35 Hours and Counting Down

Posted by John

I decided to post a few comments so I can see if I can figure this blogging thing out. How things have changed for me in the past couple of years. Two years ago after I completed a 15.5 mile run, my legs were swollen a bit and with some coaxing from my wife Dawn and others, I went to the doctor's to get my legs checked out, only to have my doctor (Dr. Kirk Aggerson) tell me not to worry about my legs, but that he suspected that my mitral valve in my heart was bad. He sent me to my cardiologist Dr. Richard Foster who has been watching me close for the past couple of years. He let me know that I'd be needing to have open heart surgery, and started to prepare Dawn and myself for when the day would come when it was time to get it done. I started to surf the web to see if I could learn more, and found out that Cleveland Heart Center was doing a procedure where with the assistance of robotics, they could perform a minimally invasive procedure to repair my valve, that is what I wanted done. While I thought I was ready to head to Cleveland when it was time to get it done, Dr. Foster was a bit wiser and let me know it wasn't just about me, but also my family needed to be considered in my decisions. While the care I would have received from Cleveland would have been terrific, my wife and daughters would have each other for support he felt that I should consider having it done locally in Grand Rapids so they would have more support, even if it meant me having the traditional heart surgery, cutting through my sternum. This past June he decided it was time for me to see a surgeon, so he recommended Dr. Charles Willekes to see me, between the two of them, they decided it was time for me to get my valve fixed. Fortunately for me, we have some great business people in our area who give back generously to the community that supports them. We have a great heart center now here in Grand Rapids, the Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center, and thanks to Tom Fox from Fox's Jewelers, in January he purchased a few da Vinci machines for the local hospitals to have. Dr. Willekes is one of two surgeons in the Grand Rapids area that is trained to do cardiac procedures on the da Vinci machine, Dr. Edward Murphy is the other, and on August 14 starting at 7:15 AM, I will have both of them in the operating room taking care of me.
It has been an emotional ride for me in the past couple of years, fortunately at Ada Bible Church, I've been blessed by a couple of the Pastors and their support. Edward Shepard has reminded me that it wasn't just things falling into place that has allowed me to have the surgery I desired here in my hometown, but it was God answering prayers. I'm getting to know Chuck Unseld well at Ada as well, praying with me after the morning services and sending me an occasional email just telling me that he was just thinking of me and said a prayer for me, it is amazing how much that has meant to me. So while I am scared of not knowing what lies ahead in the next 35 to 42 hours and beyond, I do know that God has been watching over me and protecting me, I have no doubt that he will be by my side while I have my procedure. Time for me to get some sleep, I'll be at work tomorrow, another night's sleep tomorrow in my bed, and then I'll spend some time at the Meijer Heart Center. So if you would, say a prayer not just for me, but for Dawn, my daughters Brittney and Brianna as it won't be easy for them, but also for my surgeons Dr. Willekes and Dr. Murphy, as they will be doing the work.