ICD Follow-up

The doctor's appointment @ 12:30 Thursday lasted until after 5p.m. They adjusted his ICD and upon hearing his concerns and problems over the past few days, they sent him for blood work, chest x-ray, and echo. When they did the echo, they saw one of his narrow places was narrower. Then they saw how weak his heart was. They said the muscle is becoming hard because it has been overworked for so long. So when the heart squeezes in to push blood out it is not doing a good job. Now when the heart is supposed to be relaxing to take in blood, it is not doing it because it has lost a lot of its elasticity and has become rigid. The doctor stated that he would have to stay on his current medications because the benefits outweigh the side effects. The doctor also talked to us about making some hard choices sooner rather than later concerning surgery. At this time they believe that out of three options that Jim could only survive one. That would be heart transplant. The risks are numerous and the doctor stated that you have to take a "boat load" of medicine. He is not on the list as of right now and only time will tell when this will take place. The doctor thinks Jim can make it a little while longer but also reminded us that he cannot predict what will happen. The risk of something sudden happening has decreased thanks to the ICD but there still is a possibility of that.

I Cry At Times

Well, it has been a week since our last doctor's visit and we are just now updating everyone. We were extremely tired being in Birmingham all day and on the road. We have been getting Julianna ready for the second grade.

The advanced heart failure group stated that they were going to try and adjust his medicine because he has been having some bad side effects from the meds. The medicine that he is on is the best for his heart and they do not want to take him off of it. He has no energy most of the time and struggles to sleep at night. He falls asleep fast but it is hard for him to stay asleep. He has become more absent minded. He doesn't know what he is saying some times in mid conversation. He has increased in his grey spells and has become more irritable at times. I know the irritability is due to not feeling as good as he wants to. The doctor told him to get on disability but he can't as long as he is preaching. At times he struggles to preach but is doing the best he can to support his family. The ICD doctor stated that he was doing okay. He could not tell us that Jim was doing good or bad. Jim is just maintaining. The ICD is helping his heart do its job 23% of the time. This means that 23% of the time his heart is not functioning the way that it should. It could be a lot worse but it could be a lot better. You don't want the ICD to have to do too much because the battery will wear out sooner.

We all have good days and bad. At times I cry and at times I am able to laugh. I know he has good days and other days could be better. It fluctuates so that you don't really know what to expect from one day to another. I have gotten some really good books to read in addition to the Bible. These encourage me and give me more scripture to take hold of. I have also started working out at the local gym. I try to go 3 times a week. With each flare up I feel myself getting weaker and weaker. I have actually gained 3 lbs. this week. I feel stronger than I have in a long time. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Julianna broke down the other day because she noticed how her dad has changed. I know she gets frustrated and she doesn't understand. I just cried with her and told her we have to be thankful for the time that we have had. Every day we try to make it the best we can. We love you all and thank you for what you do. Please continue to pray. ----Jenn

Taking A Break for Jim's Sake

I have been praying and thinking about this decision for the past several weeks. I will not be able to teach my classes this fall (ACC1223 and ECO 2123). My husband, Jim Murrell, who is 34 years old is in Advanced Heart Failure. He has three blockages due to scar tissue from the corrective heart surgery he had in 1975 when he was 6 months old. We have been frequent quests at UAB hospital in Birmingham, AL. This is where his first heart surgery took place and they know his heart. He has transposition of the great vessels and his hearts main function comes out of the right ventricle side. His heart has become extremely weak, he has been going into v-tach often, and recently he had an ICD implanted. The doctors don't give us much to go on. He is one of the first ones to make it to adulthood. He was never supposed to live past 18 years old. He only has a few good hours a day. We have two children Julianna 7 and Cameron 3. We ask for your prayers that the Lord will bless him with many good days. He is the preacher at the Philadelphia church of Christ. We count it a huge success when he is able to preach.

I hope that you all understand my decision. Thank you for the opportunity to teach at EC. I think I made a difference at least in some of my students. Lord willing, I will be able to return soon. Thank you and please remember us in your daily prayers.

A Good Week Ends Badly

I am soooooo sorry that I didn't let you know what was going on. Our lives have been so busy this month. Jim had a gospel meeting in Tuscumbia, AL the 7th through the 12th. It had been planned for 3 years and he hated to cancel it. He got really really bad that week. He was probably doing too much. By the end of that week his resting heart rate was 95 to 100 bpm. Whenever he got up his heart rate would go up to 120 to 140 bpm. We came home to Philly for 2 1/2 days. He didn't even go to church Sunday because he would get out of breath and feel like he was going to pass out. I stayed on the phone all weekend and on Monday morning with his doctors. We had a nurse at the house and then they said Monday around lunch time to come on to Bham. So we went. He had surgery on the 16th and had an ICD implanted. It is helping him a lot. Everything was very successful with the surgery but he developed a high fever and we had to stay until Saturday. We got home late Saturday and then our VBS started on Sunday the 22nd. This was the first VBS for our congregation in many many years. I taught the 1 to 3 year olds and Jim lead the singing. We got home every night exhausted and we didn't get home until 9:30 to 10 pm. I am taking care of Jim the best I can and trying to keep the little ones out of the house so he can rest. He is getting stronger but still has his bad days. I am sooooo sorry that I have not emailed in while. I miss you all and wish we all lived closer to one another. The Lord knows I need some good friends. The closest family we have is 4 hours away. We also don't know where we are going to be from one day to another. We are staying in Birmingham a lot these days. I love you all. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Being a Christian, a wife, a mother, a caregiver, a preacher's wife, a person of chronic illness and so on is trying to get the best of me. The devil doesn't know how hard headed I am. I plan to fight him to the end. Keep the faith and love you all-----Jennifer Murrell

