Using social media to post every facet of your life is not always the wisest of choices, but sometimes it is the best way to disseminate important information. Since I have neglected my blog for way too long, I have decided to use this as the medium to give everyone a life update. I hope all of my 13 followers get this information.
Right before Christmas of this past year, my family doctor advised that I get the pneumonia vaccine since I have a heart history. Back in 1996 I had double valve replacement surgery and have been kind of on cruise control over since, but there is nothing like being a little extra careful. About a day after receiving the shot I was blessed enough to be one of the 1 in 1 bajillion to have a reaction to it, which was akin to being thrown in a freezer and then in an oven over a period of several days. I did survive it, but I was one sick dude and decided that I would pass the next time it was offered to me.
A few days after Christmas, I found that I was short of breath doing the most simple of things – sometimes walking the stairs, sometimes just crossing the room. In my mind I knew what the culprit was – that blasted pneumonia vaccine is now in my lungs! As the next couple of weeks passed, the shortness of breath seemed almost absent while at other times I was literally debilitated.
Finally on Friday January 10, I decided that maybe a call to my cardiologist might be in order. Of course, I understated my symptoms and settled on an appointment date a week or so in advance. That very afternoon as I was schooling my son Deacon in the finer arts of basketball on the hoop in our cul de sac, I found that after only a few moves in the lane caused me to basically double over trying to catch my breath. My wife Kellie, who is a doctor-nurse extraordinaire, gave me the "look" and proceeded to reach out to my cardiologist who happens to be also be a dear friend of ours. He told me that he would have me come in first thing Monday morning and to take it easy over the weekend.
As I lay my head on my pillow that same Friday night, I was feeling a bit more rested and not all that concerned. But when I awoke at 3:00 a.m.,, that confidence was shattered. I really could not breath lying flat on my back! So the next morning I went straight to my family doctor's office where they operate a weekend clinic, and as soon as the PA saw me she asked me how long I has asthma. That was it! I must be experiencing some weird "your almost 50" bout with asthma. After taking a chest x-ray, she pointed out that there was fluid pooling in the bottom of my lungs and that there appeared to be areas of my lungs behind my sternum that looked collapsed a little, but it was too hard to tell. She prescribed an inhaler and steroids but told me as seriously as she could, "You have to get in to see your heart doctor as soon as you can." Don't worry, doc, I'm on it.
The next morning was Sunday and my wife and I were sitting our screened porch enjoying coffee and solving the world's problems as we always do, when I received a text message from my cardiologist. He wanted to meet, within the next hour. So a little over an hour later Kellie and I are sitting in his driveway and he is telling me that he does not like what he saw on my x-ray the day before and he thinks that not only is one of my valves failing, but that I could be in early congestive heart failure (CHF) and possible have infection around my heart. I was told to be at his office at 8:00 a.m. the next day for blood work and an echo cardiogram. Yes sir!
Long story short, the echo revealed his fears – my aortic valve was a hot mess and simply wasn't working effectively anymore. A few hours later I was in the hospital receiving another more invasive echo (down my throat) and it confirmed everything. I needed surgery and I needed it as soon as possible. I appeared that my heart and pitiful valve had been compensating for their failure for some time and they could no longer keep up the fight. In all honesty without hyperbole, I was almost a dead man.
The next morning (Tuesday) I underwent a heart catheterization in the hospital in Wilmington where I live and then later that night I was transferred to Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem for the surgery itself. My cardiologist had found a pretty good sized aneurysm near my heart a couple of years ago, so my surgeon in Winston said he would fix everything he could once he got in.
Friday January 17 was surgery day, and after over eight hours in the OR I came out with a new aortic valve, new pulmonary valve, a fixed aneurysm, and a coronary bypass for good measure. That's a lot of bang for the buck. Recovery was rough the first couple of days but by the next Wednesday they were ready to release me and I was ready to go. I still felt like a washed out garbage can, but at least I could rest at my mother-in-law's house in Winston-Salem for a few days until we made the trip back to Wilmington. Unfortunately, my plans changed.
I was home no more than an hour when a stomach bug decided to attack me with a vengeance, which meant that I was back in Wake Forest Baptist health on Thursday morning after barely twelve hours of freedom. Sick as a dog, I welcomed the IV nutrient pumping into my body and the doctors' and nurses worked to get me back on my feet again.
God graciously intervened on my behalf and I was released at noon yesterday, Saturday January 25. As I type these words on Sunday evening, I feel amazingly well but I know that I still have quite a road of recovery to go. In light of this, I want to highlight so many things for which I am eternally grateful:
Right before Christmas of this past year, my family doctor advised that I get the pneumonia vaccine since I have a heart history. Back in 1996 I had double valve replacement surgery and have been kind of on cruise control over since, but there is nothing like being a little extra careful. About a day after receiving the shot I was blessed enough to be one of the 1 in 1 bajillion to have a reaction to it, which was akin to being thrown in a freezer and then in an oven over a period of several days. I did survive it, but I was one sick dude and decided that I would pass the next time it was offered to me.
