2 ER trips

Prayer warriors, would you please pray for me? I was in the ER Friday due to an episode with my heart. I have dysautonomia and inappropriate tachycardia which means my heart rate is way too fast and my autonaumic nervous system doesn't function correctly. I was started on beta blockers to try and help lower my heart rate, but on Friday I passed out and my heart rate was very high. I was also having chest pain and was shaking a lot. I was at my friend's house when it happened so they took me to the heart hospital and my parents met us there. In the ER, they got my heart rate down with IV fluids. They stuck me 8 times before they got an IV and even had to use an ultrasound machine to find a vein! So it took 8 tries, an ultrasound machine, and 4 nurses. 

They monitored me and sent me home once my heart rate was down and my cardiologist said I could go. 

I did fine Saturday, but I had another episode on Sunday afternoon. I didn't pass out but my heart rate was very high and I was shaking and had chest pain. Since we knew what was happening, we didn't go to the ER. We tried to get it down with my heart medicine and rest. 

First thing yesterday (Monday) morning, I called my cardiologist. They wanted me to come in that afternoon. My cardiologist decided to increase my heart medicine to see if that would help stop these episodes. I was supposed to go home and take the increased dose, so that's what I did. They also wanted me to take another medicine that would make me sleepy so I slept for a couple hours yesterday after I got home and took the medicines. 

When I woke up from my nap yesterday, I didn't feel well. I got up to go to the bathroom and on the way back to the living room, I yelled to my mom that I didn't feel well, but I didn't finish my sentence because I passed out. I passed out in our hallway which has concrete floors, so I hit my head and body hard when I fell. Apparently while I was still unconscious, I started shaking and my mom thought I was having a seizure. I woke up on the floor but passed out again very soon and kept shaking. This happened several times. When I finally realized what was going on, I was being put in the car to go to the hospital. 

At the hospital they were worried that I injured my head when I fell so they wanted a CT scan. They did blood work, a blood sugar check, an EKG, and then the head CT scan. Everything came back normal, praise God! With as hard as I fell, it's incredible that I didn't hurt anything! Everything hurt, but it wasn't broken or anything! 

They decided that the increase in my heart medicine made me get sick and then pass out, so that's what happened. They talked to my cardiologist who said to keep taking the increased dose of my beta blocker for my heart. They said it could take a couple of weeks for my body to get used to the new dose of medicine so I have to be really careful until I get used to it. I got to come home last night after they watched me for a while and my cardiologist said I was okay to go home since I didn't hurt myself when I fell on the concrete. 

I'm doing well today, just sore and worn out so I've just been resting. I have to be careful when I get up to make sure that I don't pass out again. I'm so thankful that I wasn't home alone when it happened and that I didn't hurt myself any worse than I did. And it only took 4 tries to get an IV in last night at the hospital  so that's better than 8 tries! 

Please pray that my body handles the medicine change and that I get used to it very soon. Please also pray that the medicine stops these episodes of my heart racing and me passing out. 

God is good all the time and all the time God is good! "My flesh and my heart may fail, but GOD is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" Psalm 73:26

In other news, last Thursday I walked a half of a mile on the treadmill in 9 minutes and did some weightlifting!!!!! I'm pretty proud of doing that!!!!

Favorite song!

I wanted to share one of my favorite songs with you and tell you how God used it to comfort me! 

On April 30th, I had my 2nd endoscopy to look at my esophagus, stomach, and intestines. They also took biopsies of them. I was nervous at first but the day of the procedure I woke up with so much peace thanks to God and the prayers of so many! Two other ladies from church were having very serious surgeries that day also, and we had so many people praying for us and encouraging us. It was incredible to have so much support!! It meant so much to all of us. 

So the day of the procedure I woke up with peace and comfort despite being nervous about the procedure. My GI doctor is a great guy who is very involved in mission work and went to the Christian college that I've gone to! I know he's prayed for me many times and I've told him that many people pray for him too when they pray for me. 

I had the procedure at a little hospital that I hadn't been to before, so that's always a little scary. We got to the hospital early that morning and loved it immediately. Everyone was so kind and I had the best care. I was nervous about the sedation because of a procedure that I had last year where the sedation didn't work and I was 100% awake when I was supposed to be asleep. So I prayed extra hard about the sedation since I was nervous. 

Right before the procedure when my GI came to talk to us, he mentioned that I might not have full sedation because they forgot to schedule an anesthesiologist for me. I started praying harder at that point. He came back a few minutes later and said that they got it worked out and found an ER doctor who would be in the procedure with me so that they could do general anesthesia, which means that there was no chance that I would be awake! Praise God!! We were so relieved! They then wheeled me to the OR to start the procedure. 

In the operating room, we had to wait on the ER doctor to get there, so we just hung out for about 10 minutes. It was my GI doctor and 2 nurses in the OR with me. There was music playing when we arrived in the OR. My GI had requested Christian music to be played. I was so excited to hear that! It was so peaceful, even with all the scary equipment around me! 

The ER doctor got to the room and they began to hook me up to the monitors and started to get my sedation ready. Guess what song came on as they were getting me hooked up to everything? It was Oceans by Hillsong. One of my favorite songs! Here are the lyrics:

"You call me out upon the waters

The great unknown where feet may fail

And there I find You in the mystery

In oceans deep

My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters

Your sovereign hand

Will be my guide

Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me

You've never failed and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

[6x]

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

I will call upon Your name

Keep my eyes above the waves

My soul will rest in Your embrace 

For I am Yours, and You are mine"

They started giving me the sedation and as I was going to sleep, these lyrics stuck out to me. 

"Your grace abounds in deepest waters

Your sovereign hand

Will be my guide

Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me

You've never failed and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine"

The song reminds me of this verse 

"When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you." Isaiah 43:2

God promises to never leave us, not matter what we're going through. 

God gave me a peace that passes all understanding, and used this song to comfort me as I went under anesthesia. I knew that everything was going to be okay! He was with me and like the song says, He's never failed and He won't start now! God is so good!

As I woke up after the procedure, I still had that peace! I'll never forget how peaceful I felt as I went to sleep while that song was playing. God was watching out for me and blessed me in ways I didn't know we're possible. I'm so thankful for that and for the many prayers said on my behalf! The other 2 ladies' surgeries went well and they are doing well, praise God! 

God is good all the time, and all the time God is good!