:::A note before reading – I realize my header and menu bar are not loaded correctly. Hopefully, I can get this fixed by the end of the day.:::

I feel like it has been an eternity since I wrote about my heart. Truth is things have gone really well for the past year. My monthly biopsies were discontinued about five months ago, and my annual right heart cath and angiogram in November looked great. I was on schedule to check in again in three months.

In February, I joined the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign as one of the Faces of Heart. I interviewed with the Press-Register and ended up with a front page feature on my story. I was able to share my story on video at the Go Red Luncheon on Valentine’s Day, and speak to the audience about the importance of the campaign. It was a great beginning to the year.

Me and Crystal at the Go Red Luncheon

Two weeks ago on Sunday I was feeling palpitations all day long and decided to go to the emergency room just to be on the safe side. It was packed; and I waited forever, which I am NOT used to because I am usually rolling in there in the middle of night in excruciating pain with pancreatitis. I actually got a little tickled because I wasn’t sure where the entrance to the emergency room is because Zac’s usually driving, and I had never paid attention. After looking around at my fellow waiting room compadres I thought it would be best to put a mask on my face.

Holy flashbacks.

Long story short: I was indeed having some extra beats and was instructed to lay off the caffeine.

Say what?! Momma never has enough caffeine.

I was also told to follow-up with a cardiologist. Since it had been three months, I thought it was the right time to schedule my check up at Ochsner. When I called my post-transplant coordinator she told me that I really didn’t need to come in because my angiogram from my annual looked good; and I would probably just need to get labs drawn every three months, and that is something that I can do here in Mobile.

I had labs drawn the next day, and the results weren’t too great.

I received a call Monday from my post-transplant coordinator that she had discussed my labs and palpitations with Dr. Patel, and he wanted to get me in immediately for an echo-guided biopsy and labs on Wednesday. (That’s the only day that echo-guided biopsies are performed.) I was not nervous; I was relieved. Honestly, I felt a little weird having not been seen by the team in so long, and these caths get the best, most detailed look at things.

Tuesday night when I got into town, I put on a little makeup, fixed my hair, grabbed my camera, and went strolling down Canal Street looking for some dinner. The weather was windy and mild, and there were still a few musicians playing on the street. It was difficult finding somewhere to eat this late, until I happened upon Daisy Dukes. Daisy Dukes is a little spot set up like a Waffle House, except with a rockin’ menu: all types of Cajun and seafood and breakfast all day! It was the absolute BEST veggie omelette that I have ever put down my gullet. (Sorry, babe.)

The following morning I was up early, packed, checked-out, and ready to go early for labs: completely unheard of for this gal. I arrived at Ochsner, went to lab, then on to the procedure room for the biopsy. The procedure proved to be quite difficult to perform since I had developed a large amount of scar tissue at the portion of my heart from where they cut the pieces to be biopsied. (These pieces do not regenerate or grow back, and the scar tissue is there forever.) The doctor grabbed a few more pieces than usual, hoping they would be good enough for a biopsy.

During the procedure, my coordinator called over and said that I needed to come to the clinic and see a PA in an hour or two.

Here’s what she told me: my heart failure marker is back up, my EF that is typically 65% is 55%; my superior vena cava is not receiving the amount of oxygen that they would like to see.  Fifty-five percent is normal for the average person; however, in my case, with a new heart, it is not. They expected my biopsy to show a grade 2 rejection which would require hospitalization and intravenous steroids. I have had the two grades that come in below a grade two, so it seems almost a sure thing that I will have a grade 2.

I begged and pleaded for anything but hospitalization. When you are “feeling” well there is almost nothing worse than being hooked up to a couple of iv’s; on the other hand, when you feel bad it’s great. BUT…I feel great; I haven’t even had any more palpitations since Tuesday night.

Round 1: The regular draw

I was shaking and panicking trying to get out and get home. I had to report back down to lab for some additional blood draws that would rule out donor-specific antibodies. The lab girls could see I was fighting back tears and flushing, so they starting fanning me. The four sticks and a blown vein didn’t help either.