A few days after Christmas, I found that I was short of breath doing the most simple of things – sometimes walking the stairs, sometimes just crossing the room. In my mind I knew what the culprit was – that blasted pneumonia vaccine is now in my lungs! As the next couple of weeks passed, the shortness of breath seemed almost absent while at other times I was literally debilitated.
Finally on Friday January 10, I decided that maybe a call to my cardiologist might be in order. Of course, I understated my symptoms and settled on an appointment date a week or so in advance. That very afternoon as I was schooling my son Deacon in the finer arts of basketball on the hoop in our cul de sac, I found that after only a few moves in the lane caused me to basically double over trying to catch my breath. My wife Kellie, who is a doctor-nurse extraordinaire, gave me the "look" and proceeded to reach out to my cardiologist who happens to be also be a dear friend of ours. He told me that he would have me come in first thing Monday morning and to take it easy over the weekend.
As I lay my head on my pillow that same Friday night, I was feeling a bit more rested and not all that concerned. But when I awoke at 3:00 a.m.,, that confidence was shattered. I really could not breath lying flat on my back! So the next morning I went straight to my family doctor's office where they operate a weekend clinic, and as soon as the PA saw me she asked me how long I has asthma. That was it! I must be experiencing some weird "your almost 50" bout with asthma. After taking a chest x-ray, she pointed out that there was fluid pooling in the bottom of my lungs and that there appeared to be areas of my lungs behind my sternum that looked collapsed a little, but it was too hard to tell. She prescribed an inhaler and steroids but told me as seriously as she could, "You have to get in to see your heart doctor as soon as you can." Don't worry, doc, I'm on it.
The next morning was Sunday and my wife and I were sitting our screened porch enjoying coffee and solving the world's problems as we always do, when I received a text message from my cardiologist. He wanted to meet, within the next hour. So a little over an hour later Kellie and I are sitting in his driveway and he is telling me that he does not like what he saw on my x-ray the day before and he thinks that not only is one of my valves failing, but that I could be in early congestive heart failure (CHF) and possible have infection around my heart. I was told to be at his office at 8:00 a.m. the next day for blood work and an echo cardiogram. Yes sir!
Long story short, the echo revealed his fears – my aortic valve was a hot mess and simply wasn't working effectively anymore. A few hours later I was in the hospital receiving another more invasive echo (down my throat) and it confirmed everything. I needed surgery and I needed it as soon as possible. I appeared that my heart and pitiful valve had been compensating for their failure for some time and they could no longer keep up the fight. In all honesty without hyperbole, I was almost a dead man.
The next morning (Tuesday) I underwent a heart catheterization in the hospital in Wilmington where I live and then later that night I was transferred to Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem for the surgery itself. My cardiologist had found a pretty good sized aneurysm near my heart a couple of years ago, so my surgeon in Winston said he would fix everything he could once he got in.
Friday January 17 was surgery day, and after over eight hours in the OR I came out with a new aortic valve, new pulmonary valve, a fixed aneurysm, and a coronary bypass for good measure. That's a lot of bang for the buck. Recovery was rough the first couple of days but by the next Wednesday they were ready to release me and I was ready to go. I still felt like a washed out garbage can, but at least I could rest at my mother-in-law's house in Winston-Salem for a few days until we made the trip back to Wilmington. Unfortunately, my plans changed.
I was home no more than an hour when a stomach bug decided to attack me with a vengeance, which meant that I was back in Wake Forest Baptist health on Thursday morning after barely twelve hours of freedom. Sick as a dog, I welcomed the IV nutrient pumping into my body and the doctors' and nurses worked to get me back on my feet again.
God graciously intervened on my behalf and I was released at noon yesterday, Saturday January 25. As I type these words on Sunday evening, I feel amazingly well but I know that I still have quite a road of recovery to go. In light of this, I want to highlight so many things for which I am eternally grateful:
- My wife, Kellie, who is my greatest advocate and supporter. Y'all, she is an absolute bulldog and you better know I got the best possible care I could get! There is no feasible way that I could express my deep love to her, but now I have several more years that I get to try.
- My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Not only am I nothing without Him, but the truths of Him being my healer and sustainer have nveer been more real to me. Like I mentioned earlier, I probably should not be alive except by His hand of grace.
- My family. I had the chance to write notes to my kids the night before my surgery that my wife was able to mail back home to them. They were not notes of regret or fear, but rather of anticipation of the many wonderful years of this life that I now will get to spend with them. My extended family has been rock stars too, with my parents and in-laws available to help with anything, my brothers either being by my bedside or a close phone call away, and Kellie's aunt from Kansas even flying in at the drop of the hat to stay with the kids.
