Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Orange you glad you wore orange? I am!!

Baby Stellan is having surgery today, as I type. If you do not know about this situation or haven't read the latest please go here to catch up on what is happening today, right now.

In support of this dear family, I am jumping on board and wearing my orange today, and I'd like to encourage you to do the same. I'm going to go in right now and get dressed in my orange and have Dak take a picture so I can send it to MckMama's blog in support of baby Stellan!!!

I wanted to take just a second and explain what SVT does if you are unfamiliar. Now my explanation is not one of technical medical terms, but one of experience. I started having SVT a few years ago, although I had no idea what it was. Back in 1997 I was hospitalized for low heart rate (like 31 bpm when I slept) and I was feeling really bad all the time. So they ran some test and all seemed fine, so the plan was to put me on a monitor and send me home. Well the morning I was to go home, my heart went into v-tach. I didn't know what that was other than I was really light headed and feeling really weird. They came running in hollering I was in v-tach and had these paddles and all that coming at me and they asked me how I was feeling, well in true Petrii fashion I answered, "okay, but your scaring me to death!!!!!" I laugh at that now, but it was scary at the time.

Thankfully I was still on the monitors when that happened and they could see what my heart was doing. It went from a resting heart rate of 51 to something like 260 in a matter of a couple of seconds, pretty scary stuff.

Well the halter monitor they put me on for a month was inconclusive they said, so that was that. So I thought. A couple of years ago it started in again, so I went to my doc and she put me on a 24 hour halter monitor and it showed that I have bouts of SVT. This is where your heart rate goes way up suddenly and stays there a while (like those techie terms =) One of my doc's put me on some meds to get it to regulate, but that was worse than the SVT for me. I was so sick on those. Yuck!!

So when I think of little Stellan being in SVT for over a month now, more in it than out of it, it is hard to fathom. It makes you so irritable and tired and drained. Not to mention anxious. It is a terrible feeling if you are in it for very long. It can leave you short of breath and laborious in your breathing. In short.......it stinks.

Today I do not take any medication for it. My docs monitor it and I had several bouts of it when I was in Mayo, but the docs saw it immediately both the day before surgery and the days that followed surgery, and all was fine. I find that stress makes mine worse or if I'm not feeling well for some reason it will get worse, or if I'm just hanging out drinking an ice tea with my hubs on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, yep it can do it then too. Not always a rhyme or reason to it.

So today my heart is so heavy and burdened for this sweet dear family. Lift them to the Father today, remain in prayer all day when you think of them, or when you see a little one or when you drink your coffee or when you go to the bathroom (yes I did really say that) remember them all day no matter what you're doing.

Father,
You are God of all the situations we face in life. You know and see all that is going on with baby Stellan today and I pray for your mercy and grace just to fall on that hospital in Boston today and with Stellan and his mama and grandpa that are there with him. Guide the doctor's hands and show them exactly what needs to be done to help this little child. Sweet Jesus, be right there doing that surgery through the doctor's hands. Oh that we will be willing vessels for your glory to be shown through...touch him, my Jesus.

Be with Jennifer's husband at home with their three other children. I can't imagine not being able to hold your wife and love on your child as this is going on, but Father you are holding them all right now, help them to feel your touch and your love. Strengthen and help them Lord.

Thank you Father, be with us today, Amen.

10 comments:

  1. Darn it... I totally forgot to wear my orange!! But praying for that baby.

    I too cant imagine his little heart & everything its been going through over the past few weeks...

    How scary for you... whenever you see people running at you with paddles - yeah, I'd be a little freaked out!

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  2. I'm praying for sweet little Stellan too!

    Just wanted to thank you for the beautiful journal that you sent to my mom. You are such a blessing to us all, Dawn!

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  3. i've missed reading your blog...i've been really busy..i haven't posted or read in about a week!! playing catch up now!!
    i did miss reading your encouraging blogs and verses! i'm back thought!
    love the orange..cute!!
    praying for stellan!

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  4. I looked for orange, but all I could find was my orange flip flops... so I AM sporting them!

    I have had them on my heart constantly. I feel for "Prince Charming" too, being so far away while his wife and son face this alone (sort of). Praying, praying, praying.

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  5. Oh, I forgot to mention I like the new blog design.

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  6. I think you and your blog look amazing today. Thanks for sharing your own story about SVT and for the prayer for Stellan at the end. I've been praying for him and his family since the SVT started a month ago. I think of them all the time.

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  7. Praying alongside you and Stellan's family. I was just reading today about God's comfort. So much need for that in the world.

    PS wanted to touch base with you about page plans blog but thought it would be better to do it off-blog. My email is hopereed24@yahoo.com - let's chat about it when you have a moment. :)

    Blessings, Hope

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  8. I love the way you always change your blog look! You rock Dawn!

    I like the orange for Stellan. I have been praying for him also and am glad to see you join in! I also have been praying for Kayleigh Freeman. They didn't get good news yesterday.

    In Him,
    Beth

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  9. GIRL....I LOVE the new blog look! Orange is one of my favs!~ You crack me up with all your new headers....so cool! (And you are just too cute yourself!)
    I have been praying for Stellan. Praying for you and your sweet family, too.

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  10. How adorable are you AND your blog in ORANGE! I have been so out of touch with blogging that I didn't know about the Orange today, but praying for Stellan just the same.

    I hope you're having a great week and thanks for being such a great friend!

    Love you, girl!
    Emilie

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