Moving Closer to Heart Smart

Rob began cardiac rehab this week and had his first nutrition class.  He learned that trans fat and saturated fat are to be avoided.  Sugar matters less than calories. Keeping an eye on sodium is important.  Toward our quest to being heart smart, we've added a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables. We have a lot of farmers in our area so local, fresh produce is fairly easy to get and reasonably priced. 

There were lots of things that we did before we discovered Rob's heart issues.  We always eat whole wheat bread and skim milk.  I make lots of things from scratch and try to avoid processed foods.  We grow our own meat, beef and chicken, and eggs. 

The main things we are doing differently are increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables, reducing the amount of meat, and exchanging oil for our beloved butter whenever possible.  Rob has traded carbonated beverages for Crystal Light and green tea.  He's also dropped processed meat.  Seeing him eat veggies sandwiches is something surprising and new.  He even enjoys them. 

In addition to increasing our fruit/veggie intake, we are adding more fish to our diet.  The recommendation is to have fatty fish at least once a week.  We had sushi for lunch this week and stocked up on salmon at the grocery store.  We all love fish so this is one diet recommendation that will be a pleasure to follow.

On Becoming Heart Smart

I've spent some time over the last few days trying to figure out how to eat a "heart smart" diet.  The internet is wonderful thing.  The amount of information available at my finger tips is incredible, awesome, overwhelming.  And I am overwhelmed.  So, I decided to try something old fashion.  I went to the library in the hope of finding a book or two that would help me on my journey to heart smartness without boggling my brain.

My first question was about coronary artery disease.  If coronary artery disease causes cholesterol, which is made by the body, to collect in the heart, how does decreasing the amount of cholesterol consumed affect the amount of cholesterol produced?

My second question is about prioritizing when choosing foods and reading labels.  A heart smart diet is supposed to control calories, sugar, fat, cholesterol and sodium.  Which is the priority when making choices about foods?  How do you decide which foods are okay and which aren't?

My third question is about running the numbers.  How in the world do I manage this kind of diet without becoming a slave to the calculator?

Over the next few days I'll be adding to this post as I find my answers and probably come up with new questions. In the meantime, if anyone has any tips or suggestions for becoming heart smart, please, feel free to comment.  I need all the help I can get!

Good for the Heart

Rob's appointment with his cardiac surgeon was last week.  He is doing great and ready to move onto the next step of healing; cardiac rehab and lifestyle change.  While the past month created lifestyle change by necessity from here on the changes be made or maintained by choice.  While Rob's coronary artery disease won't be cured by making lifestyle changes, he does have the power to slow it down and keep himself healthier with his day to day choices. 

Becoming a non-smoker was an obvious change that needed to be made.  The time Rob spent in the hospital and physically recovering enabled him to move through the physical addiction of smoking fairly easily.  The change in his normal routine enabled him to continue his non-smoking habit even after he began to feel better.  Our prayer is that over the next few months, years, decades, smoking will continue to be abhorrent and not even offer temptation.

Adding routine exercise to life was a gradual thing.  As part of his after surgery routine, he was expected to walk a little each day.  He began walking indoors, then in our driveway, and finally down our road.  His walking time increased from three minutes to thirty minutes.  While the walking was good it didn't really meet his desire for building strength.  His arms and chest are feeling flimsy by his standards.  He's hoping that the rehab program will address those issues and he'll start feeling like himself again.  I enjoy the walks because it makes me exercise and it gives us time together to talk. 

Diet changes are something we weren't concerned with during the first part of  Rob's recovery.  When we left the hospital we were told that Rob could eat whatever he liked.  The tricky part of that direction is that for the first two weeks he didn't really feel like eating anything.  He lost about twelve pounds.  Now that his appetite is back he is to start a diet that is low in cholesterol, fat and salt.  While I don't fry food very often (practically never), I do tend to make things that aren't totally healthy, especially for breakfast.  Plus there's the fact that we love dessert.  So, my biggest challenge right now is to figure out what a heart healthy diet looks like for my family.

