GRACIE'S "BROKEN" HEART

This is what Lucas calls it...too sweet! Our hearts have been pretty broken this week too as we learned that Gracie's heart condition is not mild at all like was determined by the Tongu Hospital in China. But God has been strengthening, reassuring, and giving us peace as we turn to Him. Much of this has been in the form of encouraging and loving words & prayers from our family and friends--Thank You! The condition they thought she had was just a slight pulmonary stenosis which didn't need surgery or medication. So, basically it was nothing but we should have this confirmed when we returned home which is what we thought would happen when I took her to the cardiologist last Wednesday, 8/1. However, the cardiologist said right away just by looking at her color, listening to her heart, and by her heart rate that this was not an accurate diagnosis. So, I went into the echo with her already anxious and it only got worse as I sat there watching the technician shake his head. Finally, he began explaining to me that her stenosis was very severe, that she had a very large Ventricular Septal Defect (hole in the septal wall between her right and left ventricles) which had caused her right ventricle to become thickened and her aorta to override the septal wall. All of these things combined are a condition called Tetralogy of Fallot and would need open heart surgery to repair. He was very kind & compassionate as I sat there and wept (thankfully Gracie hadn't had her second nap that day and slept through the entire 1 1/2 hour echo while Chloe watched Baby Einstein in the same room and Scott had the boys at youth group). He was still taking pictures of her heart and seemed to be confused as Gracie's cardiologist came in (I think to see what was taking so long). The tech explained what he had found but discussed with him the fact that he couldn't seem to find her left pulmonary artery. He finally found what he wasn't sure was either part of it or if it is just extremely small. Dr. Garabedian, the cardiologist, sat there and explained more to me and went over a diagram. He said every Tuesday morning he, other cardiologists & surgeons from Sacred Heart meet and discuss certain cases and one of those would be Gracie's that next Tuesday (8/7) and that he would call us and let us know what test they collectively decided would be the most effective to get all the info on her heart before surgery. It was a difficult wait but we did receive a call from him at around 8:30 am and he said they decided that a heart catheterization would be best. So, she is scheduled for that on Monday, August 27th in Spokane at Sacred Heart. If they determine that her arteries & blood flow are strong enough then they will do a full repair during her open heart surgery scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 11th. We are praying that is what the case will be as one open heart surgery is invasive enough.

The girls and I left the cardiologist office at 8 pm last Wednesday with my head spinning, my stomach in knots, and my heart aching. After I got them buckled in and started the car the VBS CD we had been listening to on the way there continued playing. The song that began playing is called "God is Good" and it goes like this:

GOD IS GOOD....ALL THE TIME. PUT A SONG OF PRAISE IN THIS HEART OF MINE! GOD IS GOOD....ALL THE TIME. THROUGH THE DARKEST NIGHT, HIS LIGHT WILL SHINE. GOD IS GOOD, GOD IS GOOD, ALLLLLL THE TIME! WHEN YOU WALK, THROUGH THE VALLEY, THERE ARE SHADOWS ALL AROUND. DO NOT FEAR! HE WILL GUIDE YOU. HE WILL KEEP YOU SAFE FROM HARM. FOR HE HAS PROMISED TO NEVER LEAVE, YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU....AND HIS WORD IS TRUE!!!! GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!!!!

I know He put that song on for me at just that momment when I needed His reassurance, comfort and peace and this song has continued to minister to my heart through this roller coaster ride that has just begun.