Round 2: Draw for donor-specific antibodies

Wednesday night and Thursday was absolutely gut-wrenching, waiting for the call that I knew beyond  the shadow of a doubt would put me back in TSU. When the call finally came at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, I was mentally and physically exhausted. I had done all the laundry, packed for all three of us, including two sets of sheets and mattress pads for Zac and me to use in the hospital.

The call: The biopsy pieces had too much scar tissue to biopsy, and Dr. Mandras [video] would like to perform the biopsy herself on Wednesday, April 4th. Until then I will stay on the crazy load of steroids and immunosuppressants and check in for an labs, echo, and a clinic visit on Friday.

I hope this explains everything good enough, if not, Zac will let me know. =)

It’s not good news, but it kept me out of being inpatient for at least another week; so here  I am trying to soak up every minute of freedom and time with my baby.

Let me preface this, my first recipe post, by stating that I am not a cook; I do not do it for “fun”; I  simply love good food and when that collides with time spent on Pinterest things like this happen. Good things. I am always looking to add some variation to my diet, and I found it with this recipe.

Baked Avocados Pin It

Ingredients

- 1 whole avocado

- 2 sm/med eggs

- 5 slices of regular bacon

- Shredded cheddar cheese

- Tony Chachere’s seasoning

- Salt & pepper

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F.

2. Cut the avocado in half, and remove the seed. I left my avocados in the skin.

3. Place one egg in each half where the pit formerly took up residence. (I scraped out a tad more in fear that my eggs would come flowing out.)

4. Top with whatever you would like. I used salt, pepper, Tony C’s, cheddar, and real bacon.

Note: I did not add the bacon until I was ready to eat it, so I cooked it to a crisp separately and crushed it up into bits.

5. The original recipe I found on Life Hacker says to use an iron skillet; I chose to use this loaf/muffin pan because my avocados could not sit on their own with egg in them.

6. Place the avocados (with the eggs and toppings) into the preheated oven.

7. Keep an eye on them; I know ovens are different, but mine took about ten minutes. It honestly depends on how you prefer the consistency of your eggs.

8. Pull them out; let them cool for about 3 -5 minutes, and they’ll be ready to eat!

 A tasty, satisfying, protein-rich breakfast, or in my case, lunch.

Pin It

Click here to learn more about Kent’s composition and night photography classes.

It is such an honor to be a Woman of Heart for the American Heart Association this year.

Fact: Heart disease kills more women than ALL the cancers COMBINED.

Today is National Go Red day; GO RED for a woman you love.

If you are a heart or transplant patient I would LOVE for you to say hi. Connecting with patients is one my favorites things in life!

“Mommy! That’s you!”

Also, you can click here to follow this blog on Facebook.

]]> http://www.bethanygipson.com/hands-febphotoaday-no-3/feed/ 0 http://www.bethanygipson.com/mannish-boy/ http://www.bethanygipson.com/mannish-boy/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:55:09 +0000 HeartHunnyBe http://www.bethanygipson.com/?p=531 I almost wet my pants, yes – I said it, when my two-year-old was jamming out with my husband…asked for the harmonica…and continued to do this… Oh and if you are not familiar with Muddy Waters or The Last Waltz, you must watch this first to understand the significance… Obviously Finn is quite familiar with [...]]]>

I almost wet my pants, yes – I said it, when my two-year-old was jamming out with my husband…asked for the harmonica…and continued to do this…

Oh and if you are not familiar with Muddy Waters or The Last Waltz, you must watch this first to understand the significance…

Obviously Finn is quite familiar with it…

I received what could be the cutest Valentine’s card ever from my mom today.

Bunting + tissue = adorable

Plus, robin’s egg blue and a bold red is one of my favorite color combinations.  Cute, right?

It came pouring down around these parts today; and with no thunder or lightning, what’s a mom to do but let a kid run as free as he pleases scooping up mud and splashing through the mire formerly know as the backyard.

Saturday afternoon we took a short drive down the road to the ocean front, and Finn was quite pleased to make his first appearance.

It is mind-boggling that it has been almost a year since this post.

Just a hand full of phone pics from the past few days…