Letter from Wendy 10/01/09

First Email...

Well it has been a long road, with still a long road ahead. I had the baby on [September] the 9th as planned, and all went well with that. He is healthy and happy, weighing in at 7 lbs. 13 oz. and 19 inches long. God allowed me 24 hours to enjoy him and breathe him in before I had a heart attack the night of the 10th and was rushed into emergency open heart surgery. My aorta dissected spontaneously due to the genetic illness I've known about for years. Surgery lasted about 6 hours, then I spent 4 days in the cardiac intensive care unit on life support. I partially regained consciousness on Saturday morning, but don't remember much. They removed the breathing machine and thus began my long recovery. I was in the hospital for 2 weeks, and could only see my boys twice. I'm home now, but I still have a long way to go. I hurt a lot, and there are many adjustments to be made with a lot of new limitations. I can't pick up the baby so Chris and my mom as well as various church members are taking turns sitting with me at home. I am scared a lot, too. Every new ache or pain brings a new panic over what it could be wrong. Most of all I feel blessed. I prayed harder than I've ever prayed before the night of surgery, and God allowed me a second chance with my family. I hope I am worthy, and I hope I honor God with all that I do with this second chance. Please pray for all of us, as this is hard on everyone involved. Especially Chris. He has been wonderful. He has seen and done things for me that no husband should ever have to do for a wife. He really is my best friend and I don't know what I would do without him.

Love,
Wendy