Post-Op Day 2

 Hola and Happy Sabbath!  What a great day!  I made some great strides but boy am I tired - don't know about how much rest I got but hopefully tonight?!  My docs took me off of morphine this am and put me on dilaudid for the discomfort.  This helped my pain overall and also helped my nauseousness!  The epinephrine was discontinued today because my ekg and echocardiogram looked great and my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest!  My nitric oxide also came off as well but I'm still on a couple liters of oxygen while my body adjusts to this new 4 chambered pump - this baby rocks!  My innards just aren't quite adapted to these new pressures and all this blood flow!  I sat up in the recliner for about 15 minutes and made multiple trips to the bathroom which wore me out!  

My family is taking great care of me!  My momma manages to take care of me in the hospital and all my siblings like always - even out of her element!  Gemma makes sure my braids are nice and tight - just gotta teach her how to do nails!  Layla keeps the wagons rolling and can't wait for the pups to be back on duty during the week days!  Bubba is here for comedic relief and watches over my girls when were not together!  Dad, well, he's the like the custodial engineer - how my brother ever camps with him in a tent is beyond me!  I promise to get more pics soon!  As always, I am forever grateful for all the things you've all done for me and my fam!  Night, night and God Bless! 

                      Dad and Lee went fishing in the atrium
  

Post-Op Day 1

Greetings from the CICU (Cardiac Intensive Care Unit) in KCMO!  Hope you're all well and having a great weekend so far?!  Today was a wrestling match but I won!  I had a bit of trouble sleeping early this morning but about the time the rooster crowed and the docs rounded, I decided to get a little shuteye!  This could be in part to the benadryl or other drugs I was given but nonetheless, I rested comfortably until about mid-afternoon when we had to change out a couple arterial lines!  Neither were working so I got rid of them and the VAT (Vascular Access Team) ladies were supa good and smooth on the re-install but only put 1 back in (2 steps forward, 1 step back)?!  It was so smooth and I was feeling so well, that I sat up and decided clear my pipes a touch!  I accomplished this by hacking around and self administering the mucus sucker (w/ close observation).  Another score; advantage, me!  Oh, I almost forgot, this am I also got rid of my NG tube and my catheter, boy did that feel good!  I've managed to keep some water down and even a little bubbly seltzer water!  I was trying to stay awake until about 8 bells tonight so I don't get my days/nights mixed up because that can ultimately hinder my progression out of the CICU!  However, after the beverages, it was time to powder my nose!  With the help of momma and the nurses, I got out of bed and hit the commode!  I had to pee like a racehorse - filled the hat and then some!  After all this I was spent to say the least and needed to rest a little so we'll see how the night goes?!  All in all, it was a very productive day with lots of progress made!  I'm off of my sedative medication as well as a couple others!  My team has kind of warned me that post-op day 3-4 can be a little rocky with pain and nauseousness but time will tell?!  I am thankful for all of you and the Lord above!  Good Night, Go Royals!     

Heart Transplant Complete!

 

Well, here it is - my array of monitors and meds!  Just about everything you could imagine minus the kitchen sink!  I got out of surgery about 1:30 am this morning and all went well!  I'm resting / recovering comfortably for the most part!  Occasionally I wake and want to sit up / remove my breathing tube by myself but they've restrained me, ugh!  They tell me it's best I remain sedated while my body adapts to my new heart!  The team did decide to extubate me a little early because my labs looked good and if they didn't I was going to take matters into my own hands come heck or high water!  The nitric oxide remains just to make the breathing a little easier while I gain some more strength!  The meds will hopefully start to disappear after that as well or transition to pill form.  Thus far, my docs say I'm right where I should be!  They're pleased with my progress and my echo looked good earlier today!  I'm running a slight fever but they say that could just be from the procedure, we'll see?! 

I am quite the comedian from time to time when I wake and boy do I miss my family!  My team of docs, the nurses, and my family have all been quite accommodating!  I really need to get a good night's rest so everyone can recharge their batteries - the last two nights have been a little taxing to say the least!  Totally worth it though - my lips are rosy and my skin is a little darker (circulation is flowing like never before)!  All for now, gotta get some zzz's!  Thank you to everyone for all your thoughts, prayers, messages!  You have no idea how much my family and I appreciate it - they work wonders!  Good Night and God Bless!

                                        Silly Siblings

                                 Benson, Gemma, & Layla

   

Leave the Liver

Greetings my peeps!  WOW, what a day!  I'm telepathically sending this message to you because I'm still on the operating table - all I can say is good drugs, really good drugs!  

I went back an hour later than expected and was delayed a little more with my donor but all is well, really well!  The heart is a perfect match and my liver is overall, nice and soft/spongy (good thing) with only a couple areas of cirrhosing.  No varices anywhere, so I'm keeping that baby!  My donor family will bless another family as well - God Bless you all.  We are forever indebted to you!  My docs feel that replacing my heart (root cause) will not only correct my liver issues but also help out my kidneys that have started to falter somewhat also!  Speaking of the new ticker, it's supposed to arrive around 8 bells tonight.  Once here; we do the ol switcharoo (anticipating ~ 2 hrs), sew it all together, and stitch me up.  I'll be monitored for a couple hours afterwards to make sure she's purring like a kitten and then I'm headed back to room #74 CICU with the fam!  Realistically, I don't plan to be back in my room until late tonight / early tomorrow morning - my family doesn't need to sleep!  As for myself, I'm gonna have to sleep this off for a day or two while I mend and the meds start to come off - all depends on my numbers?!  Speaking of sleep, check out these pics:

                                             # BRAH

                                                                

                                       PAPER BEATS ROCK

                                               BOOGA

                                                               

                                     LAUGHS WITH LITTA

                      SAWIN LOGS WITH THE HI-PAD BLARING

                                             WET WILLIE?!

                     HEY BUBBA, I MOUSTACHE YOU A QUESTION

                                             MONACLE?!

Long Time, No Post, Buckle Up.

 WOW!  Where do I begin?!  I'll give you the quick, dirty version - hopefully long story short!  The OEM ticker can't be tweaked anymore - time for a new pump (heart)!  We were told that this was probably inevitable but had hoped to kick the can down the road a little further!  The Good Lord has a better plan so we will trust in him!  In the last few months we have also learned that the ol' liver may need swappin as well - single ventricle hearts such as mine can cause some pretty extensive wear and tear on one's liver.  A recent biopsy showed that there is considerable cirrhosing of my liver and it may not be able to regenerate / recover?!  That will be a game time decision later today (5/14/26) when this show gets on the road!  They're thinking about 11am?!    

I was put on the heart and liver transplant list April 6th of this year!  We were told that it could be up to a 2 year wait, but less than 2 months later - here we are!  We got the call about 8pm last night (5/13/26) and were told to start making our way to Children's Mercy Hospital in KC, MO.  We started frantically packing and quickly saying our goodbyes as we made it here about 1:35am!

Thank you to everyone for all for your love, thoughts, and prayers - God is Good.  Please also remember the individual and their family that is making this possible - we love you and pray for you!  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to this family - we don't even know you but hope to meet you some day!  Time to try and get a little shut eye! 

  

West bound and down.

Bot, Bear, Big Chair