- My cardiologist in Wilmington, Tim Winslow. This man saved my life and our friendship now is based on more than he could possibly know. Tim, I love you.
- Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem. Dr. Kon is the Jedi Master of all heart surgeries and his extended staff, the ICU nurses on 7th, and the cardiac nurses on 5th took such good care of me that I am pretty sure I now have to put them on my Christmas card list. Thank all of you for being so aggressive to treat me physically and for being so encouraging to me in those early days of recovery.
- My neighborhood in Wilmington, aka "The Hood." Once our neighbors found out that I would be out of the picture for a couple of weeks and that Kellie would be with me, they rallied around my family and got the kids to places they needed to go, provided meals (which they are still doing), and sending constant notes of support, prayer, and love. Let me just tell you now, if you don't a a group of people that you can call "your people", find them immediately. I can't wait to get back to The Hood!
- Our extended group of friends that received the play-by-play of all that was happening in real time. They have been ceaseless with calls and offers to help, and many have been there at a moment's notice in our time of need.
- Finally, Coastal Christian High School, where I try to teach the Bible to a bunch of high school kids who often can't find their way out of a wet paper bag. The administration has been unbelievably gracious to me and have assured me that I still have a seat at the table no matter how long it takes me to return. And those students...they aren't as goofy as they seem. They have all written me letters with encouragement and Scripture and my eyes may have sweated a time or two as I read through everyone of them. Can't wait to see y'all again soon. Yes, even you, Sam Morgan.
12 comments:
God bless you Sterling and thank you for sharing! Prayers going up! You and Kellie have touched so many lives and always have a smile- kindness and humor (sometimes snark:)) that is infectious! I am so glad you are recovering- scary times- but you've got an amazing wife to fight for you- and God working in you. Speedy recovery friend- very happy to know you'll be around for a long time!!!
God bless you and your crew Sterling! Hang in there and you’ll be penetrating and shooting the jumpers again before you know it. -Small
You are awesome Sterling. I’m glad God saw fit to let you stay with us for a few more years. God Bless you and your family and all those that you meet along the way.
Shawn and I have been praying for you. We are happy to hear you're heading back to Wilmington. Give our love to Kellie. God bless you and the family.
Sterling, Kellie and family. We are so pleased to hear of your progress and send you prayers, now and for a long time. God is great!
Glad there was a Kibler involved in your time of trouble.
We knew you at Generations...we are so glad to hear you are healing...God is good. God bless you and your family.
We knew God would pull you though. All of us at Generations love and miss you and your family. We continue to pray for you and your family. Do everything the Dr.s say and mostly what Kelli says. We hope to see you again soon. David and Becky Grizzle
So unbelievable to read about all that you’ve recently gone through!! It really sounds like God put people and resources in your path at just the right time to save your life. It just reminds me of what an amazing God we serve!! I will be praying for your super speedy recovery and for your sweet wife, family and friends to be able to give you the best care possible! Hugs from WS, Allison Baise
Sterling, so crazy to hear of all this!! Glad you are doing well. That’s some major stuff you have gone through! You are in great hands from a cardiology standpoint at both New Hanover as well as Baptist. I have friends who practice in both of those places! Feel free to contact me if you ever have any cardiology questions. Sending prayers your way!
Stephanie Falk Martin
I am 58 years old, and was diagnosed with heart failure over a year ago. My main symptoms was fatigue, shortness of breath, and a general sense that these symptoms will keep me out of normal life activities, my symptom was not being able to breathe when lying down basically . I’ve kind of resigned to the fact that this is how life will be for me back until I found herbs that stop this CHF easily and relief all the airways. My wife and her caregiver assume I can't be as active, and thus I was excused from normal life responsibilities but natural herbs from totalcureherbalfoundation.blogspot .com really helped a but sometimes I think is God prodigy that I was able to treat my congestive heart failure but total cure herbs foundation herbal formula has a big impact on my recovery because my heart condition has been fully eliminate. They do things for me, and was too happy to comply with their service. This is a equitable of a way to get of your heart failure.
I am 58 years old, and was diagnosed with heart failure over a year ago. My main symptoms was fatigue, shortness of breath, and a general sense that these symptoms will keep me out of normal life activities, my symptom was not being able to breathe when lying down basically . I’ve kind of resigned to the fact that this is how life will be for me back until I found herbs that stop this CHF easily and relief all the airways. My wife and her caregiver assume I can't be as active, and thus I was excused from normal life responsibilities but natural herbs from totalcureherbalfoundation.blogspot .com really helped a but sometimes I think is God prodigy that I was able to treat my congestive heart failure but total cure herbs foundation herbal formula has a big impact on my recovery because my heart condition has been fully eliminate. They do things for me, and was too happy to comply with their service. This is a equitable of a way to get of your heart failure.
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