We made a good start yesterday.  I didn't buy any coke at the store.  I did stock up on fruit.  Our fridge is full of vegetables already.  And, for dinner, I made pizza dough with whole wheat flour.  Everyone noticed the difference but said that the change in the pizza dough was worth the added health benefits.  Rob even opted to leave pepperoni totally off of his pizza and didn't seem to mind.

My prayer is that we'll be able to find new ways of eating that will be as satisfying and so much healthier than the old ways.  And since CAD is genetic, I'll be helping my husband stay healthy now and giving my children a leg up on their adult health.  That's good for all our hearts.

A New Heart

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you;

I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 

 -Ezek 36:26

It seems so crazy, as I sit in my family room this morning watching the Olympics, to think that this time last week we were waiting and wondering what was going to happen with Rob's heart.  We were still trying to wrap our heads around the idea of open-heart surgery and not really understanding what it meant.  Now, by the grace of God, he received four bypasses in his heart and is on his way to full recovery.

Right now his recovery is focused on coughing carefully, taking laps around the room and using his volurex.  Eating is an chore.  Texture, taste and smell work against him in so many of the foods he normally enjoys.  It seems impossible to him that in six weeks he'll be able to return to work.  Time has warped and it's difficult to understand how healing will come and things will return to normal.

Part of the truth that we face is that normal will be changed even after Rob has healed from surgery.  Rob has been diagnosed with coronary artery disease.  The bypass didn't cure the disease it just fixed some of the results.  In normal coronary arteries, blood has a smooth wide path through which to flow.  As a body ages, even a normal heart can have some deposits of fat and cholesterol form in the lining of the heart arteries.  In Rob's heart, this process was accelerated.  Rob's doctor called it a transportation error.  Rather than distributing cholesterol throughout his body Rob's cholesterol collects in his heart causing his blood vessels to become clogged and hardened.  We learned from Dr. Streicher that in Rob's heart as cholesterol collects  it is deposited in the lining of the vessels and calcifies, like bone.  Hardening of the arteries truly means that the heart, at least parts of it, is turning to bone. 

While the bypass provides a solution to the blockages in Rob's heart now, genetics work against him.  The transportation error cannot be corrected.  We can only fight genetics to slow down the coronary artery disease.  Medication for blood pressure and cholesterol, exercise, a heart healthy diet and no smoking will be Rob's new normal.  The price of a new heart is small and the benefits are great.  We are so thankful for this heart of flesh and the new life it brings.

The Power of Prayer

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. 

 If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.

- James 5:15

There have been so many prayers filling heaven and earth on Rob's behalf this week.  I believe the miracles we've witnessed this week are the direct result of prayer and God's grace.  It will be impossible to name every person and prayer chain that has lifted Rob's name and situation to the Lord but I'm going to give it a good shot.

Watertown Presbyterian Church - Watertown, OH

1st Presbyterian Church - Jeffersonville, IN

1st Presbyterian Church - Parkersburg, WV

Oviedo Presbyterian Church - Oviedo, FL

Living Waters Presbyterian Church - Wendell, ID
Perrow Presbyterian Church - Cross Lanes, WV

