Guest guest Posted March 23, 2005 Report Share Posted March 23, 2005 LOL! Same here--my hubby can eat everything & anything in sight & never gain a pound! Dontcha just hate that??!?!? :-) The surgeons went in with the thought that they would try to fix the valve, but were fairly certain it was going to need to be replaced. They ended up using a human tissue valve--not an actual valve from a human donor, but one created with human tissue. The upside to this is it lasts longer (like the mechanical valve) but you don't need to take blood thinners (like with the pig valve--plus that's just yucky :-P). This was and is especially important to us because we're Jehovah's Witnesses and don't accept blood transfusions. So a situation where he would need to be on blood thinners would have been kind of scary if there was ever an accident or a need for more surgery--not that that wouldn't be scary to anybody. > > > > > > > This is my favourite piece of writing by Erma Bombeck, it > > > > never > > > > > > fails to > > > > > > > bring tears to my eyes! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > and > > > > > > > Bilateral cf 24 Jan 2003 > > > > > > > www.clubfoot.co.za http://www.clubfoot.co.za/> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > HOW GOD SELECTS THE MOTHER OF A CHILD WITH DISABILITIES > > > > > > > by Erma Bombeck > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a > > few > > > > by > > > > > > social > > > > > > > pressures and a couple by habit. Did you ever wonder how > > > > mothers > > > > > of > > > > > > > children with disabilities are chosen? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Somehow I visualize God hovering over earth selecting his > > > > > > instruments > > > > > > > for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he > > > > > observes, he > > > > > > > instructs his angels to make notes in a giant ledger. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > " Armstrong, Beth, son. Patron Saint . " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > " Forrest, Marjorie, daughter, Patron Saint Cecilia. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > " Rutledge, , twins. Patron Saint Gerard. He's used > > to > > > > > > profanity. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Finally, He passes a name to an angel and smiles, " Give > > her a > > > > > child > > > > > > with > > > > > > > disabilities. " The angel is curious. " Why this one, God? > > > She's > > > > so > > > > > > > happy. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > " Exactly " , smiles God. " Could I give child with > > disabilities > > > > to > > > > > a > > > > > > mother > > > > > > > who does not know laughter? That would be cruel " . > > > > > > > > > > > > > > " But has she the patience? " asks the angel. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > " I don't want her to have too much patience, or she will > > > drown > > > > > in a > > > > > > sea > > > > > > > of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment > > wear > > > > > off, > > > > > > she'll > > > > > > > handle it. I watched her today. She has that feeling of > > self > > > > and > > > > > > > independence that is so rare and so necessary in a > mother. > > > You > > > > > see, > > > > > > the > > > > > > > child I am going to give her has her own world. She has > to > > > > make > > > > > it > > > > > > live > > > > > > > in her world and that's not going to be easy. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > " But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > God smiles. " No matter. I can fix that. This one is > > perfect. > > > > She > > > > > has > > > > > > > just enough selfishness. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The angel gasps. " Selfishness? Is that a virtue? " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > God nods. " If she cannot separate herself from the child > > > > > > occasionally, > > > > > > > she will never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will > > > bless > > > > > with > > > > > > less > > > > > > > than perfect. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > " She does not realize it yet, but she is to be envied. I > > will > > > > > > permit her > > > > > > > to see clearly the things I see .... ignorance, cruelty, > > > > > > prejudice ... > > > > > > > and allow her to rise above them. She will never be > alone. > > I > > > > > will > > > > > > be at > > > > > > > her side every minute of every day of her life because > she > > is > > > > > doing > > > > > > my > > > > > > > work as surely as if she is here by my side. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > " And what about her patron saint? " asks the angel, his > pen > > > > > poised > > > > > > in mid > > > > > > > air. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > God smiles. " A mirror will suffice. