly as good as what you've posted here. (You with a degree in English)
    As scary as all this is every day seems more hopeful. Don't worry - the prayers won't stop from our neck of the woods!
    Love to you all, Leanne

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  7. Thank you so much for continuing to update us on Betsy!!!I know we are all starving for the tiniest bit of information. We love her and all of you tremendously and are praying constantly for your whole family as well as for Betsy and her medical team. I know Karl ended with more to follow if you wish and I'm sure I'm not alone with my deepest desire of "YES, I WISH!!!!" More prayers asending for all ....

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  8. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you at this very trying time in your lives. We hope and pray for the best for Betsy and your wonderful family.

    The Greens

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  9. Okay. I totally love your Dad. A lot. Come on, Bess.

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  10. Hi Betsy and famiy,

    We have been praying continually for all of you and fasted along with so many others who love you so much. Our hearts are heavy and even though this is such a sad time--we know that you are being blessed and strengthened as a family by a loving Heavenly Father. Betsy, we all feel so much love and appreciation for you and hope that you are able to feel of our love and our many prayers in your behalf. We look forward to being able to see your smile that just lights up a room and hearing the strong testimony that is in your caring and loving heart. We love you!

    Cindy Alleman

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  11. So grateful for the continued updates, Elise. Your parents are a great example of what marriage should be like. Continued prayers....

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  12. Betsy, I have always loved and appreciated your example of your love for your husband, children, and Our Savior. I agree with Elke, we all know that Karl has loved you that much! You are ALL in my thoughts and prayers.
    Love,
    Trisha (Rushton) Hartzell

    Thank you Elise for all of your updates. I've been checking around the clock!

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  13. That was really helpful to get such a detailed update, thank you. What a roller coaster of a week. We'll keep you all in our prayers.

    Love,
    Alicia

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  14. Thank you for the update. We check the blog often. You are continually in our thoughts and prayers.

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