I\u2019m being wheeled in for a minor heart procedure. \u00a0\u00a0They say.\u00a0\u00a0 I\u2019m only supposed to be in there for about 30 minutes. \u00a0\u00a0They say.\u00a0\u00a0 I should get to go home that evening. \u00a0\u00a0They say.<\/p>\n
As I\u2019m fully awake and the only one at the party with no pants on. I\u2019m beyond freaked out. \u00a0There are 4 sweet nurses wearing face masks that lift me to the slab where they will put a catheter in my groin to plug a hole in my heart. \u00a0\u00a0I know, weird and also very impressive of our medical advances. \u00a0I nervously ask the nurses around me which one will give me the drugs to help me not remember this scary room. \u00a0 A nice lady says she shares the same birthday with me and we talk for a moment about how summer birthdays are nice because you get presents every six months.<\/p>\n
I again ask where the drugs are.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m freaking out. \u00a0 Freezing as my legs shake and my arms have to be held up by arm rests because the slab is so thin. \u00a0 It\u2019s the first time I really thought about dying.<\/p>\n
Now, I know you probably think I\u2019m being dramatic. \u00a0 Remember, I\u2019m an artist. \u00a0 I am\u00a0ALWAYS\u00a0creating things in my head. \u00a0You know on Alice in Wonderland where she talks about\u00a0imagining 10 impossible things before breakfast\u2026 well that\u2019s me in a nutshell.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0 And I have a touch of ADHD. \u00a0My husband says WAY more than a touch.<\/p>\n So, my brain is going crazy. \u00a0I\u2019m flat, laying on a cold slab, totally AWARE of all my surroundings and all I can think about is \u201cWhat if this is it?\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u201cWhat if something goes wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n The nurse next to me says \u201cAre you ok?\u201d \u00a0 I tell her I\u2019m freaking out. \u00a0 She says \u201cWell, did you pray?\u201d \u00a0 I said yes and about 1000 other people are praying too!<\/p>\n I then mention if things start to go south please feel free to pray! \u00a0 I am all for it!<\/p>\n A few minutes later the drug lady comes in. \u00a0 I am so happy to see her. \u00a0 She gives me something in my IV and I start to calm down. \u00a0 Throughout the procedure I was in and out, but when I was awake I can remember seeing the screen that the doctor was looking at and seeing my heart beating.<\/p>\n I can hear them talking and then I see kind of like an explosion go to the other side of my heart.<\/p>\n At that moment I think the worst. \u00a0Oh no, here it comes. \u00a0Open heart surgery. \u00a0\u00a0So I yell out to the doctor in my drug induced haze \u201cIs everything okay??? \u00a0Did it work???\u201d \u00a0\u00a0The doctor says \u201cYes, we just got it in place, now for the easy part!\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m awake as I hear the doctor say \u201cThat was a difficult case, but we were successful, good job everyone!\u201d \u00a0 Then I hear clapping! \u00a0 All the doctors and nurses are clapping in the operating room.<\/p>\n I was the first person in Texas to have this new device put in my heart for smaller PFO\u2019s. \u00a0(AKA small hole in the heart) \u00a0 \u00a0They say I wasn\u2019t a guinea pig, it\u2019s been tested, but the FDA had just released it on Oct 28th to be approved for smaller holes.<\/p>\n As I\u2019m wheeled back into the room with my family,\u00a0I have uncontrollable tears coming down my face. \u00a0 I\u2019m totally drugged up, but I know what has just happened. \u00a0 They closed it. \u00a0 \u00a0Then the doctor comes in and tells me just what a miracle it was.<\/p>\n He says that he tried for about 5 minutes, then the doctor that did the VERY first PFO closure in 2003 tried for about 40 minutes until he had to leave for another surgery. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A nurse Angel named DeDe (The one that has the same B-day as me) suggested another way to try to get the device in place and my doctor tried 1 more time, this time with success!!!