the board of VMTC

an orphanage in Liberia
prayer chains at Operation Christmas Child

Dee Wright
Tony Clarke
Tom Westlund
Carolyn Westlund
James Wells
Jane McMahon
Lisa Borchers
Stacy Johnson
Kristin Holiday
Shayla Goldenberg
Jill Wells
Brenda Cline
Lynn Wallmeyer
Marianne McCafferty
Kathy Scohy
Jennifer Crow
Hannah Ayers
Crysta Bourdon
Angie Dieterlen
Shannon Wiezik
Marian Coleman
Jack Dabney
Kelly Peele
Keri Murray
Sandra Schmidt
Wendy Stewart
Stacey Wachsman
Anne Barnes
Tammy Roberts
Tre Roberts
Kathleen Graff
Jennifer Holland
Bridgette Williams-Searle
Kathy Huffman
Jill Lane
Emily Geogerian
Melinda Coats
Sandy Locke
Karen Westlund
Christine Schwab
Laura Zeller
Don Summerfield
Jennifer Eisenman
Holly Kelly
Cynthia James
Diana Bay
Linda Avery
Stephanie DiGugliemo
Sarah Townsend
Eileen Kosar
Natalie Kritenbrink
Eleanor DeWeese
Amber Mace
Amy Daniels
Mary Wiese
Fran Westlund
Mark Miller
Sherry Frame

Tammy Therien

Anna Oehlmann

Amy Beaty
Sandy Harrison
Kim Orcutt
John Browning
Kathy Huffman
Jill Lane
Cathy Sepko
Amy Kesterson
Jackie Brown
Nancy Heitschmidt
Kathy Heaps
Bobbie Heaps

The Celebration of Heart Day

Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me.

- John 14:1

Today will forever be know as Heart Day at our house.  Today is the day that my 44 year old husband received a quadruple bypass.  Today is the day that his life began again.  This is the day that the Lord has made.

When I got up this morning I didn't know what kind of day this would be.  The potential for tragedy was at an all time high.  I woke in the hospital after a spotty night of sleep, helped Rob prepare for his surgery and waited with him for the nurses to come take him to pre-op.  I worked to be cheerful and upbeat for Rob, my parents, his sister and myself.  The doctors and the nurses were so assured and encouraging.  Even with their support, kissing Rob good-bye was one of the hardest things I've ever done.

After watching Rob being wheeled away to the operating room, we went to have breakfast.  Dr. Streicher told us not to expect to hear from him until noon.  We had three and a half hours to wait through.  As the minutes of the morning ticked by I could feel myself becoming wound even more tightly.  By 11:15a.m. I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin.  11:30 found my unable to remain on the first floor of the hospital.  Even after moving to the open heart family waiting room my mind was unable to settle.  My prayers were constant but jumbled.  By 12:07, when my cell phone buzzed in my pocket, I was wound so tight that my hands shook.  When I heard the nurse say surgery was over and Rob was in recovery I felt the weight begin to drop from my shoulders.  Dr. Streicher came to talk to us a few minutes later and told us that Rob had done beautifully.  He was a bit disappointed that he had only been able to make two of the bypasses with the mammary veins.  The other two bypasses had to be done with the vein from Rob's leg.  Dr. Streicher said that everything he'd done needed to be done twice because he kept coming up shorter than he'd expected.  That made me chuckle because I'd heard Rob express similar sentiments about jobs he'd done at home and on the farm.

We got to go back and see Rob briefly after he was moved to recovery.  I had prepared myself for the worst; ventilator tubes, machines, a husband that looked like death warmed over.  What I saw was the most handsome man in the word, slightly pale and sleeping.  Yes, he had a ventilator tube but all I could see was his gorgeous face.  I snuck my hand under the edge of his blanket and over the i.v. tubes to touch his arm.  Feeling that skin, warm and mine, was the most precious thing.  At that moment, I truly knew what the expression "a weight lifted from my shoulders" meant.

The rest of the day was a celebration. We went for Graeter's ice cream with Sarah, Kaleb, Annabeth,, Maggie and Lily.  Mom, Dad, Sandy (Rob's sister) and I went to the Ohio State Fair.  We looked at cows, sheep, a chocolate farm, Lego city, endless varieties of fair food, quilts and lots of people.  While we were at the fair, Rob's nurse, Leslie, called.  She told me that Rob was doing well, just six hours after surgery he was off the ventilator and ready to talk to me.  I was stunned.  I'd been told the ventilator might be removed before bed Tuesday night but I hadn't imagined that it would be removed so early. His voice was scratchy but he was in great spirits, joking and teasing.  It was the most beautiful sound.