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Moss > > > > > > > Steps Charity > > > > > > > http://www.steps.org.za> www.steps.org.za > > > > > > > Cell: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 23, 2005 Report Share Posted March 23, 2005 I hadn't heard of the human tissue valve! I knew of the pig valve and joked with my husband that if he had a pig valve put in, it would justify his spilling that ice cream on his shirts all the time. I keep on intending to make a t-shirt for him that says " feed the shirts campaign " on the front and " doing my part " on the back. It is great they were able to find a way to take care of your FIL and accomodate your beliefs as well. It is very frightening when your loved ones are taking meds that could endanger their lives. was on the blood thinners for a while right after the surgery and I was so worried he'd have another siezure, hit his head and bleed to death. Yeah, I'm one of those what if people! > > > > > > > > This is my favourite piece of writing by Erma Bombeck, > it > > > > > never > > > > > > > fails to > > > > > > > > bring tears to my eyes! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > and > > > > > > > > Bilateral cf 24 Jan 2003 > > > > > > > > www.clubfoot.co.za http://www.clubfoot.co.za/> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > HOW GOD SELECTS THE MOTHER OF A CHILD WITH DISABILITIES > > > > > > > > by Erma Bombeck > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, > a > > > few > > > > > by > > > > > > > social > > > > > > > > pressures and a couple by habit. Did you ever wonder > how > > > > > mothers > > > > > > of > > > > > > > > children with disabilities are chosen? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Somehow I visualize God hovering over earth selecting > his > > > > > > > instruments > > > > > > > > for propagation with great care and deliberation. As > he > > > > > > observes, he > > > > > > > > instructs his angels to make notes in a giant ledger. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > " Armstrong, Beth, son. Patron Saint . " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > " Forrest, Marjorie, daughter, Patron Saint Cecilia. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > " Rutledge, , twins. Patron Saint Gerard. He's > used > > > to > > > > > > > profanity. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Finally, He passes a name to an angel and > smiles, " Give > > > her a > > > > > > child > > > > > > > with > > > > > > > > disabilities. " The angel is curious. " Why this one, > God? > > > > She's > > > > > so > > > > > > > > happy. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > " Exactly " , smiles God. " Could I give child with > > > disabilities > > > > > to > > > > > > a > > > > > > > mother > > > > > > > > who does not know laughter? That would be cruel " . > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > " But has she the patience? " asks the angel. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > " I don't want her to have too much patience, or she > will > > > > drown > > > > > > in a > > > > > > > sea > > > > > > > > of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and > resentment > > > wear > > > > > > off, > > > > > > > she'll > > > > > > > > handle it. I watched her today. She has that feeling > of > > > self > > > > > and > > > > > > > > independence that is so rare and so necessary in a > > mother. > > > > You > > > > > > see, > > > > > > > the > > > > > > > > child I am going to give her has her own world. She > has > > to > > > > > make > > > > > > it > > > > > > > live > > > > > > > > in her world and that's not going to be easy. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > " But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > God smiles. " No matter. I can fix that. This one is > > > perfect. > > > > > She > > > > > > has > > > > > > > > just enough selfishness. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The angel gasps. " Selfishness? Is that a virtue? " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > God nods. " If she cannot separate herself from the > child > > > > > > > occasionally, > > > > > > > > she will never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I > will > > > > bless > > > > > > with > > > > > > > less > > > > > > > > than perfect. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > " She does not realize it yet, but she is to be envied. > I > > > will > > > > > > > permit her > > > > > > > > to see clearly the things I see .... ignorance, > cruelty, > > > > > > > prejudice ... > > > > > > > > and allow her to rise above them. She will never be > > alone. > > > I > > > > > > will > > > > > > > be at > > > > > > > > her side every minute of every day of her life because > > she > > > is > > > > > > doing > > > > > > > my > > > > > > > > work as surely as if she is here by my side. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > " And what about her patron saint? " asks the angel, his > > pen > > > > > > poised > > > > > > > in mid > > > > > > > > air. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > God smiles. " A mirror will suffice. " > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Moss > > > > > > > > Steps Charity > > > > > > > > http://www.steps.org.za> www.steps.org.za > > > > > > > > Cell: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 23, 2005 Report Share Posted March 23, 2005 I knew of the pig valve > and joked with my husband that if he had a pig valve put in, it would > justify his spilling that ice cream on his shirts all the time. I > keep on intending to make a t-shirt for him that says " feed the > shirts campaign " on the front and " doing my part " on the back. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I think I may need one of those shirts too...except the " doing my part " would be from my children!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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