<\/p>\n So, a 20\u00a0minute procedure took over an hour, but WORKED! \u00a0 I went for a follow up to see the new device in my heart and to do another test and it shows that the\u00a0hole is closed!\u00a0\u00a0 I asked if Nurse DeDe was there so I could thank her in person and she was in surgery so I left her a message.<\/p>\n I said \u201cThis is Heidi Easley and you were in the operating room when you did the heart procedure last week. \u00a0 I just wanted to Thank\u2026.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0I burst out in tears as I try to thank this lady that shares the same birthday as me. \u00a0 I can barely talk as I explain how much it means to me that she made that suggestion and that it could have possibly changed my life forever. \u00a0\u00a0The other sweet nurses hear me leaving the message and we all end up crying. \u00a0I had no idea that I would burst into tears, but I think the reason I did is because I was so grateful.<\/p>\n Grateful for a whole heart. I come home optimistic. \u00a0 \u00a0I share the news with my family and think about my future. \u00a0 I think about my families future.<\/p>\n So, this got me thinking\u2026 which you know I\u2019m ALWAYS doing\u2026 What about creating a new Artsy Vision Board for 2017?<\/p>\n YES, that\u2019s it!\u00a0\u00a0 What do I want for 2017!? \u00a0 What do I want to create in my life? \u00a0 So that\u2019s what I did. \u00a0 I created a new vision for 2017 and I made it into a Create 2017 Artsy Workshop!<\/p>\n And the cool part is – I recorded it so you can be a part of this workshop\u00a0FOR FREE!\u00a0\u00a0 It\u2019s called Let\u2019s Create 2017! \u00a0\u00a0It’s my present to you for being such a great person! \u00a0 For reading my endless blabbing newsletters, for always coming to my painting events, for inspiring me, praying for me and my family and many other things! \u00a0So thank you! \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s a step-by-step online workshop that teaches you exactly how to create an Artsy Vision Board! \u00a0 Yes, we can all just cut out magazines and post on a poster board, but I wanted it to be Artsy. \u00a0 \u00a0This workshop will show you how to create your very own 2017 Vision Board with Artsy touches so it\u2019s meaningful and exciting to you! \u00a0 \u00a0 What\u2019s the big secret in creating a Vision Board? \u00a0 \u00a0It\u2019s really about creating a board on how you want to feel! \u00a0 Yes, you can add material stuff as well, but the big secret is making it have the feeling that you want.<\/p>\n Do you want something to help remind you each day of what you want out of 2017?<\/p>\n It\u2019s been proven time and time again that writing down our goals and looking at them each day creates inspired action which leads to success! \u00a0\u00a0Oh and it’s FREE as my gift to you!!!!<\/p>\n Join me as we Create a Wonderful 2017! \u00a0 Just click the link below for immediate access!<\/p>\n The entire workshop is FREE and\u00a0includes video of me showing you Step-by-Step\u00a0so that you can create a successful Artsy Vision Board! \u00a0https:\/\/vimeo.com\/194919979<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I\u2019m being wheeled in for a minor heart procedure. \u00a0\u00a0They say.\u00a0\u00a0 I\u2019m only supposed to be in there for about 30 minutes. \u00a0\u00a0They say.\u00a0\u00a0 I should get to go home that evening. \u00a0\u00a0They say. As I\u2019m fully awake and the only one at the party with no pants on. I\u2019m beyond freaked out. \u00a0There are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13479,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[186,46,2,1],"tags":[54,248,214,80,244,247,245,61,246],"class_list":["post-13478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art","category-blog","category-creative","category-uncategorized","tag-art","tag-creative-life","tag-fear","tag-heart","tag-heart-procedure","tag-heart-surgery","tag-hole-in-heart","tag-painting","tag-surgery"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nGrateful for earth Angels like DeDe.
\nGrateful for such a loving husband and family.
\nGrateful that this past 3 months of constant doctors and endless hospital bills was ending.
\nGrateful that I don\u2019t have to \u201cstroke out\u201d again.
\nGrateful for my next chapter.<\/p>\n