After the fair, we drove back toward our hotels looking for a place to have dinner.  Sandy requested a place that had forks.  Mom took it up a notch by requesting that the place have metal forks.  We found the perfect spot to celebrate God's goodness at an Italian restaurant called Bravo!  Bravo! indeed.  Bravo! to Rob and even more Bravo! to God.  Happy Heart Day to all of us!

Guarding Our Hearts

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,

will guard you hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.   

 Phil 4:7

We received word a few minutes ago that Rob's surgery is confirmed for 8:30a.m.  Today has been a full day of preparation and education.  I know so much more about the heart and how it works now than I did twelve hours ago.  If education  is power, I am much more powerful than I was twelve hours ago. 

Beyond a doubt, God's creation, the human body, is fearfully and wonderfully made.  Even when it isn't working quite as it should.  I am so thankful that there are people with more education, knowledge and power than I possess.  I am so thankful that there are people that understand the heart and body on a level that I will never acquire.

After the two days of waiting, we are preparing for surgery.  My parents are here.  Rob's sister is here.  My sister brought the children to visit today.  We have all been able to ask the questions that were pressing on our minds.  S10 wanted to know how the veins and heart felt and what color they were.  M7 wanted to know what Daddy would look like.  My dad wanted to know the location of the blockages.  I wanted to know what to expect after surgery.  The staff at the hospital has been so patient and helpful.  They've answered every question and talked us through the expectations of the surgery and recovery.

I'll be having dinner with my family before they head home.  The children are more comfortable in their own home and seeing Rob after surgery isn't something that they need to do.  Tonight I'll be sleeping at the hospital.  My bed is propped against the wall right now.  I'm sure we'll figure out how to get it set up.

In the morning, they'll start prepping Rob at about 6:30a.m.  I am so thankful to have the company of Rob's sister and my parents as I wait for the surgery to be over.  I am reassured by his doctor, the nursing staff and the health educators.  It's been very comforting to hear those in the know say things like "just" a by-pass.  To me a by-pass is huge.  To them a by-pass is another job that must be done. 

At each turn I have experienced peace which transcends all understanding.  In addition to peace, God has provided people and knowledge  in a positive and upbeat manner to guard our minds.  I know that the prayer that God will guard Rob's heart is being fulfilled.  We'll spend tonight being thankful for this experience and praying for Dr. Streicher.  Today has been full of blessings.  I look forward to seeing what blessings tomorrow brings.

At the Speed of Life

“Life moves pretty fast. You don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”.

 - Ferris Bueller

Just three days ago we were traveling from Hagerman, ID where we celebrated Rob's parent's 50th wedding anniversary.  We flew from Boise, ID to Minneapolis, MN and ended our flight in Columbus, OH.  Less than 48 hours later we've made a return trip to Columbus that we never could have anticipated.

One of our projects for this year is raising turkeys.  We are working to develop a farm that focuses on heritage breeds.  (If you are interested in what that means this is a great web site to check out.) As a result, we bought 12 Bourbon Red turkeys.  Five of those twelve are still with us.  Upon our return from Idaho, Rob was turning the open side of our carriage house into a turkey pen.  On Friday, he got the front wall framed and was feeling immensely proud of the job when he began to feel pressure in his chest and pain down his left arm.  Rather than telling me about it, he rested a while and it went away.  Later in the evening, he moved a generator, rather heavy and not really a one man job.  The pressure and pain returned at a level that he felt he needed to confess.  We climbed in the car and headed for the emergency room.

Upon arrival in the emergency room Rob was given a cubicle immediately and tests were begun.  As he explained what brought him to the hospital he gave a text-book description of a heart attach.  The hospital followed procedure that assumed there had been a heart event until it was proven differently.  Test after test showed that everything was fine.  His EKG was normal.  His blood pressure was only a little high but not alarming.  His enzyme levels were barely above the cut off that had been assigned.  Just to be safe, the doctors decided to keep him over night and do a heart catheterization on Saturday morning.

