January 11, 2012

This was the date of Robbie's EP test.  Going into the test both of his cardiologist were 99.9% sure that he would need a pacemaker.  His heart monitoring was showing his heart slowing and then actually skipping beats.  A pacemaker would kick start his heart to beat more regularly.

A pacemaker would mean a drastic change of life.  No sports, no wrestling, no flipping siblings because of the sensitive spot the pacemaker is positioned.  And Robbie has always known a life full of all the above!  But it would allow him to function normal, not be so tired and drained.

In attepts to try everything we could to avoid a pacemaker, and prove those doctors wrong, we suggested to Robbie that he cut out everything that would potentially cause heart problems such as caffiene and sugar.  So for 3 months before, during all the festive holidays, he complied to no avail. 
He actually got worse.  In our minds it assured us that he really did need a pacemaker because he was like an 80 year old sitting in a chair most of the day unable to do much of anything.

One of the most encouraging part of all this was the friends and family that surrounded us with uplifting, encouraging, prayers, visits, and cards.  We affirmed that we are surrounded by so many amazing, godly people, who poured out such a love that makes such a trial bearable.

Robbie's CP friends collected money for him to fly to the west coast for a retreat.  This was to take place just 10 days after his surgery, and worried a mother's heart.  But I had the assurance of Sam as a guardian.  This meant so much because it gave Robbie something to look forward to, assurance that life would go on with a pacemaker.  It touched all of us to witness such generosity and love from these young folks.

Before the surgery we went and played lots of basketball.  Jeff and Robbie had been playing on a church league and it was a sad last game.  All the players gathered around and prayed for Robbie and the upcoming surgery it was really a touching moment.  The night before we all went to the college for a family game, split up and had a blast.  Bittersweet for sure!

Jeff, Robbie and I went to stay at the hospital the night before to be sure we were ready at 6am!  The hospital accommidations were fine, except we couldn't get the shower to work.  We called the maintenance man and he tried to explain things over the phone, "Pull this lever."  Me, "Uh, sir, there is no lever."  Him, "Oh, there is a lever!" He finally came and looked and couldn't believe there was no lever.  So we showered with a bucket.  Fitfully slept, with the heat stuck on high so the windows had to be open, listening to a lullaby of sirens around busy Detroit. 

When we woke up Robbie suggested we read Psalm 91, his favorite, before we go, and we prayed.

Things moved quickly and other than a small wait in the waiting room, just long enough to realize that our problems aren't nearly as bad as to what other's are going through.  In a timely fashion he was ushered into surgery and we waited.  Oh, that is always the worst!  It's so humbling, so hard to see so many people hurting!  I would look and wonder if these people had the Lord to lean on and trust the end of the day to.

Jeff and I were quiet, this was no fun.  They were taking longer than suggested.  Finally, our doctor with a strong Indian accent called us into a room.  He started explaining things in a foreign terminology.  I was lost the first 5 minutes of the explaination, until I heard him say, "so he doesn't need a pacemaker".  What?  Jeff and I looked at each other in unbelief.  That was just what we wanted to hear!  We hugged and cried and thanked God!

Until we could see Robbie we tried to piece together what the doctor explained.  He has a hyper active vagel nerve.  This nerve is what calms the adrenalin that our bodies build from exercise or excitement that can make our heart beat fast.  The vagel nerve slows the heart back to normal.  But normal isn't good enough for Robbie's vagel nerve, his likes to go extreme, slowing the heart too slow, even skipping beats.

So the cure?  Caffeine!  That's why he was getting worse when we took him off of caffeine and sugar the previous months.  Caffeine will keep his vagel nerve more active and keep his heart rate from dropping.

It's been an experiment to see how much caffeine and how often to get to a point to feel back to normal, but it's working!  And without it he's quickly back to feeling bad and not functioning.  He's adapted to rich, hot, black coffe, but truly loves a cold Mountain Dew!

The doctor said he may outgrow this in a couple of years, so we'll see.  For now he's so thankful to be active and living and enjoying life as normal as we know it!

Hebrews 12:1  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the reace that is set before us.