Reflections and Responses

It's been a week now since our not-so-routine cardiology appointment. Loved ones have been asking me how I'm doing and what I need. I've answered this question differently each time I have been asked! Honestly, I've gone through quite the spectrum of emotions, much to my husband's delight. :-) Ha, I kid. He is wonderful and patient, but he just processes things differently than I do. This is one of the (several) lessons that God has ALREADY taught me in the past seven days. He made John's brain unique from mine, and that was on purpose ! We contemplate, analyze, dwell and respond differently to every situation we encounter, and this is no exception. Just because we are not feeling or expressing exactly what our spouse is experiencing doesn't mean that we cannot hear him or her out and validate the expression. In fact, we should seek ways to draw those emotions and reflections out of our partner and really listen, not trying to rush through, explain away, ...

We expected a routine appointment. Last April, the cardiology team told us that we did not have to return for another check-up on the hole in Olivia's heart for a full year. This was music to a mom's and dad's ears! Since her pediatrician had noticed the severe murmur in her heartbeat when she was just four days old, we'd visited the cardiologist office several times to monitor any changes in heart function. So far, it seemed that this hole was not causing any problems, and the doctors said that it might even close on its own. The ultrasounds of Olivia's heart today revealed a different story, unfortunately. The left side of her heart has enlarged slightly over the last year, which tells us that this precious organ is under a bit of stress due to the turbulence of the extra blood flowing in and out of the hole. The first cardiologist who reviewed the ultrasounds with us today told us what we really did not want to hear: Olivia is heading down the path that req...

Today I had my annual check-up at my ob-gyn. DON'T WORRY and KEEP READING - this is not a post with details about what happens once you leave the waiting room! I was in the waiting room for about 40 minutes. Looking around, I was astounded by the range of emotions I saw on display by the other patients. Two obviously pregnant women sat to my right, each looking content and pleasant as they rested their hands on their round bellies, calmly flipping through pregnancy magazines and scrolling on their phones. Across the room was a college-aged girl who was whispering nervously to her mom. Must be a first timer, I figured. A couple sat in the corner. The woman looked excited and the man fidgeted, looking like he'd rather be cleaning toilets than sitting in that room. I wondered about the story behind those two. A very, very pregnant mom waddled in holding her toddler's hand. Instantly I felt tired on her behalf. Directly across from me was another couple. Their faces...