Jim Needs An ICD

Sorry that we haven't called. We have been awaiting some news. We received a phone call last Thursday that he needed an ICD. He keeps going in v-tach which can cause sudden death. They told us that they would schedule that as soon as possible. We received a phone call this afternoon, they said the earliest time they had was June 23rd. This will be at UAB. This will be very risky due to the wires having to go through the narrow places in his heart. The doctors do not want to do this but due to the v-tach they don't have much choice. We are on the cancellation list. If any one cancels they will let us know. He will have at least a 3 to 4 day hospital stay and a 2 week recovery period. This is if they can do everything through the caths. If not they will have to open him up which will bring about additional risks and a longer recovery. He has had 3 really good days this week. He doesn't have much energy so he has been tiring really easy. He wants to go and do but gets exhausted once we try to go somewhere and do something.

As of right now, we will just have to wait. I pray that he will make it to the date and all will go well. I am confident that the surgery will take place when he needs it. God is in charge and I am trying to hurry Him up. I am praying that I will trust Him and His will. Each day I have to let go and let God be in charge. Love you all----Jenn

The Cath Results

Just wanted to update everyone to this point in time. We are still in Alabama but we are staying with Jim’s parents. When we arrived Tuesday afternoon in Birmingham we were soon reunited with Randall and Cammie Evans and Kelly Coldwater. We shared a wonderful supper together and then read scriptures and prayed. We are so grateful for your words Randall they will stick with us forever. We arose Wednesday morning with little sleep due to time spent in prayer. He was supposed to have his surgery early that morning but a 2 year old arrived after us. Jim gladly told the doctors that we would wait. We were overwhelmed by all the family and friends that came to show their love and support. Thank you for all those who were there. It was a mini MSOP reunion. He went into surgery at 1 pm. We were updated about two hours in that there were 3 blockages due to scar tissue from his surgery in 1975.  At 4:30 pm the nurse told us that he was going to recovery. She told me that I could go and see him. So I went accompanied by his parents and mine. I was not allowed to go back and the doctor called me on the phone. The doctor stated that they were not able to do the entire procedures that they had planned due to his heart being substantially weaker than they had thought. They tried to balloon the blockages but could not stint them due to the areas being curved. There was also an increased risk if the stints were put into place. The doctor kept acting strange and I just asked him “Is he in heart failure?” He said “Yes.” He stated that the only thing they could do for him was to give him medicine to make it easier for his heart to work. He is not a good candidate for a pacemaker, ICD, heart transplant….. The only thing they have to offer is medication therapy. To say the least I was devastated. Jim just turned 34 years old a month ago. Everyone was shocked and tried to be strong for his return to the room at 6:30 pm. Jim was joking and having a good time when he got back and the doctor soon came around to tell him and all of us the news again. Then we meet the Advance Heart Failure team. They will be keeping track of us from now on. He could hardly breath because he was in so much pain. He would hardly eat or talk because it hurt. Thursday was a long day because we kept being reminded about what all they could not do for us. I wanted to scream I KNOW, I KNOW. The nurse was out to lunch all day it seemed because he didn’t get his pain medicine and didn’t even get breakfast or lunch. Of course, I got him food from the food court. Everyone went home by Thursday because we were supposed to go since they couldn’t help us anymore. Jim felt so bad that they did a chest x-ray and an EKG. Both came back good and we spent the night at the hospital. Friday he woke up feeling pretty good but not for long. His heart went into a dangerous V teach rhythm and he started coughing more frequently.  They did an ECHO and found fluid around his heart but not a substantial amount. They let us go around 12 pm and we went to his parents’ home. Within a few hours he was running a fever of 102.5 and coughing more. I called the doctor and he thought he might be getting pneumonia. He told us to go to the ER on Saturday if it wasn’t any better. Well it wasn’t better so I took him to a clinic that was open and he has bronchitis. He is extremely fatigued and just feels terrible. It makes me regret taking him to the doctor and the hospital and all. I know that whatever happens it will be alright. All he wants to do is preach. We got him a padded bar stool with a back so he can rest while he is preaching. We plan to go to church in Munford tomorrow morning and make it home to Philadelphia, MS by tomorrow afternoon. We are very anxious to see the brethren there and to be home. We ask for your continued prayers and support. Each of us knows that we are not promised tomorrow or the rest of today for that matter. May God continue to use Jim and our family to further his kingdom. We know that we can do everything our hearts desire for God because of His love and strength and because of you and your support and friendship. We love you all and thank you for all that you have done and for your prayers that mean SO MUCH.

Jim's First Cath Is Set

For those of you I have not spoken with, Jim will have a heart catch on April 29,2009 to correct two places in his heart that have narrowed due to scar tissue. We request your prayers because the doctor has stated that there are a lot of risks involved. If you have any questions, please email them to me. We have had numerous calls and would prefer emails at this time if possible.

 

Just wanted to let you all know that Jim has gotten worse over the past few days. I called his doctor and they moved his catch to April 15th, this coming Wednesday. It will be at UAB in Birmingham AL. He will have three different teams working on him. His fatigue has increased dramatically, retaining fluid, difficulty in breathing. It has been extremely hard seeing him like this. Please lift him and our family up in prayer not only on the 15th but every day. I have been trying to do everything and I am not physically able to do my duties and his. I am having to let some things go. We appreciate all those who have emailed and called. Your support and encouragement will never be forgotten. In Him----Jennifer