Being the mother of four, I had a full Saturday planned.  K15 had a wedding to attend and needed a strapless bra for the new dress she'd bought.  H13 needed to stock up on library books after a week away from her library.  I planned to go to the farmer's market and make more delicious zucchini recipes.  With Rob's hospital stay, the farmer's market and zucchini went out the window but the bra and library were still priorities.  I finally arrived at the hospital shortly after they'd taken Rob to the Cath Lab for his procedure.

Often in life, I find myself in situations where people assume I know more than I do.  Or maybe they assume I'm smarter than I am.  Either way, talking with the first nurse at the Cath Lab made me feel like that.  It was obvious that the findings of Rob's procedure had surprised her.  She spoke to me as if I already knew all about it even though I'd just arrived.  As she said things like heart surgery and crack his chest, my head felt fuzzy.  After listening in silence and praying while she talked I came to realize that the team of medical professionals had been expecting to find little blockage in Rob's heart.  At the very most they were expecting to put in a stint and call it a day.  The reality of the situation was that Rob had severe blockage in three of the main vessels of his heart.  None of us were expecting that news.  They were as shocked and upset as I was to learn that a seemingly healthy 44 year old man wasn't. 

The doctor and three of the nurses reassured me that Rob was in the best possible position to deal with the news. The all had stories of loved ones that were fine after heart surgery.  They all wanted him to be fine and they wanted me to be certain that he would be fine.  Because he hadn't had a heart attack his heart suffered no damage.  He was strong, healthy and able to cope with the surgery.  What we had been framing as our wake-up call snapped us to attention and required that we make decisions fairly quickly.  Where to have the surgery?  Who to call? What help did we need?  What about the children? 

In less than an hour, Rob was on the way to Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, OH and I was on my way home to take care of the children and pack.  Initially Rob wanted to be transferred to a hospital closer to home.  He wanted it all to be convenient for me.  I was determined that for such a crucial choice we would choose based on expertise not convenience.  The hospital was further but the peace of mind I experienced was worth the drive.  Open heart surgery involving a triple by-pass as a result of heart disease and hardened arteries requires all the peace of mind that can be scraped together.  Rob wants me to be very clear that his heart problems are genetic in nature and are not a result of smoking.  We are both very clear that he is, from yesterday on, a non-smoker.

The children were quickly sorted out.  Friends from church were anxious to spend the day with them.  My sister had started driving the eight hours from her house to mine shortly after she heard the results of Rob's test.  Each and every person that I told offered themselves to me in any way I needed.

As I drove to Columbus, I reflected on the blessings.  We returned safely from Idaho before any difficulty began.  We went to the emergency room without incident.  Rob didn't leave the hospital when he got fed up with monitors and waiting.  The doctors followed through without any real indication that there was a problem.  There was no damage to Rob's heart.  Rob vowed to stop smoking.  A multitude of friends and family were praying.  So, so many people offered to provide whatever I needed.

Life does move fast and as we are given a few days to wait for Rob's surgery I intend to stop, look around and thank God for each and every gift that we've been given.  I thank God even for this time and pray that I am able to adequately express to others the grace that God has given Rob and me and our family.  I don't intend to miss any of it.  Above all I know that God is in control of this situation and is raining down blessings.  As I told H13, "You can worry or you can pray but you can't do both at the same time.  Only one brings results.  Which do you think is the better choice?"

When S10 asked me if there was any chance that Rob could die, I asked him if he wanted me to talk to him about the truth or if he just wanted me to make him feel better.  He told me he wanted the truth so I gave him the kid's version of any surgery comes with risk and as I spoke with the children I prayed that God would give me the words and God did.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,

who have been called according to his purpose. 

-Romans 8:28