The basic jist to start us off...

I am just starting to write this story down...it'll take awhile to get all of the specifics out, but I only hope to help & encourage (& maybe even educate??) others by sharing the crazy year that Joel & I have had...

Basically, here's the jist:
-May 28, 2008: I had a stroke.
-the next week I am in the hospital & the doctors find out that I had a hole in my heart (I did not know I had a hole in my heart up until this point & the hole is something docs are learning are a major cause of strokes)
-so, we learn we have to fix the hole
-Oct 3, 2008: we fix the hole with an 'umbrella' (aka: Amplatzer Septal Occluder - something that has been invented to help avoid having to do open heart surgery)
-Jan 21, 2009: we have to remove the umbrella, after finding it went terribly wrong.
-Spring 2009: we know we still have to fix the hole in the heart to help prevent future strokes
-Eventually: we decide we do not want to try the umbrella again.
-we then know that we want the best of the best of the best after having the previous complication, so I push & push to get Dr. Oz to operate on me.
-June 15, 2009: Dr. Oz performs minimally invasive open heart surgery on me.

now, I'm all better!
Joel & I are so incredibly thankful for the good Lord's protection through all of this & for prayer from folks all over the world...we couldn't have done it otherwise.

I will update this more....so, please check back for more specifics...about other things like: warning signs of a stroke, birth control, listening to your body, being pushy with the insurance even though they told me they won't cover Dr. Oz since he's not on our plan, physical & occupational thearapy, very minimal residual effects from the stroke.

what a year!